Which Tense?

In fiction, you have a choice of which tense you choose to use in your narration.

Present

When you use the present tense you are telling the story as if it is happening to you or your character as you write.

I open the door. In the doorway there is a shadow. I immediately slam the door shut again.

I actually like reading present tense narration as it feels immediate and you are immersed in the action. It can be hard to keep up and you may find yourself slipping into the past tense but if practised and used well, the present tense can be very effective. Many of my favourite authors use it and I had a go at writing in present tense too with one of my short stories.

Past

Past tense is perhaps more common and the more traditional tense used in fiction. When you use the past tense you are telling the story as if it has already happened to you or your character.

I opened the door. In the doorway there was a shadow. I immediately slammed the door shut again.

I think it is easier to write in the past tense because it feels like the most natural way to tell the story. You can still get involved with the story and the characters, especially if the narration is effective and sticks close to the viewpoint character.

Can I use both?

It’s not a good idea to use both past and present tense within the same chapter and you definitely can’t switch back and forth. However, if you have more than one viewpoint character and you alternate these between different chapters, you can write one viewpoint character in present tense and the other in the past. This can work well in the crime genre and with thrillers. For example, the chapters you write from the point of view of the antagonist/villain you could write in the present tense to increase tension by making the narration feel more immediate.

The number one rule is to be consistent and to check, when editing your work, that you don’t accidentally slip into past tense when writing in present or vice versa.

As your proofreader or editor, I can check this for you too.

I hope you have found this post useful.

Which tense do you prefer to use when writing fiction?

What about reading fiction? Does your preference change?

For example, I love reading present tense narration but I’m more comfortable writing in the past tense and I’ve used this with most of my short stories.