The narrative tense or narrative time determines the grammatical tense of the story; whether in the past, present, or future.
Related Articles: Point of View, Voice
Which tense to choose?[]
Compared to novels, it's more common for short stories to be written in present tense.
Future tense should rarely be used, maybe being saved for just a few paragraphs here or there.
Conclusion[]
Ultimately, you should choose whatever comes naturally to you, and try to be consistent. Experiment, combining different tenses with different points of view and voices.
Examples[]
Past tense[]
The most common in literature and story-telling; the events of the plot occurred sometime before the current moment or the time at which the narrative was constructed or expressed to an audience.
Examples[]
- John sat at the table.
- I wondered where Catherine was.
- They were going home.
- They had found their way and were ready to celebrate.
Present tense[]
The events of the plot occur or are occurring now—at the current moment—in real-time.
Examples[]
- teachers teach good values
- I am gonna go home
- I wonder where Catherine is.
- They go home.
- They find their way and are ready to celebrate.
Future tense[]
Extremely rare in literature; the events of the plot will occur soon or eventually; often, these upcoming events are described in a way that makes it seem like the narrators uncannily know (or believe they know) the future. Some future-tense stories have a prophetic feel. wring service
Examples[]
- John will sit at the table.
- I will wonder where Catherine is (will go?).
- They will be going home.
- They will find their way and will be ready to celebrate.