past tense vs. present tense

Which do you prefer and why?

For me, I always used to write in past tense until a few years ago--past tense was normal and natural for me. Then, after I read A Great and Terrible Beauty (which is written in present tense) I couldn't write in past tense anymore.

I like present tense better because everything is in the moment. In my opinion, it gives the reader a sense of being there, in the story (if that makes sense?).

So what about everyone else?

-Cassie

I don't have a preference. I can use both of them quite easily, though I sometimes stumble a little bit when writing in past tense. Strange, since I mostly use past tense. Anyway, they're both fun to write in. I mostly use past tense since it's what I learned to use, up till... third grade, maybe?

Present tense hurts my soul.

I always write in the past tense. For some reason I can't stand reading or writing anything written in the present tense. I just keep stumbling along the sentences when I'm reading a story written in the present tense, and when I'm writing in it I keep switching to past tense. I realize that could be helped by actually writing more in the present tense, but I like my past tense best.

Past tense comes naturally. I don't really mind. I just don't like it when people change in the story with no specified meaning to it

I really dislike present tense. It bounces me right out of the story having to read what the character is doing right at the moment, since the moment is Over already. By the time you think about it, the event has already become the past. Almost everything you read/watch/do is talked about in past tense.

So, for me, present drives me nuts, past is the natural way to go.

For a story more about a character's life (Saturday, by Ian McEwan, for example), present tense works brilliantly since it brings the reader into the story and portrays the story from the viewpoint of the character. Past tense is more for sequential action, which I write more of.

Past tense comes naturally to me but at the moment the piece I am working on is in present tense. It makes it really different but I'm quite enjoying the change.

Either way is fine by me. I think that people do tend to use past tense a lot more then present but they're both good.

Beck xx.

I like both, for my flash fictions I write in second person present tense, it's really refreshing. Most of my novels and longer projects I do in first or third person past tense.

Both have nice advantages, when you're writing in either you get to explore a whole new version of the events, and a whole other way of writing.

I think people use past tense more because its been drilled into our heads in almost every story, 99% of the well known stories are told in past tense, along with memories, and things like that.

A good assignment for this topic and for those who aren't really sure:
Narrate yourself in your head and try to figure out if its past or present tense, which ever it is is probably the one you prefer to write in normally.

Anybody have an opinion of future tense? I'd love to try that one someday.

Ducati wrote:Present tense hurts my soul.

I've recently acquired the skill of writing present tense smoothly. It's pretty cool, and I seem to be able to work with it quite well.

I love them both equally. :p

Present tense makes me want to cry. I love past tense.

I used to only be able to write in past tense. Now I write in present and I can't go back to past. I'm not really sure why but it seems like it's easier for me to write in present. It also doesn't bug me reading it that way because I've gotten used to it.

~peanut~

Whichever POV works for the story.

One of the best uses of 1st-person present tense I've seen, and part of what's turned my opinion of present tense more favorable, is Karin Lowachee's Warchild series. She uses perspective (and quite brilliantly) to showcase the characters' progression from their traumatic childhoods to the present; the "present," most mature, perspective always is first-person present tense, with various other perspectives used to lead up to it (such as second-person, third-person, first-person past tense). So when present tense appears in the books, it's a sign of finality, that the story is drawing to a close because the character has reached the end of his development. One of the more interesting uses of this was in the 3rd book Cagebird, in which she exploits this trope she's already built up, and starts the book in present tense - and only in flashbacks is past tense used.

I could fangirl about the perspective in those books until my face is blue, but what really struck me about it was how tense was used to clearly delineate past events from the present. As such, it now seems that I can no longer write first person in past tense, unless I'm trying for flashbacks. To me, first person seems to be the most natural and mature when it's in present tense, quite possibly because most people think in present tense, since they're taking in what's around them at that specific moment in time.

I don't have a preference for when I'm reading - as long as the story is well-written, both flow perfectly fine for me.

But when writing, I used to always use past tense till a few years ago, after which I suddenly became obsessed with writing in the present. I'm not entirely sure why...I think I enjoyed the immediacy of it, the fact that the moment is happening right there, in front of my eyes (makes it easier to imagine, and sharper, since it's happening in the now rather than in the then). I also like how it pans out like a film, as if I'm writing the story that exists here and now, rather than one that happened some time ago. It makes historical fiction more believable, too, I think.

But yes, Rosey has a good point - if you think about the present too much, it disappears. (but I think I'll tend to write in the present for some time).

Oh, and I had to point this out:

Present tense hurts my soul.

I always write in the past tense.

I really dislike present tense.

Erm, why is the statement on not liking present tense (or preferring past tense) written in present tense?

I like both. The first novel I wrote was present tense, and the second was past tense. It really does depend on the story. As someone said, a realistic fiction story (meaning it's about "real life" issues) often works better in present tense than fantasy and sci-fi. I think one of the reasons for this is that, if you're writing realistic fiction about teenagers especially, teenagers probably prefer something in present tense, because the character is thinking as (for example) a fourteen year old, not a thirty-year-old looking back.

Past tense seems to work better for science fiction, fantasy and anything involving a lot of physical action and battles. I think this is because intense action scenes are quite confusing to the characters, so the hindsight gives the benefit of explaining what's going on. I don't mean in a "telling" way, but a certain amount of explanation is required, or every action scene would be:

I can't see anything ow there's a huge banging noise my leg hurts what's that noise.

Whereas it would be easier to say:

A boom shook the dust that clouded my vision. Pain shot up my leg. Another sound followed, louder than the first.

That's a really bad example. But what I mean is, if the character is narrating an action scene in present tense, and they're confused about what's going on (for example, what all the noises are and where everyone is and what they're doing), it's going to be hard for the reader to understand.

Also, if there's a character narrating first person present tense, it raises a few questions in action scenes:
1. If they're "writing" or "saying" it, how is this possible when they're battling/running for their life.
2. How are they thinking up all this witty/insightful stuff in the moment when they think they're about to die?
3. If the prose is a stream of their thoughts, why isn't every second sentence "ouch" or "I'm really scared"?

I think some people can pull off a first person present tense action scene, possibly creating an interesting "immediate and personal" effect in the process. But it would be hard, and could just end up confusing the reader.