Mixing Past and Present Tense

If you’re writing in present tense, it makes sense to mix in some past tense as you provide back story to your reader. But what about when you’re writing in past tense? Can you mix in some present tense?

I hear this off and on: if you’re writing past tense, you can’t mix in present tense because that violates the rules of past tense. As in, you’re telling a story that happened in the past, so you can’t talk about what’s happening in the present. That statement is logically sound, so it makes sense. But I still disagree with it.

When a story is told in past tense, the main character has had some time to reflect and perhaps understand what happened on a deeper level. Sometimes it changes the way she currently thinks, and sometimes it doesn’t. And it’s perfectly fine to include her current feelings on things that happened in her story.

Basically, you can follow this rule of thumb: if it’s still true in your character’s present, then you can write it in present tense even if your story is in past tense.

For example, if your character has a medical condition that still exists after the story is concluded, then she can talk about it in the present tense. Or, if your character’s family member has a medical condition that still exists, she can talk about that in the present tense. If she has a dog with quirky habits, that can be referred to in present tense (as long as the dog and the habits are still there after the story’s conclusion). Things like this.

The next question, of course, is why would we want to mix present tense with past tense? What purpose does it serve other than to confuse the author, possibly the reader as well?

Well, if you’re not careful, you do run the risk of confusing the reader. So pay close attention to how you mix the tenses. But, if done well, then it adds an immediacy to your story, similar to what you get when writing in present tense.

The big advantage of writing in present tense is that it makes the story feel immediate, like it’s happening right as we’re reading, and we get to watch things unfold at the same time the characters do. But that’s hard to pull off, and it can easily come across as a gimmick. Writing completely in past tense can make the story sound old, like it’s been stuffed in a box for a while and the characters have finally decided to take it down and dust it off. But it’s often a more effective way of telling the story, because we get to add the character’s reflections and gained wisdom. So, each has a strength and a weakness.

But if we mix the two, we get the best of both worlds. We get the reflection and the wisdom that comes with it, plus the immediacy of how the character is feeling at the time she’s telling the story. A definite win-win for both reader and writer. :)

Have you ever mixed the two tenses? Has it worked, or did it leave you banging your head against your keyboard?

In the Past or Present?

There is a fairly new trend happening in YA books today: present tense. Some people have very strong feelings against it, some don’t. Me? I love it. BUT. Yes, there’s a but. :) I only love it if it has been done well, and if it’s necessary to the story. Otherwise, I can't stand it, and this is why.

When we writers sit down to write a first draft, we are discovering the story. Even if it’s been planned out with outlines and whatnot, there is still plenty of discovery happening through the characters, dialog, setting, etc. That adds an element of immediacy, of being in the moment. But the problem is that it’s not coming from the characters; it’s coming from us.

In that first draft, we writers are in a state of complete discovery. We may know some basic facts about the story and the characters, but really we are living from moment to moment, recording the story as we go. In subsequent drafts, though, we are no longer in that moment. We are reflecting back on it, analyzing, perfecting, adding in the details we may have missed the first time around, and trying to show that moment to the reader in the best way possible.

The same is true for our characters. To have a completely effective story told in present tense, the characters must be in the moment, not the author. That means that there should be no reflection or analyzing of what is currently happening. They need to figure things out as they go.

Some good examples of present tense are The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, and The Spectacular Now. In Jenna Fox and Teenage Amnesiac, the main characters have no memory of who they are. They’ve been told some basic facts about themselves, but they are in full discovery mode, trying figure things out. A perfect situation for present tense.

In Jenna Fox, Jenna stays in this self-discovery mode for the entire story because it’s not possible for her to reflect on who she was before her accident. It’s a very powerful story. The reader gets completely sucked into all of her moments and can’t wait for her to discover more, because that means we will discover more. This book is one of the most effective uses of present tense I’ve ever seen.

In Teenage Amnesiac, Naomi is suffering from amnesia due to a nasty bump on the head. So, in the beginning, we are discovering right along with her. It’s just as effective as Jenna Fox, and just as compelling...until Naomi regains her memory, and suddenly knows who she was before she bumped her head. At this moment, Naomi begins to reflect, comparing her old self to her new self. It’s also the moment that the present tense feels awkward. The reader is stuck in discovery mode, i.e. present tense, but Naomi is no longer discovering. She’s reflecting and analyzing.

The Spectacular Now is a different sort of book. Sutter is a party boy alcoholic. He completely lives in the moment, looking for the next fun thing. When that’s over, he’s off looking for the next one, and the next, and so on. His whole life is built upon not reflecting, because that would mean facing the possibility that he has a problem with his drinking. Hence, the title, The Spectacular Now. As Sutter shares his story with us, he presents it as-is, no frills, no I-guess-I-did-that-because rationalizations or reflections. He is completely in the moment, and this book is also one of the most effective uses of present tense I’ve ever seen.

So if you’re writing a story in present tense and you’re not sure if it’s effective, then take a look at both you and your character. Which one is in discovery mode? Which one is completely in the moment? If it’s you, then you might want to rethink using present tense. If it’s your character, then you’re probably on the right track.

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

Plot Summary: Sutter Keely. He’s the guy you want at your party. He’ll get everyone dancing. He’ll get everyone in your parents’ pool. Okay, so he’s not exactly a shining academic star. He has no plans for college and will probably end up folding men’s shirts for a living. But there are plenty of ladies in town, and with the help of Dean Martin and Seagram’s V.O., life’s pretty fabuloso, actually. Until the morning he wakes up on a random front lawn, and he meets Aimee. Aimee’s clueless. Aimee is a social disaster. Aimee needs help, and it’s up to the Sutterman to show Aimee a splendiferous time and then let her go
forth and prosper. But Aimee’s not like other girls, and before long he’s in way over his head. For the first time in his life, he has the power to make a difference in someone else’s life—or ruin it forever.

This book was nominated for the National Book Award, along with the likes of THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS, WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED, and CHAINS. And, let me tell you, it’s worthy.

This story is realistic, with a realistic ending. And it’s so rich with craft and strong in voice that I could not put it down. It’s just as strong as CHAINS in the showing department, but surpasses it in active word choice. This whole story is alive simply because of the words that Mr. Tharp chooses to use. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend picking up a copy. NOW.

As with all my book discussions, there are SPOILERS below.

Even though Sutter Keely would never admit it, he’s obviously an alcoholic. But his story is not about him coming to terms with this, or even wondering if he has a problem. At least, not in the traditional sense.

It takes years to get over alcohol addiction, and I applaud Mr. Tharp for not giving Sutter that zinging moment where he realizes he’s an alcoholic and vows to never drink again. That’s just not realistic. It’s tough to get over any kind of addiction, especially when you don’t believe you have a problem. And Sutter clearly doesn’t believe he has a problem. But acknowledging similarity traits between himself and his father is a clear baby-step toward recovery. It leaves the ending open-ended. Sutter could stay on that path to recovery, or he may not. We have no way of knowing.

On top of all that, Mr. Tharp shows the perils of drinking without preaching. No easy feat.

This is an amazing book. Go get a copy.

Edited to add: I cannot believe I forgot about this!!! This book has the most effective use of present tense that I've ever seen. I only noticed it because I notice all present tense, and then usually adjust accordingly. There was no adjustment here - present tense worked from page one all the way through to the end. Which makes sense, since the book is called THE SPECTACULAR NOW. :) Tim Tharp just keeps making me grin with all this cool stuff he does with craft. :)

And now back to your regularly scheduled blogging... :)

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

As with all my book discussions, there are SPOILERS below.

I’m not a fan of present tense. Every book I’ve read that used present tense has always needed an adjustment period from me. Sometimes I get over it and go on to enjoy the book, sometimes not. But I’ve never just picked up a book, written in present tense, and been hooked from page one.

Then, I read The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson.

Wow. I didn’t even notice the present tense until I was three pages into it. And when I finally picked up on it, I had to go back to see if something had switched. Nope; it had been that way all along. Maybe it was the author’s style. Maybe it was her way with words. Or maybe it was the nature of the story. Probably all three. I raised an eyebrow, impressed, and read on.

The story opens with Jenna Fox trying to remember who she used to be, and it progresses as she gets flashes of her past, plus creates new memories from her present. Jenna puts a lot of value on her present self, and the fact that it makes her unique. Something she doesn’t want to lose. I find the “present” parallels very intriguing, and it works well for the story.

The story itself is also quite interesting. Jenna is on a quest to discover where that spark of humanity comes from, since she’s afraid she doesn’t have it. She continues searching, learning more about who and what she is, eventually finding her way to acceptance. This isn’t a pull-you-in-to-shock-and-awe-you kind of story. It’s more subtle, and sometimes a little hard to connect with Jenna. But I was okay with that considering both the nature of Jenna and of the story.

There were only two things that gave me pause. The first was the subplot with Dane. I loved the parallels drawn here, and turn of events as well. But it felt…unfinished. I’m not exactly sure why, though. The second was with the car accident. That must have been resolved, especially with all the information given in the last chapter. But it was never mentioned. I would have liked a little something on that. But, overall, this book gets two enthusiastic thumbs up.

I’m still not a fan of present tense, but this book has shown me that it really does have its place and can be done effectively. Thank you, Mary Pearson. :)