Deciding on the Right Tense for Your Memoir

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler

Author’s Note: For the month of October I will be re-blogging previous posts as I take a break from blogging.  This post was originally posted on June 20, 2016.  I’ll check in from time to time in case you wish to leave any comments. 

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Deciding on the Right Tense for Your Memoir

“It ain’t whatcha write, it’s the way atcha write it.” ~ Jack Kerouac, WD

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, you need to find an effective way to engage your readers. Tense is one method among many to develop your narrative.

Have you wondered what tense would work best with your story?

I did. In writing my memoir, I struggled with whether to use past or present tense. Past tense can seem more distant while present tense has a more immediate feel to it…but it’s tricky.

Most memoirs are in the past tense since memoir is about past life events. But memoir is more than a litany of life events. The element of reflection about those life events adds depth to their meaning.

There are two points-of view as described by memoirist Sue William Silverman in her writing resource book, Fearless Confessions. The “Voice of Innocence”  relates the facts of the story and reveals “the raw emotions describing the person you were” and the “Voice of Experience ” which “explains and deepens the Voice of Innocence through reflection.”(p.52). The narrator serves two roles, a now and a then in a first-person point-of-view.

In order to bring your reader deep into your experience in as authentic a way as possible the memoirist needs to place herself back in time and recapture the sights, sounds, smells and feelings of a past scene. This requires more than a flight back into memory which, at best, is flawed and diminished over time. Research, therefore, becomes an essential part of the process of memory recall.

But, in order to find depth and meaning in these life events, the narrator needs to explore insights about them. In doing so, the writer makes sense of the event and helps the reader connect to their own life story.

Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons

But why is it so hard to figure out what tense to use?

Reflection and introspection are what make memoir unique. Not only do we recall the memory, we find meaning in it. A good memoir offers a universal truth through a personal story; a takeaway for the reader.

My takeaway was: You need to claim your strength in order to have a life you want and deserve. I had to show through scenes how I didn’t claim my inner strength (the then narrator or Voice of Innocence). Then I had to show how I learned to claim my inner strength (the now narrator). The now narrator  or Voice of Experience reflected on the past event. Sometimes, a combination of present and past tenses were used.

Excerpts from my memoir, Ever Faithful to His Lead: My Journey Away From  Emotional Abuse, Chapter 25: New Year’s Resolution, 1976:

Voice of Innocence: (past tense):

Other than the fact that I was six inches taller it was fun to get dressed up and act like an adult. I pulled up the stockings and attached them to the metal clasps from the garter belt, pulled my lime-green, knee-length dress with a rhinestone design on the bodice over my gentle curves, and slipped on my black patent-leather flats, then brushed my hair back into a pony tail. It was my first real formal preparation in social etiquette; a practice run for how to act in formal social situations.

When Michael’s turn came, I knew he was going to ask me to the cotillion and I knew I was going to feel disappointed when I had to turn him down. And I was. But I couldn’t hurt Ron’s feelings.

Voice of Experience: (past and present tense):

I realized years later that this pattern of failing to put my needs first was my undoing. Until a woman learns to love herself above all others, she ends up serving those she loves poorly because her happiness is compromised.

I had to experiment:

At one point, I changed the entire manuscript to present tense. But it didn’t feel right so I compromised:

I changed back to past tense.

I wrote a scene and what I was thinking at the time (reflection) in the past tense as the experience was in the past. However, I changed to present tense for introspection, i.e “ Sometimes, I wonder if..” (now narrator).

There’s no one right way to decide. Either tense can be used. Many memoirists have written their memoirs in present tense and been successful.

Here are a few of many examples of successful memoirs written in the present tense or a combination of present and past tenses:

Jesusland by Julia Scheeres. Julia wrote her story in the present tense but added her Voice of Experience reflections in italics at the end of each chapter.

Runway: Confessions of a Not-So-Super-Model by Meghan Ward. Meghan chose to write her story from the 18-year old-narrator in the present tense and not add a reflection from the Voice of Experience. She felt that she showed the events and let the reader form their own opinions.

This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff. Wolff combines tenses by presenting the story in the past tense then adding present tense reflections and dialogue to the passage.

Swimming with Maya: A Mother’s Story by Eleanor Vincent. Vincent writes the majority of her story in the present tense, but changes to the past tense for flashback scenes.

Some closing thoughts:

Whatever tense you choose, be consistent so as not to confuse the reader and to keep them in the story with you.

While past tense is the most common tense used in memoir, you can experiment with using the present tense and see if it resonates with your story. 

Switching tenses can be tricky and while it can be done, it is probably better reserved for the more experienced writer. Beginning writers would best advised to avoid until they are clear on what they are doing.

I say write in the tense that feels right to you and resonates with your story. If it resonates with you , it likely will resonate with your reader.

Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons

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Here are some links to excellent resources if you need more help trying to decide what tense to use when you write:

“A Few Memoir Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them” by Debra G. Wartney

“Memoir Lessons: Writing Memoir in the Present Tense” by Marion Roach

“What Tense and Point of View Should I Use in My Memoir? by Alison Taylor

“Top 10 Things All Memoir Writers Need to Pay Attention To” by Linda Joy Myers

“Memoir Monday- Talking About Tense” by Meghan Ward

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How about you? When you read, do you prefer past or present tense? When you write, which tense do you tend to use? Do you feel it makes a big difference in the reading/writing experience? Do you have any tips to add about tense?

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Next Week:

Monday, 10/22/18:

“Who is the Target Audience for Your Memoir?”

 

ANNOUNCEMENT:

In honor of National Domestic Violence Awareness month, the ebook version of my memoir, Ever Faithful to His Lead: My Journey Away From Emotional Abuse will be on sale for $.99 from 10/22-31 on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble.