Thread by @Joannechocolat

Let's do something about TENSES. It may be almost as polarising as my hardline jam-before-cream stance, but it might be fun. Follow #TenThingsAboutNarrativeTenses to collect them all!

https://twitter.com/HokusBloke/status/1560534071012315136

1. First off, remember that there are no inflexible rules. There's what you like, and what works for you, and what keeps the reader fully engaged. If what you do achieves what you need, then you're doing fine, and you need not worry. #TenThingsAboutNarrativeTenses

2. Commonly, past tenses are used in narrative. There are three: the perfect (I did something), the imperfect, most used in description (I was doing something) and the pluperfect, which delves further into the past (I had done something, when -). #TenThingsAboutNarrativeTenses

3. The past tense has many advantages. It's solid. It's what the reader expects, so it won't snag their attention as being unusual or odd. In most cases, drawing the reader's attention to grammar pulls them out of the narrative. #TenThingsAboutNarrativeTenses

4. It also puts the author firmly in the driver's seat. They're telling the story. They're in control. They can be trusted to stick to the rules of storytelling, and get you to your destination safely. #TenThingsAboutNarrativeTenses

5. However, there are benefits to breaking the rules. A present tense narrative (This is happening, right now) can feel more conversational, more immediate, and, used properly, can have impact. #TenThingsAboutNarrativeTenses

6. A story narrated in the present tense can feel like breaking news, or events unrolling as you watch them. Properly handled, this can be very powerful. And coupled with a first-person narrator, it can feel very intimate. #TenThingsAboutNarrativeTenses

7. There's a reason we often slip into the present tense when we tell stories or anecdotes to our friends. (I'm sitting in this bar, and a man comes in carrying a chicken under his arm.). It gives an impression of being there, of actual experience. #TenThingsAboutNarrativeTenses

8. Because it's a less common technique, you can sometimes find that, used continuously, it can sound strained and false. But you don't have to use it all the time. There are techniques that allow you to swap. #TenThingsAboutNarrativeTenses

9. One is the diary format, which combined first-person POV with the possibility of presenting events as they unroll, whilst still talking about what happened on a day to day basis. EG: X happened today (past). This is how I feel about it (present). #TenThingsAboutNarrativeTenses

10. It's even possible to switch narrative tenses during a single scene, especially with a first-person POV. This can blur the boundaries of just who is in charge of this story, the writer or the character, but that may be what you're going for. #TenThingsAboutNarrativeTenses

Back to my editing now. Hope that was helpful. As always, if you enjoy these occasional threads, you might want to check out my book, TEN THINGS ABOUT WRITING. amazon.co.uk/Ten-Things-Abo…