Young Writers Society

I really need help with tenses. I know what they are, I just don't know if I used the right one in the story I'm now writing. It's in Romantic Fiction under "Untitled". You don't have to view it, but it'd be a lot of help if you maybe skimmed it to make sure I'm on the right track? Or give tips on how to make sure you used the right tense?

I'll glance over it for you... So I ought to head off to look at it...

When you say tenses do you mean the sort of thing a linguist would automatically think of after hearing the word, such as past, present, future etc, or do you mean the POV - that's first, second and third person? I would guess the latter from the title of this, but whenever I'm in French or German class and we talk about tense, we're always talking specifically about verb tenses.

So... I'll get back to you once I'm sure what you mean... I should be able to help though, we have to do this sort of stuff all the time at school.

I'll try and remember to take a peek at your story.

However, if you're asking which POV would be suit your the rhythm of the story; this really depends on the writer and how they want to interpret or convey the story.

I don't have a lot of experience with the second person, so I won't mention it. But as for the first and third person, they both have their flaws as well as value to the writer.

First Person
When writing in the first person, the reader automatically is connected to the main character. The reader gains insight; they know how the character is thinking, what emotions they experience and how they perceive the world around them. This helps to form a close bond when writing in the first person because where ever the character walks, talks or is placed in conflicting situations, the reader is experiencing and traveling along with the character.

The major flaw with the first person is the reader also automatically knows since this is the main character 'no harm will come to him/her' because that would signify the end of the story. At some point there has to be a cut off line so the story doesn't drag; meaning an ending.

Third Person
When writing in the third person, things can get a little tricky because your typing on both the receiving ends of the story. In the third person, usually there are at least two main characters, if not more. So, you have to account for all their personalities/ quirks, conflicts, emotions ect. There is usually quite a few POV changes and writing in the third person, in my opinion, requires more planning and outlining. You have to account for each character and when the POV switches to a new char, you have to write it in such a way that it's crisp and understandable.

This is a minor flaw with when writing with the third person POV - more work and planning usually needs to be done.

However, the big benefit with the third POV is anything can and will happen. Since you have multiple character POV's, there really isn't one main char but several. So, you ultimately have more freedom with your writing and story.

What I mean is this: Say Jeff fell off a twenty foot cliff because he lost his balance. Is the story over? No, because Matt was the one that pushed Jeff to his doom and the story presses forward. If this was in the first person, when Jeff died, that's it - The End.

So, even though you said you know the difference, I'd thought I would help recap the meaning of the two POV's. As for your question - Which is better to use in my story? I don't think anyone can actually tell you. Most likely you will have several opinions because everyone, like myself, have their 'writing habits' and will mention just that; their opinion.

Since it's your story, the decision is ultimately up to you. No, it's not easy but it depends how you want the story to reflect on the reader.

1. Do you want the reader to know what's going through the character's mind? (First Person) Or
2. Do you want the reader to be surprised and lead them around with twists and turns because they will have no clue who will be affected first. (Third Person)

Isn't decisions wonderful? I hope by recapping the two POV tools; first and third, that it will help you to determine which better suits the story itself. Like I said before, it just really depends whether you want personally from the reader.

Best of luck!
fishr

fishr, m'dear, I do believe you meant "third person" while writing "second person" there. Lemme grab my writing notebook and I'll copy the notes we took on POVs...

First Person ("I") Pros:

-Gives story focus, framework, boundaries.
-Gives story immediacy - it's not diluted.
-Gives story a strong voice.
-Helps to create character and set tone.

First Person Cons:

-Story must obey limitations of first person: reader can only see what narrator would see, know, feel.
-Temptation to make the writer into the narrator and then write the story the way it really happened. (Remember, good fiction transforms our real-life experiences.)

When first person works well, it is because the writer can distance/detach from his/her own voice and become a new voice - that of the character.

Second Person ("You") Pros:

-Reader is drawn into the story.
-Creates impression that this story could happen to anyone.
-Focuses story on actions and gives it a movement, a pace.

Second Person Cons:

-Voice is artificial and unrealistic - reader is not really in the story doing its actions; he/she is sitting there reading!
-Can make story overly-dramatic
-Can create an absence of voice and character (since focus is on action and the "you" could be anyone).

Third Persion ("He/She") Pros:

-Most commonly used POV
-Writer can move/weave in and out of different locations, in and out of different characters' thoughts, etc. Flexibility!

Types of Third Person Narrative:

Omnicient (all-knowing)
Objective (fly-on-the-wall observer, NO thoughts of characters)
Limited (Similar to first person, stays in thoughts of one character)
Shifting perspective (moves from one character to another)

Third Person Cons:

-Has potential of distracting reader from story, or of creating a more distant tone.

So... yeah. First person is written as if you, the writer, were writing a journal. "I went to the store and found some milk."
Second person is like those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books. "You walk up the ramp, wondering where it leads."
Third person is like gossip, in a way. "Sally and Henry danced all night and fell asleep on the floor."

I'll check out your story and edit this post if I think of any tips for you.

[edit] It looks all right to me. You switched from first person to third person, and you can make that work, but it'll take a little tying-in. Other than that, I think it's fine. [/edit]

Yes, I meant the Third Person. *smacks head* Thanks for pointing out my little error.

~Jacquie~

Second person shouldn't be used for most fiction purposes, unless you have a really good reason. I use second person in my critiques to create a more personal touch, but still.

Fishr and Crysi touched most of the points.

A couple of things you have to worry about as far as WRITING it.

1) You can get away with slang and other improper much easier using first person. With third person, unless the slang is in dialogue, it's a strict no-no.

2) If you are using a child as a main character, unless you can get into the child very well, use third person. You'll thank yourself for it.

3) Only use first person if you can write the situation convincingly! So try not to use it unless you're really really good with characters or you have experienced it firsthand.

And never EVER switch tenses in the middle of the story! If you have third person, keep it third person all the way. Please.

Wow, thanks for the information, guys! I'm sure this will help others struggling with the same thing. I now understand the difference and can come back to it when I need it. (I found that it was third person I'm writing in, which I like better.)

To Kay: It was First/Second/Third Person. It was basically answered by everyone else, but thanks for taking the time to actually give me advice.