Should we write in present tense or past tense

by Melinda Tung
2nd September 2016

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

Replies

Thanks Jimmy,

Totally agreed with you, just like you say.... a feeling of immediacy to a book: help the reader feel like they're LIVING the story.

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Melinda
Tung
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Melinda Tung
02/09/2016

"I have written my children novel in present tense and have received feedback"

Not in "shared works" on this web-site, you haven't! ;p

Why not offer us a sample? MOST of us don't bite. (Emilie van Damm [Hi, Emilie!] does SOMETIMES... but usually not beginner writers. Jane Austen and JK Rowling, though...)

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Jimmy
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Jimmy Hollis i Dickson
02/09/2016

"b) (For VERY young readers) The present tense is easier to understand (also true for readers struggling with a 2nd or 3rd language)."

Of course, by using past tenses, you'd be helping the child to master them...

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Jimmy
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Jimmy Hollis i Dickson
02/09/2016