Quick Tip: Time for Tense
Past tense is the safe bet.
In your fiction or creative nonfiction, how do you choose whether to use present tense or past tense? If you’re not sure, embrace past.* Past tense is universally accepted by readers and provides greater flexibility in moving through time. Present tense is the less common choice, although more common in YA. Present tense is limited, hard to pull off, and loathed by some readers.
*With every Quick Tip, there’s always more to the story than appears here. Reach out to me if you’re up for a lengthier discussion on this or other topics.