Factoid #2
Today’s topic: Past vs. Present Tense
This week’s post was inspired by a conversation via Twitter that I had with Farsighted author, Emlyn Chand. I asked Emlyn why she wrote her novel in the present tense, thus her response developed this week’s factoid.
She said, “The present tense works well if you want to convey a naive narrator. Past tense implies they’ve already known what’s coming.”
I have been struggling with tense for months now. I began writing my YA novel in the first person, present tense. And then, I started to question myself. Why was I writing this way? Are there many books out there written like this (ie. The Hunger Games)? Is it odd for a reader to read this kind of point of view? How difficult is it to write, continuously, in the first person, present tense? In my opinion, very.
But, once I read Emlyn’s response, everything made sense. My main character, Samara, is naive to her past and to her future. Thus, her story has to be told from this perspective. Everything I learn for the first time, she learns for the first time. It all makes sense now. This will be a difficult journey, but I am willing to undertake it!
Thank you, Emlyn, for inspiring me this week. 
Do you struggle with verb tense when embarking on a new writing adventure?
How do you overcome it?
Related articles
- Teaser Tuesday #2: Farsighted by Emlyn Chand (readingenvogue.wordpress.com)
- The Problem with Present Tense (in which I tacitly pimp Chuck Wendig’s BLACKBIRDS) (thewriterblocked.wordpress.com)
- Six Tips for Writing Well (and You Can Still Write After Kids) (blogher.com)
- Talking About the Past in the Present Tense (slate.com)
- Writing in the Second Person, Present Tense (Like a Boss!) (chazzwrites.com)
Do you ever see a word written, and it’s like you never saw it before? The spelling looks funny? That’s how I felt after writing for a while…it was like I had never read a book! I started over-thinking tense, especially. Emlyn’s comments make sense, but I think I am still screwing it up – esp. consistency with tense. Ah, well – that’s what editors are for, right?
Aww, great post, Jenn. One thing I will say is that I’ve had difficulty switching back to past tense narration. I’m just very comfortable in the present, I guess. What can I say? It suits me. When do we get to see excerpts from your WIP? DARN IT!