Writing in past tense

Jaded Masses · Post by **Jaded Masses** » 2004-02-13 04:36pm

What do y'all think about writing in the past tense, as if the narrator was telling a story? Do you think it detracts (perhaps because one can assume the narrator is in some form alive?) from a story or what?. I ask because I am writing a stroy as of now (inspired by the thief games) and thats how I'm doing it.....

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-02-13 04:47pm

Most stories are told in the past tense.

Jaded Masses · Post by **Jaded Masses** » 2004-02-13 04:51pm

Rogue 9 wrote:Most stories are told in the past tense.

and most fiction isn't very good ... I want to know what you think about it, not "most readers".

Post by **NecronLord** » 2004-02-13 04:52pm

Conventionally fiction is written either in past tense third person, or past tense first person. The former being more common.

Jaded Masses · Post by **Jaded Masses** » 2004-02-13 04:56pm

NecronLord wrote:Conventionally fiction is written either in past tense third person, or past tense first person. The former being more common.

Is it acceptable to switch between the two, and switch between first person characters?

Post by **haas mark** » 2004-02-13 05:04pm

Jaded Masses wrote:
NecronLord wrote:Conventionally fiction is written either in past tense third person, or past tense first person. The former being more common.
Is it acceptable to switch between the two, and switch between first person characters?

No, and no, respectively. On the latter, particularly, stick to third person, not first, if you'll be switching between characters' mindsets. The point of a first person narrative is that there is one person telling the story.

~ver

Jaded Masses · Post by **Jaded Masses** » 2004-02-13 05:05pm

As long as I'm looking for help with my story, is it okay to have your character being tortured in the first few paragraphs, or is that jumping the gun a little?

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-02-13 05:10pm

Depends on where you're going with the story. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves opens with a torture scene. There may be a few others.

Jaded Masses · Post by **Jaded Masses** » 2004-02-13 05:12pm

verilon wrote:
Jaded Masses wrote:Is it acceptable to switch between the two, and switch between first person characters?
No, and no, respectively. On the latter, particularly, stick to third person, not first, if you'll be switching between characters' mindsets. The point of a first person narrative is that there is one person telling the story.

~ver

Thanks. Just to clarify, does switching between a 1st person thoughts to a 3rd person description of the actions of another character okay? or should you describe them though the mind of the 1st character even if he isn't directly there? Since this is in past tense it would not be inconceivable that he found out later....

Jaded Masses · Post by **Jaded Masses** » 2004-02-13 05:15pm

Rogue 9 wrote:Depends on where you're going with the story. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves opens with a torture scene. There may be a few others.

I thinking this will be story told by a prisoner reminiscing on how he came to be jailed though his life of thievery in a semi-steam punk city.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-02-13 05:22pm

I wrote "Painted Skies" in first-person present tense as a stream of thought narrative.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-02-13 05:23pm

I wrote my first D&D campaign log in first person past tense. People tell me that writing in first person is hard to do, but if it is I've never noticed.

Jaded Masses · Post by **Jaded Masses** » 2004-02-13 05:58pm

Rogue 9 wrote:I wrote my first D&D campaign log in first person past tense. People tell me that writing in first person is hard to do, but if it is I've never noticed.

I've found it some what harder writing in 1st, which is why I brought it up: I'm always cautious of doing the easier thing

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2004-02-13 11:24pm

Jaded Masses wrote:
Rogue 9 wrote:I wrote my first D&D campaign log in first person past tense. People tell me that writing in first person is hard to do, but if it is I've never noticed.
I've found it some what harder writing in 1st, which is why I brought it up: I'm always cautious of doing the easier thing

Try doing it as if your character was sitting around a fire telling the story or perhaps writting his memoirs, thats how I'm doing Battle of the Hymn.

victorhadin · Post by **victorhadin** » 2004-02-13 11:25pm

First-person is easy enough, but present-tense is a fucker to someone like me who is used to the default past tense.

Respectively:

-Past tense is default. Past tense with a capital P is easy enough, and a good enough method. well-done, it distracts not one bit.
-Switching between frst person characters is inadvisable, but permissable under certain limited conditions. It takes skill however, and the reader must never become confused.
-Having the character being tortured is no problem at all. Indeed, handled well it can inspire intrigue and interest in the proceedings.
-Switching from 1st to 3rd person is highly inadvisable. Pick a style and stick to it throughout a story.

Writing in 1st can be fun, and makes for a funky enough story, if you get the time progression down pat. It is certainly worth a try.

Jaded Masses · Post by **Jaded Masses** » 2004-02-14 12:44am

Thanks all. I'm going to keep it first person past tense, as if the character were thinking over the events in his life. Y'all will probably see the Prologue and chapter one tonight or tomorrow after-noon.

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2004-02-14 02:36am

verilon wrote:
Jaded Masses wrote:
NecronLord wrote:Conventionally fiction is written either in past tense third person, or past tense first person. The former being more common.
Is it acceptable to switch between the two, and switch between first person characters?
No, and no, respectively. On the latter, particularly, stick to third person, not first, if you'll be switching between characters' mindsets. The point of a first person narrative is that there is one person telling the story.

~ver

That isn't always the case, IMHO. The Girl Who Played Go by Shan Sa featured alternating first person views and that worked really well for the story. It really depends on the kind of impact you want to have on the reader.

Post by **haas mark** » 2004-02-15 08:03am

Alex Moon wrote:
verilon wrote:No, and no, respectively. On the latter, particularly, stick to third person, not first, if you'll be switching between characters' mindsets. The point of a first person narrative is that there is one person telling the story.

~ver
That isn't always the case, IMHO. The Girl Who Played Go by Shan Sa featured alternating first person views and that worked really well for the story. It really depends on the kind of impact you want to have on the reader.

True, I'm just speaking from a more general (and easy-to-do) sense... I have a hard time transitioning smoothly between my own characters in third person.. it'd be a lot more difficult in first.

Jaded Masses wrote:Thanks. Just to clarify, does switching between a 1st person thoughts to a 3rd person description of the actions of another character okay? or should you describe them though the mind of the 1st character even if he isn't directly there? Since this is in past tense it would not be inconceivable that he found out later....

Actually, yes. I have read several novels that are written that way. In fact, that is how it is written in a first person narrative.. Using third person whenever it is not the main character [insert gerund here].

~ver

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2004-02-15 07:41pm

verilon wrote:
True, I'm just speaking from a more general (and easy-to-do) sense... I have a hard time transitioning smoothly between my own characters in third person.. it'd be a lot more difficult in first.

~ver

Mostly you have to ensure that the reader knows the perspective is changing. For example, if you have two people, have the perspective change each chapter. Patterns make it much easier, because the reader knows that a change in perspective is coming.

Post by **haas mark** » 2004-02-16 03:20pm

Alex Moon wrote:
verilon wrote:
True, I'm just speaking from a more general (and easy-to-do) sense... I have a hard time transitioning smoothly between my own characters in third person.. it'd be a lot more difficult in first.

~ver
Mostly you have to ensure that the reader knows the perspective is changing. For example, if you have two people, have the perspective change each chapter. Patterns make it much easier, because the reader knows that a change in perspective is coming.

That is my general style, anyhow. I usually change perspective only so often. In one of my stories, the perspective change is a bit more rapid, but there is one character that is in first person, and the rest are in third. Generally, as well, the scene changes with the position of each person in the story.

~ver

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-02-17 04:24am

Writting in a past tense is a natural way of telling a story. Most writters prefer to write in a past tense.

Singular Quartet · Post by **Singular Quartet** » 2004-02-17 12:35pm

evilcat4000 wrote:Writting in a past tense is a natural way of telling a story. Most writters prefer to write in a past tense.

Note to self: write something in future tense.

Post by **haas mark** » 2004-02-17 05:28pm

Singular Quartet wrote:
evilcat4000 wrote:Writting in a past tense is a natural way of telling a story. Most writters prefer to write in a past tense.
Note to self: write something in future tense.

I've seen it done. It's weird.

~ver

Singular Quartet · Post by **Singular Quartet** » 2004-02-18 02:32pm

verilon wrote:
Singular Quartet wrote:
evilcat4000 wrote:Writting in a past tense is a natural way of telling a story. Most writters prefer to write in a past tense.
Note to self: write something in future tense.
I've seen it done. It's weird.

~ver

Good, I'll work on it then.

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2004-02-18 02:51pm

Jaded Masses wrote:
NecronLord wrote:Conventionally fiction is written either in past tense third person, or past tense first person. The former being more common.
Is it acceptable to switch between the two, and switch between first person characters?

Its very easy to switch between 1st & 3rd person points of view while writing. The problem is that it is very difficult to follow such a switch while reading.

As for changing between 1st person characters, you need to have ti clearly defined who is saying/doing what. Otherwise the reader will miss the character change and get very confused.

Switching between 3rd person characters is much easier to follow for the reader due to th fact that the name of the character is imbedded into the actions occuring to that character, were in 1st person it isnt.