Is it okay if I blather? Because I'm going to blather.
I much, much prefer past tense. I've written in both present and past, and when I've written in present, there have been specific reasons for it, and certain of those stories (I think in retrospect) used it successfully. But default to read and to write for me is past tense, and so I tend to seek that out.
If a writer is hearing/writing in present tense, then it seems to me they ought to compose that way if it continues productive for them. I've read present-tense fics I've thought really excellent. On the whole, however, I find them prey to, or perhaps just tending to be used in tandem with, certain stylistic and narrative issues that I personally tend not to enjoy.
But hey, this is my personal taste. Those same sets of stylistic and narrative issues I don't generally dig seem really popular with some other readers. And as I've said, I've read present tense I thought very well done. So basically, whatever tense a writer chooses for fic, rock on, because there's an audience for it.
For the last, my favorite pov for fics is third person limited. When someone can switch capably in third-person omniscient, then it can be appealing to read. But a number of people who use that mode seem to make use of it in slightly arbitrary ways, and I find too often the quick or random shift from one character to the next pushes me out of the narrative.
I think most people can do a great job with a kind of contained switching third-person limited, switching by chapter or by scene. I suppose we could look at that as a form of third-person omniscient, but really, I would save that term for narratives that can switch pov at any time, and often for stories that use several points of view (rather than fanfic's standard two -- part one of the pairing, then part two of the pairing).
I've rarely encountered omniscient pov proper in fanfic, aside from a few openings I can think of off the top of my head (and after that the fic goes completely to third-person omniscient or third-person limited). So few fanfic writers work with that epic scope that I would be surprised to encounter it in fic. I suppose I've read it when people write fanfic that's very nearly original fic, but the kind of original fic that's ripped off fantasy authors. When it's omniscient and there's lots of sodden archaic prose with elven magic and orcs and such...uh, yeah. *flees that kind of fic*
But first person -- *closes tab* And second person, urgh. I've read it where it's worked, when the story and action seemed appropriate for it, but more often it reads like a writing exercise and so feels poorly handled. There are so, so many situations it can't capably handle, and I think it rarely can work in anything but a fairly short fic (maybe 2k or 3k at the most before I start getting itchy and start imagining making red notes in the margins).
please blather all you want, I found it quite compelling.
I really can't remember the last time I managed to write something in the past tense. One day I found I'd slipped into present and have never managed to slip out of it. I think I need to do some exercises where I'm deliberately writing in past tense.
I too prefer third person limited, the tighter the POV the happier I am. I get dizzy sometimes when writers skip person to person from paragraph to another, there *needs* to be a chapter break/scene/something or IMO it's just lazy writing.
I have an insane ADORATION of second POV. I can't write it for shit but I love it when it's done well.
I think in certain instances, for example like Veronica Mars when a show has a heavy first person voice over, that first person POV works *really* well. When it's arbitrary like say ... Anita Blake books? It grates on my nerves. Or maybe that's just the crappy writing.
I think in certain instances, for example like Veronica Mars when a show has a heavy first person voice over, that first person POV works *really* well.
That makes so much sense. I've never read in that fandom though I've watched all the eps. I probably would find it odd to read something from Veronica's pov and not find first-person.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2010-06-03 08:53 pm (UTC)I much, much prefer past tense. I've written in both present and past, and when I've written in present, there have been specific reasons for it, and certain of those stories (I think in retrospect) used it successfully. But default to read and to write for me is past tense, and so I tend to seek that out.
If a writer is hearing/writing in present tense, then it seems to me they ought to compose that way if it continues productive for them. I've read present-tense fics I've thought really excellent. On the whole, however, I find them prey to, or perhaps just tending to be used in tandem with, certain stylistic and narrative issues that I personally tend not to enjoy.
But hey, this is my personal taste. Those same sets of stylistic and narrative issues I don't generally dig seem really popular with some other readers. And as I've said, I've read present tense I thought very well done. So basically, whatever tense a writer chooses for fic, rock on, because there's an audience for it.
For the last, my favorite pov for fics is third person limited. When someone can switch capably in third-person omniscient, then it can be appealing to read. But a number of people who use that mode seem to make use of it in slightly arbitrary ways, and I find too often the quick or random shift from one character to the next pushes me out of the narrative.
I think most people can do a great job with a kind of contained switching third-person limited, switching by chapter or by scene. I suppose we could look at that as a form of third-person omniscient, but really, I would save that term for narratives that can switch pov at any time, and often for stories that use several points of view (rather than fanfic's standard two -- part one of the pairing, then part two of the pairing).
I've rarely encountered omniscient pov proper in fanfic, aside from a few openings I can think of off the top of my head (and after that the fic goes completely to third-person omniscient or third-person limited). So few fanfic writers work with that epic scope that I would be surprised to encounter it in fic. I suppose I've read it when people write fanfic that's very nearly original fic, but the kind of original fic that's ripped off fantasy authors. When it's omniscient and there's lots of sodden archaic prose with elven magic and orcs and such...uh, yeah. *flees that kind of fic*
But first person -- *closes tab* And second person, urgh. I've read it where it's worked, when the story and action seemed appropriate for it, but more often it reads like a writing exercise and so feels poorly handled. There are so, so many situations it can't capably handle, and I think it rarely can work in anything but a fairly short fic (maybe 2k or 3k at the most before I start getting itchy and start imagining making red notes in the margins).
/blather
no subject
Date: 2010-06-04 12:21 am (UTC)I really can't remember the last time I managed to write something in the past tense. One day I found I'd slipped into present and have never managed to slip out of it. I think I need to do some exercises where I'm deliberately writing in past tense.
I too prefer third person limited, the tighter the POV the happier I am. I get dizzy sometimes when writers skip person to person from paragraph to another, there *needs* to be a chapter break/scene/something or IMO it's just lazy writing.
I have an insane ADORATION of second POV. I can't write it for shit but I love it when it's done well.
I think in certain instances, for example like Veronica Mars when a show has a heavy first person voice over, that first person POV works *really* well. When it's arbitrary like say ... Anita Blake books? It grates on my nerves. Or maybe that's just the crappy writing.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-04 12:38 am (UTC)That makes so much sense. I've never read in that fandom though I've watched all the eps. I probably would find it odd to read something from Veronica's pov and not find first-person.