It’s one of the first things you decide when you start writing: past or present tense? You may not even have been aware of the decision! But the minute you started writing your story, even just a tiny piece of it, you made the choice. Sometimes I work with writers who have a very firm idea of what tense they prefer to write in. Others haven’t really thought about it before. Quite often I’ll be asked, “Which is best?” My answer to that question (and most questions about writing, if I’m honest) is… well, it depends!

In this post I’m hoping to break down the differences between these two tenses when you’re writing a story. And I’ll talk about some of the pros and cons of each, a bit like my series on the pros and cons of different narrative perspectives. If you already know what tense you like best but you have trouble sticking with it, you might want to check out this post. I go into more detail about why tense consistency is important, whether you’re writing in past or present tense, and give some advice on how to stick with the one you’ve picked.

Past or present tense – what’s the difference?

Basically, if you’re writing in past tense you’re writing as if something has already happened. If you’re writing in present tense, you’re writing as if it’s happening right now. For example:

“Puffy storm clouds close over the sky, the remnants of a typhoon kicked up in Asia, according to the weatherman. The grass is moist underfoot. A guys’ soccer match runs full tilt, a mad dash of Chagrin Falls orange jerseys versus blue from Solon, a rival high school.”

Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen

That’s present tense. The narrator, Ever, is sharing the story as it’s happening. The grass is moist, rather than was moist. For past tense, on the other hand, you have something more like this:

“I quickened my steps, trying to peer through the crowd. I’d lost sight of the yellow flag of the surveyors’ cart hours ago, and I knew I was far behind. As I walked, I took in the green and gold smells of the autumn wood, the soft breeze at my back.”

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Alina, our narrator in the Shadow and Bone trilogy, is telling us the story as if it’s something that already happened, rather than something she’s in the middle of. I knew I was far behind, rather than I know I am far behind.

Present tense is having a bit of a moment right now, although it’s important to note that it isn’t a new concept to write a novel in the present. It’s probably the more divisive tense. Few people will put down a book because it’s written in the past tense, whereas I know some people feel that strongly about writing in present tense. They won’t even entertain it. But what are the real pros and cons to these two tense options?

Pros and cons of present tense

There are definitely some fun elements to writing in the present tense. Present tense feels very immediate. It’s been described as the more cinematic option, since you feel like you’re reading as events are playing out in real time. Readers can see the changes to your characters’ moods, thoughts and situations as they happen. This has a certain appeal, particularly for stories where you want readers to feel like they’re in the thick of things with your characters. There’s an intensity to a present tense narrative, and being fully in the moment with the characters. In some ways, but not all, present tense is also simpler to write. It restricts you, largely, to what’s going on right now, in this moment.

Of course, that can also be a major failing of the present tense. It can limit your storytelling ability, anchoring you to only the most immediate of situations and consequences as you’re writing. While in theory you could mess with the chronology of your story and still tell it in the present tense, forays into the past (or indeed the future) work against the whole point of writing in present tense. And when you decide to do it anyway, it often reads pretty awkwardly. It’s harder to create suspense in a present tense format, because you’re not able to use tools like foreshadowing in the same way. The narrator is experiencing things in the same moment that the reader is, so they can’t have prior knowledge of how the plot’s events are going to unfold.

On a practical level, it can also be challenging to remain in present tense consistently, particularly for newer writers. Since it’s not as natural to the way we tell stories to each other in our daily lives.

Pros and cons of past tense

Although past tense might not be the fashionable choice these days, there’s a reason it’s been the cornerstone of most literature we’ve written. It offers much more flexibility than the present tense, and the fact that your character is talking to readers from a point later than the events of the story gives you a lot of flexibility around building tension and foreshadowing. It’s much easier, using the past tense, to hop back and fill in some backstory. And you’re able to do it without it being jarring to your readers or interrupting the connection you’re trying to build up between the reader and narrator.

Its main downside is the distance it creates from the events of the story, but it can also be easy to slip into telling rather than showing. Since you’re not watching the character react in the moment, it can feel like you’re not immersing your readers in the story as much as you could in present tense.

How do you know if you should be writing in past or present tense?

Obviously, this comes down first and foremost to personal preference. But there are some questions I’d suggest you ask yourself to help you make the decision.

Is this a story where you’ll need to explain a lot of backstory along the way? That might be better suited to past tense, where it will feel less jarring to be hopping back in time every so often for background information.

Do you want to play with the idea of the unreliable narrator? Present tense might be a fun choice, since everything in the story is being viewed through the protagonist’s eyes in real time, so readers are witnessing the story through whatever filter they apply to the events around them.

How do you want to build suspense in your story? If you want to use foreshadowing in the narration to build tension then past tense is a good bet.

Is the immediate experience of your character the most compelling part of your story? If you want readers to feel like they’re living the plot with your character, present tense can help you to achieve that.

Ultimately though, it’s going to come down to where you feel most comfortable, and what feels right as you’re writing.

Do you prefer writing in past or present tense?

I hope I haven’t upset any devoted lovers of present tense! For what it’s worth, I really do believe it can be done well. I just think it can be tougher to pull off, and doesn’t necessarily work for every story. But enough of me defending myself, I want to know what you think! Let me know in the comments which you prefer writing – or reading! – in.