Which tense should I use in my story?

Question

I am writing a story about a group of friends stranded on an island (how typical) and I want it to be in a narrative form, using 'I' and 'me' and what not, but I don't know if I should use present tense or past tense. Present tense looks like it was written by a third grader and past tense seems to imply that it already took place and the narrator knows what happened. Please help me!

Answer 1

The traditional tense is past tense. I feel present tense feels overly exotic. Past tense is written as an observation. If you were to narrate what you are doing right now in your head would you think "She typed the question" or "She types the question"?



Whatever you choose, be consistent.

Answer 2

There are few authors I can think of who have handled the use of the present tense with any success. Things can get awfully messy, and I have watched the best of them falter and die on the page. Might be best to stick with the past tense, since storytelling by definition is describing something that has happened and therefore it's pretty much a straight up indication that it IS the past.

Answer 3

Yes i think past tense would make your story sound more mature. Present tense just isnt quite as good. Write it like it has already happened to the person telling the story, but dont make it heaps obvious that she/he is OK, just hint is subtly throughout the book.

Answer 4

Past tense

Answer 5

Past tense! By definition, the narrator of a story knows what happened, since he or she is retelling the story in the book.

Answer 6

past unless you dont want the reader to think that all the people survived....muah ahahahaha



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