I wonder about how more and more books are being written in the present tense. I have a hard time getting into something written that way. Past tense is where it’s at for me and I’m so glad you write that way. Maybe I’m just getting old, but what’s up with that?
I’m not sure why this is. I also noticed it, because present tense is harder for me to read, so I’m more likely to bounce off a book featuring it. I heard someone say that it’s because traditional publishers supposedly push you to write in past tense and since a lot more titles are self-published, that’s not longer true. I don’t buy it because I’ve read books in present tense published through traditional publishing houses.
If you have any theories, please share in the comments.
Are there rules to writing a good blurb for romance novels? Should I stay away from the “She is…. He is… Together they are…” formula or stick with the tried and tested?
That depends on what you mean by a blurb. From an author’s point of view, a blurb usually refers to that little bit of praise you see on the cover from other authors.
It’s hard to see but that bit above, where we say that Jessie’s book is “space opera at its finest” is the blurb. If that’s what you you want, the usual format is one sentence about the book itself and one sentence about the author.
I think you probably mean the summary for a query or a synopsis for the back of the book. In that case, if it’s a romance, the romance itself is the central conflict and the plot. So yes, it should have a few sentences about the heroine and her struggle and then a few sentences about the hero and his struggle (assuming hetero romance from the question.) Then it should show the shared conflict.
Alternatively, it can all be from the heroine point of view with the hero mentioned. This part of the query similar to a book synopsis on the back of the cover, so it might help to look at the back covers of some published books you like and see how they structured it. They are typically written for readers, so if you are doing it as a query, you want slightly less excited language.
Here is how I built a query for a hypothetical romantasy. Let me know if it helps or if you would like to ask a more detailed question.
Have you ever written an unhappy ending?
Yes. I usually don’t share that story, because it is unsettling. It’s one of our earlier short stories, very Russian, very folklore driven, kind of an homage to Gogol, and it has that classic Russian literature ending, which makes you go, “Well… I don’t know how to feel about this. I should be relieved but I’m not, and now I will think about this too much all day.”
If you want to read, it’s here, but you are diving into it at your own risk.
Thank you!
+1! 😊
If the author is not writing as the hero or heroine and is writing in the present tense, I find myself lost since I feel like I walked into the middle of something. It leaves me feeling like “what did I miss?”
Thank you for the insights. 🙂
I’ve seen it claimed by more than one writer/publisher that the present tense imparts more ‘immediency’ to the writing. Personally, I find it irritating and will avoid, especially since the writer invariably struggles in parts to maintain the present tense and often seems to get muddled when trying to revert back from past to present tense again. It spoils the flow and can be very confusing for the reader.
Although it’s not as bad as books being written in the second person …
The second person is inexorably linked to fanfic in my mind, it would have to be an extraordinary circumstance to make me spend money on it! Sorry to all 2nd person authors.
I really can’t think of any instance where I’d part with money for that, I don’t think I’ve managed to finish a free sample.
To me, the second person doesn’t fit well with storytelling, ok during a character’s speech or thoughts, but it just doesn’t work for a novel (or story of any length).
2nd person is linked for me to choose-your-own adventures! I don’t know that I would buy a novel written in second person, but it has a (very niche) place in my heart
this 💯 %
There has been one (and only one) instance of 2nd person writing that I have actually enjoyed, and it came at the end of Redshirts by Scalzi…. but it also tied very solidly into the novel that preceded it. It also was part of a 3 POV package that he was doing to wrap up the end so it also fulfilled a 2ndary (ha – unintended pun) purpose with that.
But i wouldn’t have bought just that portion and without the rest around it, it wouldn’t have floated on its own but it did stick in my mind
I can deal with present tense, but second person? hard pass.
I’ve read fanfic that is far more polished and gripping than some traditionally published media. Fanfiction is a starting place for some of the modern literary greats, especially for women, LGBTQ+ folks, and BIPOC who don’t get as much support from creative writing professors and traditional publishing. Seanan McGuire got her start in fanfic as well as Naomi Novik and many, many others. It is a font of creativity and experimentation. I encourage you to not to dismiss fanfic writers and fanfic. They are on their way to becoming the upcoming Hugo and Nebula award winners, one second-person fic at a time.
N K Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy is written in 2nd person. When you find out why, it hits HARD. I’ve never had a series make me cry so much.
+1
SO WORTH IT
+1000 in the feels
I also loved the book in the trilogy that bounce between tenses because it was different characters in different points in time – (iirc cuz it’s been awhile) current Mom story in 2nd, concurrent daughter in 3rd, and past ancestor in 1st. It was a good narrative device for the book.
I see I should have read the comments before posting similar items.
I will note I have read books where both past, present, or switching worked. And one where second person worked… However, it should be noted that the second person was not for whole book.
I thought maybe present tense was a convention for certain genres. I feel like I see it more in paranomal and urban sci-fi.
I’m more of a past-tense girl myself, so present takes a bit of an adjustment. It felt weird at first, but I’m getting used to it. I did run across a book (a historical of all things) that was present progressive. Present progressive, people. I just couldn’t. Could. NOT.
As always, thanks for indulging our curiousity about all the various and assorted things.
You might think I’m strange, but I liked the Snippet. Sure, she might know at that moment she may not experience the supernatural ever again, but then again…no one really knows the future.
+1
I liked the snippet too! Am I the only one who saw this as her origin story? The blurb could go like this:
After an encounter with a supernatural creature, Janna realizes that some problems require magical solutions and she is determined to meet this one head on. Left emotionally raw in the aftermath of thwarting a nightmare creature, the formerly-care-free Janna seeks out other survivors. Plagued by nightmares of the creature that bespelled her -and driven by the knowledge that life is deep and so are it’s mysteries, Janna seeks to unravel what happened to her and reconcile her craving for freedom with her fear of what lies hidden in the dark before she becomes undone herself.
+1
I did enjoy that short, but I have to say I’m glad you don’t typically write that way. Too shivery for me.
As for the tenses used, can’t say I’ve actually noticed. I’ll have to pay attention! The only thing that typically bothers me is really poor copy editing or badly misused words. If it’s bad enough to break me out of the story, then I often don’t finish.
I respect the effort that it takes to write a book, but there are a few things I don’t like in the mechanics of how a book is written – present tense, second person POV and constantly shifting POV between characters within a chapter*. None of those will stop me from starting a book but, probably unfairly, it means I hold the book to a higher standard in the plot and characters.
* Although I like the “extras” that HA does in writing a chapter or scene from another character’s POV. And, sigh, there are some scenes in the Innkeeper series I’d like to read from Sean’s POV.
I dislike the present tense in fiction as well- unless there is a clear purpose to it. If it’s done really well, sometimes I don’t notice. However, if there is any inconsistency to it, an author going back and forth between tenses drives me absolutely crazy.
I’m an English teacher, so I guess it’s a job hazard to run into this a lot.
I *can* give this insight: standard practice in English writing instruction is to have students write formal essays in present tense. I think it bleeds into any other writing they do, because I’ve seen it in the creative writing classes I teach (along with the maddening tense switching). I think the natural result of that is just more novels being written in the present tense.
Plus, students are getting less formal grammar instruction. The current trend is to avoid doing grammar instruction in its own unit, and do it “naturally” along with whatever other projects are happening in class. I have mixed feelings about that. I hate teaching grammar, but I feel like direct grammar instruction helps students understand grammatical consistency and how it aids reader understanding. I get how SAE instruction can also reinforce prejudices and stereotypes, which I don’t like. AAVE is a legitimate way of using the language, too, with its own rules for consistency, and as long as we understand each other, who really cares?
I just want my students to use apostrophes and capitalize things correctly, darn it! (and pick one verb tense for their writing that they can stick with).
In social media and internet communication in general, writing happens in all lower case, because it’s about flow. Then we switch to formal writing and the other set of rules and have to remember all the capitals. I’m not even really a young’un and it still hurts!
This has been an issue for awhile… I’m 27 and didn’t have any formal grammar lessons past maybe elementary school. I learned in terms of “don’t do x” and the actual theory behind it didn’t stick.
When people start talking about clauses, tenses, and similar I feel like a barbarian.
When the narration takes attention away from the story, that’s too much. Different approaches work for different plots from different people. I prefer the standard past tense, but I’ve read stories in other modes that worked for the particular story.
When Ilona says ‘at your own risk’, I think I will give it a pass until I’m in a much better mood.
Present tense is getting more and more common and i have strong oppositional feelings to it. I can’t stay in it. There’s only one series (duology really) that I become all engrossed in, but i have read most of everything else that author has put out extensively and started with the audio.
Other authors that I have followed for decades put out a present tense book/series and I can’t get past the preview chapter without putting it down. I’ve managed to struggle through the first 10 chapters, taking about 2 weeks to get there before i just skipped to the end to find out what happened and never touched the series again. Still don’t know how the series ended.
Past tense is how you tell a story to a friend. Present tense is supposed to be about how you’re experiencing it first hand, but this has led me to believe that I don’t think in present tense. I do the things but I don’t micro-analyze every part of the action or event as it is happening, just when I reflect on it later.
That’s an interesting point! Maybe it’s done to address our ever-shortening attention spans and make it more cinematic. Written for the audience who watches.
This explanation ‘sounds right’… but is frustrating for the audience who reads! Thank you for putting the question out there; it’s really interesting to read everyone’s take on it.
Perfect description! What a great question!
Excellent point you make. One criticism I’ve encountered is that in a mystery you always know the main character lives. Once he didn’t–it made for an abrupt ending.
Only the Andy Carpenter audiobooks enable me to stay unaware of present tense.
Ooh that was good!
Loved the short story. For so many reasons. Not a fan of scary stuff, but this is just the right amount of scary. Thank you for sharing it!
I looked up writing in the present tense since dinking coffee, reading books, and googling odd things are my super powers. The examples presented were like reading the classic kindergarten primers Janet & Mark, or Dick & Jane. I remember them unfondly because those books were the worst kind of dull.
I find myself wondering if the authors of present tense books lack the ability tell a story from a main character’s personal point of view. Maybe they just can’t see events through another persons perspective. Since it is a lot of work to create believable characters with strengths and flaws, creating meaningful interactions with other characters would be a stretch if a writer is that limited. All that to say, present tense writing falls flat for me.
I have read many excellent books written in present tense where the characters are very fleshed out and the story is rich with character interactions. Holly Black wrote an fabulous series about the Fae in present tense, a recent series I’ve started reading about a dragon war college is in present tense, and even the Hunger Games was written in present tense. It is very popular in YA fiction.
I read Holly Black’s ‘The Cruel Prince’, ‘The Wicked King’, and the rest of the series. It was nice, but I didn’t feel as immersed in the the story or as invested in the characters as I do when I read books written from the main characters pov like in the Innkeeper Series, the Kate Daniels novels, or the Mercy Thompson series. It’s just a matter of writing style and of personal preference. It doesn’t matter if first person falls a little flat for me, what matters is that there is wonderous variety and we’re all bound to find something that suits if we keep trying new things.
You were right. Kind of creepy. A male Rusalka
I really loved the short story. But I also read a lot of speculative fiction anthologies so the darkness and strangeness of the story held me. And you are correct, a lot of those do stay with me long after I’ve read them.
Interesting! I’ve never heard of ash to get rid of ghosts before, is it a Russian thing?
It’s not entirely a “ghost” in the traditional western supernatural lore understanding 😊.
In Eastern European belief, there are oneiric-erotic visitations by people who have recently died, who can latch onto someone living and drain them. The person gets gradually sick, anemic and listless, gets bruises and reports with what we would call night terrors and sleep paralysis in the modern world. The more their life power decreases, the more powerful and corporeal their tormenter.
The apparitions can be as seductive as they are terrifying, so it’s not always the victim who speaks out against them, or even want to get rid of them. The visitations often happen with teenagers: a behaviour of secrecy, moodiness and sexual awakening doesn’t always stand out, and they can be easily swayed to fall in love with their tormenter. The family or community intervenes and various rituals involving ash are performed. I’m the most familiar with Romanian tradition, where these creatures are called Zburator (the Flyer), and if the dead person who is doing it was identified, they were exhumed, their heart incinerated and the ash given to the victim to drink.
Think of it more as something between an Incubus and a vampire, but not a demon like the Incubus and not feeding on blood like the vampire- more an energetic vampire. Mary above called it a “male Rusalka”- the undead evil Rusalka versions, not the water nymph sort.
It reminds me of the Lasher character from the Mayfair Witches. I’m loved the darkness of the short story.
I absolutely refuse to read anything written in the present tense. It’s too jarring and I read for pleasure, not frustration.
The Hunger Games Trilogy was written in first person, present tense and was hugely popular, which maybe opened the doors for other authors in using it more in their writing. Tense and POV do not really bother me if the story is well crafted, but I know a lot of people who have strong preferences. Working in a library, I am often asked for book suggestions and some readers tell me immediately if I suggest a book that doesn’t meet their liking for tense or POV.
I have a “theory” that present tense is more popular now because audience today is used to computer games, and social media etc and present tense gives a “gamy” feeling. Movies novedays have also different feel and narration than few decads ago. Personally I do not like it as it feels somehow more chaotic for my brain.
You are very right! Movies made in the 90s seem sooooo slooooow. We definitely get to the inciting incident monkey a lot quicker there days.
yes! and they are more action oriented bombarding audience with fast flashing sequences. I dont find them so emotionally rewarding like older movies – there is more adrenaline flowing but less emphaty and emotional attachement – for me anyway but mabey its only my age 🙃 I stopped going to cinema some years ago ….
Interesting thought. That definitely makes sense.
I love when present tense perspective is used on purpose! I’ve read quite a few books, where it was used to discriminate between different POV – both different characters or different mental states of one character.
That being said, I don’t remember ever reading a book written only in first person perspective. That doesn’t sound encouraging…
Absolutely loved the short! Slavic themes are the best!
I took Russian and Russian Lit in college. One day my roommate came home and found me laid out on the couch. She asked what was wrong. My response: “I don’t know. I just feel down.” Her retort: “I bet if you stopped reading all those Russian novels you’d feel better.” 🤣
I was a Russian Studies major in college and took an intensive Russian Lit course over the summer one year. I spent several days in a melancholy funk after reading Ivan Turgenev’s A NEST OF THE GENTRY. He’s my favorite Russian author but ooh boy his stories can be depressing.
Thank you!
Present tense for me feels very much like gossip sometimes. “She walks into the room and she says, “Oh my god, you would not believe what just happened to me…And she’s standing there, staring at me…” which can maybe feel easier for some writers because it’s how they’d tell a story to their friend?
But I am a strong past tense fan myself. Deep first or third. I tend to bounce off of about half of the present tense books I read if not more.
I can’t and won’t read anything written in first person present tense. I usually don’t make it past the first paragraph. I don’t know why anyone would write like that. It seems like it would be much harder.
I used to dislike reading present tense, and I shuddered at first person, present tense, but in hindsight, it was, for me, likely more a matter of habit. At least I got more used to it until I no longer mind either way. Each have their own strength and weaknesses.
I have no clue why we’re seeing more and more present tense, though. Maybe it’s just part of the ever-evolving writing style? That’s of course not to say writers and readers can’t have their own preferences and stick to them. 🙂
that was a very very cool story… the fear, the temptation, the legends….
yeah snippet! the bdh is satiated for today
I’m an editor and grammar nerd who also writes books, and I love present tense for narratives written in first-person perspective. These books tend to include more conversational language in their narration, such as idiomatic phrases and declarations of universal truths, that can sound very “off” when written in past tense. I’ve seen so many authors switch to present tense in their prose for just one such phrase or sentence because in these cases, it’s better to be inconsistent than to sound “off” to the average reader.
This doesn’t really bother me when I’m reading (I’m a very forgiving reader), but it absolutely kills me when I’m writing or editing to have to choose between two bad options or do avoidance gymnastics in cases like this. So, I’m happy to see more books written in present tense. It’s just so much more functional in some (not all) cases!
Wow- what a remarkable story. Very Russian indeed. I love the challenge of the central choice.
I really didn’t like present tense and it used to put me off certain books. I mostly noticed it with YA books. But then I powered through so I could read a couple that I REALLY wanted to read and now I think I don’t even notice anymore.
Present tense is suppose to be more active or “immediate”. The theory is that it will “engage” the reader to make them feel like they are seeing or living the events in real time. The past tense is suppose to be a hold over for campfire story telling and is the standard way many are used to reading stories. There are published that won’t even consider a story in present tense, but I have also seen it from traditional publishing houses.
I’m a traditionalist. I want my third-person, past-tense prose. Often, I can do well with a first-person, past-tense because it sounds like someone telling me about something that happened to them. (“No shit, there I was when…”)
Something that is first-person/present-tense had better be darn good at resonating with me (as me) or such a strong voice that it sounds like the person is talking directly to me about their experiences as they happen. Which doesn’t work well/very often.
I admit, there was a Hugo-nominated horror story that was *second-person* present-tense that stuck sideways in my head for a long, long time. oooof. Congrats to the author on making that one memorable and no way do I ever want to do that again.
I read through the comments. I was particularly interested in the commenter who said that they tell stories to their friends in past tense.
I know that my senses/perceptions criss cross more than most (gasoline smells dark dark gray for instance), but when I really get into a story I am telling I start talking in present tense. I guess I become a little unmoored from time. I am in some ways a time traveler reliving an instant.
I don’t mind tenses as long as they are consistent, but a story told in present tense maybe feels a bit more adrift from the real world? I use books to cut myself off from the world, so it only helps me. 🤷♀️
First person, present tense is my least favourite form of narration. Feelings of irritation not immediacy.
I must not have a preference for the tense since I’ve not really paid attention to it while reading.
Thank you for sharing the story. Whether it was an unhappy ending is a matter of perspective, which does make you think at least for a little while.
I liked the short fic although it’s not a topic I would actively choose. However, I’m willing to follow you into almost any rabbit hole!
Present tense requires a certain finesse to pull off, and when not done well enough somehow gives the same sense as that of an unreliable narrator. It’s jarring.
I’ve read traditionally published works in present tense since the Early 90’s. I would argue it was more common in YA than other genres since most of the urban fantasy of the late 80’s early 90’s was not present tense.
I hate present tense. I think it makes stories harder to read. It will stop me buying a book. If I read the first page and it’s present tense I won’t buy the book. I also think it’s harder to write well.
With the caveat that if the protagonist is in a situation where they analyse their lives second by second it makes sense. So I think it can work well in dystopian novels.
oh I hate present tense books so much.
loved the short story!
I absolutely love the story!
I like things that make me use my imagination, after all, life is full of choices and paths not taken.
Fixed 🙂
It is indeed confusing to go with present tense. I feel discombobulated when reading fiction stated in that tense.
As for present tense, which I don’t like either: I read somewhere that it was supposedly more appealing to young adults who ‘didn’t have a connection to the past’. Which seemed like one really weird theory to me. But it is true that particularly YA novels are very often in the present tense these days, and I wonder if that’s the thinking behind some of them. It usually keeps me from buying them, even if the story as such appeals to me, and that’s a pity.
I find present tense really annoying and admit to barely making it past page one if I find a book is in present tense when reading a sample. Certainly won’t buy it! Much prefer past tense. I also hate the multiple POVs and frequent switches between. I lose track!!
I tried writing a vague or unhappy ending a couple of times for magazines that wanted something that wasn’t HEA. What I discovered is that I didn’t like writing them any more than reading them! I mean, while learning to write I tried a few styles and efforts. But I think that is how writers figure out their voice and what they really want to write. It’s changed some over the years or perhaps just shifted into a “More of” technique.
I don’t like present tense and I have no idea why writers use it. It is much harder to read and inevitably, it seems to switch to past tense in places and then back to present making it even more difficult to read. I tried writing it once and it kind of works for a short story if you pretend you’re right there doing x. But more than anything writing is a habit of disciplines so perhaps it’s what a particular writer started with, learned and therefor stuck with it? I don’t know. But selling books and stories is hard. I truly believe writing in present tense is a more difficult sell.
Also Polaris Rising was a very fun book! I enjoyed it a lot!
I won’t read unhappy endings. I was scared for life when I read a book by Charlotte something, heroine was linked with hero’s mind for emotions. He was standard romance but became darker ( committing sort of bad Robin Hood crimes) and then at the end he died while linked with heroine. I checked the ending of every new author to be sure never happened again. Over 60 years ago and I still remember my rage at the author.
I think the use of present tense may reflect the way in which time or reality itself is a thematic element in a book. For example, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is written in present tense, I suspect, because the character is immortal, no one remembers her for more than twenty-four hours, so every day is a perpetual deja vu for her. In a novel about time travel, the use of present tense might reflect the instability of the relationship between past and present. Otherwise, it can add a sense of immediacy or suspense. A character narrating an event in past tense has clearly survived whatever they’re describing, unless it’s a story told by a ghost.
All your work is beautifully written, but the story you shared is exquisite.
+1
I think present tense and past tense work differently for my expectations from the read. if it’s in past tense, it’s a story (a history) of something that has happened and is being described to me now. I may be unsettling at some points, but in general it’s over one way or another. When it’s in the present tense, it’s not completed yet, and even though I logically know that the book is written and the story is done, it creates a more unsettled feeling for me. and since I read for comfort, I don’t like that and I am also more likely to drop such book.
I admit that present tense is a bit harder for me to read, too, but I absolutely loved the Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, which was written in present tense. Same with Iron Flame, which I’m reading now.
After the initial “shock” of present tense, though, I tend to settle into it and after a few pages forget about it. Of course, it depends on the book. 😊
Present tense makes a book more dramatic, I think, and often pushes a book over into melodrama which is why I don’t care for it. Also, and this may just be me being cynical, it seems like first person present tense would be easier to write, especially if you’re not picky about writing distinctive character voices.
After reading other comments, yes, present tense is like video games, especially first person present tense.
I liked it. so real. there are always costs to whatever we want, especially when we are at the crossroads between one life and the other.
+1
I like this story. Thank you.
+1
Showing our age, perhaps? We are more traditional, and prefer 3rd-person. In an effort to get more YA readers away from boys/games/whatever to books, authors have moved to the immediacy and urgency of 1st person, present tense. And angst. LOTS of teen-age angst. ALL the angst, ALL the time! I can put up with it for limited time, but it just loses me (usually before I make it to the end of the book). Where it really lost me, once, is when the supposedly late-20’s heroine acted like an angsty, no-common-sense teenager throughout the story. Nope. Just nope!
Wasn’t Hunger Games written in present tense?
About the blurb question – find a librarian to help!!
A large part of our job is condensing a book into a sound bite and using that sound bite to recommend the book in a Readers advisory interview (ie when I patron comes to the desk and asks for book recs.)
For books I love to recommend, I have a soundbite IVE come up with memorized and I’ll rattle it off at the drop of a hat.
For instance, Dealing With Dragons (a favorite to recommend to teens, tweens and adults what want very funny, light fantasy)
“It’s about a 16 year old princess named Cimerone who is bored of being a princess so she runs away from home, knocks on a dragons cave and volunteers to be the dragons “captive princess.” The dragons isn’t actually in the MARKET for a princess, but agrees to take on Cimerone on a trial basis.”
I admit, I had to look up the difference between first, second, and third person narratives. I mean, I know what they are, but I wanted to refresh my memory since I’ve been out of school a VERY long time.
Second person narrative reminds me of gaming as does 3rd person to some degree. I’ve never sat down and figured out what narrative I really prefer, I just devour books.
Of course, this was written in first person (I think). 🤔
So…I had to read the story. Now, present tense? Past tense? First person, second person, third person omniscient? Not sure I care. I was warned. I’ll pass the warning along…that was/is one creepy story! Good, but definitely creepy.
If a fiction book uses present tense, I’m doing good to last through the first chapter. I’ll take the word of those of you that have encountered one.
My other pet peeve is the misuse of I. Sentences like “John went to town with Susie and I. ” set my teeth on edge as there is such an easy way to check for correctness. Take out Susie and . Would you say John went to town with I?
It does seem like with more self-publishing, there are fewer editors or copy editors who know grammar. My current beef is the abandonment of “fewer”. No, “less” is not always the right word. And the worst part is that I’ve seen it from authors who used it correctly once upon a time and have stopped.
When I was a teenager, the beef of so many was “impacting.” You did not impact something. You had an impact on. When I was in college, I watched as writers all at once dropped “addictive” and took up “addicting.” Now it’s less and fewer. I wonder at the fashions, because someone like Nora Roberts, who has been writing for 40 years, used to use fewer, and between one book and the next forgot how, and I’d wonder if she got a new editor.
I hate it, but if I avoided every book that had bad grammar in places, I wouldn’t read anything modern. But it’s the kind of thing that throws me out of the story.
Agree completely with both of you. I suspect I’m showing my age 😂
Books are being written in the present tense because of Twilight and its success. If you notice, it’s especially prevalent in YA and NA.
I hate it, too.
I have a theory about the proliferation of 1st Person Present. For the record, it drives me crazy–as a reader it gives me a headache and as a writer, it gives me hives. Literally. I tried it once on a dare from one of my editors, not that he was going to request that manuscript–he was just curious. Never again. There’s not enough calamine lotion in the world! Anyway, back to my theory. Fan fiction. The rise in popularity of fan fiction* and, in some instances, self-insertion by the fan ficition writer into the story is the reason for all this 1st PP stuff. I checked out Watt Pad early on and noticed the majority of stories were 1PP. As those stories gained popularity, the traditional publishers came calling.
Don’t even get me started on 2nd Person POV no matter the tense. It reminds me of the one D&D game I sat in on waaaay back in the way back. NOT that D&D or any RPG is bad, um-kay? Just not my catnip.
I also want to acknowledge @Kat for her insights as an Engligh teacher. I hadn’t thought about the whole “essay tense” versus “creative writing tense.” That makes sense.
*I have nothing against fan fiction. In fact, I’ve written two novellas, strictly as a writing exercise, set in the worlds of two favorite authors and attempting to mimic their voices. And doesn’t that open up a whole ‘nother can of worms–what constitutes an author’s voice. Care to weight in on that one? *bwahaha*</i.
Hello
I understand that the present tense is now, but I don’t understand how it’s written in the past tense.
Maybe my mind is just too fixated on reading and not tencses.
Could you give me an example of past tense writing.
Thank you for your time and trouble
“ We sipped our tea. This was the calm before the storm, and I welcomed it. It was selfish, but there was something about Doolittle’s presence that steadied me.”
Andrews, Ilona. Magic Breaks, Kate Daniels book 7. Kindle edition, page 182
The entire Kate Daniels series is written in the past tense 🙂
I loved the snippet, which seemed more like a short story, it was so intense. Gave me shivers, but I a good way!
I’m weighing in here as a bestselling, traditionally-published author with an MFA in fiction whose last two novels had at least one narrator using present tense. I was trained in college and grad school to write in past and that’s what I did for many years. It was considered the only acceptable format because it was seen as the most seamless and transparent. So why have I started using the present tense?
Four reasons. The first is that maybe because of my training, it feels a bit rebellious, freeing and fun to write in present tense.
The second is that if you have a novel with multiple points of view, putting one narrator in present tense and the other in past makes it easier for the reader to differentiate the voices, and sometimes, it makes sense thematically if the two storylines aren’t happening at the same time.
Third, there’s something about a present tense narration that feels more immediate, like the story is unfolding before your eyes. I know readers are used to past tense but I think there are enough voices using present tense nowadays that it feels fresh and modern.
Finally, my latest novel came to me in the present tense, so I wrote it down that way. To be honest, both of my narrators spoke to me in first person present so that’s how I recorded their stories but in later drafts, I moved one of them to first person past and the other to close third in present tense for thematic reasons.
I have read a few good fantasy novels written in the second person, where the “you” was an unseen character to whom the protagonist was relating their story. Perhaps I am using the description incorrectly. American public school education was already slipping in the 70s. I had to learn proper grammer from my mother.
That’s interesting – I didn’t experience that as unhappy. I experienced it more as a very skilled rendition of the constant conflict we’re all continually navigating between our wants and our needs. Perhaps a very poignant illustration of the first time we have to make that decision in adult form, when there’s no adult around to put limits on our wants for us so we have to decide to do it ourselves – or not. I suppose I would have found an entire novel in that vein a harder read, but at this length it just provided an usual experience of being truly ‘seen’ in all my vulnerable humanity, while at that same time leaving me cheering for Janna having chosen life on that occasion, whilst leaving me with the hope she would find magic again later on in a less destructive form. Or maybe I’m just reading way too much into it. 🙂
totally agree about present tense. I can’t stick with those stories even if I’m interested in the story.
I should be more aware of tense! this might be why some books are meh for me and some are fab. this could be the key to not wasting time or finding a new fave! ❤️
So, I really liked the story. The ending is appropriate for horror.
I also would love to read the made up story for the sample query, if yiy ever decide to write it.
Lastly, first person present tense makes my brain twitch uncomfortably.
I really liked the short story! Hauntingly good … is the utoplennik an actual figure in folklore? When I googled it … I didn’t have any luck …
Thank you. That was incredible, will think about her choice and how she was changed. Before, and after.
Interesting: I honestly did not think about the fact that some books are written in past tense and some in present tense until reading this post! I just always knew when I read something that I liked what I liked and disliked what I disliked.
Apparently I don’t have a preference for tense because based on the comments here, some books that I really love are past tense and some are present. Who knew!
I do know that when I read a book by an author I’ve never read before, I may appreciate their talent but their storytelling may still stop me from reading anything else they wrote, regardless of the tense they used or whether they wrote in first person, etc.
Example: I just finished a novel written for adults by a well-known children’s author. I was very impressed with his very clever use of language and accents, the research he obviously did on the area where the story took place, his character development of some very colorful characters, twists and turns he put into the plot line, etc. He’s obviously a very talented author.
However, the violent ends of some characters (which this author described in great and gory detail) just was not my cup of tea and in my opinion not entirely necessary. I finished the book because I wanted to see how it ended, but I was sorely tempted to just skip to the end (which I never do.) I won’t be reading any of his other books, regardless of tense, 1st/2nd/3rd person, etc.
Now, I will say that I did read the snippet, and while it is not my favorite HA writing, I did appreciate it! A little dark, but definitely thought provoking. Thank you for sharing!
I have read a couple of present tense novels that I enjoyed, but they are definitely a minority of the present tense novels that I’ve *tried* to read. With most I never got past the first few paragraphs.
Of the couple that I did enjoy, one was by a favorite author whose previous books, numbering in the dozens, were standard third person past tense. So that author already knew how to write really well, and present tense wasn’t much of a stretch.
Another was a massive brick of historical fiction by a first time author, about a culture with which I was unfamiliar. The world and story were so fascinating that they immediately drew me in. That the writing was excellent helped, of course.
One book, part of a series I’d mostly enjoyed up to then, introduced present tense to distinguish a character POV. The MC was still first/past, and still fun; partner was first/present, which wore me down. End of that series for me.
I think if, as Jean mentions above, a book comes to an author in present tense, then it makes complete sense to write it that way. A good writer can make it work. But if it’s just because present tense is fashionable right now: hard pass for moi.
I’ve read very few novels in present tense, mostly I find it annoying. But I’ve read a couple of horror/thriller books where it worked very, very well.
Usually I’ll give a book a full chapter before I drop it if it’s in present tense. I’m less picky about first/third person.
Thank you for the short story. I really enjoyed ot 😀
Thank you again for this posting. I always love reading all of the viewpoints and theories posted by the BDH. I feel like I’m part of a very expressive and thoughtful book club, and it often carries over into interesting discussions with my daughter.
Interesting side note for anyone who thinks the past-tense preference is age related: my daughter is in her 20’s and I’m in my 60’s. I love many books that are written in present tense but she said she just can’t read them! 😁
And then all of BDH go click on the “it’s here” link :)))))))))))))))))))))
That was different, thanks.
I think – and it’s just indeed that – it’s because we’re living in a more “present” times, where everything is more immediate and “of that moment”, and that authors think that will bring the reader closer to the action.
I also dislike always reading in the present, especially in books.
On the other hand, I used to dislike books in the first person. And not that I’m a convert now, but I am getting used to some authors that write that way (HA for example) – so it might be I’ll get used to it in the future?
I doubt it, but you never know…
I love the short story.
Dziękuję ♥️
Very much enjoyed the short story. It captured that Podmoskovy summer feel perfectly.
I feel like present tense is like what the hand held cam is to cinema. It makes you feel there in the moment, like it’s happening live. And I think it could probably work if the writer really has a feel for present tense and what they’re doing with it. I feel like it’s a lot easier to jump around in time without breaking any threads in story if you use past tense.
I always seem to see present tense in combination with second person and I don’t appreciate it because most of the time I’m there to experience a story, I don’t want the extra work of having to imagine I’m the main character.
It’s been lovely to read through the comments and find others who dislike first person present tense and/or second person POV. When I was learning how to write stories, I tried writing in the present tense for a bit, but found it too hard to be consistent with the verb tenses and honestly ended up confusing myself at times. I also agree with others who have pointed out that there are books that do present tense writing really well. I personally don’t like it; I come across both these forms of writing in KU and/or self-published writing a lot more than traditionally published books, and I’ve also had the experience of not being able to get through the sample of some books written in either form. But I also vaguely remember, growing up, the change from omnipresent third person writing in the past tense to close third person in the past tense. Anyway, I got carried away in my excitement over all this attention to detail. I truly love these kinds of conversations and rarely get to have them IRL!
I like present tense fine. I do think it adds a closer connecting to the MC.
If you think about where stories actually originate, from sapiens telling others stories orally, there’s room for them all.
If the craft is done well, I don’t care about the tense. I think more of the BDH needs to read some well written present tense in a good story 😉
Regarding Present tense–I pretty much loathed it when it started popping up more frequently. I think I started noticing it when New Adult was the hot spit genre. Present tense, usually in the first person, came across as quasi-literary, often shallow, affected, and wicked pretentious. Too many writers used it like they were translating from past tense in their heads or–worse–randomly switching back and forth. It just felt awkward to me I know, subjective af, but bear with me.
Over time, I began to acclimate as I realized some authors I really liked (Carl Hiaasen, Susan Collins) used it very effectively. For me, present tense functions best when it seems like the natural expression of the narrator’s voice, whether that voice is a named character or an omniscient anonymous storyteller It works very well for me when it reflects the way actual people tell stories, and the tale becomes so absorbing that I’m no longer processing it as a stylistic device. One of the most interesting and moving books I’ve read in recent years was Less by Andrew Sean Greer. Greer’s short novel is both funny and tender and it was an absolute master class in using present tense–in the second person, no less. Anyway, I learned my lesson about being narrow-minded or at least I hope I did.
I read and enjoyed Carl Hiaasen’s present tense book, and a couple of present tense books by other authors, but those haven’t helped me with most present tense books. I think small things that might bother me in past tense narration become magnified when I’m trying to navigate a present tense narration. It’s a cumulative effect. There’s nothing in Carl Hiaasen’s writing that bothers me enough to pull me out of the story, so I can navigate the unfamiliar tense without bumping into snags. That’s not necessarily true of all writing.
I like the short story.
I don’t feel like it’s so sad, more like a teenager making a big choice, and she shall find magic in her life again as an adult, but in another way.
But you’re right, I might think about it for a while, and it would be way more difficult for me to read if it where a long story.
Thanks for sharing.
It’s interesting! On the contrary, most Chinese novels were written in present tense, including the ones translated from past tense English novels .