Post History

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/24678
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

So I've come across this little (but very annoying) problem when writing my first novel in the present tense: I'm second guessing my choice of tenses all the time, very much afraid to end up being inconsistent but there comes a time I feel some actions need to be placed in the past:

See this extract:

> Ken is not in the basement or the attic, or anywhere near the upper floors. The garden? It could be, but it certaintly **didn’t feel** like it. Fiona sits up on the cold floor and checks the watch on her wrist. It **was** nearing midday, it seems, and it suddenly dawns on her that she should be at work already. She wonders about Mark and his roundabouts. It **was** weird for him to just flee a party, alone. They very often took a taxi together then crashed some friend's apartment but she's sure that **wasn't** the case today, her sore back and the vomit by her side are hinting she passed out before getting to her house and nobody helped her.

(Just in case we're talking about a girl with "powers" here hence the 'feel' thing.)

So, you see I'm not very confident about those bits being left in simple past. Should I switch them? Or is it okay to leave it like this? I think the meaning is crystal clear but, nevertheless, I strive to achieve consistent writing so...

Any help/tips would be greatly appreciated!

Original score: 1