Comments on: Deciding on a Narrative Voice

By: Don

Don — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:44:01 +0000

thanks I have been troubled about it, but you have given me a bit more insite and i’ll go with my gut on this one.

By: John Hewitt

John Hewitt — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:30:22 +0000

Present tense gives a sense of immediacy to a narrative, but it can often sound a little forced and it gives very little room for introspection because you are in the moment with the character. Past tense is easier and more traditional, but that doesn’t make it better. In the end you have to pick what you are comfortable with and think makes the most sense for your story.

By: Don

Don — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:13:08 +0000

I have a good grasp on third person, but one thing is troubling me. When i describe the actions of my characters should i use the present tense or past tense of verbs. like:

She is walking down the corridor and just then she noticed something move in the shadows.

She was walking down the corridor when she saw something move in the shadow

when I start writing it i end up in the past tense and then i think maybe i want the reader to follow it as if it was happening now. What is the opinion of other writers on this subject?

By: Kayla

Kayla — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:53:47 +0000

Help! I am not sure which one! I obviously need to decide. I have a basic 2- maybe 3 main characters and i want to follow them throughout the book closely and it maybe switch back in forth so do you think i should go with a third person? Kaylas last blog post..Technical Writing Exercise 1: Make the SME Look Good

By: max

max — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:24:39 +0000

You could try reading My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk. The narrator changes in every chapter, and it's not necessarily a human being. Using varying narrators could be a tough job, but might create wonders when implemented well. maxs last blog post..Turkey Bans Blogger

By: Key

Key — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 16:47:48 +0000

Good point about how a first person narrator increases imemdiacy and connection. I used to write in third person and I found that too distant (though it was probably due to insufficient character development and poor writing). Now I favor first person. As far as I can remember (I have a faulty memory), I have never written a story from several perspectives. I would like to try it someday.

By: max

max — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:32:08 +0000

A third person point of view always turns me off in a novel. It's like a big satellite camera recording everything objectively. However, a first person narrating opens the way for the nitty gritty of the character's mental processes. maxs last blog post..5 Turning Points in the Computer History