Post #3399484
2026-04-04 17:35 UTC
#WritersCoffeeClub day 4: Do you switch between past and present tense? How do you make it work?
Definitely not. I'm writing in past tense (close 3rd person), with the exception that chapter 5 starts with a flashback that's in past perfect tense, shifting back into standard past tense as it catches up to "the present day"/non-flashback time.
[Edit: As others have pointed out, yes, of course I write dialogue and thoughts in present tense. People say, "I'm going to the store," not... 1/2
Replies (1)
-
@kagan@wandering.shop 2026-04-04 18:10
..."I was going to the store" or suchlike, and think, "This is a weird situation," not "This was a weird situation." But I'm not sure if that *truly* counts, because the dialogue tags are still said and thought, not says and thinks. "I'm going to the store," she _said_. That's past tense, right? I accurately report the words she said in the past, even if she phrased them in present tense. Anyway, that's the situation. 2/2] #WritersCoffeeClub