Making Sense of Tense

Here's an article about 'tense' that I wrote for the Melbourne Age newspaper in 2008. Happy reading ...

Making Sense of Tense

If you’re reading a story at the moment – and I really hope you are – it’s probably written in the past tense. Most stories are for very good reasons. However, experimenting with other tenses, particularly the present tense, might be just what’s needed to infuse your story with a whole new energy.

Tense means ‘time’. It refers to the period of time in which a story takes place. There are many different tenses – at least twelve – but usually stories are told in the three basics: the past, the present or the future. Or a mix of the three.

Here’s how to tell the basic (or ‘simple’) tenses apart.

Past tense – Jill rode her bike.
Present tense – Jill rides her bike.
Future tense – Jill will ride her bike.

As stories written in the future tense are rare (I can’t actually recall ever reading one), I’ll stick with the differences between stories told in the past and present tenses.

The logic of a story written in the past tense is clear: a series of events have happened some time ago, the author has written them down, and you’re now reading about them. Very simple. Very clear. Very logical.

Less simple and clear is the logic of stories written in the present tense. The present tense suggests that the story is unfolding as you’re reading it. But how can that be if it’s already written down? When on earth is it supposed to have happened?

This logic problem is distracting for some readers. It can just about ruin a story for them. And that’s fair enough. But you know what? As a reader, it doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, I love stories written in the present tense. To me, present tense stories are vivid, urgent and fully involving. Reading one feels like the difference between watching live action and a replay.

And, as a writer, when I’ve taken the risk and written in the present tense it’s as though a fresh light has been cast over my story. That’s particularly true when I’ve been writing the unavoidable, slower parts of the narrative.

Consider these two (very slow) sentences:

Jack sat on the couch. (past tense)
Jack sits on the couch. (present tense)

Neither sentence is too thrilling, mainly because Jack isn’t doing much. But the second sentence feels slightly more interesting. It reads as if there’s a touch of forward momentum about Jack’s decision to sit on the couch. It also hints at the possibility of something exciting happening soon.

So, the same action (or lack of it) written in different tenses creates a subtly different level of energy. As a writer, I love it when my words have momentum and energy.

So, if you want a smooth, clear logic to your story, the past tense might be your thing. But if immediacy, involvement and energy are what you’re after, maybe give the present tense a try.

As for the future tense, that’s for another time …

Four books that have changed my life

This is an article I wrote for Sydney's Sun-Herald in late 2008.

A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz
It's embarrasing to admit this as an author, but until I’d read this book, there was no way I’d trouble myself with a 700 page novel. I love reading, but there are limits to how much time I’ll spend reading one story. In fact, I only started flicking through Toltz’s novel to see what it takes to spark a bidding war between major international publishers – I’d heard that this Australian story had done just that. But the flicking soon became reading and, before long, I was absolutely hooked.

A Fraction of the Whole is the weirdest, funniest and most brilliant father-son story I’ve ever read. It follows a family of three Australian men – a father, a son and an uncle - through most of their turbulent, bizarre and, somehow familiar, lives. But it’s not just about filial frictions, it’s also about ideas and where they lead us. And then there’s the humour. There were times when I tried to read sections of it aloud to my wife, but couldn’t because I was laughing so hard. It’s not a perfect book, but I’ve read nothing better.


Dibs in Search of Self by Virginia M Axline
I can’t think of any higher praise for a book than to tell you that this one made me sick! Actually sick. But in a good way … I guess.

I was so deeply moved by this true story of a troubled five-year-old boy (Dibs) undergoing ‘play therapy’ with his psychologist, Virginia Axline, that when I finished reading it, I had some sort of melt down of my own.

I guess when you strongly relate to the characters in a book, their journey shines all sorts of unexpected lights on your own issues. For me, this was like going through intensive therapy myself. When I finished it, I felt as though something inside had shifted. It took me a week of sick leave to get used to the change. I reckon any book that has a physical, as well as an emotional, effect on you, is a very powerful read. In those terms, this was the most powerful book I’ve ever read.


To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee
The last time I looked, this Pulitzer Prize winning book was still the biggest selling novel of all time, so I’m not exactly Robinson Crusoe in loving it. And what’s not to love? This gentle, wise and poignant story of racism in 1930s Alabama is a monument to human decency. In the character of Atticus Finch, Harper Lee created a father-figure for many generations.


The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The power of this book is in the narrator’s voice. Like a lot of adolescents, teen narrator Holden Caulfield, is judgemental, confused and a little lost. But he’s also honest, gentle and innocent. The voice Salinger has created for Caulfield is so authentic it’s as if he’s sitting right next you, telling you (and only you) his sad, difficult, but quietly uplifting story. The final, simple scene remains one of the most touching I’ve ever read.

Tips for Young Writers 27: Don’t forget that writing is fun.

Don’t forget that writing is fun. Writing’s not a job, it’s an art, like painting and acting and playing music. So, laugh while you write. Listen to music while you write. Cry while you write – if that makes you happy. Whatever you do, have fun while you write.

Tips for Young Writers 26: Lead an interesting life.

Lead an interesting life. If you’re an interesting person, your writing will be interesting too. So, do scary things sometimes. And difficult things. And amazing things. And unexpected things. That way you’ll learn to understand yourself and other people much better. And that will not only make you a better writer, it will make you a better person.

Tips for Young Writers 25: Understand that conflict is the writer’s best friend.

Understand that conflict is the writer’s best friend. Conflict, in life, is unpleasant (well, for most of us), but it’s brilliant in stories. Conflict brings a story to life. Try to include conflict in most parts of your story, whether it’s in the form of an argument, a fight, a war, a debate, a sporting contest, a minor disagreement, or even a tough decision that your hero is struggling over. We all love seeing characters deal with conflict.

Tips for Young Writers 24: Don’t think, just write.

Don’t think, just write. Great stories are complex, beautiful, mysterious things, that touch us deeply. The desire to create something profound is what drives many writers. The funny thing is, however, the harder we try to write something amazing and deep, the less likely we are to achieve it. Very few of us can THINK a great story to life, but many of us can IMAGINE one up. When you’re writing, don’t think about your story, just go where your imagination takes you. When you do this, you will be surprised and thrilled by the places you end up. And so will your readers.

Tips for Young Writers 23: Write fast to outrun the internal critic.

Write fast to outrun the internal critic. Sometimes our biggest critic is ourselves. We tell ourselves not to write this or that because we might be embarrassed later. Often, the very best things I’ve written seemed silly when I wrote them. Luckily, I wrote them anyway. If you write quickly enough, you get the words down before the critical part of your brain knows what’s going on – so write fast!

Tips for Young Writers 22: Accept criticism, but don’t agree with everything.

Accept criticism, but don’t agree with everything. There’s a fantastic saying that goes, ‘To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.’ Anytime you do, say or be anything there will be people around who want to criticise you – sometimes because they want to put you in your place, and other times because they want to help you. Learn to know the difference between those two types of criticism, then learn to know which ‘helpful’ criticism is good for your story and which you should ignore. But whatever you do, accept criticism as an interesting and sometimes very useful part of writing – and life.

Tips for Young Writers 21: Make writing a habit.

Make writing a habit. Writing is like running. When you run, your legs get fitter and fitter. When you write your fingers and imagination get fitter and fitter. And when you’re fit, you can really fly. So, write a little bit every day and, before long, your writing will take off.

Tips for Young Writers 20: Try to a get a picture of the ending in your mind before you reach it.

Try to a get a picture of the ending in your mind before you reach it. There’s nothing worse than reaching the end of a whole story then realising you don’t have a good enough finish. Basically, all the writing you’ve done could come to nothing! It’s only when I’ve got a little glimpse of the ending that I know my story is going to work out. When I’ve glimpsed that ending, even just a fraction of it, I know just where my story is taking me.

Tips for Young Writers 19: Write exciting moments as if they’re happening in slow-motion.

Write exciting moments as if they’re happening in slow-motion. Describe every detail of the most exciting moments. The reader will feel like they were right there in the middle of all that excitement.

Tips for Young Writers 18: Keep a journal of ideas.

Keep a journal of ideas. Ideas are precious, and very slippery – they slip out of your mind if you don’t catch them quickly enough. So make sure you write all your ideas down in your journal. Then, when you’re running out of ideas for your story, read your journal and see if there’s anything in there that can help you. You’ll often surprise yourself with how useful random ideas can be.

Tips for Young Writers 17: Use a fast pen or pencil.

This one's probably for very young writers ...

Use a fast pen or pencil. If your pen is scratchy or uncomfortable or your pencil breaks all the time, get a different one. Don’t worry about having the coolest pen or pencil or one with lots of great things hanging off it – they’re okay for some writing, but not so good when you’re enjoying writing a story and want to get it down fast. The wrong pen or pencil can slow you down.

Tips for Young Writers 16: Read a lot.

I know this one's pretty obvious, but I reckon it's still worth saying ...

Read a lot. Reading a lot makes words flow straight out of your imagination and onto the page. It teaches you how to put words together without really having to think about it.

Two essential books for young writers

From all my reading of books about the craft of writing, I reckon there are two that are essential for young writers to read. So if you can scrape together the cash and you're serious about writing stories, get your hands on these two books. You won't regret it.

Story by Robert McKee
This is the encyclopaedic guide to the craft of story writing. McKee's focus is on film, but this book suits all forms of storytelling, because story is always about character, structure, meaning, subtext, plotting, etc. Anyone who says you can't teach writing obviously hasn't read this book - or hasn't taken it in properly. It is a wise, breathtaking work of sheer genius that should outlive us all.

How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman
This is all about novel writing in particular. It's a revelatory and hilarious list of 200 mistakes novelists and short story writers commonly make, along with advice on how to avoid them. Even with 40 books under my belt, I've cringed several times at how close I've come to making some of these mistake. If you're anything like me, you're writing will improve after reading this book, and you'll approach your craft with a whole new confidence.

There are a couple of other books I recommend, but I don't think they're as important as these two.

Tips for Young Writers 15: Don’t let your characters say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ too often.

Don’t let your characters say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ too often. If you listen closely to the way people talk (and that’s a great thing to do if you want to be a writer) you’ll discover that people rarely respond to a direct question with a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’. Instead, they’ll more often answer with an explanation. For example, ‘Weren’t you meant to be here ten minutes ago?’ asked Mrs Brown. ‘My bus was late,’ replied Alex. Notice that Alex didn’t respond with ‘Yes’, she just launched into an explanation. That’s how most people speak, so have your characters speak the same way. It’ll make them seem much more real.

Tips for Young Writers 14: To add humour, try exaggerating.

To add humour, try exaggerating. Rather than saying, ‘My brother is a bit messy sometimes’, try saying, ‘My brother is the grottiest little piglet in town! In fact, he’s totally disgusting!’ Exaggerating makes things funnier and more vivid. And humour can add a lot of enjoyment to your story (both for you and the reader).

Tips for Young Writers 13: Remember to add sense impressions.

Remember to add sense impressions. Think about what can been seen, smelled, tasted, felt and heard in your story. Little bits of these, dotted throughout, will make your story seem more real and more vivid.

Tips for Young Writers 12: Don’t show off your writing skills too much, or try too hard.

Don’t show off your writing skills too much, or try too hard. Simple, clear writing is full of power and movement. Flowery, ‘brilliant’ text can be incredibly boring if the story isn’t kicking along quickly enough. You don’t have to be a genius with words to tell an excellent story, you just have to be clear

Tips for Young Writers 11: Don’t allow miracles (unless it’s done to add humour).

Don’t allow miracles (unless it’s done to add humour). Imagine this, the hero of your story is just about to get eaten by a lion and a gun suddenly falls from a passing plane right into his hands. That could be funny, but if you’re writing an exciting adventure story, you’ve probably just blown it for your readers. That sort of miracle destroys the stories suspense. If that sort of thing can happen, then the hero’s just going to get out of every tough situation through some sort of random miracle, not his or her own courage and ingenuity. Boring! Make everything in the story happen because of something that happened earlier. If a gun suddenly appears, it does so because the hero has stashed it in a bush, or something equally non-miraculous.

Tips for Young Writers 10: Listen to the rhythm of your sentences.

Listen to the rhythm of your sentences. Every sentence has its own rhythm – almost like a musical pattern. Sentences that have a nice rhythm are a pleasure to read, they flow like the lyrics of a song. Sentences that lack rhythm make the reader stop and start – they’re constantly being jolted out of the story. I’m currently writing a story which has a rhythmic title. It’s called ‘All the People Everywhere.’ Here are two less rhythmic ways of saying exactly the same thing – do they make good titles? ‘Every Person in Different Parts of the Whole Planet’ and ‘Every Person in the Whole World no Matter what Part You are Thinking About.’ Not quite as enjoyable to read I don’t think.

Tips for Young Writers 9: The truth is always fresh.

The truth is always fresh. If you stick to the truth as best you can, your story will always seem new and fresh and relevant. So, be yourself, have your say and stick to the facts – even if it hurts sometimes to tell them. Sometimes, being an author requires courage.

Tips for Young Writers 8: Wonder more about what your characters are thinking than what they should say.

Wonder more about what your characters are thinking than what they should say. Try to just forget about what your characters need to say next and simply think about what they’re thinking. When you get your characters’ thoughts really clear in your mind, you’ll find words just tumble out of their mouths and onto the page. You might also find that their dialogue feels surprisingly real.

Tips for Young Writers 7: Love all your characters, even the ones you hate.

Love ALL your characters, even the ones you hate. If you love the bad guys, you’ll make them much more real, and strangely enough, that will make them much more scary. A bad guy who doesn’t seem real, just isn’t going to be all that scary. So, if you create a bad guy, try to see the world through their eyes, try to understand them, and even better, try to like them … even just a little.

Tips for Young Writers 6: Imagine every scene from every character’s point of view.

Imagine every scene from every character’s point of view.
When you’re writing a scene (or a big chunk of your story), try to imagine what all the characters are thinking, not just your hero. This may mean thinking through the same scene a few times, until you’ve thought about every different character in it, but it’ll be well worth it. You’ll end up with an amazingly realistic chunk of story.

Tips for Young Writers 5: Start your story right in the middle of the first piece of action.

Start your story right in the middle of the first piece of action.

Now, by ‘action’ I don’t mean a car chase, a shoot-out, or a fight, I just mean people doing something. That could mean starting with your hero answering a question in class, or going to the shops, or maybe fighting off an attacking troll. Just have them doing something from the very start of your story.

Tips for Young Writers 4: Show, don’t tell your story.

I've finally got some more tips!!

Show, don’t tell your story. Think of your story as a movie that plays in the readers imagination. If you can create clear, vivid pictures in their mind, they will really ‘see’ your story unfolding – that means they will get more involved in it and they’ll remember it better. Pictures stay with us in a way that ideas and feelings don’t. We will probably forget the feeling of a broken leg, long before we forget the sight of it. Show them the broken legs in your story, don't just mention them.

Latest Undys News

Just a quick Undys update. I've written the sixth and final Undys book. It's currently with Penguin, with the editing to start soon. It's going to be called On the Move, because at the start, the boys get a notice saying they have one month to move out of their flat. From that moment, the race is on to find a new home. And it's not as easy as the boys expect it to be!!

I think it's the best book in the series, but I tend to think that after each new book - so maybe it's just as good as the others!! :^)