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How Fiction Works Writing Meme - Day Six
Aug. 24th, 2011 12:41 pm6 - In what tense do you write most often? The present tense? Past tense? Future tense? The past tense has become so popularized in the world of fiction that reading works done in other tenses is sometimes jarring or fails to resemble narration as most people know it. Do you agree with this supposition?
The past tense, but I have written a couple of pieces in the present tense. Sometimes I start a draft in present tense and change it later, once the story takes form. I think either is fine when done well; I also think present tense works better with short pieces.
I once had someone review a fic I'd written in present tense and tell me I should have written it in the past tense. This was a short piece, written as a missing scene, and described canon events around the extra material with some additional insights from the character's POV. To me, it was one of the best times to write in present tense, and added to the immediacy and intensity of the fic - as well as making it appear more 'canonical' than it might otherwise seem.
I think future tense would be a bit strange but again, so long as the writer knows what they are doing, it's fine.
I seriously think people need to get over this idea that it's wrong to write anything other than past tense, third person limited, only one POV per story, linear progression. I blame some of those 'how to write' posts that start out with things like paying attention to your spelling and not mixing up your/you're but quickly descend into authoritarian 'shoulds' that are mere opinions; things like never write in the present tense, it's for amateurs. When in fact, reading and writing in the past tense is so much the norm that I'd class that as 'for amateurs' in as much that you're likely to emulate the styles and conventions you're most familiar with when you're starting out.
BTW, I replied to the snotty review with pretty much my reasoning above and telling them that it was a stylistic choice. If I mix up my tenses, tell me, and I'll correct it, but if I've made a deliberate decision to write in a particular tense then that's my decision as the author.
I'll make an index post when I've completed the meme with links to all my answers; they will all be tagged #how fiction works meme. You can find the full set of questions at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
pristineungift's entry:here
The past tense, but I have written a couple of pieces in the present tense. Sometimes I start a draft in present tense and change it later, once the story takes form. I think either is fine when done well; I also think present tense works better with short pieces.
I once had someone review a fic I'd written in present tense and tell me I should have written it in the past tense. This was a short piece, written as a missing scene, and described canon events around the extra material with some additional insights from the character's POV. To me, it was one of the best times to write in present tense, and added to the immediacy and intensity of the fic - as well as making it appear more 'canonical' than it might otherwise seem.
I think future tense would be a bit strange but again, so long as the writer knows what they are doing, it's fine.
I seriously think people need to get over this idea that it's wrong to write anything other than past tense, third person limited, only one POV per story, linear progression. I blame some of those 'how to write' posts that start out with things like paying attention to your spelling and not mixing up your/you're but quickly descend into authoritarian 'shoulds' that are mere opinions; things like never write in the present tense, it's for amateurs. When in fact, reading and writing in the past tense is so much the norm that I'd class that as 'for amateurs' in as much that you're likely to emulate the styles and conventions you're most familiar with when you're starting out.
BTW, I replied to the snotty review with pretty much my reasoning above and telling them that it was a stylistic choice. If I mix up my tenses, tell me, and I'll correct it, but if I've made a deliberate decision to write in a particular tense then that's my decision as the author.
I'll make an index post when I've completed the meme with links to all my answers; they will all be tagged #how fiction works meme. You can find the full set of questions at
pristineungift's entry:here
