1. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    present tense

    Discussion in 'Point of View, and Voice' started by deadrats, Dec 20, 2022.

    Why are some people turned off by present tense? What's wrong with present tense? Personally, I love both reading and writing present tense. I sort of had to force myself to write in past tense for my novel since I'm aware that it seems to be the preferred tense, but I'm sort of second guessing this decision.

    What are your thoughts about present tense vs. past tense? And why do some people just seem to hate present tense? Personally, I just don't see the problem with it. What am I missing?
     
  2. montecarlo

    montecarlo Contributor Contributor

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    I generally don't care for it. I read one book, The Wife Between Us, that narrated one character in first-person present and another in 3rd person past. I was initially put off by the first-person present but soon I really didn't notice it anymore.

    It worked for that book because
    it turned out the two characters were the same person at different points in her life.

    But I would rather stick with past unless there is a special reason to deviate.
     
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  3. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    What is it about present tense you don't like?
     
  4. montecarlo

    montecarlo Contributor Contributor

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    Who knows? Maybe just because I'm not used to it.

    It could be something else though. Imagine watching a documentary on 9/11, all the descriptions are in past tense, right? Even watching the event live, most things are past tense "A plane just flew into..." though there will be some present tense mixed in "We are getting reports...".

    Even live blogs are in past tense, because it takes a few seconds to document what happened and hit send. All history books are in past tense.

    So if a story is in present tense, that implies I'm "watching" it happen live? What if I read it again?

    It's just weird to me.
     
  5. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    I like present tense just fine.

    Past tense
    Present tense
    First, second, or third person

    I find it odd that readers are bothered by any of those things per se. It's all in the execution.
     
  6. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    That's how I see it too.
     
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  7. LadySerpentine

    LadySerpentine New Member

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    I'm one of those who is bothered by present tense. Usually, past tense reads as "invisible," while present tense tends to be very noticeable to me. Present tense can be executed well, but it definitely takes some skill.
     
  8. montecarlo

    montecarlo Contributor Contributor

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    I was doing some research on a writing project I'm undertaking, and came across a short story I like, The Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang. Excellent use of present tense and it is there for a very specific purpose that fits the story.
     
  9. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    Have you seen the movie Arrival? It's based on the story.
     
  10. montecarlo

    montecarlo Contributor Contributor

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    I saw the movie first, prompted me to read the story. Loved them both, thought the movie really made a more emotional impact, but if I reversed the order maybe I would have thought the story better.
     
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  11. Catriona Grace

    Catriona Grace Mind the thorns Contributor Contest Winner 2022

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    If I'm constantly aware that something is written in the present tense, it will bother me. If I'm pulled into the story without thinking, "Present tense, huh?" every few minutes, it works for me.
     
  12. Homer Potvin

    Homer Potvin A tombstone hand and a graveyard mind Staff Supporter Contributor

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    I wouldn't say it bothers me, but it can get wonky if the tone and voice aren't right. Especially in first person. There were a few scenes in The Hunger Games that pulled me out of the story, though I still enjoyed it. I think Katniss was running through the woods dodging some form of deadly projectile and it almost felt as if she was simultaneously ducking and narrating at the same time. I remember putting the book down for a second and saying, "How do you have time to narrate a story when there's a fireball crawling up your ass?" I know the present tense doesn't actually sync the narration to the action but the way it was executed made it feel like that was happening.

    And it can sound really affected in the hands of a bad author. More so than past, though there's no good reason why. Overall, though, I can roll with it.
     
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  13. Hammer

    Hammer Moderator Staff Supporter Contributor

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    This may sound kind of crazy, but I find stories in present tiring. There's something about being in the here and now that drags you along -- which, of course, may well be the aim -- whereas with past there's an unspoken undertone of "well it's over now, so no need to worry" even in the exciting bits. In present it might not be okay because it hasn't happened yet...

    Nothing "wrong" with any well-executed piece of work as has already been said upthread, but if I'm reading to relax at bedtime, I don't want to be out of breath!
     
  14. AntPoems

    AntPoems Contributor Contributor

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    I don't mind present tense, though I rarely write in it myself. Mostly that's just habit, I suppose. My first thought was that past tense just feels like the natural way to tell a story, but then I realized that people tell stories in present tense all the time:

    "So I order a beer, right, and while I'm waiting, I look around the room. And I see this table I hadn't noticed before. Right in the corner, with this zombie rat and a duck and a giant ant and a three-eyed cat and bunch of other weirdos. And soon as I notice them, they stop talking and just stare at me..."

    And I associate that kind of storytelling with two things: first, a sense of immediacy and heightened drama, which I assume is what draws people to use it (and which, as @Hammer said, can be a bit overwhelming). Second, an informal, conversational style, like the one I mimicked above. And maybe that's part of the problem for some people: right or wrong, they think of books and stories as more formal writing, so it's jarring to read something that feels like their buddy telling them some crazy story about what happened to him last night, even if they can't quite explain why.

    Or maybe I'm completely wrong. That's been known to happen, too.
     
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