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Q&A 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. ...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Pasqueflower‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question style tenses
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T09:41:27Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/38508
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar Pasqueflower‭ · 2019-12-08T09:41:27Z (almost 5 years ago)
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?

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2018-08-25T20:01:58Z (about 6 years ago)
Original score: 3