Both tenses work for a novel. The past tense is what most readers expect and gives you the most freedom to move through time; the present tense makes a fast-paced story feel immediate. What matters most is that you pick one and stay consistent.
Authors have long debated whether to write novels in the present tense or the past tense. Is it silly nitpicking among writers, or is there a logic behind it?
Why go with the past tense?
Most novels, and most of the stories people tell, are written in the past tense. It feels natural to use the past tense to tell a story about events that have already happened.
Think about it for a minute: how often do you use the present tense when you tell a story?
Since people expect the past tense when they hear or read a story, why not give it to them? Some readers even dislike stories written in the present tense. If you ask them why, their answers may not sound logical. It simply sounds off to them.
Stick with the past tense if your story often moves back and forth between earlier and later events. The past tense also lets you handle the narrative in a more flexible way.
Why go with the present tense?
For a fast-paced novel, the present tense is an excellent choice. Done well, a novel in the present tense can be very immersive.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a well-known example of a novel written in the present tense. The present tense lets readers live in the same moment as the characters and step into their shoes as events unfold. You are always on your toes, not knowing where the events will lead.
Keep in mind that writing in the present tense does not mean you cannot use the past tense at all. In The Hunger Games, Katniss uses the past tense to tell earlier events, such as how her sister got her cat, why Gale calls her Catnip, and how her father met her mother. It would be absurd to tell such things in the present tense.
What you should avoid is switching back and forth between past and present while you describe the characters' actions in the same scene. Compare:
- Wrong: She opened the door and sees a stranger on the steps.
- Right: She opened the door and saw a stranger on the steps.
- Right: She opens the door and sees a stranger on the steps.
Mixing tenses like this is a common pitfall for new writers, so do your best to avoid it.
Which one is better?
In the end, it depends on the writer's skill in making either tense work. If you have a novel in progress, stick with the tense you are already using. There is no point in revising it all, since both tenses can create immersion when they are handled well.
Spend your time on the plot, the twists, and the development of your characters instead. After all, those are the ingredients that make a story gripping or bland. Your choice of point of view shapes the reader's experience at least as much as your choice of tense.
All that said, if you always write in the present tense and want to try the past tense, or the other way around, go ahead. Writers learn a lot when they leave their comfort zone and play with different styles.
Whichever tense you use, check your manuscript thoroughly for spelling and grammar mistakes, for example with the Spell Checker, before you send it to a publisher. You do not want typos littering your prized work: they can be embarrassing and a real turn-off for publishers.