• Has My Story Happened, or Is it Happening Now? When to Write in the Past or Present Tense

    Among the plethora of elements a writer has to consider when writing a manuscript is what tense they wish to write their stories in. The tense of a story is separate from the point of view it is told, but thankfully, there are only two tenses to choose between: past and present. In brief and relatively self-explanatory, past tense is used when telling a story that contains events that have already happened (whether in the distant past or recent past). Present tense, on the other hand, is used when telling a story of events that are currently happening or happening…