Why do some authors use present tense narration?

[justforfun]

Why do people do this... It might just be my own preferences, but it bugs me. Most books and novels that I read use past tense, like using "I said" instead of "I say" or "I asked" instead of "I ask".

 

[PunishedKom]

This is just me but I do it to show that the character‘s narration is happening in this moment in time. They’re reacting and you’re hearing their current thoughts, Instead of the character telling you about everything after it all happens.

 

[Kaguro]

Present tense is strange, simplistic, and only works in brief excerpts. Even when describing events from the character's point of view it isn't used nearly as often as past-tense.

You might see a sentence, maybe even a paragraph. But a whole book? It would be hard to prevent anything written entirely in present tense from reading like a child's ramblings.

 

[Deleted member 20302]

For me, it's practicality and ease of use.

I love past tense stories because it's easier to think about. I tried converting a chapter to present just to have a feel of writing present.
It's a mess and stressful to write.

If I do present tense, I have to constantly think about whether the things I wrote is occurring currently or in the past each sentence.

Whereas the other, most of the time, I just have to think in the past except for the few moments such as descriptions. Only a few like that, and it usually group in an entire paragraph.

 

[Valmond]

Why do people do this... It might just be my own preferences, but it bugs me. Most books and novels that I read use past tense, like using "I said" instead of "I say" or "I asked" instead of "I ask".

Depends on the specifics. Some ideas simply work a lot better in present tense versus past tense. Certain emotions are magnified better in present than past tense. Similarly speaking, there are elements in which past can be better than present. However, when push comes to shove. Frankly speaking, past tense is what is used due to it being seen more often. A lot cannot write present tense, hence they alienate it. Not because it is bad, it is simply due to them not knowing how, and that it is foreign in a word.

I can write both present and past tense. However, I choose to do my works in present, since it magnifies my points much more effectively. Learning to write present tense was not an easy feat however. It took much more effort, to be able to translate myself from a past mindset to a present. Then afterwards, enhancing this skill, as well as learning to write present perfect tense. It is not only a learning experience, but it also opens up countless new possibilities. Honestly speaking, I can never return to writing past tense. I can do it, but I simply prefer present tense. Since it helps me get out my points as I see and plan it. There are vastly different steps taken between present and past tense. Which can make the experience quite daunting to learn.

However, the reason it is used varies. Typically it is used to explain what happens in the moment. Present perfect is used to refer to a link between the present and the past. Depending on the type of narrative one wishes to tell, this form can be better and more effective. For myself personally, I also use it, since I can convey emotions much more strongly this way. I can expand on the characters more effectively, I can link my points more accurately. There is a whole new area I can do that I could not have done otherwise.

Though, like any skill. This requires development. Whether it bugs you or not, that is on you. It matters little in all reality. It matters not whether most books are written one way, it is how one can use their skills to enhance the experience. More often than not, when someone states something bugs them. It is more reliant that they are not used to this, that it is like a foreign language. First person narrative predominantly bugs me, but I don’t complain about it. First person is typically used more as a starting point, and I understand this.

 

[PunishedKom]

Present tense is strange, simplistic, and only works in brief excerpts. Even when describing events from the character's point of view it isn't used nearly as often as past-tense.

You might see a sentence, maybe even a paragraph. But a whole book? It would be hard to prevent anything written entirely in present tense from reading like a child's ramblings.

That is a very, very big claim and just sounds reductive lol citation needed

 

[Valmond]

That is a very, very big claim and just sounds reductive lol citation needed

Little do they know I have written 3 books, 1 novella, and like 16 short stories all in present tense.

3 books - About 520k words

1 novella - 32k words

Short stories - 101k words

Also, gonna be reconstructing a novel soon again as well. Which will equate to about 400k words present tense as well. Maybe a bit less. Honestly, it took a lot of work. However, this is now like looking at the back of my hand. Gotta constantly practice.

 

[CupcakeNinja]

Why do people do this... It might just be my own preferences, but it bugs me. Most books and novels that I read use past tense, like using "I said" instead of "I say" or "I asked" instead of "I ask".

Because saying I Say sounds weird as fuck

 

[BenJepheneT]

Depends on the specifics. Some ideas simply work a lot better in present tense versus past tense. Certain emotions are magnified better in present than past tense. Similarly speaking, there are elements in which past can be better than present. However, when push comes to shove. Frankly speaking, past tense is what is used due to it being seen more often. A lot cannot write present tense, hence they alienate it. Not because it is bad, it is simply due to them not knowing how, and that it is foreign in a word.

I can write both present and past tense. However, I choose to do my works in present, since it magnifies my points much more effectively. Learning to write present tense was not an easy feat however. It took much more effort, to be able to translate myself from a past mindset to a present. Then afterwards, enhancing this skill, as well as learning to write present perfect tense. It is not only a learning experience, but it also opens up countless new possibilities. Honestly speaking, I can never return to writing past tense. I can do it, but I simply prefer present tense. Since it helps me get out my points as I see and plan it. There are vastly different steps taken between present and past tense. Which can make the experience quite daunting to learn.

However, the reason it is used varies. Typically it is used to explain what happens in the moment. Present perfect is used to refer to a link between the present and the past. Depending on the type of narrative one wishes to tell, this form can be better and more effective. For myself personally, I also use it, since I can convey emotions much more strongly this way. I can expand on the characters more effectively, I can link my points more accurately. There is a whole new area I can do that I could not have done otherwise.

Though, like any skill. This requires development. Whether it bugs you or not, that is on you. It matters little in all reality. It matters not whether most books are written one way, it is how one can use their skills to enhance the experience. More often than not, when someone states something bugs them. It is more reliant that they are not used to this, that it is like a foreign language. First person narrative predominantly bugs me, but I don’t complain about it. First person is typically used more as a starting point, and I understand this.

Okay now I'm fucking interested in this

Any starter tips for writing in present tense?

Because saying I Say sounds weird as fuck

I figure you could replace "say" with other things. Instead of

I say, "This coffee sucks."

maybe you could try

I exclaim, "This coffee sucks."

I don't know just replacing the word "say" seems to do the trick for me.

 

[justforfun]

Okay now I'm fucking interested in this

Any starter tips for writing in present tense?


I figure you could replace "say" with other things. Instead of

I say, "This coffee sucks."

maybe you could try

I exclaim, "This coffee sucks."

I don't know just replacing the word "say" seems to do the trick for me.

I suppose you could try reading some other people's works, such as Valmond's very own "Restoration" to try and get a feel for the general terms used in present tense writing.

 

[yansusustories]

I think it's really just a matter of preference. For me, I like past tense more and actually slip back into it even if I try to use present tense for whatever reason. By now, it's pretty much just what I am used to so I automatically use it but I wouldn't mind changing it for a special project where I felt present tense was fitting better.

 

[Valmond]

Okay now I'm fucking interested in this

Any starter tips for writing in present tense?


I figure you could replace "say" with other things. Instead of

I say, "This coffee sucks."

maybe you could try

I exclaim, "This coffee sucks."

I don't know just replacing the word "say" seems to do the trick for me.

It will be daunting at first. I will not deny this. I will suggest starting more simple at first, then work your way up. Just to get the feel of it. Also, looking up the rules of present tense. For instance, a past tense line can be this.

She passed the car that was speeding nearby, the sound penetrated her ears.

In present tense, a translation for this will be.

Passing the speeding car nearby, the alarming sound penetrating her ears.

This might not be a good example, but it is one nonetheless. Knowing how to transition between active and past is one of the lessons to learn. Past is typically referred to as telling what has happened. That is one way to look at it. While present is happening as it goes. It is taking place in the moment.

What I can recommend are basic exercises starting out. What helped me along was using my own story as a means. I took the lines, and converted it to present tense. I redid the whole story this way. Then I wrote it again better and better each time afterwards. In more detail, with more precision. However, simply just writing it may not be enough. As well as looking up what guidelines present tense follows. It might be a good idea to search videos as well.

As for dialogues. ‘Say’ is a good basic word to start with. Much like ‘said’ in past tense. However, once you get more comfortable. Try practicing with other words. I personally prefer, ‘speaks’ or other variations such as ‘verifies’ in case of confirmation of some kind. So, there is quite a bit to learn. Anyone can do it, you just gotta really put in the time for it. Once you understand the basics of it. Then you can try to become more bold with it and mix together elements like this.

—Quote from my own, just chose something—

A life of misfortune, an endless conflict with desires never reaching fulfillment. Those many years ago lingering eternally inside of her. That night in which she wishes to be no more than a long nightmare. Though, deep down she knows that it is indeed a reality, and no sort of wishing can change such.

———————————————-—————

His vision blurring, his body unable to respond any longer. The god collapsing, clenching the ribbon tightly in his hand. Unable to resist any longer, the deity falling into a state of slumber. Those pleasureful times being no more than in the past. The dread deep within. Heaven and earth being no more than a dream ever so long ago. Eternal memories cursing their lives. If only thing could have gone differently that night. Those words branding itself upon their souls.

————————————————————

——End of Quotes——

Once you have gained enough practice. Then the most simple of lines can develop quite wonderfully. So while you are doing the research. I can recommend to do more personal practice, by separately writing lines in your story from past to present. Keep practicing until it becomes second nature. It will be a lot of work, but no doubt anyone can do it.

 

[nightshade.valentine]

As a beginner, I tried writing in present and I came to realize that it is very hard. Furthermore, it makes my writing more prone to errors. In the end, I have decided to edit all my first chapters to the past tense.

I think if you are writing for long time. It is a matter of preference.

 

[PrincessFelicie]

Both present and past tense have its uses. I don't have the hangups about present tense that native(?) english speakers seem to express in this thread. I can and do use both depending on which would fit the story and its narrator character best.

 

[Sabruness]

One of the issues that will be fixed in my eventual edit/rewrite/expansion of Angel's Lament is that the first arc's original draft i somehow wrote mostly in present tense so it sounds really clunky and stilted.

 

[Zero300]

When authors write a story, they are creating a world. Some authors like to watch the whole scene completed before detailing them and thus write in past tense. However, there are some authors who like to either follow the creations of their worlds as a character within the novel or as a bystander. Thus, they write in present tense. Some authors like to write in future tense but, in my opinion, they are usually prophetic lunatics.

 

[yansusustories]

hangups about present tense that native(?) english speakers seem to express

So, I'm not a native English speaker but still dislike present tense a bit (just feels weird to me and always pulls me out of stories) but most books in my native language are also written in past instead of present tense. So I kind of wonder if it might also have to do with what we're used to from our native language as well?

 

[Ai-chan]

Why do people do this... It might just be my own preferences, but it bugs me. Most books and novels that I read use past tense, like using "I said" instead of "I say" or "I asked" instead of "I ask".

It's actually quite normal to use present tense. The reason why it bugs is because you grew up with past tense narration. When you were a kid, your parents likely read you bedtime stories, your teachers probably read you fairytales and your grandpa probably told you his recollections of his past. These are all in past tense, because it's about a story that has already happened and often, happened a long time ago, at an unspecified time in the past. To you, this is normal and appropriate, because that's how you were raised.

Writing in present tense has their pros and cons. In no way is it wrong.

Writing in present tense makes the events feel more immediate or real time. You feel as if you are part of the urgency of situation instead of feeling as if it's none of your business because it happened a long time ago.

It intensifies the effects of the unreliable narrator. Your narrator could be an ignorant boy who sees and tells the event only from his own eyes. If you use past tense, it makes it harder for you to empathize with the narrator, because it already happen. With present tense narration, it is currently happening, and the narrator can be forgiven for not seeing the whole picture.

Present tense narration has simplified tenses. This means the common tenses used would be simple present tense and present progressive tense. Sometimes you would use simple past tense too to tell a flashback. This makes it easy for both the narrator and the reader to proceed with the story because everything is simpler and more streamlined.

It also makes it feel like you're right in the middle of the action instead of being told of the action. In a way, it provides the feeling of watching a movie instead of reading a book. Everything that happens is happening right in the moment instead of it happening in the past. So instead of saying, "James turned around and was shocked by..." the present tense narration becomes "James turns and it shocks him so..."

Also, if you use the past tense, you are basically saying that no matter how bad things go, the narrator will always survive in the end. With present tense, the reader would not know that the narrator would survive. Under present tense, the readers are ghosts who accompany the narrator throughout his journey, not as dude listening to the story at a campsite long after the story was over.

 

[K5Rakitan]

Present tense uses fewer characters and less paper. Thus, it makes the pace of the story seem faster.

 

[Ai-chan]

Okay now I'm fucking interested in this

Any starter tips for writing in present tense?


I figure you could replace "say" with other things. Instead of

I say, "This coffee sucks."

maybe you could try

I exclaim, "This coffee sucks."

I don't know just replacing the word "say" seems to do the trick for me.

Eh no, please don't do that.

If you have past tense first person narration say:
"This coffee sucks," I said.

The present tense first person narration should be something like:
Looking at him, my tongue acts faster than my brain telling him, "This coffee sucks."

Past tense narration and present tense narration does not follow the same rules. You got different strengths and weaknesses, so the sentences would generally be different instead of a direct translation.

Using present tense, you have the advantage of it happening in real time. You can use the shock factor in real time instead of acting like you're telling the story that happened in the past. Under present tense, you're not telling the story, the reader is basically right next to you watching you do things. So your narration under present tense would be as if you're explaining to your friend right next to you what's actually going on right now.

Instead of "I had no idea what happened, man. It happened so fast." (past tense), you would be saying, "Look, I can explain. No, maybe I can't. But this isn't what it looks like!" (present tense).