Past tense 101 - so confused

Gringa · Dec 10, 2014

I'm all tangled up with the verbs etc. since I'm trying to get away from present, and switch to past tense - so which one is correct below please? embarrassed I have to ask and need to go back to the 4th grade....

---------------------------------

The forest bewitched me and was my true reason for being here in the first place. A photograph can't even capture it. It's a fantasy of sorts.

or

The forest bewitched me and was my true reason for being there in the first place. A photograph couldn't even capture it. It was a fantasy of sorts.

(one reason I ask is: the forest is still on the planet)

Thanks-

asroc · Dec 10, 2014

Is the first sentence missing a verb? Is the seductive forest the reason the narrator is where she is, or did the forest seduce the narrator as well as the reason she is where she is? I can't work that sentence out.

Anyway, if the story is in present tense and the narrator is still in the forest I would go with option 1.

ETA: Oh, you changed it, but I still can't work out the sentence.

Gringa · Dec 10, 2014

asroc said:
Is the first sentence missing a verb? Is the seductive forest the reason the narrator is where she is, or did the forest seduce the narrator as well as the reason she is where she is? I can't work that sentence out.

Anyway, if the story is in present tense and the narrator is still in the forest I would go with option 1.

ETA: Oh, you changed it, but I still can't work out the sentence.

Yea I changed it to get away from my MS so I might be able to see it better myself.

I want past tense.

And yes the forest is the reason the narrator is where she is....and the forest bewitched the narrator and bewitched the MC and the reason both the MC and the narrator are in the forest ...... if that makes sense

thanks!

Forbidden Snowflake · Dec 10, 2014

I'm struggling with that as well sometimes.

For example if I talk about a character trait that is still valid.

John would never have done that. He is an honest person.

vs. John would never have done that. He was an honest person.

He is still an honest person, why use past tense my logical brain sometimes tells me. Is there a rule I need to know about?

(Tricky English isn't my first language)

indwig · Dec 10, 2014

Is the "here" in the forest or someplace else?

thisprovinciallife · Dec 10, 2014

I *think* it depends on how aware your narrator is that they're 'in a story'.

Is your narrator narrating from a fixed point in time that you, the writer, are aware of? Or is this just a story being told? If the former, things that 'were' still 'are' and you can use #1. If the latter, be consistent with your choice of past tense.

For example: I have a diary/blog POV in my MS. It's written in past tense, but there is clearly a point in time where my narrator is sitting down and saying to the reader, "Let me tell you this story." (Even if she doesn't say that so explicitly). So since she's alive and in the present, in a way, she refers to some places in the present tense even though the story is in past.

Um...so that all might make no sense? I'm sure there's an actual rule somewhere.

Gringa · Dec 10, 2014

Forbidden Snowflake said:
I'm struggling with that as well sometimes.

For example if I talk about a character trait that is still valid.

John would never have done that. He is an honest person.

vs. John would never have done that. He was an honest person.

He is still an honest person, why use past tense my logical brain sometimes tells me. Is there a rule I need to know about?

(Tricky English isn't my first language)

good to hear not alone on this! thanks!

indwig said:
Is the "here" in the forest or someplace else?

thanks for asking.

here, as in let's say, the Rockies

thisprovinciallife said:
I *think* it depends on how aware your narrator is that they're 'in a story'.

Is your narrator narrating from a fixed point in time that you, the writer, are aware of? Or is this just a story being told? If the former, things that 'were' still 'are' and you can use #1. If the latter, be consistent with your choice of past tense.

For example: I have a diary/blog POV in my MS. It's written in past tense, but there is clearly a point in time where my narrator is sitting down and saying to the reader, "Let me tell you this story." (Even if she doesn't say that so explicitly). So since she's alive and in the present, in a way, she refers to some places in the present tense even though the story is in past.

Um...so that all might make no sense? I'm sure there's an actual rule somewhere.

thanks!

A fixed time, I think, as the narrator is kinda retelling the story- in a moment in time if that makes sense?

Now I'm more confused just reading my own sentence....

thisprovinciallife · Dec 10, 2014

Gringa said:
thanks!

A fixed time, I think, as the narrator is kinda retelling the story- in a moment in time if that makes sense?

Now I'm more confused just reading my own sentence....

Then I think you can use present, sometimes. But actually not in this instance. Unless the narrator is still in the forest when they're telling the story, hah. This is just a confusing example, I think

morngnstar · Dec 10, 2014

My take: stick to past. Even if the forest is still there, is it still fantastical? Does the character still perceive it as fantastical? Does the character still know it's there, or what it's like in the present? You might not want to give away that in the end, the forest survives.

If you do want to imply all those things, then draw explicit attention to them. Say, "To this day, the forest remains a sort of fantasy." That's a sort of specialized style of storytelling. Normally, you want to tell how your character is reacting in the moment only, so they perceive the forest as fantastical, but don't know what it might be like in the (relative) future or state an opinion about what it has continually been like in the (relative) future.

King Neptune · Dec 10, 2014

I find both to be correct grammar; it's a matter of how the are being expressed. If a character trait existed, then it still exists, but that's a minor matter.

Since before history stories have been narrated as things that happened; although the events in the story may still have validity or consequences in the time when the story is retold, so there can be a mix of tenses.

blacbird · Dec 10, 2014

In past tense narration, the existence of a continuing condition or situation is often expressed using a present tense verb form. You'll have no trouble finding all kinds of examples in published books.

caw

Gringa · Dec 10, 2014

thisprovinciallife said:
Then I think you can use present, sometimes. But actually not in this instance. Unless the narrator is still in the forest when they're telling the story, hah. This is just a confusing example, I think

Yea, probably a confusing example, which by the way, I changed at the last minute now confusing myself!

Thanks-

morngnstar said:
My take: stick to past. Even if the forest is still there, is it still fantastical? Does the character still perceive it as fantastical? Does the character still know it's there, or what it's like in the present? You might not want to give away that in the end, the forest survives.

If you do want to imply all those things, then draw explicit attention to them. Say, "To this day, the forest remains a sort of fantasy." That's a sort of specialized style of storytelling. Normally, you want to tell how your character is reacting in the moment only, so they perceive the forest as fantastical, but don't know what it might be like in the (relative) future or state an opinion about what it has continually been like in the (relative) future.

Well this is hard to answer other than this is "reality" as opposed to "fantasy." ie: the MC/narrator is more or less observing the forest aka commenting why she is there in the first place if this makes sense.

Thanks

King Neptune said:
I find both to be correct grammar; it's a matter of how the are being expressed. If a character trait existed, then it still exists, but that's a minor matter.

Since before history stories have been narrated as things that happened; although the events in the story may still have validity or consequences in the time when the story is retold, so there can be a mix of tenses.

The trait, the forest, is still there so a mix of tenses. This is good to hear. Thanks

blacbird said:
In past tense narration, the existence of a continuing condition or situation is often expressed using a present tense verb form. You'll have no trouble finding all kinds of examples in published books.

caw

Existence of a continuing condition, the forest - this makes sense too -

Thanks

angeliz2k · Dec 18, 2014

This is my view. You're telling a story. If you choose past tense, then it's in the past. Everything should, to the best of your ability, be simple past tense. The only time I would use present tense would be if expressing a general concept ("It is a truth universally acknowledged . . . "). I would use "there" as opposed to "here". I would always go with #2.

HOWEVER, it appears you are using a more conversational tone, as if the narrator is sitting with you and telling you about this forest. He/she is in "storytelling mode", and usually when people are orally telling a story it's a mix of past and present ("So, I go down the street and there's this piece of paper, whichI picked up."). What you have is fine, I think, in a more informal, one-on-one kind tone.

But you may simply be overthinking things. Yes, the forest may still be there, but that doesn't matter because you're talking about the forest at that moment in the past. I don't think you need to tie yourself in knots. I think you can simplify things by making it all past tense.

WriteMinded · Dec 21, 2014

Gringa said:
I'm all tangled up with the verbs etc. since I'm trying to get away from present, and switch to past tense - so which one is correct below please? embarrassed I have to ask and need to go back to the 4th grade....

---------------------------------

The forest bewitched me and was my true reason for being here in the first place. A photograph can't even capture it. It's a fantasy of sorts.

or

The forest bewitched me and was my true reason for being there in the first place. A photograph couldn't even capture it. It was a fantasy of sorts.

(one reason I ask is: the forest is still on the planet)

Thanks-

The fact the forest is still on the planet has no bearing on the tense you use. Our ocean has existed how long? Do we not, when writing in past tense, say the ocean was?

However, we do sometimes switch to present tense when expressing a character's musings.

In 1st person: The forest bewitched me and was my reason for being there in the first place. A photo could never capture it. It is a fantasy of sorts.

In 3rd person: The forest bewitched her and was her reason for being there in the first place. A photo could never capture it. For her, it was a fantasy of sorts.

Past tense 101 - so confused

Gringa

asroc

Alex

Gringa

Forbidden Snowflake

I'm quite put out.

indwig

I stole your cheeseburger

thisprovinciallife

hi! i'm reese.

Gringa

thisprovinciallife

hi! i'm reese.

morngnstar

King Neptune

blacbird

Gringa

angeliz2k

never mind the shorty

WriteMinded

Derailed