Hi all,
,
What are your opinions on this? I have written my children novel in present tense and have received feedback, is better to write in past tense. There will be so much work to change it to past tense. Does it really matter?
Any comments are very much appreciated.
Many thanks.
Kind regards,
Melinda
Hi Lorraine and Jimmy,
Many thanks, excellent stuff!
I got the feedback from Callisto Green, - "If I could offer any advice, it would perhaps be to work a little more on dialogue to show characterisation, as well as consider putting the narrative into the past tense (it's notoriously difficult to get present tense narrative just right)."
Yes Jimmy, after you have suggested for me to post my work on the shared work, I'll post some from my first chapter. Check it out and let me know what you think. (Title: Zen & Win)
I'll won't be changing it, I'm still working on getting an agent or a publisher to publish my book. If I eventually find an agent and publisher to publish my book, will see what is the advice given as I'm not the expert.
So grateful I found Writers and Artists to advise me and share valuable information.
Can't thank you both of you enough. Thumbs up for both of you.
Coming back to this question. As Lorraine writes, it depends on what works for each piece/work.
I would guess that you wrote your book in the present because that's what felt right to you. But you say that the feedback was that it shoulkd have been written in the past.
Why? Was this feedback from professionals or from family and friends? I ask this because some people seem to have the idea: "You have to do it like this because I've always seen it done like this."
Try to understand their reasons for preferring the past tenses. Maybe they ARE right. But - on the other hand - it's YOUR book. And I strongly berlieve in going with your heart.
I wrote in my first comment
e) In YOUR case, the book is already written in the present, and changing it would - as you say - entail a lot of work. YOU have to decide whether this work is worthwhile.
Don't decide not to change your book BECAUSE it means more work. If the book "isn't quite right", it DESERVES whatever work is necessary to make it right.
But since you seem to prefer the present, I'd advise you to stick to that.
When are we going to see a sample on "shared works"? Who knows? After reading it, I might advise you to use past tenses. ;p
Not all books are written in the past tense, so don't feel obliged to change yours, Melinda. If present tense is how it came to you, and it works for you, keep it that way.
There are no blanket rules, only what works for each specific piece/book.
Lorraine