Writing in present tense - Page 2

Vintage Season · 09-16-2010, 07:52 AM

Present tense can be used effectively (Kij Johnson won this year's Nebula Award with "Spar," and the story was also a Hugo nominee), but I have only seen a few instances where it seemed like an appropriate style. That said, a week ago I wrote a short story in present tense, and added it to the submission queue... because for that particular story, it seemed like the right choice.

- M.

mr ploppy · 09-16-2010, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lexi Revellian

I dislike present tense writing, unless there's a good reason for it (I wrote a short story in first person present tense because the narrator was in for a nasty surprise at the end).

That is one of the reasons I am planning to use it -- because people will be expecting the main character to die at the end as soon as they start reading, so it will be a surprise when he doesn't. That and he isn't the sort of person who would be writing his memoirs.

HarryT · 09-16-2010, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

So are those people just being picky, or is there really a lot of people who would be put off by a present tense writing style?

Horrid, horrid, horrid!

I was put off Patricia Cornwell when she started writing novels in the present tense. I just loath it.

Elfwreck · 09-16-2010, 12:36 PM

A lot of fanfic is written in present tense. It gives a type of immediacy that's hard to do in past tense(s), and it allows an unreliable narrator without being in first (or second) person. (Are there any publish novels in 2nd person? I'd love to see something longer than novella length. Most 2nd person fanfic is less than 3000 words.)

It works better for some genres than others. It works for NOW NOW NOW action scenes and for introspection; it's less useful for stories that want a broader overview. It can be exhausting to read, like a movie that's too loud & moving too fast.

BexBits · 09-16-2010, 01:05 PM

I detest it and fall into the category of people who put the book down and back quickly away when I realize it is written in present tense.

Authors have very successfully written stories in past tense where the narrator gets (or gives) a huge shock at the end for a long time. I doubt those techniques won't work now.

HarryT · 09-16-2010, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

It works better for some genres than others. It works for NOW NOW NOW action scenes and for introspection; it's less useful for stories that want a broader overview. It can be exhausting to read, like a movie that's too loud & moving too fast.

The so-called "historic present" is certainly a well-known way of writing an exciting action scene; it's been used by every author from Homer on down. What I dislike is when an author attempts to extend it to an entire novel; for me, at least, it just doesn't work.

TGS · 09-16-2010, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

A lot of fanfic is written in present tense. It gives a type of immediacy that's hard to do in past tense(s), and it allows an unreliable narrator without being in first (or second) person. (Are there any publish novels in 2nd person? I'd love to see something longer than novella length. Most 2nd person fanfic is less than 3000 words.)

It works better for some genres than others. It works for NOW NOW NOW action scenes and for introspection; it's less useful for stories that want a broader overview. It can be exhausting to read, like a movie that's too loud & moving too fast.

I mentioned Haruki Murakami's After Dark earlier in the thread. As well as being written in the present tense it's also written in the plural second person. I think it works really well, but does demand something of the reader.

jaxx6166 · 09-16-2010, 08:16 PM

I think Lee Child has written a Reacher book or two in present first.

Luke King · 09-17-2010, 01:11 AM

The most famous novel written in second person is (arguably) Italo Calvino's "If On a Winter's Night a Traveller", though it is not all in second person. It is a book about the adventures you have while reading a book by Italo Calvino called "If On a Winter's Night a Traveller."

Worldwalker · 09-20-2010, 12:30 AM

I've tried to read present-tense novels, and I can't. What I get out of them is less immediacy and more confusion. And I'm talking well-regarded books written by professional writers here, people who should be doing an excellent job of it. If that's what the best can do, I do not want to dream of the worst.

In the case of fanfic, as bad as present tense is, there's something worse: the more typical fanfic that can't stick with a tense. It starts out a sentence in present tense, shifts to past, and then back to present, leaving the reader with a serious case of whiplash.

IMO, someone should be a top-notch writer in a conventional sense before they try something like present tense, and when they do, they should stick with it. It may have its place (though possibly not for me) but that place is definitely not somewhere whipsawing between past and present as the author's mood (or command of the language) dictates.

nomesque · 09-20-2010, 01:02 AM

In my experience - not incredibly wide - the younger the audience, the more likely it is that present tense will be considered acceptable. The younger the person, too, the more likely they are to tell their own stories in present tense.

"So I'm walking down the street, right, and this guy comes up to me. And he asks if I've got a cigarette, and then chucks a wobbly cos I don't have any. What's up with that?"

I write in past or present tense, depending on what fits the story I'm telling. DEAD(ish) is an appalling - to many - combination of present tense, first person perspective, and multi-person narrative. It's been compared by a few (including people who didn't like it) to a movie script. Beaut, that's the feeling I was going for, while realising that a good percentage of people would dislike it. Maisy May, on the other hand, is narrated by a single teen. Given the way most teens I know talk, it made sense to put the whole thing in present tense.

I've read a couple of books in present tense, recently - notably Parable of the Forgotten and (still reading) Loisaida - A New York Story. Both very enjoyable reads, to me.

Donnageddon · 09-20-2010, 02:02 AM

I'm glad I caught this thread. At the risk of appearing a numbskull (well that ship has probably already sailed) I have to admit I found it hard to think of ever reading a whole novel written in the present tense. It sounded absurd.

So I wracked my brain trying to think of such a novel I might have read. Then, I thought about novels I should have loved, but felt frustrated by and never finished.

Saturn's Children. This is a novel that hits every note for me. Sexy robots, and solar System exploration. Even the notion of robots (sexy ones at that!) surviving alone after the demise of humanity. It has everything I want in a novel.

But I just could not finish it...

At least now I know why. It is written in present tense. I did not ascribe this fact for my inability to finish it, but now I am sure that is the reason. Stross is an excellent writer, but this book just died on the page for me, and I am certain present tense is what killed it for me.

mr ploppy · 09-20-2010, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomesque

In my experience - not incredibly wide - the younger the audience, the more likely it is that present tense will be considered acceptable.

You know, there's probably a lot of truth in that. People who grew up with sites like this, Twitter, MSN, Facebook, all that sort of stuff is written in present tense. Whereas old fogeys like us, even our news was at least a day old by the time we read it, so we were conditioned to expect past tense.

I'll be honest here, it's not really something I consciously notice unless I go looking for it. The only one I could remember was Filth by Irvine Welch, but I've just had a quick look and my favourite book of the last few years was also written in present tense.

J. Strnad · 09-21-2010, 12:07 AM

The book I'm working on is told in two parts. The first is from the point of view of a young boy. He narrates events in present tense, telling the story strictly as he sees it.

Twenty-five years later, he revisits the setting to solve a mystery from his youth. I use past tense, third person, for this part of the book.

Why? Don't know. Felt right.

rudykerkhoven · 09-21-2010, 12:09 AM

I find this thread really interesting. I didn't realize that the present tense thing was polarizing. I noticed a few years ago there seemed to be more books written in the present tense and I even made a joke about it in my book, "The Adventures of Whatley Tupper" (which is written in the past tense) when a librarian's last words before being shot are : "I loathe the path that modern fiction is taking. Present tense should not be used as a gimmick."

Ironically, my most recent book (that I haven't published on Amazon yet, still waiting to learn the ropes more with my comedy) was written in the present tense (first person). I'm not sure how it began, it just seemed to fit the tone of the story. And I really enjoyed it. It seemed to add a sense of urgency to my writing. I'm working on another book that's also ended up being present tense (third person). I do wonder if I'm getting stuck in a trend, but then again, I didn't realize it was really a trend, per se. All I do know is that I enjoy writing in that tense.

Again, I'm surprised that it's fueled such strong reactions from people. It's a tense!

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09-16-2010, 07:52 AM	#16
Vintage Season Pulps and dime novels... Posts: 343 Karma: 1952003 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Kobo Aura/Kobo Aura One LE/iPad Air	Present tense can be used effectively (Kij Johnson won this year's Nebula Award with "Spar," and the story was also a Hugo nominee), but I have only seen a few instances where it seemed like an appropriate style. That said, a week ago I wrote a short story in present tense, and added it to the submission queue... because for that particular story, it seemed like the right choice. - M.

09-16-2010, 12:36 PM	#19
Elfwreck Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,187 Karma: 25133758 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SF Bay Area, California, USA Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3 (Past: Kobo Mini, PEZ, PRS-505, Clié)	A lot of fanfic is written in present tense. It gives a type of immediacy that's hard to do in past tense(s), and it allows an unreliable narrator without being in first (or second) person. (Are there any publish novels in 2nd person? I'd love to see something longer than novella length. Most 2nd person fanfic is less than 3000 words.) It works better for some genres than others. It works for NOW NOW NOW action scenes and for introspection; it's less useful for stories that want a broader overview. It can be exhausting to read, like a movie that's too loud & moving too fast.

09-16-2010, 01:05 PM	#20
BexBits Zealot Posts: 134 Karma: 184000 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Colorado Device: Nook classic, Nook Simple Touch, Nook HD	I detest it and fall into the category of people who put the book down and back quickly away when I realize it is written in present tense. Authors have very successfully written stories in past tense where the narrator gets (or gives) a huge shock at the end for a long time. I doubt those techniques won't work now.

09-16-2010, 08:16 PM	#23
jaxx6166 Wizard Posts: 1,222 Karma: 769316 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eternal summer Device: 350, iPad, PW	I think Lee Child has written a Reacher book or two in present first.

09-17-2010, 01:11 AM	#24
Luke King Member Retired Posts: 173 Karma: 200000 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kindle 2	The most famous novel written in second person is (arguably) Italo Calvino's "If On a Winter's Night a Traveller", though it is not all in second person. It is a book about the adventures you have while reading a book by Italo Calvino called "If On a Winter's Night a Traveller."

09-20-2010, 12:30 AM	#25
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	I've tried to read present-tense novels, and I can't. What I get out of them is less immediacy and more confusion. And I'm talking well-regarded books written by professional writers here, people who should be doing an excellent job of it. If that's what the best can do, I do not want to dream of the worst. In the case of fanfic, as bad as present tense is, there's something worse: the more typical fanfic that can't stick with a tense. It starts out a sentence in present tense, shifts to past, and then back to present, leaving the reader with a serious case of whiplash. IMO, someone should be a top-notch writer in a conventional sense before they try something like present tense, and when they do, they should stick with it. It may have its place (though possibly not for me) but that place is definitely not somewhere whipsawing between past and present as the author's mood (or command of the language) dictates.

09-20-2010, 01:02 AM	#26
nomesque Snooty Bestselling Author Posts: 1,485 Karma: 1000000 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ipswich, QLD, Australia Device: PRS-650	In my experience - not incredibly wide - the younger the audience, the more likely it is that present tense will be considered acceptable. The younger the person, too, the more likely they are to tell their own stories in present tense. "So I'm walking down the street, right, and this guy comes up to me. And he asks if I've got a cigarette, and then chucks a wobbly cos I don't have any. What's up with that?" I write in past or present tense, depending on what fits the story I'm telling. DEAD(ish) is an appalling - to many - combination of present tense, first person perspective, and multi-person narrative. It's been compared by a few (including people who didn't like it) to a movie script. Beaut, that's the feeling I was going for, while realising that a good percentage of people would dislike it. Maisy May, on the other hand, is narrated by a single teen. Given the way most teens I know talk, it made sense to put the whole thing in present tense. I've read a couple of books in present tense, recently - notably Parable of the Forgotten and (still reading) Loisaida - A New York Story. Both very enjoyable reads, to me.

09-20-2010, 02:02 AM	#27
Donnageddon Now you lishen here... Posts: 2,494 Karma: 479498 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Seattle-ish Device: Sony PRS-650. Kobo Touch, Kindle Fire	I'm glad I caught this thread. At the risk of appearing a numbskull (well that ship has probably already sailed) I have to admit I found it hard to think of ever reading a whole novel written in the present tense. It sounded absurd. So I wracked my brain trying to think of such a novel I might have read. Then, I thought about novels I should have loved, but felt frustrated by and never finished. Saturn's Children. This is a novel that hits every note for me. Sexy robots, and solar System exploration. Even the notion of robots (sexy ones at that!) surviving alone after the demise of humanity. It has everything I want in a novel. But I just could not finish it... At least now I know why. It is written in present tense. I did not ascribe this fact for my inability to finish it, but now I am sure that is the reason. Stross is an excellent writer, but this book just died on the page for me, and I am certain present tense is what killed it for me.

09-21-2010, 12:07 AM	#29
J. Strnad Guru Posts: 915 Karma: 3537194 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo, Kindle 3, Paperwhite	The book I'm working on is told in two parts. The first is from the point of view of a young boy. He narrates events in present tense, telling the story strictly as he sees it. Twenty-five years later, he revisits the setting to solve a mystery from his youth. I use past tense, third person, for this part of the book. Why? Don't know. Felt right.

09-21-2010, 12:09 AM	#30
rudykerkhoven keeps getting older Posts: 56 Karma: 75000 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Vancouver, BC Device: Kindle	I find this thread really interesting. I didn't realize that the present tense thing was polarizing. I noticed a few years ago there seemed to be more books written in the present tense and I even made a joke about it in my book, "The Adventures of Whatley Tupper" (which is written in the past tense) when a librarian's last words before being shot are : "I loathe the path that modern fiction is taking. Present tense should not be used as a gimmick." Ironically, my most recent book (that I haven't published on Amazon yet, still waiting to learn the ropes more with my comedy) was written in the present tense (first person). I'm not sure how it began, it just seemed to fit the tone of the story. And I really enjoyed it. It seemed to add a sense of urgency to my writing. I'm working on another book that's also ended up being present tense (third person). I do wonder if I'm getting stuck in a trend, but then again, I didn't realize it was really a trend, per se. All I do know is that I enjoy writing in that tense. Again, I'm surprised that it's fueled such strong reactions from people. It's a tense!

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