present tense? - CrimeSpace2024-03-28T21:17:39Zhttps://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/present-tense?commentId=537324%3AComment%3A228374&feed=yes&xn_auth=noPeople in the movie biz alway…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-03-04:537324:Comment:2290532010-03-04T19:06:33.992ZJohn McFetridgehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JohnMcF
People in the movie biz always say how it's a "visual medium," which is true, of course, and that means there are some limitations which don't apply to books. I say when writing a book we should try and take advantage of as many of those opportunities as we can. And one of the big ones for me is shifting POV because I think it can really add another layer to a scene in a way a movie can't.
People in the movie biz always say how it's a "visual medium," which is true, of course, and that means there are some limitations which don't apply to books. I say when writing a book we should try and take advantage of as many of those opportunities as we can. And one of the big ones for me is shifting POV because I think it can really add another layer to a scene in a way a movie can't. If some agents and editors re…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-03-04:537324:Comment:2290482010-03-04T18:34:59.482ZJack Getzehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JGetze
If some agents and editors refuse to read present tense, that's good enough reason to use the past. But I stand by my claim the majority of readers don't see or care about the difference. Says grates no harder than said. Done well, they both disappear. Mr. T being an exception, IMHO.
If some agents and editors refuse to read present tense, that's good enough reason to use the past. But I stand by my claim the majority of readers don't see or care about the difference. Says grates no harder than said. Done well, they both disappear. Mr. T being an exception, IMHO. I like Out of Sight is Jack's…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-03-04:537324:Comment:2290472010-03-04T18:26:33.512ZJack Getzehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JGetze
I like Out of Sight is Jack's book but Karen's movie. Your explanation makes so much sense. The screenplay would HAVE to be written as her story.
I like Out of Sight is Jack's book but Karen's movie. Your explanation makes so much sense. The screenplay would HAVE to be written as her story. Sometimes, I like to start my…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-03-03:537324:Comment:2287942010-03-03T04:24:26.037ZJessicahttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Jessica
Sometimes, I like to start my novels with a scene involving the murderer/kidnapper/bank robber going about their daily business as a villain. Cleaning guns, polishing knives, etc. These scenes are always very brief and in present tense.<br />
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The creative writing professor who proofs my copy says she loves this technique because it compels the reader to believe that what they're reading is something that's happening RIGHT NOW as opposed to something that is being recounted. Of course, the technique…
Sometimes, I like to start my novels with a scene involving the murderer/kidnapper/bank robber going about their daily business as a villain. Cleaning guns, polishing knives, etc. These scenes are always very brief and in present tense.<br />
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The creative writing professor who proofs my copy says she loves this technique because it compels the reader to believe that what they're reading is something that's happening RIGHT NOW as opposed to something that is being recounted. Of course, the technique only works in small doses. The rest of the book is invariably in past tense. I like to jar the reader with present tense, force them into the intimacy of spending time with the book's antagonist, then allow them to sit back while I recount the events afterward.<br />
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Another thing I never do, even in present tense, is refer to the antagonist by their name. There are no descriptions and no clues, aside from personal pronouns that indicate sex (I try to avoid these, too - if I can. Sometimes I can't). This, according to the professor (I didn't realise that I was doing this at the time) teases the reader with a glimpse of something that is actually happening, without giving them the tools to solve the crime. I find that present tense is…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-03-01:537324:Comment:2286552010-03-01T21:09:01.137Zdoug andersonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/douganderson
I find that present tense is good for accelerating things and I quite often shift in an out of it. I don't know if I'd want to read a whole book in the present tense, though.<br />
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I have occasionally used the present tense to make the past immediate, but that is an old trick.
I find that present tense is good for accelerating things and I quite often shift in an out of it. I don't know if I'd want to read a whole book in the present tense, though.<br />
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I have occasionally used the present tense to make the past immediate, but that is an old trick. I was about to say that only…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-03-01:537324:Comment:2286262010-03-01T12:23:22.082ZAlbert Tucherhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/AlbertTucher
I was about to say that only Updike in the Rabbit novels has written present tense that I can read, but I was forgetting about Runyon. My aversion is purely personal. "Says" grates on my nerves, and the effect gets worse the more I read.
I was about to say that only Updike in the Rabbit novels has written present tense that I can read, but I was forgetting about Runyon. My aversion is purely personal. "Says" grates on my nerves, and the effect gets worse the more I read. Stand corrected.tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-02-28:537324:Comment:2285292010-02-28T05:52:18.103ZB.R.Statehamhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BRStateham
Stand corrected.
Stand corrected. Tense, not pov, BR. Chandler…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-02-28:537324:Comment:2285282010-02-28T05:37:23.789ZJon Loomishttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JonLoomis
Tense, not pov, BR. Chandler wrote in first person, past tense.
Tense, not pov, BR. Chandler wrote in first person, past tense. Well, I might try it someday,…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-02-28:537324:Comment:2285242010-02-28T04:45:49.398ZminervaKhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/minervakoenig
Well, I might try it someday, but at this point I've got enough on my plate trying to get this novel finished and into the hands of somebody who might publish it. I don't need another hoop (trying to pull off an unpopular and difficult tense) to jump through.
Well, I might try it someday, but at this point I've got enough on my plate trying to get this novel finished and into the hands of somebody who might publish it. I don't need another hoop (trying to pull off an unpopular and difficult tense) to jump through. Personally, I don't see it. I…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-02-28:537324:Comment:2285172010-02-28T04:30:58.773ZB.R.Statehamhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BRStateham
Personally, I don't see it. I don't see the problem going to first-person singular. For me it's the natural selection in creating a strong voice for a character, plus it draws the reader immediately into the action. Some someone takes a shot at one my my characters you definitely hear and feel the urgency in their actions.<br />
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I'm not trying to mimic Chandler, but the guy had something. Writing in first-person puts you immediately in the character's skull and soul. You feel what he feels. How can…
Personally, I don't see it. I don't see the problem going to first-person singular. For me it's the natural selection in creating a strong voice for a character, plus it draws the reader immediately into the action. Some someone takes a shot at one my my characters you definitely hear and feel the urgency in their actions.<br />
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I'm not trying to mimic Chandler, but the guy had something. Writing in first-person puts you immediately in the character's skull and soul. You feel what he feels. How can that be bad writing?