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Read present and past tense1/15/2024 ![]() ![]() The past tense is flexible it’s easier to shift narrative distance (the distance between the reader and the narrator) than is the case with the present tense, though this does increase the risk of flatter writing. Back in the day, he’d enjoyed driving down.Here I’ve added an anchoring clause and changed the tense to past perfect (he’d, or he had): If you don’t want to use the habitual past, then an alternative anchor is necessary. It reads as if Frank is enjoying driving down South Denes Road right now. To see that confusion in action, replace ‘used to enjoy’ with the simple past: ‘enjoyed’. Like the past perfect, the habitual past acts as an anchor, so that readers don’t mix up the reminiscence of a routine event with the novel’s now. We’re given a past-tense narrative with a third-person limited viewpoint (Sarah’s): What’s interesting is that readers are so used to this style that they can still immerse themselves in a past-tense narrative as though the story is unfolding now. The past tense is the choice of most contemporary commercial fiction writers. Habitual past: I would write a chapter every week he would write a chapter every week I used to write a chapter every week he used to write a chapter every week.Past perfect progressive: I had been writing a novel he had been writing a novel.Past perfect: I had written a novel he had written a novel.Past progressive: I was writing a novel he was writing a novel.Simple past: I wrote a novel he wrote a novel.Now let’s turn to the past tense, starting with some basic examples: In Let Me Lie, Clare Mackintosh mixes it up: the Anna-viewpoint chapters are set in first-person present the Murray-viewpoint chapters are third-person past. If you’re writing a novel, you might consider using it only for certain viewpoint characters – your transgressor or victim, for example. The present tense can also be tiring for readers because it’s emotionally immersive. If your plot twist hinges on deliberately duping them via your use of tense rather than story craft, you’ll break their trust. You’ll need to keep a close eye on the timelines so that the reader’s clear on what ‘now’ really means. However, it’s tricky to manage if there are multiple viewpoint-character chapters or sections, all operating in the present tense. I use it often in my own shorts and flashes because it enables me to pack an immersive punch quickly. ![]() Present tense works particularly well for short fiction because space is limited. The present tense is great if you want to shorten the distance between the reader and the viewpoint character. ![]()
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