I came across an apparently recurring dilemma for me today: tenses. Let me explain. I wrote Stepmothers Anonymous in first person past tense, which worked great for the story. But I had planned something different for my subsequent books. Unfortunately, I had gotten so use to first person past tense, I found it difficult to write any other way.
But because I had planned Full of Grace and Judah and Tamar in third person present, I forced myself to write them that way.
Now as I begin the first draft to another work of fiction, I am finding the transition almost impossible. What I had planned to write in third person past tense comes out sounding…wrong; and so I’ve rewritten it in third person present, which means I will have to complete it this way or try for another rewrite. It’s frustrating, but I’ve begun convincing myself the story may actually do better in the present narrative.
I’ll let you know if that works – the present tense and me trying to convince myself.
What about you? Am I the only one with this dilemma, or am I in good company?
