Tense

It can work. Whether it would work for you and/or work in a particular story is unknowable - until the story is written.

There are practical considerations.

Number one is probably whether you can maintain the required level of continuity throughout the story.

Any story needs to maintain continuity and consistency throughout.

It is probably more easy to see this in the area of Point of View.

We are much more used to moving from one person's perspective to at least one other - and sometimes more... But - in all these cases a parsons clothes at any one time have to remain the same, their hair style has to remain the same, whether they are left or right handed has to... you will get the point...

The same applies to switching tense for different sections.

First we need to make the sections distinct and clear for the reader - so that they can keep track of which tense they need to be thinking in.

Then it helps to add additional markers to where, when and how (tiemwise) we are seeing this particular section - sorry - I can't think of any examples off hand - but it is similar to providing tags for who is speaking or who is observing a scene.

Most important - we need to keep each "tensed section" within its tense and not let ourselves stray from one to another - and this has to be throughout the whole story - unless - there can be a point at which the past catches up with the present - but that requires a special transition section that makes the merging clear.

So? Can this be done? Yes it can.

Can you do it? Only you can discover.

Proabably the first thing to do is to experiment and practice.

There are some possible ways to practice -

1. try writing a scene in one tense - then re-write it in another.

Even this can be divided up -

a. write a short scene straight off and then, while it is all very fresh in your head change the tense and write it again.

(This isn't so different from writing one scene from a number of different POVs).

b. write a scene, print it and then rewrite it in the different tense using the hard copy as guide to what you are working on - a hard copy is much easier to re-write from than messing about with different windows or even different screens.

2. Write in "blocks" (you might make each block a chapter or sub-chapter).

You might write two blocks in past tense followed by a third in the present - followed by the same pattern again - and again...

The thing to do then is not just feel how well/easily it has gone in the process - but to leave the work for a bit and then check it back through -

This is where you have to be strict...

You know what you mean and where the story is going - so it may easily read as well (or as badly) as it felt when you wrote it...

So - what you have to do (for one task) is to extract all the blocks in each tense and check them over for continuity in that tense (i.e. make sure that you haven't strayed)... Then you do the same for the other blocks.

...and all this can only teach you - and help you develop - in the area of playing around with the tense you work in... It can't, of itself, do anything to develop plot, description, dialogue or all the other things that you have to do to achieve a good story...

So - you can play with tense(s) - but - you will be adding a layer of complexity without any garuantee of making the story itself any better.

Greater complexity is more work for you - and - the very significant thing - more work for everyone else - and this is not just the book buyer and reader - everyone between you and the bookshop shelf will have to deal with the added complexity.

That said - there is nothing wrong with added complexity as such...

The thing to do is to give it a try.

David