Why do folks dislike present-tense writing?

[surenlicious]

Hey guys, a question for the novel writers, but comic artists can help me shed a little light here too of course. What's up with the dislike for present-tense writing???

Because I really don't care in what you choose to write; if I like your story you bet your ass I'll be reading that momma all the way. That's how I am. Past, present I don't care- send me all written beauties.

That's why I simply don't understand the dislike for the present-tense, so if you could shed a little light on that topic for me, that'd be great.

EDIT: Thank you all so much for your replies! I think I understand people's viewpoint on this a little better now, though I still cannot bring myself to dislike it. XD If I enjoy your work, I am gonna binge it either way.

[HGohwell]

Given how massively younger amateur circles, particularly fandoms and RPer are shifting towards present tense, I feel a bit like this is a differing attitude. Most people are taught in school 3rd past or 1st present, because that's how it is. And it seems a lot like it's just once of those ingrained things. Because when you ask, as you have, for an actual reason, the most I've seen people manage is essentially "because that's just the way it is" and it always has been and not much more. And I'm very curious if anyone on this thread can come up with an actual reason beyond because it's how things are, which never feels like a good reason to me.

[joannekwan]

I barely notice it if it's written well.
But I think because younger creators like to use present tense, it often comes paired with beginner mistakes and novice story-telling that then drag down people's perception of present tense.

[cherrystark]

For me, I don't necessarily dislike it, but it takes a certain skill to write in the present tense and do it well. I tend to stray away from those stories because the MC seems to know EVERYTHING about their worlds and drop tons of exposition at the drop of a hat. Yes, this information can be useful but characters don't know everything.

The other side of first-person/present tense (especially) that I think takes a lot of skill is a character's internal monologue. Sure, a character can insert their thoughts or opinions in a chapter but most of the time, a character's "personal thought" in the things that I've read is to justify a fashion choice. We don't get to hear the character's strange thoughts or the seemingly random mental tangents as they navigate the story.

The inner monologue is really important when it comes to character development. It's really popular nowadays to switch POVs between several characters. 97.10% of the stuff I've read, the characters' inner voices sound the same.

[surenlicious]

Huh, never knew that. English isn't my first language so I was never bothered reading works in past or present tense. I simply enjoy both.

[surenlicious]

Oh okay. I never even imagined it being to present in a certain age group of writers. According to someone who was pissy at my work being in present tense I was almost experiencing a culture shock like, 'okay so we're allergic to this now?'

[surenlicious]

Ooooh, okay this makes a little more sense to me. With English not being my first language, I never even knew apparently I have written my work in present tense. I wondered for a while what people meant haha. But this actually helps me understand it a little better, and it does sound a little uh...unique shall we say.

[FritzC]

I personally don't like it because it seems more rushed to me, but I'm also more used to older books since I'm a literature bachelor so its just a personal bias i think

[surenlicious]

Oh truly? I must not have read many present tense works to stumble on that conclusion then or maybe I'm very much overlooking it.

[FritzC]

I mean like, not the book itself seems rushed but the plot just seems more urgent to me and stresses me out more easily if its like "he runs to the store to see what happened", whereas "he ran to store to see what had happened" is more distant to me, but yeah I think it's a personal thing tbh

[surenlicious]

Oooooh, okay, yes I think I may understand it a bit better now, thank you.

[FritzC]

Maybe "dislike" was the wrong word also, I've read good books that were in present tense! So I'd say as long as you feel like it fits your story it's all good

[cherrystark]

@surenlicious Glad I could provide a little more clarity. Haha. If I do write in the first person, I like to do past tense, then in my head, I can pretend I'm the main character telling my story. @fChangster does have a point about timing when it comes to the present tense. I've noticed that stuff in the past tense gives the reader more time to experience what's going on. In the present tense, as soon as the moment passed, it's gone and we're moving on. haha

[surenlicious]

Ooooh, I see! Okay, that helps me even more haha. I appreciate the explanation, it gives me a better understanding now

[ninjashira]

I prefer reading past-tense third person or first person, because reading a book written that way feels like someone is telling me a story of something that actually happened.

Personally speaking, when I read something written in present tense, it feels like a story someone is making up on the fly, and just feels less planned and polished.

If a book is really, really good, then it can make up for being written in present tense, but it takes a lot for me to overcome that particular hurdle.

And if someone writes a book in second person, I am putting it down instantly (the only exception being Choose Your Own Adventure books).

[Dane_Sherbet]

Like others have said, it's unusual and rarely good enough to justify that creative decision. And I say that as someone who was writing something in present-tens recently. In my case I was basically DMing for an audience that decided things for the main character, so the second-person present-tense writing seemed appropriate.

[KRWright]

Wait there's a dislike for it? I write first person present and haven't recieved any backlash for it, nor has it affected my numbers? Generally, there are reasons for using it though. In mystery, for example, it really brings out the 'what do we know in the moment' feel. It also allows for immediacy of action as well, something that's super important for serialisation where people are consuming fiction in bitesize chunks and want to keep the pace moving.

I find that there's far more pushback against first/present among those who are used to reading novels in the Adult, Fantasy and Sci-Fi genres, and virtually no pushback for people who write in YA/NA or Romance genres. I've never had anyone lead a comment about using first-present except in a complimentary way when I changed up my style from third/past.

[Zaboem]

Complete opinion here, based on nothing:
Present tense is a stylist choice which suits some works better than others. Scripts (like playscripts) often are written in present 3rd person with stage directions, and no one seems to have a problem with it in that context.

It CAN be problematic if it's stacked on top of other iffy stylistic choices. I'm reading this story this week which is was written in 2nd person present tense. The author has a reason for doing it this way, but it isn't a strong reason. It's not something that I ever get used to. Had it been in 3rd person present or even 2nd person past, it would be have less unsettling.

[LostSpirit]

I don't think my point on the matter is going to differ a lot from what some of the other creators are saying here. I simply grew up reading authors who wrote their works in third person, past tense. I've always felt that first person present broke the dynamism of particular scenes. It's just an opinion, again. I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule. But during combat, for example. You lock onto one person, and it becomes hard to engage with the narrative in first person, even more when it's written with a present tense format. It's very genre-specific, I think. I wouldn't mind reading a mystery in first person. I can feel the immersion there. Maybe with drama as well. Not so much with a fantasy? I avoided reading the Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint for the longest time because it was written in first person, past tense though. This is still better, but I avoided it nonetheless. But I tried it after they launched their series on Webtoon. I can't stop reading it now. Exception to the rule, I guess.

[rajillustration]

It's just a preference. I prefer past tense, and it's a majority of the books I read. I feel like I get to know the author instead of just me chilling in the character's bean (and if it's a character that is really moody, flat, and annoying, there goes the whole book). That doesn't mean I'll turn away from a book in present tense, there's a lot of good works written that way. But...I think it has to be done well in order for it to feel natural and to not feel jarring (sometimes works come off as straight up silly because of the tense. Like this is a huge problem for me when I read romance in present tense, like I have just the hardest time taking it seriously, I am always chuckling when I probably shouldn't be. This is more a "me" problem than anything else. But I am extremely picky about my romances.) I like to have a little mystery in between me and this character I'm reading. I don't actually want to know their every thought.