Present Tense or Past Tense?

[The Hive Custodian]

Perhaps a bit trivial, but it's a question that's bothered me for a long time. Usually I write in past tense, since most narratives are written that way, but a lot of people write in present tense as well, and sometimes I feel myself involuntarily drifiting that way.

[treehouse]

I write in the past tense, unless I'm in a game where the DM has specifically told me to write in present. I don't particularly care what tense others use, but I don't like writing present if I can avoid it.

[LeadPal]

I use whatever the DM tells me to use. And when I'm DM, that's past tense. It doesn't really matter to me what's used; past tense is just my habit.

[LynMars]

I've gotten in the habit in PbP of using present tense, probably due to my original forum using that all the time, as well as IRC RP. I really don't care so long as there's consistency.

[nightinverse]

I write past tense in most games here and elsewhere. A few games I went over to present tense for cohesion.

[Mercutio]

I write my narratives as DM in past tense. I try to follow the trend of the games I'm in as a player.

Present tense is common in face to face games, so to be honest, that's my first instinct when writing in a PBP. I often find I have to go back and rework my posts before posting to change them to past tense.

[AbusePuppy]

I drift back and forth; I generally prefer to write actual stories and such in past tense and use present tense for narrations (and, hence, IC posts to forums, etc). Like others in the thread, I often drift into whatever tense other people are using, though.
__________________
"I'll tell you, a monarch is an absolute ruler, right? The head honcho-"
"Unless it's a woman."
"OK, the head honcho or honchette-"
"No, that'd only apply if she's a young woman. Queens tend to be older. She'd have to be a... honcherina? No, that's for young princesses. Um. A honchesa, I think."

[itches]

Wouldn't this poll do better on the front page instead of tucked away in here?

[The Hive Custodian]

Perhaps. It's just that Portal Polls struck more as more Uncognative-Cackling-like than Cognitive-Yammering-like. What with the pants, aliens, and sharks. Oh, and cake. Can't forget cake.

[BigRedRod]

It's more that stupid polls end up there as nobody can think of anything better. I can move it if you'd like.

Personally, I can't actually remember what tense I type in. I'd guess past, but I'll need to check.

[The Hive Custodian]

Don't worry about it. As a side note, though, you do realize we non-admins are capable of moving our own threads? That's how I moved all those threads here from various games that I'm in without having to get someone to do it for me.

[BigRedRod]

I do, but I know that we have some forums that won't let you for various boring reasons. I just can never remember which permissions are set up where. Plus finding the thread tools tab has been shown to be above what some of the members can manage, so I always offer so I don't end up with an epic off-topic back and forth after an hour of which I give up and just do it myself anyway.

[akiko]

Wow, BRR is a mod who values efficiency. Now to think up things I can do but would rather have him do...

[BigRedRod]

An Admin who values efficiency. More importantly, it would seem that I post in the present tense, who knew?

[akiko]

As do I (I also had to check). Never noticed, never cared. And I thought I was geeky, you guys got me beat!

[Gralhruk]

Sadly, I am not as consistent as I should be. I think most of my posting is in the past tense but I occaisionally slip into the present.

[itches]

I prefer to read past tense and do prefer to write in past tense, but I will more often then I'd like slip into writing present tense. Then again tenses are the least of the problems with my writing. ;)

[zachol]

I prefer the past tense a lot.

However, I tend to write my post in whatever tense the previous post used - I usually try to make my post somewhat similar in style to the past one, and I'm usually thinking in that tense anyway from just reading it.

As a DM, I almost always use the past tense, the only exception being, occasionally, combat threads.

[Chris Chandler]

I actually brought this up in our game, because my character was talking in past tense and everyone else was talking in preset tense. The decision was that everyone should talk the same way, past or preset (present it was). I use present when DMing, pretty much exclusively, unless the situation warrants another tense.

[zachol]

Well, RL games tend to use present (and 'I'), so I can tell where the habit comes from.

[Uranium - 235]

Present-tense is goofy and awkward to read, not to mention write.

[Doomsmile]

I've always written in past tense. It seems less awkward to jam in a ton of adjectives and description in past tense, as I am wont to do.

I do have to say, though, that it almost makes my head hurt to read IC posts that don't pick one tense or the other.

[Wired*Nun]

It seems very natural for me to write PBP posts in present, because inmy own mind things are happening right now, and as Lyn said, FTF games tend to be spoken in present tense ("I go through the door," "OK, there is an orc waiting behind it and he pokes you with his stick.")

However, when reading or writing a story, I detest present tense as seeming pretentious (pre-tense-ious?) in a lowbrow sort of way - breathless and juvenile.

But, that's just my impression.