Writing Tips and Reviews

Change Tense and POV

Tense:

So, a while back I was told that I couldn't change the tense of a story. Grant it this person is a mass hypocrite so make what you want. I say, I don't care. I'm not going to have a fit if a story goes from one tense to the next, if it makes sense. A diary, a thought process, dialogue. All make sense, characters shouldn't be planning and instead of using future tense, use past tense.

Here's where you shouldn't do it, straight in the middle of a paragraph with none of the exceptions. "I was looking through the cabin then found a box of cereal, I put the cereal in a bowl and started eating it" that makes sense "started to eat it" works as well. "I was at the supermarket, I am heading down the aisle and am going to the next one" not even close. The word "am" is present tense, while "looking" seems to be present tense, it is past tense when paired with "was". "Was looking" and "looked" are the same in this regard. Even I know this, a woman whose second language is English and took spelling and grammar classes in English. I think I know my shit.

"I was at the supermarket and called my friend.
'I am at aisle one, what do you need?' I asked."

This is okay, dialogue can be in whatever tense is needed for the situation. You wouldn't call your friend and in the past tense, ask what they wanted. "You wanted this right?" Not an argument, shut up.

"I was at aisle one, what did you need?"
"You were at aisle one? Where are you now?"

Read along and see what makes sense, just because the word has "-ing" at the end doesn't automatically make it present tense. Look what's behind and after it. "He knew what was coming and waited" or "he knew what was coming and was waiting", same thing. The "was" changes the tense to past tense.

For you who want to know the easy ways to change tenses by still make sense, like I said, diaries, dialogue, and thoughts processes are a few examples. Characters don't usually think in the past tense unless they're thinking of the past. "I should have" and "I can" relate to two different times and events.

Point of View:

This can be said the same for person changes. First, second or third, first and third being more common. Tales of Link, a game that changes POV between the third person of Allen and Sara, to the first person of Zephyr. You can mimic this in writing with chapters and parts acting as the change. I've never done it before and due to a certain incident, don't ever feel like trying again. Like how making an underwater or school theme story has been destroyed for me.

Character arcs change, the story changes, as long as it's all consistent it really shouldn't matter. If you change POV once, then that's your decision. If you never do it, fine. I like third person best since I can focus on all the characters even when they're separated, keeps the development happening even when the main character isn't there.

You can change who the perspective is by. Tv shows do it all the time. The perspective going from the main character to another. Point of view changes can happen here, again, Tales of Link did it.

But like tense changes, the point of view cannot change abruptly. Things like "they were going to the market, we walked in". Excuse me what just happened? Pick one or the other. It's unusual for the tense or the point of view to be changed without warning. This is why using parts or new chapters are a good Segway. They can be used to change the tense or point of view without having it been abrupt.

This is what Tales of Link did, they used the change of chapters and arcs to naturally transition the story to a different story telling format. It's what I do. I use chapters and parts to change who the story is currently following. While I don't use point of view or tense changes, I could easily do it using this technique.

It's not wrong to use the same formatting as a game, plenty of people do it, you just need to change a few things so that it fits written words. Like explaining the worlds around the characters and maybe internal thoughts. Small changes. Things like scenes don't have to be changed and the format, like that of Link, can be replicated with new chapters and parts. Maybe name the chapter something different, like having two arcs. Example, the chapter being called "Zephyr" to show change in perspective. Or be consistent with the names, like one name for one arc and another name for the next.

Conclusion:

You can do whatever you want with your story, it's your story. You want to change perspective? Go for it, I don't care. Tales of Link did it, why can't you? Just make a side note that you do that or make it run for a few chapters so it's not so intense with the changing. Sometimes characters need to think for long periods of time, use that to change things around. Or just have an entire chapter with one word pasted on it like Overlord did. Do what you want, but try to make it make sense.

Tales of Link switched between a third person past tense to a first person present tense and no one cared. Don't give me "it's a game, that's different" only in execution. Story telling wise it's the same.