Here are my questions for you, lovely readers:
Is present tense just a fad?
Do you have to "get" present tense to be able to read it?
Does just the thought of present tense make your toes curl?
If you've been transformed into a present tense fan, which book/author made that possible?
Are there certain benefits to present tense that you just don't get with past?
I'd love to see some good discussion on this, so fire up your keyboards and speak your mind. Even anonymously. Because I want to hear what YOU think.
I can't stand present tense (as you know and hopefully love me anyway.)
ReplyDeleteI feel like in 1st person past tense -- especially YA -- there's already a fine line between interesting narrative and self-indulgent me me me. For me, when I read 1st present it feels as if the character *and* the author are being self-indulgent and the characters typically read as too self-focused for me.
Also, the timing feels off. Often it's supposed to create a certain feeling around the passage of time and yet, it doesn't. Just being present doesn't do that.
I have other thoughts, but they begin to hit on specific books and writers and bria don't play that negative game ;)
Beyond that, I just don't like it. I know that sounds stupid, but taking off my writer hat and putting my reader one on, i'm allowed to say that.
So I must rebuttle to Bria....
ReplyDeleteI actually like 1st person prsent tense, but it has to be well done. In fact, what I really liked about Alyson Noel's Evermore was that it was written in 1st present. I tried to do it with my first MS, and it wasn't well received by my CPs. I ended up changing that MS back to 1st past. But my current WIP, I am sticking with 1st present becasue the character is very snarky and it just fits that particular story.
It may be a current trend that some writers are using to set their YA apart from the rest - but in the long run (as they say) if the story is good enough it really won't matter.
I prefer past tense over present but I don't dislike present. I think there is less fudge room with present as far as pacing goes. I am less likely to get burned out on a heavily action-oriented book written past tense than I am with present. On the flip side, the action in a book truly springs better to life for me if written in present tense.
ReplyDeleteMy example is Fight Club. Loved the pace for the most part but certainly felt a little overloaded at times. The conflict popped overall.
All that said :) 1st person present really requires me to step into the character's perspective more than any other and I have to identify with the character or it doesn't work. A YA book or two I've picked up in the store have failed by page 3.
I love first person present tense (FPP)! It did take me a while to get used to it, but with my last few stories, I've found it so much easier to get inside my character's head using present tense. Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak is what converted me. When done well, you hardly even notice unless what tense you're reading.
ReplyDeleteI find first person present very natural because when you think about it, people often use present tense in real life when talking to their friends. ex: "So I went to the store the other day and there's this new guy at the cash register, He's says 'Are you going to pay for that?' And I say, 'Yes.' He just rolls his eyes at me."
Next time a friend tells you a story about something they did, pay attention to what tense(s) they use.
Not a fan of present tense but I won't drop a book just because it's written in present tense. Especially if it's well written.
ReplyDeleteI'm a first person, past tense writer myself but I'm trying to broaden my horizons!
I need a gnome who reads...mine just garden.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big fan of present tense, but it does seem to be the fad in the majority of YA that I read lately.
It's all in the execution. I'm a fan of any book that instantly pulls me into the world of the story and lingers with me afterward. I don't care what tense it's written in, as long as it does that. :)
ReplyDeleteSome great opinions in here! For me, I always thought it was a fad and tried to steer clear. That is until I read Myra's short story, found here:
ReplyDeletehttp://writingfinally.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-first-short-story.html
That converted me heart and soul. As I read, I didn't see the present tense at all. The mechanics and the author faded away, and I simply enjoyed the story. That's when I knew it could be done well, and that some MC's will demand to be written in present.
I enjoy reading both tenses. As for writing, I used to just do past tense, and for the past year I've been doing present. I do like the sense of immediacy with it.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your gnome needs help deciding what to read idea! It's so cute and makes me want to check out your site again real soon. :)
ReplyDeleteI am struggling with this "tense" debate.usually, i write in past tense, but have found that once I began my latest novel, it was writing itself in the present tense. story and characters often choose tense.
ReplyDelete