I'm currently reading The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson. And besides discovering an absolute love for the premise and story, I have been fixating on the fact that the story is told in the present tense. It seems like every current YA book I've read lately is told in this tense. So then I'm left wondering, are the writers who write their suspenseful stories in the present ahead of me when I've only ever written in past?I Googled the topic. How many YA books were written in the present tense last year? Who likes it? When should it be used? I couldn't find a list or number of the books, and some find the style distracting--others love it. But one guideline stands out from the rest: use present tense when the writing is focused on action and dialogue, and use past tense when the writing is detail centered. I wonder if this is good advice. My writing is action and dialogue centered.
But I'm sure not every writer can write in the present. And it limits your readership, but could it gain more with its use? And will the YA demographic begin to prefer this type of style?
What do you think?
Good questions M. I don't have any answers. However, I LOVED The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. I didn't find it distracting.
ReplyDeleteThis Kate experiencing technical difficulties.
Writing in the present tense is difficult. I've tried and always end up in past tense accidentally, but one of these days, I'd like to try it.
ReplyDeleteI can't say much as I'm not a writer, but it seems hard to pull off. I had to get used to it when reading the Hunger Games books, and it tends to annoy me in other books I've read. But I think that's just more my personal preference.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading If I Stay right now (I have mixed feelings about it so far) and it actually switches between present tense and past tense. It works surprisingly well. You'll have to read it.
I actually just had a blog post about tense! I was struggling with which to write in because I was bouncing, and ended up settling on past. But for me, and what I learned at a writer's conference I attended, it wasn't about detail oriented vs. action centered (though that's a valid point, too). It's all about the voice of the narrator - how much does your narrator know, and when are they telling the story from? If they are telling the story as it happens, and only know as much as the reader knows, use present. But if they are telling the story from some point in the future, and know how it all ends (even though they don't come out and say that they know how it ends), use past. So that's another way to think about it.
ReplyDeleteI've read more YA in past tense than present, but as long as the voice sounds natural and appropriate for whoever is narrating, it doesn't bother me.
I never thought about it much but anything in action sounds better in present tense.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a tool to be used when it fits the story. I also happen to believe that it's tough to pull off skillfully and only a handful of books I've read (written in this style) have managed it. That said, if it works for a person's story and you can do it with skill, the more power to you! It's always good to keep our options open. =]
ReplyDeleteI need to read a book in the present tene. I don't think I ever have.
ReplyDeleteI don't like it at all. I read Hunger Games and loved the book, but if I'd known it was in present tense, I wouldn't have started it. I find it very distracting and have to constantly pull myself back into it, even in Hunger Games. I think the book would've been a lot better in past tense. To me it's like, trying to be different. Going for shock value, making a statement. I don't see the literary value. I stay away from all those books now. All you have to do is mention that it's in present tense, and I won't read it.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading a lot of Sophie Kinsella lately (she's my new favorite author), and she writes everything in present tense. She does it so skillfully you don't even notice.
ReplyDeleteIt's so nice to get all your opinions. I am glad to see the diverse reactions! It means I had a reason to ask.
ReplyDeleteKate, I would only pause to notice the present tense in Hunger Games a couple times in the whole book, so I would say I didn't find it distracting, either.
Melissa, I'm impressed you've tried it. I just finished this book and so now I want to try it more than ever.
Shalane, I am so stealing If I Stay from you. You can have The Adoration of Jenna Fox. I grabbed it from the library.
Heather, thank you for sharing what you learned at the conference. I really like the guideline to use present if you are only learning what's going on at the same time as the reader. I spoke to my mom about present tense a few weeks back and she hates it. I said it helped with immediacy, and she said it is past tense even if the event happened a second ago. I do see her point, but I still like it.
Avalon, I asked a friend who hadn't thought about it before either and she said about the same thing. She said teens like things NOW.
LT, yeah, I agree. Now for the gusto to try.
Aubrie, here's a list of some I've read.
Graceling
Hunger Games
Catching Fire
Things Not Seen
The Adoration of Jenna Fox
Shiver
Tamara, lol, your anti opinion is amusing to me. I suppose you can stay away from my above list!
Karen, I'll have to add Sophie Kinsella to my to read list. :)