tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470708183254646866.post5632287349052970093..comments2023-03-25T07:04:14.167-06:00Comments on Abby Annis: This is a Thinking PostAbby Annishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05543937393055900844noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470708183254646866.post-18630960703406992682009-08-15T22:38:48.290-06:002009-08-15T22:38:48.290-06:00So I've been rethinking the whole present tens...So I've been rethinking the whole present tense, past tense, italics dilemma, and this is my second input (take it as you will, of course): <br /><br />I went back over a first person past tense that I started working on but never finished because I got too darn confused by it, and I used past tense with character thoughts. Some are in italics and some aren't, but I think that so long as they're in the same tense, italics aren't necessary. What gets confusing is when there's a tense change and no italics. But maybe the confusion could be remedied by separating the thought into its own paragraph?<br /><br />Then again, I just read the sample of Bridget Jones on Amazon, and she seems to do first person present thoughts in past tense writing without separting the two, so ... maybe you're good! :)<br /><br />Moral of this story = I don't do well with thinking posts.JESSJORDANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08915521022827231804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470708183254646866.post-21614733422204056222009-08-15T13:13:58.128-06:002009-08-15T13:13:58.128-06:00Look for similar published books and see how those...Look for similar published books and see how those authors handle it.<br /><br />Bridget Jones's Diary comes to mind...you can preview first chpt on Amazon.<br /><br />Good luck!Anitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06333494452915600562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470708183254646866.post-59377222644459342542009-08-14T22:24:01.972-06:002009-08-14T22:24:01.972-06:00Thanks, all, for your thoughts on this. Despite mo...Thanks, all, for your thoughts on this. Despite most of you saying it's necessary, I'm still resisting the italics. It takes me a while to admit when I'm wrong. I'll let it fester for a bit and we'll see. Maybe I'll even do something crazy, like an overall tense change. Ack! :D You guys are the best! Thanks for reading!<br /><br />Lady Glamis: Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.Abby Annishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05543937393055900844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470708183254646866.post-55278283562397588322009-08-14T17:12:26.595-06:002009-08-14T17:12:26.595-06:00Okay Abby, I LOVE YOUR BOOK. I say it EVERY SINGLE...Okay Abby, I LOVE YOUR BOOK. I say it EVERY SINGLE TIME.<br />Because I'm not a writer, and because of my illness from long ago. It's hard for me to remember. SO bare with me, I don't know if I can give any advice on this subject.<br />I TRULY value your writings, I value YOU as the writer. I believe you have a HIT on your hands!<br /><br />Forgive my "dingy-ness today) it's all part of it. LOL. really. <br />It's been a bad day.. sorry I couldn't be of more help.<br /><br />HuGZ<br />The dingy one. heh hehCinder Rail'leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03422971305954362140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470708183254646866.post-7329223774047684102009-08-14T15:38:42.254-06:002009-08-14T15:38:42.254-06:00Very interesting snippet!
I definitely think you ...Very interesting snippet!<br /><br />I definitely think you should set them apart somehow--preferably in italics, and, at the very least, give them their own paragraph.<br /><br />It's confusing to me as I'm reading it, because it makes me think you've slipped out of past tense accidentally (i.e., editing error).<br /><br />"There are certain scenes I think the reader needs to experience with the main character to really get the full effect." ---> Which is exactly why I'm writing first person present tense right now. :)JESSJORDANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08915521022827231804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470708183254646866.post-18029883709274468162009-08-14T14:21:03.934-06:002009-08-14T14:21:03.934-06:00Interesting post and snippet! It's got my atte...Interesting post and snippet! It's got my attention. I like the way you did the thoughts. I think they work for they style you have.<br /><br />I've had issues with this very thing, but not first person, so I don't know how much I can help you there. Here's a link to a post I did awhile ago. It might or might not help.<br /><br /><a href="http://theinnocentflower.blogspot.com/2009/01/internal-dialgue.html" rel="nofollow">Internal Dialogue</a>Michelle D. Argylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09696465137285587646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470708183254646866.post-76439050167998404212009-08-14T13:57:13.742-06:002009-08-14T13:57:13.742-06:00I agree w/ Tere since your character's present...I agree w/ Tere since your character's present tense thoughts are tastefully sprinkled, and not in huge, whopping chunks :).<br /><br />Love that passage!Rebecca Knighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15214077952378770753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470708183254646866.post-29402728029410689682009-08-14T12:47:18.358-06:002009-08-14T12:47:18.358-06:00Haha! Excellent snippet!
I also write in first pe...Haha! Excellent snippet!<br /><br />I also write in first person, past tense, but I DO italicize internal thoughts. And I make them present tense, also. For me it's not a problem as there aren't that many internal thoughts to make the page look messy (because so much is in italics.)<br /><br />I thought what you had flowed and was very powerful, even though you didn't have the thoughts italicized. Still. I think if you had many internal thoughts it COULD confuse your reader, so I'd probably italicize them.<br /><br />It'll be interesting what others have to say though ...ali crosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13023009704454279645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470708183254646866.post-54306011922537480512009-08-14T12:39:16.530-06:002009-08-14T12:39:16.530-06:00This is something I've put a lot of thought in...This is something I've put a lot of thought into, especially since I hate reading long passages of italics.<br /><br />Having written a novel in first person past, I only used italics where the main character's thoughts are in present tense. I use this sparingly, since I like the narrative to have voice, too. But sometimes you just need that immediacy of the mc's thoughts at that moment, which calls for present tense.<br /><br />I'm noticing an immense difference while writing first person present, in that everything the mc thinks is perceived as being in the moment. Thoughts are almost indistinguishable from the narrative. If the mc decides to relate a flasback in past tense, that is the only time I have to worry about my mc's thoughts and the tense of the passage making sense together. I'm trying to avoid thoughts in italics if at all possible for this one. <br /><br />Italics for long passages, dreams, etc., really bother me, since I hate reading italics for an extended period. Thoughts are fine since they are never very long, and the font change serves more as an internal trigger (oh, look, this is what the mc is thinking at this exact moment) than an annoyance. Obviously, I have no problem with italicizing single words for emphasis.Tere Kirklandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13562750950130316280noreply@blogger.com