Nov 26 2008
Novel Ideas: Present Tense vs. Past Tense
Here I am again, posting on the dilemma between writing a novel in the present vs. the past tense.
My blog is still getting quite a few hits on my former posts about the same topic, so I assume there are many other writers who share this concern.
When I started my novel, I found myself unconsciously drifting toward present tense narrative. However, at about 10,000 words in, I recognized that it was bad, bad, bad. There was simply no reason to use present tense in this case. It’s a bad habit, a hold-over from the time when present tense was new and experimental, when it set a work apart from the masses.
Now, it’s become so commonplace, editors and readers are getting sick of seeing it. People don’t want an ordinary story packaged up as something extraordinary on account of the verb tense.
For a while, I thought I could do some parts of my story in past tense and some in present tense, because it time-jumps quite a bit. I realized that wasn’t necessary either, and I was only trying to rationalize the use of present tense because I didn’t want to give it up.
So, with all these thoughts in my head, I made the decision to write the entire novel in past tense. It was a good choice, and I haven’t been tempted to switch back again.
Thoughts? Please share. I hope you’re not all as confused as I am.
You know I find myself having the same trouble, and it’s something I fall into…and editing it back to past is irritating. But I do think you’re right, past tense is much more efficient in novel writing.
I am a little curious if point of view alters that though. For some reason I’m more likely to fall into present tense when working with a first person narrative. And very rarely have the problem when using a third person perspective. Shrugs, odd world eh?