![]() It would read better if the final sentence is: “I did not know what they were thinking.” Because what happened – even the opinion of the protagonist or lack of it, happened in the past. “The asteroid was coming, and yet my boss, my manager, and my boyfriend too, were looking the other way. ![]() Many authors make that mistake when writing. Whichever path you choose, try not to mix present and past tense unless it makes sense, as that can be very jarring. The same applies to writing in past tense – if that tense comes more naturally to you, stick with it, even if it seems like the present tense would be more gripping. If present tense comes more naturally to you, it will enable you to write the whole novel without switching tense by accident. ![]() Writing a novel is a difficult act, but writing in a tense that does not come naturally to you will make the act of writing an even more difficult struggle. The use of the present tense in that novel is highly gripping.Ĭhoose carefully which tense fits your story better, but also, pay attention to which one comes more naturally to you as you write. Considering Katniss’ situation, how she is followed by cameras during the games themselves, it gives you a feeling that you’re Katniss and that your every move is being recorded by cameras. On one hand, it’s more immediate, but on the other hand, it can be a bit jarring to read, especially if the tense does not suit the story.įor example, first person narrative in present tense is done amazingly well in The Hunger Games novels by Suzanne Collins. Present tense is when the narrator tells you what happens right now, at this moment. Many contemporary novels written in first person point of view use the past tense, in many different genres from Young Adult, to modern Fantasy, and so forth. You can almost imagine sitting by the fire with them as they tell you their story. Past tense is when the narrator, who is undoubtedly the protagonist, reflects on what happened in the past. Of course, general rules are meant to be broken, and there are plenty of novels out there written in first person present tense where the present tense really works. When it comes to writing in first person point of view, past tense is more advisable than present tense, as a general rule. Understand the difference between past and present tense In this post, we’ve shared 7 tips on how to write a narrative in first person.ġ. If you’re writing a novel and are learning about different points of view, you may want to take a look at our articles on how to write in second person and in third person omniscient.
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