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How to use tenses in fiction writing

Verb tenses are verb forms that tell us at what point in time something happens.  These points in time will be in the past, in the present or in the future. We all use tenses in various forms in our everyday speech and writing without ever thinking about what they are called.

For the purpose of this article, I will only discuss past and present tenses as it’s quite rare to find a novel written in future tense.

Many fiction books are set in past tense although some authors do prefer to use present tense. It’s easy to get tenses muddled as the example below shows.

Joe enters the bookshop. He was looking for a particular book on using tenses in fiction writing. He has been looking for this book for ages. He had looked in every bookshop in the area.

Joe enters the bookshop. (present)

He was looking for a particular book on using tenses in fiction writing. (past)

He has been looking for this book for ages. (present)

He had looked in every bookshop in the area. (past)

Present tense

Present tense is used to describe the here and now, which means it is more in the moment than the past tense. The reader experiences events unfolding at the same time as the viewpoint character, which can give a sense of being closer to the action. Different forms of present tense are used when referring to events that are presently happening (she eats a cake) and to those that have already happened (she has eaten a cake).

Simple present  
An action that happens in the current period of time
I eat a cake.
She eats a cake.
He eats a cake.
You eat a cake.
They eat a cake.
Present progressive  
An ongoing action
I am eating a cake.
She is eating a cake.
He is eating a cake.
You are eating a cake.
They are eating a cake.
Present perfect  
An action that has been completed  
I have eaten a cake.
She has eaten a cake.
He has eaten a cake.
You have eaten a cake.
They have eaten a cake.
Present perfect progressive  
An action that has been ongoing
I have been eating a cake.
She has been eating a cake.
He has been eating a cake.
You have been eating a cake.
They have been eating a cake.

If you are writing a novel in present tense, you will probably end up using most forms of it at some point. The paragraph below shows how the different forms can be used.

Joe enters the bookshop. He is looking for a particular book on using tenses in fiction writing. He has been looking for this book for ages. He has looked in every bookshop in the area.

Joe enters the bookshop. (simple present)

We know what Joe is doing at the time of the story

He is looking for a particular book on using tenses in fiction writing. (present progressive)

We know what Joe is presently doing and the action is ongoing

He has been looking for this book for ages. (present perfect progressive)

We know that Joe has wanted this book for ages and that this action is ongoing

He has looked in every bookshop in the area. (present perfect)

We know that Joe has looked in every bookshop, so this was a complete action at a different time

Here is an example from a published book written in present tense:

Zara is sitting behind the black curtains, waiting for the questioning to begin. Although nobody will be able to see her, her cheeks are flushed. She tries to calm herself with deep breaths.

All she has to do, she tells herself, is tell the courtroom what she saw.

How to Disappear by Gillian McAllister, Chapter 4, Kindle

Points to note with present tense

  • The reader is in the here and now with the viewpoint character, so the narrative distance is closer.
  • It is very easy to lapse into past tense when writing in the present as most people are used to using past tense.
  • Not everyone likes to read books in present tense and some readers will go out of their way to avoid anything written in the present.
  • It may be more difficult to move between other periods of time as the story is stuck in the present.
  • There may be a lack of tension as everything is happening immediately. With past tense the narrator is relaying events that have already happened so they can feed in the tension at appropriate points.
  • You could choose to use present tense for some viewpoint characters and past tense for others.

Past tense

Past tense is used when events have already taken place and they are being referred back to. Different forms of the past tense are needed when referring to events that happened at the time of the story and to those that happened before.

Simple past  
An action that happens in the current period of time
I ate a cake.
She ate a cake.
He ate a cake.
You ate a cake.
They ate a cake.
Past progressive  
An ongoing action
I was eating a cake.
She was eating a cake.
He was eating a cake.
You were eating a cake.
They were eating a cake.
Past perfect
An action that has been completed  
I had eaten a cake.
She had eaten a cake.
He had eaten a cake.
You had eaten a cake.
They had eaten a cake.
Past perfect progressive  
An action that has been ongoing
I had been eating a cake.
She had been eating a cake.
He had been eating a cake.
You had been eating a cake.
They had been eating a cake.
Habitual past  
An action that used to take place but no longer does
I would eat a cake every day.
She would eat a cake every day.
He would eat a cake every day.
You would eat a cake every day.
They would eat a cake every day.
 
I used to eat a cake every day.
She used to eat a cake every day.
He used to eat a cake every day.
You used to eat a cake every day.
They used to eat a cake every day.

If you are writing a novel in the past tense, you will probably end up using most forms of it at some point. The paragraph below shows how the different forms can be used.

Joe entered the bookshop. He was looking for a particular book on using tenses in fiction writing. He had been looking for this book for ages. He had looked in every bookshop in the area. He used to go and scour the shelves at least once a week. When he got fed up with this, he would look online every day.

Joe entered the bookshop. (simple past)

We know what Joe was doing at the time of the story

He was looking for a particular book on using tenses in fiction writing. (past progressive) We know why Joe was there

He had been looking for this book for ages. (past perfect progressive)

Joe had wanted this book for some time, so this happened before the time of the story

He had looked in every bookshop in the area. (past perfect)

This happened before the time of the story

He used to go and scour the shelves at least once a week. (habitual past)

Joe used to do this once a week but no longer does.

When he got fed up with this, he would look online every day. (habitual past)

Joe would look online every day but no longer does.

Here is an example from a published book written in past tense:

I twisted my hands together in my lap. I heard Mum sniff beside me. She reached out and placed her hand on top of mine with a gentle squeeze. It was a sweet gesture. Supportive. Motherly. She was letting me know she was there for me.

The Perfect Daughter by Alex Stone, Chapter 1, Kindle

Points to note with past tense

  • Past tense is favoured by most readers and writers of modern fiction. It’s a great choice for first-time authors as it’s easier to write than present tense.
  • Even though the story has already happened, the reader still feels that they are seeing events as they take place.
  • The author has flexibility to move between different time periods of the story.

Using present tense and past tense together

Sometimes when writing in present tense, it is necessary to refer to something that has already happened in the past, so this is an occasion when it is OK to use past and present tense together.

In the extract below, Adam is narrating in first-person present tense, but he explains to the reader, using past tense, what he would do if he were out of the office and missed a call from the DI. I have marked the use of past tense in bold.

Soft flakes of snow settle on the other side of the windowsill. Inside, an ignored phone call transfers from one empty desk to another, until someone takes pity on the caller and picks up. I find the GBH file and scan the list of witnesses. I can be out of the office all day, dealing with this lot, and if I miss a message from the DI, well, I was taking a statement or on the phone to Victim Support. I stuff the file into my rucksack and stand up.

Hostage by Clare Mackintosh, Chapter 2 Kindle edition

When writing in past tense, it may be necessary to use present tense to refer to something that is a fact or is happening at the moment.

Fraser walked down the street and stopped by the bakery to look longingly at the delights on display in the window, which, of course, is an unwritten rule for any cake lover.

We know Fraser was looking in the window (past tense), but the unwritten rule is something that exists now, so it can be written in present tense. This could be rephrased as:

Fraser walked down the street and stopped by the bakery to look longingly at the delights on display in the window, an unwritten rule for any cake lover.

Final words
  • Make sure you know from the outset which tense you are using, so you don’t write with a blend of muddled tenses.
  • Do a readthrough of your first draft to check for tense consistency. You’ll be surprised how easily a rogue tense can creep in.
  • Read your book aloud. Inconsistent tenses will jump out at you!
References

Hostage, Clare Mackintosh, Sphere (2021)

How to Disappear, Gillian McAllister, Penguin Books (2020)

The Perfect Daughter, Alex Stone, Boldwood Books (2021)

Work with me

I’m Clare Black, a fiction book editor based in Stockport, UK. I help independent authors prepare for publishing by fixing the important details and improving the readability of their books. I specialise in crime, thriller and contemporary fiction, but I am happy to consider other genres. I am a Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP).

I offer various packages to help indie authors get published and would love the opportunity to discuss your book and how I can help you prepare for publishing.

Email: clare@clareblackediting.com

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