Are characters' internal thoughts written in past or present tense?
Is there a general rule for past vs. present tense for a character's internal thoughts? Direct thoughts in present, while indirect thoughts in past?
I'm thinking specifically of 1st person here.
I heard a loud screech from beyond the gates, then silence. What was going on?
vs.
I heard a loud screech from beyond the gates, then silence. What is going on?
Does this change in 3rd person? Does one tense imply they're the narrator's thoughts more than the character's, for example? Or is that distinction solely made by context and tone?
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2 answers
I would like to say that the thoughts take place in the present, given that they are narrating what is happening around them.
This post was sourced from https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/38545. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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Either can be used, as @DPT says.
I heard a loud screech from beyond the gates, then silence. 'What is going on?' I thought.
Here, effectively, you are presenting the thought as internal monologue. The character is effectively talking to himself. You therefore treat it as if you were writing dialogue - present tense. It doesn't really matter that the character is talking to himself rather than to someone else, nor that the words are thought rather than said out loud.
I heard a loud screech from beyond the gates, then silence. What was going on?
In this case, as @DPT states, the thought is kept closer to the narration. The character isn't necessarily verbalising the thought, it can be more of a feeling. Consider: when you are startled, you don't necessarily verbalise in your mind 'what's going on' - by the time it would have taken you to verbalise, you're already responding in one way or another.
Either way is valid, but they create different effects.
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