Tenses and Narrations

Tenses and narrations.

They are important parts of writing.

And that is what I will be going over today.

Tenses.

Notice how I said, "They are important parts of writing," above?

That's a tense.

That is present tense.

If I were to say, "They were important parts of writing," that would mean they used to be important parts of writing or were important in the past.

That's past tense.

I'm going to assume you all know what tenses are from grade school grammar lessons and move on from my main explanation of what tenses are.

What I mean by a tense in writing is the tense you are writing in.

This is how you are narrating the story. As if it is happening currrently, or as if it has happened in the past.

You probably grew up reading books that were in past tense.

That would look like this:

*She stepped into the room, her feet literally dragging her reluctant and protesting self against her will. She didn't want to go in. She had to gain control of her body again. But she knew her efforts were useless.

She couldn’t fight it.

It was too strong.

He was too strong.

*This example is a writing prompt I posted on my Instagram @livingonthewriteside.

Did you notice the tense?

She stepped into the room, she took a breath.

Past tense.

Most books are past tense because you are telling a story that is not currently happening.

But does that mean you can't write in present tense?

No. It absolutely does not.

There are many books out there that are written in present tense.

Here's an example of that:

*I step into the dimly lit hallway, the lantern shaking in my hand.

As I take each step, all the horrific memories flash through my mind, all the things that sliced my battered soul as I grew up coming to the forefront of my thoughts.

And with that, my steps grow confident. I know what I am going to do and I am ready to do it.

I am going to destroy the thing that has brought me so much pain and torment.

*This example is a writing prompt I posted on my Instagram @livingonthewriteside.

This is an example of present tense.

I step, I know.

These are the two tenses you can choose to write your book in.

Now, I leave the choice between them up to you, but I will let you know that past tense is the most commonly used tense for writing a book.

Narrations.

What do I mean by narrations?

Well, the word narration means something narrated: an account, story, or narrative, or the act or process of narrating (according to Dictionary.com)).

In writing, you have two perspectives: first person, where you use the pronouns I and me, and third person, where you use the pronouns he, him, she, and her.

Both of these perspectives are great for the narration of your story, but they're both different and have different pros and cons.

Let's start with third person perspective.

This is probably the most commonly used.

It's when you (a third party) are the one narrating your characters' stories.

This perspective is useful for switching perspectives a lot.

When you write in third person, the person you are in perspective of is the person who's thoughts and actions you are narrating at that moment.

Because of being in third person, it's easy to switch between people since all you have to do is write, "Diane stretched her arms above her head with a yawn," or "Tory grinned, thinking about the past day," at the beginning of your chapter or section of a chapter where you switch perspectives, and your reader will know easily.

This perspective is also helpful to narrate things happening that the characters aren't seeing.

In first person, everything you write about has to be something the character who's narrating sees or experiences. In third person, you can talk about the surroundings or things the characters aren't noticing.

Now, because it is being narrated by a third party, this perspective can seem less personal.

That doesn't mean it can't be personal, but it takes more work and care to get there.

If you want personal, go for first person perspective.

This is when the character(s) is narrating their story directly from their perspective.

This is my choice perspective lately because I like the connection it gives the readers to your characters. When you're giving your readers a direct insight into their mind and everything they're experiencing, your readers are going to get to know your characters better and relate with them more.

Not that this can't happen in third person, but in first person you get that direct link to the character that's not there in third person.

In this perspective you can really get to know your characters.

It is a little different to switch perspectives because you have to tell your reader somehow or they'll be majorly confused.

What I did with my latest book is I put a series of asterisks (*****) above and below any section that changed from the main character's POV and then made it clear who's POV it was by having someone say their name or showing it somehow. I also didn't change perspectives that often and mostly kept it between two main characters, adding one other perspective in twice.

When you use first person perspective, it's easier for your readers to connect with your characters, but it is harder to change perspectives without making the book seem chaotic.

Both third person and first person perpective have their own feel.

Some writers prefer writing in one and some prefer the other.

It's totally up to your preference, but I would recommend trying them both to see which one you like best.

I used to write in third person, but I started to prefer first person after I started writing in it.

I think we tend to see third person more often in books so sometimes first person doesn't ever feel like a valid option.

Make sure to try both perspectives before you make up your mind which you like better.

And you can write in both if you want to.

I'd just recommend picking one perspective for each book or series and sticking with it. This will avoid confusing your readers.

What tense is best for what narration (perspective)?

To me, third person is black and white.

If you are writing in third person, you write in past tense.

This is the most common tense for writing because you are telling a story. Normally you write it as if it's happened and not as if it's happening currently.

In third person, you are the one narrating so the events of your book definitely aren't happening directly in front of your eyes the moment you're writing.

Past tense works best with third person because of this.

First person is not as black and white.

I'm always going to recommend you write in past tense just because that's classic for a book, but in first person you can write in present tense if that's just what you like to do.

I will say writing in present tense is always more confusing for me because I'm so used to writing in past tense.

But for some of you, present tense might be preferable.

I've read books in both tenses, but the majority have been past tense.

It's up to you in first person.

Whichever tense you write best in is okay.

Narrations and tenses.

They are both key parts to writing.

Each tense has it's pros and cons and each perspective has its pros and cons.

But they're all different.

Putting aside which of these works best and what I think, it's your choice which one you want to use and prefer.

Overall, you are the writer.

I am just giving you my viewpoint in the hopes it will help you continue your writing journey and furthur your own understanding and knowledge.

I hope you enjoyed this week's blog post! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to send me a message in the contact bar below.

Happy writing!

-Jocelyn