tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615675676021392217.post3937813245039855172..comments2024-03-29T05:54:33.136-04:00Comments on Authoress: Tense Change ChallengeAuthoresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09223228949688667517noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615675676021392217.post-64735444193943533302015-07-23T15:58:49.577-04:002015-07-23T15:58:49.577-04:00As I've mentioned a number of times in critiqu...As I've mentioned a number of times in critiques here, I rather wish the current fad for present tense would go away! Although of course there are exceptions and a few talented writers manage to use present tense quite well, in general I feel it tends to sound unnatural and almost stilted -- it just doesn't flow as well. On top of that, I often see inconsistencies in tense when young writers are trying to use present tense but keep slipping and reverting to past tense here and there. So I think it would be best if it went back to being something that's only occasionally used for effect in avant-garde short fiction, the way it used to be.<br /><br />But as far as POV, I've never understood the prejudice against first person, so I'm glad most agents and editors seem to be fine with it today. At the time of my first attempts at querying years ago, I had a manuscript that was in first person and received several replies telling me they couldn't work with first person . . . Needless to say, I ended up rewriting that book in third! However, I've found that you can write third person with such a close focus that there's very little difference in the 'feel' of the story, so you really don't have to lose any sense of intimacy by making that change if you feel that's the way to go for a particular story. L.C. McGeheehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09841984739098231057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615675676021392217.post-6505371390912121182015-07-23T12:38:00.490-04:002015-07-23T12:38:00.490-04:00Aww, thank you, Diana! :)
It can be really frust...Aww, thank you, Diana! :)<br /><br />It can be really frustrating. My advice would be for you to rewrite just the first chapter in first person, and see how you like it. That is what I will be doing when I dig into revision on my recently completed WIP -- I am rewriting the first chapter in first person past (it's in first present right now), and making sure I love it before I continue.<br /><br />Things were surely easier in the olden days when EVERYTHING was written in third person past!Authoresshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09223228949688667517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615675676021392217.post-69964919547530925692015-07-23T12:34:35.104-04:002015-07-23T12:34:35.104-04:00BTW, this is why your blog is awesome!BTW, this is why your blog is awesome!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10859703513161420215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615675676021392217.post-74514704031014276482015-07-23T12:30:58.672-04:002015-07-23T12:30:58.672-04:00I'm glad I'm not the only one going throug...I'm glad I'm not the only one going through this. I started with present, third. Got at lot of grief over it, so changed it to past, third (missed the second line in the MS..."this is" ha!). Even though I'm still finding things like "may", I think it flows better. Now I'm wondering, if first person, past would be a better fit. Mostly because it's YA.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10859703513161420215noreply@blogger.com