Comments on: Looking Backward II, or Some Tenses and How to Use Them http://pcwrede.com/blog/looking-backward-ii-or-some-tenses-and-how-to-use-them/ Thu, 9 Sep 2010 05:23:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: pcwrede http://pcwrede.com/blog/looking-backward-ii-or-some-tenses-and-how-to-use-them/comment-page-1/#comment-1555 pcwrede Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:01:53 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=304#comment-1555 Alex - The balance is especially tricky when one's personal taste - say, for something like exposition - differs from what the current popular taste is, or even just from current wisdom about exposition. This still doesn't mean one cannot put in exposition; it merely means that there is less room for error in doing so. Alex - The balance is especially tricky when one’s personal taste - say, for something like exposition - differs from what the current popular taste is, or even just from current wisdom about exposition. This still doesn’t mean one cannot put in exposition; it merely means that there is less room for error in doing so.

]]> By: Alex Fayle http://pcwrede.com/blog/looking-backward-ii-or-some-tenses-and-how-to-use-them/comment-page-1/#comment-1554 Alex Fayle Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:12:35 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=304#comment-1554 I know that I tend to gloss over action for summary in my first drafts but it's good to know that switching back to story-present even within a paragraph works. I'm all for telling when I want to gloss over something - I hate overly detailed books - but finding that balance is tricky. I know that I tend to gloss over action for summary in my first drafts but it’s good to know that switching back to story-present even within a paragraph works.

I’m all for telling when I want to gloss over something - I hate overly detailed books - but finding that balance is tricky.

]]> By: pcwrede http://pcwrede.com/blog/looking-backward-ii-or-some-tenses-and-how-to-use-them/comment-page-1/#comment-1553 pcwrede Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:12:34 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=304#comment-1553 Alex - What viewpoint are you using? If it's one of the more subjective ones, then it helps loads to pay extra attention to keeping the mini-flashback "in voice" even more than the rest of the narrative, if possible. If you're using one of the more objective viewpoints...well, part of the point of an objective viewpoint is that the narrative portions are more like "telling"; it just shows a bit more in a mini-flashback. Basically, the more a mini-flashback sounds as if it is a character remembering, the more it sounds like dialog rather than narrative exposition. You might also be staying in past-perfect for too long. The transition trick - using past-perfect to move into the "past," which is then told in simple past tense until you're ready to move back to the "present" - can work even for very short mini-flashbacks of a paragraph, and gets downright necessary if you're doing a flashback of more than two paragraphs. I'll have to see if I can dig up some examples. Oh...and the other thing is, there actually isn't anything wrong with "telling" per se, unless it <em>doesn't work</em> or gets overused. Some writers have been over-sensitized to the whole "show, don't tell" thing, and spend more time than is good for their stories trying to eliminate every vestige of "telling." This is, in my opinion, not only unnecessary but also unwise, so I thought I ought to mention it. Alex - What viewpoint are you using? If it’s one of the more subjective ones, then it helps loads to pay extra attention to keeping the mini-flashback “in voice” even more than the rest of the narrative, if possible. If you’re using one of the more objective viewpoints…well, part of the point of an objective viewpoint is that the narrative portions are more like “telling”; it just shows a bit more in a mini-flashback. Basically, the more a mini-flashback sounds as if it is a character remembering, the more it sounds like dialog rather than narrative exposition.

You might also be staying in past-perfect for too long. The transition trick - using past-perfect to move into the “past,” which is then told in simple past tense until you’re ready to move back to the “present” - can work even for very short mini-flashbacks of a paragraph, and gets downright necessary if you’re doing a flashback of more than two paragraphs. I’ll have to see if I can dig up some examples.

Oh…and the other thing is, there actually isn’t anything wrong with “telling” per se, unless it doesn’t work or gets overused. Some writers have been over-sensitized to the whole “show, don’t tell” thing, and spend more time than is good for their stories trying to eliminate every vestige of “telling.” This is, in my opinion, not only unnecessary but also unwise, so I thought I ought to mention it.

]]> By: Alex Fayle http://pcwrede.com/blog/looking-backward-ii-or-some-tenses-and-how-to-use-them/comment-page-1/#comment-1552 Alex Fayle Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:21:46 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=304#comment-1552 Thanks! In the comments to the last post you asked if I had any specific questions - this was one of them. The other challenge I have is making the short flashbacks not sound like telling. I don't want to go back and do a whole scene but bits and pieces are important. Too often however, the mini past-perfect flashback sounds like telling instead of showing. Thanks! In the comments to the last post you asked if I had any specific questions - this was one of them.

The other challenge I have is making the short flashbacks not sound like telling. I don’t want to go back and do a whole scene but bits and pieces are important. Too often however, the mini past-perfect flashback sounds like telling instead of showing.

]]> By: Mary http://pcwrede.com/blog/looking-backward-ii-or-some-tenses-and-how-to-use-them/comment-page-1/#comment-1549 Mary Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:01:13 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=304#comment-1549 Thanks...that was really helpful. It makes me want to start a story to try out those techniques. Maybe I will... :) Thanks…that was really helpful. It makes me want to start a story to try out those techniques. Maybe I will… :)

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