Novels are often written in past tense, but writing in a consistent tense can be tricky. Here are some tips for writing a novel in past tense.
Don't Jump Tenses
If you're writing your novel in past tense, stay in past tense. Changing the tense is not only jarring to the reader, but can make the timeline of the novel confusing.
There are some exceptions: dialogue (which would appear in quotation marks) and inner thoughts (which should appear italicized). The tenses for these can vary, depending on what the characters are talking about, but they're always from the perspective of the speaker or thinker. If it helps, imagine you're the character talking or thinking in that situation to get the correct tense for dialogue or inner thought—the tense should sound natural.
Double-Check around Dialogue and Inner Thoughts
Because dialogue and inner thoughts are often in present tense, it's easy to accidentally slip into present tense directly after writing dialogue or inner thought.
Correct: His hair stuck up straight on his head. "You look ridiculous," I choked out through my laughter.
Incorrect: His hair stuck up straight on his head. "You look ridiculous," I choke out through my laughter.
Watch Out for These Verbs
Some verbs are easy to mix up when writing in past tense.
1. Would Versus Will
"Will" is present tense and should not be used when writing a novel in past tense. "Would" is the correct conjugation, even if the action will be happening in the character's future.
Example: Tomorrow, she would run to the store to pick up ingredients.
2. Had Versus Have
"Have" is present perfect tense, and "had" is past perfect tense. Be sure to use "had," not "have." You use the perfect tense (rather than regular past tense) to show an action that started in the past and continues in the present.
Example: I had just started eating when the door burst open.
3. Lay Versus Lie
These two verbs are tricky beyond deciding which one to use because the past tense of "lie" is actually "lay."
For your reference, the past tense of "lay" is "laid," and the present participle is also "laid." The past tense of "lie" is "lay," and the present participle is "lain."
You can read more about "lay" versus "lie" and how to use and conjugated these verbs in our blog post here.
Do you have questions about writing in a consistent tense? What trips you up when writing a novel in past tense? Let us know in the comments below!
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Hi Catia
I'm trying to write some children's books and keep coming up against a tense issue.
The following is an example:
"Tilly, please stop jumping on the furniture," shouted Mum over the racket Tilly was making as she jumped from one couch to another.
"But I have to escape from the pirates", Tilly shouted back and leapt from the couch onto a small rug, "by getting to the island without falling into the sea and being eaten by sharks."
Could I replace:
Tilly shouted back and lept from the couch onto a small rug,
with :
Tilly shouted back, leaping from the couch onto a small rug,
Or have I mixed up the tenses as 'leaping' is in the current where the story uses the past tense.
Thanks for any advice
Garry
Using 'ing' doesn't change the tense of your writing. A character can be doing something while they talk. Putting a comma after the 'said' 'shouted' etc signifies both things are happening at once. 'ing' suffixes don't change the tense to present tense when used for the second action in a sentence.
Example: "Daniel! Keep to the plan!" Arthur hollered, defending himself from the raider onslaught.
I could have put 'as he defended himself from the raider onslaught' but that's slowing down an action scene.
Your writing and mine are action scenes with differing paces. If you want yours to have a more urgent or intense feeling for the reader the 'leaping' replacement is good. Personally, the replacement flows better for me.
Using 'ing' isn't a tense mix up.
Thanks for clearing that issue, I'm new to writing and this point has been annoying me.
I too think sleeping is a good replacement.
Once again thanks for your time.
Ahmm
Making that leaping not sleeping.
Thanks for the great info. I really do need to understand tenses better at the mo. Trying to get my first book together. Non-fiction Personal experience book.