Also consider the diction you're aiming for. As someone already mentioned, regular conversation for us includes lots of senseless and grammatically questionable tense/subject shifts. You need to decide what's plausible for your character. As long as it isn't jarring and is consistent with the narrative voice you're aiming for, you can pretty much do what you want.
there's no problem with tenses here, cog, though of course you're right... the op has confused tense with person/pov and is only concerned about changing pov in the sentence, not tenses... bongo... you do need to change 'you' to 'one' for that sentence to make sense in re the one it follows... however, you don't need either one, if you reword that sentence to something like this:
Hi there, I'm currently attempting to write my first novel and so far I've got a few chapters down. What I'm having trouble with is deciding whether my first person perspective coupled with the use of the present tense will get tiresome and repetitive eventually.
for myself and many other readers [including most agents and publishers], it's not just 'eventually' but from word one!... and not just 'tiresome and repetitive' but annoying as bleep... in addition, sorry to say, most of what you've written makes no sense whatsoever... you seem to be trying so hard to be clever, that you're not trying hard enough to make what you write make good sense to the reader... my best advice is to follow that age-old best advice for writers, 'less is more'... and its old army axiom version, 'K.I.S.S.!'... love and hugs, maia
If you don't mind me asking, how does this not make sense? I want this to be based around the observations of the protagonist, and I feel as if a third person narrative would detract from this.
MaverickChaos, Since I didn't read what you had previously posted before it was taken down, I don't know if maia's observation of your writing making little sense is something I agree with. However, as for your question of tenses, writing first person is hard enough, trying to write first person present tense is probably one of the hardest styles of tense to write in for even seasoned writers. I prefer first person pov, both reading and writing it. Very few books that I have read in the first person pov have been written in present tense, most are past tense. One that stands out as being present tense is Time Traveler's Wife, written in present tense, if I remember correctly, for all of or at least most of the book. A few other stories I have read were written first person present tense in a few places where the MC is recounting the tale to another person in the present, but then actual story is told by the MC in past tense, so it is a blending of the two tenses. If you haven't written much, trying to start with first person present tense is probably going to be an exercise in frustration for you and in the end you will give up. There is no reason not to try it out but don't set yourself up for failure by trying to write an entire novel that way right off. Try it in a few short stories, get your feet wet first. Try past tense and present tense, both first and third person pov and see which you prefer. As with any writing question, quality is really key. It doesn't matter what tense you choose, or pov for that matter, if your writing is below par. You have to master the basics, find your own style, and learn how to convey an idea to your audience without confusing them.
I would suggest posting your opening scene in the review room. Most people put first person present at the bottom of their list of preferred writing styles. That doesn't mean it can't work. The only way for anybody to assess whether your writing is "tiresome or repetitive" is if they actually see it. Also remember certain genres lend themselves well to first person present. Usually suspense/ thrillers/ hard-boiled can be effective in this form. Ask yourself is there a reason to go against convention and write in this style. If you can come up with a legitimate reason then go ahead. If you can't then maybe you're indulging in something pointless. The book I'm currently working on is first person present, and I have to admit, I find it much easier than anything else I've written. I feel more in control of the character and the moment... if that makes any sense. Now I'm tempted to write every piece like this and have to actively fight the urge. So my advice takes a different slant from the others. If you're like me and seduced by this style, just constantly ask yourself: Is it enhancing the story? Remember, by employing this form, you're setting yourself up for an additional obstacle. The reader's prejudice.
First person is a more difficult perspactive to do well than third person, so I never recommend it to a new writer. Put another way, first person is much easier to do badly than third person is. However, there are many good writers who use first person well, so new writers are very tempted to dive into first person anyway, thinking it is an easier perspective. Usually that is because they are doing it the wrong way. So what is so bad about present tense? What is bad is that you are locking the pace to the reading pace of the reader. That lack of flexibility makes for very flat writing, and it quickly becomes tiresome to the reader. You can probably get away with it for a very short piece of writing, but te same story written in past tense is invariably stronger. Writing in past tense allows you to modulate the pace and the passage of time. "Past" can vary from milliseconds to millenia, all under the writer's control. I'd recommend staying with past tense unless you have an overwhelming reason to break away from it. Te only reason I have seen for a present tense narrative style is in "how-to" books, were you want to lock the narrative to the reader's real time. I have not seen a good reason for it in fiction. Ever. Don't ever choose voice and tense to be different. It's not really that different. Publishers have seen it all before, and that kind of "different" is just a fast way to the reject pile.
I don't necessarily disagree with any of the opinions already offered, but I do have a couple of additional thoughts. One is that I sometimes try writing using a convention I have some doubts about just to see what it feels like. First person present tense is something I tried once (short story, mind you). Now, I write as I go, and I'm not sure if a preplanned story like a novel would serve the same purpose or create a similar experience. Anyway, I found it a fascinating "trip"; and the story that unfolded from my little experiment turned out to be a memoir that revealed itself at some point into the fictional future (can't get much less "present" than that). I've tried other things, too, like second person stories, with less interesting outcomes, though it does give me a better sense of where the potential problems are. Second, totally unrelated thought, is from the vantagepoint of a reader. One of the reasons I usually prefer third person over first person stories is that a first person narrator "owns" his own story, which sometimes keeps me (as a reader) more on the outside looking in, where a third person story allows me better "access" to well-developed characters and perhaps a little better opportunity for empathy. I think that's because the author is narrating a third-person story and doesn't "own" the story any more than the reader, and so it allows for some blending of reader & author imagination. And, because the first-person narrator owns his own story, "his" story simply must be exceptional! (I think it's harder to build one's own character.) By way of providing a good example (IMO) of an exceptionally well-done, first-person story, might try MIDDLESEX by Jefrrey Eugenides; and I think that was handled in first person to avoid pronoun gender discrepancies (because of the storyline (the main character is a hermaphrodite); otherwise, I think Eugenides would have used third-person. I have not experienced "present tense" as a vehicle for creating immediacy really. In the best stories I've read where present tense is the choice, I hardly even notice it at all. So, aside from my own little experience with it (which turned into a story that was anything but "immediate"), my only real reaction to it occurs when it's the only writing quality I notice (and I don't mean that in a good way).
Maverick, no, the present tense doesn't quite work, unless you want to write a First Reader. The first person perspective works for me when I write anecdotal material in shifting tenses. All in the present tense? Hmmn, I never tried that. However, the following is a paragraph from my very first writing excercise, composed back in 1978), written in the first person and past tense: I met my instructor a week before the first class. She spoke of her own failures, revealing that she had fallen a bit short in making her own mark as a writer, which then forced her into the next-best thing--a career in building up false hope in aspiring writers. But it provided her with a steady income, for who on earth does not want to write a book? Looking back at this exerpt, now I find myself laughing. By the way, I still haven't sold anything--because, I don't submit. I write for fun. Actually, writing in the first tense may be a good way to prepare oneself for the BIG novel. After all, the "I" person is at the helm. Take care
I've gotten so used to writing in first person present tense. It feels most natural to me because the things I write about feel as though they are happening to my character as it is being described, and it's happening as you read it, almost like a diary or journal. I've gotten so used to reading books in first person present tense as well such as Less Than Zero, American Psycho, Fight Club, Choke, and several other books. I guess it takes some getting used to, but it can be done and done well. I've written an entire novel in the first person present tense perspective and I think it reads pretty well, though it's narrated by a 19 year old college student like myself, so I'd need more adults to read it before I can really get an opinion on it. I wrote a couple short stories that I posted on here that were in first person present tense as well. They didn't seem to be disliked too much regarding the perspective and tense and several peers and my English professor in class weren't bothered by it at all in other short stories I've written in that POV and tense. As long as you are mindful about being repetitive and trying not to make it sound boring and droll, you should be okay. Of course testing out other perspectives works as well and may help you find where you're most comfortable.
There are several award-winning novels which are written in present tense so I agree that it can be effective when used by a master. You say it's like a 'diary or journal'--but I think most people write their diary using past tenses, in fact, not present tenses. When you narrate something, also, don't you tend to use past tenses, not present tenses?--Unless you're telling a joke, e.g. 'This guy goes into a bar, and he sees a gorilla...'
Narration in past tense carries the implication that something actually happened. The storyteller is immediately challenged to somehow authenticate his tale and the characters involved. It has to be plausible on some level. Present tense is a synonym for "picture this." When you tell a joke, you're not trying to convince anyone of anything. All you want to do is evoke an amusing image. Picture this: A guy walks into a bar. . . Picture this: A dog is humping your leg and. . . Works fine for a joke or short story. Shorts are often just "picture this" scenarios, anyway. But a whole book in present tense? Just one epic "picture this" that goes on and on and on like an endless joke? At some point, I think I would get tired of "picturing that" and want to read something more tangible. For a novel to hold my attention, it needs to be more than a streaming video. Picture This, AKA present tense, seems inherently lazy. Perhaps that is why some people find it easier to write in.
That's funny, because Fight Club, Choke and American Psycho are three of my favourite novels. I think I've just been reading very similar material and I perhaps need to branch out to improve my writing style.
Yeah. I've also been reading a lot of books in past tense and I've started another book that's written in that tense using first person and I find that works for me too. You should try to toy around with different writing styles and at the same time read a lot, and find what works best for you or if several different styles work. Personally, since I always write in the first person, I like to use a POV and tense that best fits the character's voice. If the character's looking back on events that happened from an end point, he's telling the story from the present using past tense. If I want things to be happening to my character as I write and read the story, I use present tense. With present tense the character often mentions how he's feeling at points in the story and it can become much more unpredictable since even the character doesn't know what will happen. But find what works best for your characters and stories.
So I'm writing in first person perspective and want to switch to a narrative perspective mid-story....Gotcha. Here's what's really going on. Belen, my current first-person storyteller, is an ex-assassin. He is leading up to a revelation that is going to make him less of a dark, sarcastic, morbidly funny character to a much more reserved, restrained one. During this revelation Belen will be unconscious and on his own trip. In the meantime, Kiron, a second character, will be telling the story. Kiron is, without explaining his whole background, essentially a spy, scholar, and actor all rolled up into one job. How inappropriate would it be for me to bring Belen up to his epiphany and simply not switch back to his perspective after Kiron's stint is over? Sorry if this doesn't make sense. I'll clarify if needed!
Probably a bad idea. You really should avoid first person as a narrative POV unless youy are sticking with it throughout. (First person isn't the best choice for a new writer anyway, but never mind that for now). First person is a rather entrenched and restrictive POV. Any transition out of it tends to be jarring to the reader. Even so, you can accomplish nearly the same mood with third person limited, but with more agility to slip out of the POV. If you do it from a third person POV, you can prepare the reader with earlier short excursions into your secondary POV. Share the stage earlier, and your readers won't feel like you jumped ship on them in mid-novel. Also consider dividing the novel into parts, with a different POV in adjacent parts. Don't make any of them first person, though. You want to minimize the impact of transitions on the reader.
If you do do it, make sure you make it obvious who is talking. I know it's not the best example of writing, but there's a chapter in one of the Twilight books where the perspective changes from Bella to Jacob. I was about halfway through the chapter before I realised who was talking and stopped thinking "What the hell is going on?"
Stephanine Meyer did it in Breaking Dawn and I also read a book called come together (a summer romance read) that kept switching perspectives in my opinion it made the story better. I say go for it.
not necessarily I just finished a sci-fi novel like that called "Bitter Angels" by CL Anderson. The story plot-line was good and enticing; however, the constant first person shifting of characters each Chapter (with each one denoted to tell you who's POV is in view) got to be both tiring and annoying. I mentioned this book Saturday to a local author here who was having a book signing at a local B&N...even he said that was WRONG and agreed with me over it. Stick with one POV if in first person or use third person so you can change. now I'm stepping off my soapbox
My other thought was to transfer to a third person perspective when not working with my first person character, or to simply switch to third person entirely. Switching to a more encompassing perspective that allows for me to switch characters and still show their internal dialogue ( and their internal reactions are important in this story ) might make it clumsy for me to withhold information from the reader. One group of characters knows where they're going, why they're there, et cetera. The other group is clueless. Belen, the protagonist and first person story teller, is going to be knocked completely unconscious ( and appear dead ). By the time he is Kiron will have snuck off away from the rest of the group with a stolen key. Through him I want to reveal some major information about the story. I think that telling it limited subjective third person while Belen is out might be the best choice. Depending on how it works I might go back and revise the story to be a limited subjective third person perspective. ( WHEW, say that five times fast. )
I think one thing to consider is why one selects first person POV to begin with. It has its advantages and disadvantages. Switching out of it because you've written yourself into a dead end, or where the story would be better handed off in parts to another character for a while and then revert, or any combination, while can be successfully done, it is much harder to accomplish without jarring the reader, and ultimately weakening the story. Yes, published examples where first person switching to other characters or even other POVs can be pointed out. But how many more do not do such a thing? And how many of the authors who do switch POVs (first to third and back, for example) are successful authors already and are given more latitude in what they write and have accepted for publication? If it works, that's great. If it is being used a patch to get through a troublesome section of the story, that's maybe not so great. In the end, unless a member here was to read the entire manuscript in context could give you really solid information, other than general preferences and suggestions--which is what I just did. And even if they did read it all, it'd be their opinion--which points out the limitation. Unless you're self-publishing, consider your first audience (agents and/or editors). Where do you hope to submit? What have they represented/published that would be similar to what is being proposed? If they have, it is quite possible they'd be much more open to such a device being used. Yes, the ultimate audience is the reader, but in theory the agent knows editors that would be interested in what type of works. And the editors select works that generally fit their established readership (or have a market/readership in mind). Okay, enough rambling. Hope some of it made sense and helped you a bit with the dilemma. Good luck as you move forward. Terry
Let's see, books I've read in the last year have all switched povs in the first person, Time Traveler's wife, switches between Henry and Claire, Twilight as a switch in Breaking Dawn, and the current book I'm reading Patient Zero has a switch between first person of the MC hero, and third person of the Enemies, Dirty Girls Social Club switches between five different first person POVs, as does, Playing with Boys by the same author. I've read plenty of books that switch pov in first person, either to other first person povs or to third person povs, but it is carried out throughout the book, not just once mid way through never returning to the first character's pov. I don't think it works any other way.
