Problems Writing in Past Tense

Writing in past tense has been the industry standard for many years. Although there's an upcoming school of thought that present tense is more fresh, you can write a completely immersive, in-the-moment, first-person, intimate piece of genre fiction very well in past tense. Many authors have done so.

But past tense is not without its obstacles. Let's have a look at some of them.

1. In-the-moment writing. It would seem on first blush that past tense and in-the-moment writing are opposite. Isn't writing things as they happen more like present tense? Certainly, you can write it well in present tense, but past tense works just fine, too. Even though past tense is, by definition, looking back, the trick is simply to tell the story as it happens. You write it in past tense, but the reader barely notices. And a lot of older readers would actually notice present tense more than past tense, since they're so used to that style.
2. Permanent truths. Past tense can become awkward if you are writing a statement that is always true. Consider some examples:
   • Doctors are usually nice people.
   • Diabetes is not a cause of cancer.

   Those were in present tense, but the past-tense versions of some can sound a little odd.

   • Doctors were usually nice people.
   • Diabetes was not a cause of cancer.

   The best advice depends on the context. Sometimes, it's fine to change such statements to past tense. Or you can rephrase to a different sentence structure to avoid the issue. Or sometimes, you can simply leave them a sentence or two in present tense because it sounds correct to the ear, and readers won't complain.

3. Guess and suppose. There are a few oddities with at least two past-tense verbs. Consider this phrasing:
   • He was right, I suppose.
   • I guess it was time to move in.

   They sound reasonably correct, but are (mostly) in present tense. The correct way to write them in past tense is:

   • He was right, I supposed.
   • I guessed it was time to move in.

   So the correct way in past tense is "guessed" and "supposed." Personally, I don't like it much, and I recommend simply changing to different verbs that sound less awkward (e.g. "thought" or "realized") or rephrasing the sentence entirely.

Overall, past tense only has a few minor problems, none of which are insurmountable. Your editor can certainly help you find solutions.