Teepee or Wigwam: Two Tense

Posted on by Anonymole

If you would, kindly continue to allow my indulgence and fascination with AI / ChatGPT.

Me:

Is there a preference in the the writing world with regards to using present versus past tense when composing novel length narratives? Can you explain the benefits and drawbacks of using either?

ChatGPT:

There is no hard and fast rule about whether to use present or past tense when writing a novel. Both present and past tense can be effective in telling a story, and the choice of which to use will depend on the specific needs and goals of your narrative. Here are some things to consider when deciding between present and past tense:

Present tense:

  • Can create a sense of immediacy and make the story feel more “alive” and happening in the present moment
  • Can be effective for creating suspense, as it can make the reader feel like they are experiencing the events of the story as they unfold

Drawbacks:

  • Can be difficult to sustain over a long work, as it requires the writer to constantly maintain the present tense throughout the entire narrative
  • Can be jarring for readers if not done well, as it can break the illusion of the story and make it feel like a retelling rather than a true depiction of events as they happen

Past tense:

  • Is more traditional and familiar to readers, which can make the story feel more grounded and believable
  • Allows for more flexibility in terms of verb tense, as you can use the past perfect tense to describe events that happened before the main narrative

Drawbacks:

  • Can feel distant and less immediate, as it is describing events that have already happened

Ultimately, the choice of whether to use present or past tense will depend on the specific needs of your story and what you want to achieve with your writing. Both can be effective in the right context, so the key is to choose the tense that best serves your narrative and use it consistently throughout your story.

Why the question?

Over the last few months, I’ve been getting used to composing in the present tense. The challenge to retain that sense of “now” proved difficult. Eventually, I did overcome my predilections to slip into “frowned, grimaced, laughed, stabbed, ran and fell” type actions. Writing in the immediate time frame became more natural than penning words about what had already happened.

And now I find myself in the opposite position.

I want to write my next piece in past tense. Yet, as I throw words to paper, they all come happening in-the-moment. Great. This flip flop of ‘when’, I’d thought, should be easy by now. I know the proper tense to use having started in one or the other. Unfortunately, I find myself using the wrong one as soon as I get into the groove, however shallow.

So, let’s ask the Oracle, I thought.

ChatGPT’s reply should help, I suppose. Its lack of obvious bias continues to vex me yet, it’s obvious that offering a balanced answer probably serves me better, forcing the choice onto my own shoulders. Where, I’m sure you’ll all expect it to have resided in the first place.

Writing is hard. Writing well is near impossible.

Hetty pointed out the junior high level answer and I wondered if ChatGPT could give me better evidence.

Me:

Can you give me a writing example of a dire situation involving a boy, a dog and a fire written in both present tense and past tense?

ChatGPT:

Sure! Here’s an example of a dire situation involving a boy, a dog, and a fire written in both present and past tense:

Present tense:

The fire is raging out of control and the boy can feel the heat on his skin. He looks around frantically, trying to find a way out. Suddenly, he sees his dog cowering in the corner. The boy knows he has to save his beloved pet. He runs over and grabs the dog, lifting it into his arms. The dog yelps in fear as the boy makes a mad dash for the door. He can hear the flames crackling behind him and the smoke is starting to fill his lungs. But he doesn’t stop, he can’t stop. He has to get himself and the dog to safety.

Past tense:

The fire raged out of control and the boy felt the heat on his skin. He looked around frantically, trying to find a way out. Suddenly, he saw his dog cowering in the corner. The boy knew he had to save his beloved pet. He ran over and grabbed the dog, lifting it into his arms. The dog yelped in fear as the boy made a mad dash for the door. He could hear the flames crackling behind him and the smoke started to fill his lungs. But he didn’t stop, he couldn’t stop. He had to get himself and the dog to safety.

Me:

Can you give another present tense example of a nest of spiders spilling into a young couples tent while vacationing in the amazon? Write it in the style of kurt vonnegut.

ChatGPT:

Sure, here’s an example of a nest of spiders spilling into a young couple’s tent while vacationing in the Amazon, written in present tense in the style of Kurt Vonnegut:

The spiders are everywhere. They’re crawling on the walls, on the floor, on the roof. They’re so small and so fast, it’s hard to keep track of them. Mary and John are screaming and thrashing around, trying to get away from the creepy crawlies. They’re both covered in bites and welts, and it’s only getting worse. They can feel the venom coursing through their veins, making them dizzy and sick. They don’t know how much longer they can hold out. This was supposed to be a romantic getaway, a chance to reconnect in the beauty of the Amazon rainforest. But now it’s turning into a nightmare, one that they may not wake up from.

Me:

Could you turn that into a poem?

ChatGPT:

Certainly! Here is the same scenario turned into a poem:

Spiders, spiders, everywhere
Crawling on the walls and floor
So small and fast, they’re hard to see
But they’re causing Mary and John misery

Bites and welts, they cover their skin
Venom coursing, dizzy and sick within
They thrash and scream, trying to flee
But the spiders are relentless, as you can see

A romantic getaway, that’s what it was meant to be
But now it’s a nightmare, can’t you see?
Mary and John don’t know if they’ll survive
The spiders keep coming, it’s hard to stay alive

The Amazon rainforest, once so serene
Now a place of terror, it’s all so obscene
They pray for rescue, for a way to escape
But for now, they’re stuck in this spidery shape

Me:

could you turn that scenario into a news cast of only dialog between two news casters?

ChatGPT:

Certainly! Here is the scenario turned into a news cast with dialog between two news casters:

News Caster 1: Good evening, I’m here with a disturbing update from the Amazon rainforest.

News Caster 2: Yes, we’re getting reports of a young couple who have been attacked by a nest of spiders while on vacation.

News Caster 1: That’s right. Mary and John were staying in a tent when the spiders suddenly appeared and started biting them.

News Caster 2: The venom from the bites has made them dizzy and sick, and they are reportedly covered in bites and welts.

News Caster 1: This was supposed to be a romantic getaway for the couple, but it has turned into a nightmare. They are now fighting for their lives as the spiders continue to swarm their tent.

News Caster 2: It’s unclear at this time how the spiders made their way into the tent or how long the couple will be stranded there. We will continue to bring you updates as more information becomes available.

News Caster 1: In the meantime, we urge all travelers to be cautious when visiting the Amazon rainforest and to take proper precautions to avoid encountering dangerous wildlife

Me:

Can you write the javascript code that produces an SVG of a spider?

ChatGPT:

Certainly! Here is some JavaScript code that will produce an SVG of a spider.

const svg = `
<svg width="100" height="100">
  <circle cx="50" cy="50" r="40" stroke="black" stroke-width="3" fill="red" />
  <line x1="50" y1="50" x2="70" y2="70" stroke="black" stroke-width="3" />
  <line x1="50" y1="50" x2="30" y2="70" stroke="black" stroke-width="3" />
  <line x1="50" y1="50" x2="70" y2="30" stroke="black" stroke-width="3" />
  <line x1="50" y1="50" x2="30" y2="30" stroke="black" stroke-width="3" />
</svg>
`;

document.body.innerHTML = svg;

This code will create an SVG element that displays a red circle (representing the body of the spider) with four black lines radiating out from the center (representing the legs). The SVG will be 100 pixels wide and 100 pixels tall.

Note that this code will insert the SVG directly into the body of the HTML document. If you want to insert the SVG into a specific location within the document, you can use the innerHTML property of the relevant DOM element (e.g., document.getElementById('myDiv').innerHTML = svg;) instead.

(NOTE: that didn’t work. I had it try again and it still failed. Its description about the circle and lines was accurate. But, that’s not a spider. Spiders have 8 legs and extend past the body.)

Me:

don’t spiders have 8 legs? And shouldn’t the legs extend out past the body?

ChatGPT:

You are correct! Spiders do have eight legs, and in my previous example, I only drew four legs for the spider. Here is an updated version of the code that includes all eight legs and extends them past the body of the spider:

const svg = `
<svg width="100" height="100">
  <circle cx="50" cy="50" r="40" stroke="black" stroke-width="3" fill="black" />
  <line x1="50" y1="10" x2="50" y2="40" stroke="black" stroke-width="3" />
  <line x1="60" y1="20" x2="80" y2="30" stroke="black" stroke-width="3" />
  <line x1="40" y1="20" x2="20" y2="30" stroke="black" stroke-width="3" />
  <line x1="70" y1="50" x2="80" y2="60" stroke="black" stroke-width="3" />
  <line x1="30" y1="50" x2="20" y2="60" stroke="black" stroke-width="3" />
  <line x1="50" y1="60" x2="60" y2="80" stroke="black" stroke-width="3" />
  <line x1="50" y1="60" x2="40" y2="80" stroke="black" stroke-width="3" />
  <line x1="50" y1="40" x2="60" y2="20" stroke="black" stroke-width="3" />
  <line x1="50" y1="40" x2="40" y2="20" stroke="black" stroke-width="3" />
</svg>
`;

document.body.innerHTML = svg;

This code will create an SVG element that displays a black circle (representing the body of the spider) with eight black lines radiating out from the center (representing the legs) and two additional lines extending from the top of the circle (representing the spider’s eyes). The SVG will be 100 pixels wide and 100 pixels tall.

As before, this code will insert the SVG directly into the body of the HTML document. If you want to insert the SVG into a specific location within the document, you can use the innerHTML property of the relevant DOM element (e.g., document.getElementById('myDiv').innerHTML = svg;) instead.

Not Quite…

22 thoughts on “Teepee or Wigwam: Two Tense”

  1. FWIW – I plugged in old pickup truck, professional female volleyball player and sheriff – Aside from the over civilized corn and Indie diabetes inducing tags, adding some extra oomph and you have an opening scene. Ask it for a plot and I’m sure there’s a short story waiting. Notice how it starts with “weather” and a passive verb!

    The sun was setting on the small town of Millville, casting a warm glow over the deserted main street. Suddenly, the quiet was broken by the sound of a battered old pickup truck rumbling down the road.

    At the wheel sat a tall, athletic woman with short blonde hair and a determined look on her face. She was Jenny, the star player of the Millville Mavericks, the town’s professional volleyball team.

    As she pulled up to the local sheriff’s office, Jenny hopped out of the truck and strode inside, a sense of urgency in her step.

    “Sheriff Roberts, I need your help,” she said, approaching the desk where the county’s top lawman sat flipping through a stack of wanted posters.

    Sheriff Roberts looked up and gave Jenny a friendly nod. “What can I do for you, Jenny?” he asked, his deep voice laced with a hint of a southern drawl.

    “It’s my pickup,” Jenny explained, her brow furrowed with worry. “I think someone’s trying to sabotage it. I’ve had some strange problems with it lately, and I’m worried it might not make it through the championship game next week.”

    Sheriff Roberts stood up and grabbed his hat from the hook on the wall. “Let’s go take a look,” he said, his tone all business.

    Together, Jenny and the sheriff walked outside and examined the pickup. After a few minutes of poking around under the hood, Sheriff Roberts straightened up and turned to Jenny with a grave expression.

    “It looks like someone’s tampered with the carburetor,” he said. “But don’t you worry, Jenny. We’ll get to the bottom of this and make sure your truck is ready for that championship game.”

    Jenny let out a sigh of relief and thanked the sheriff before climbing back into her pickup and driving off into the sunset, ready to take on any challenges that came her way.

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      1. You could almost print that alongside some of what I’ve read in recent memory. It has everything from overdone tags, adverbs, and passive verbs outside dialogue. PWA chewed it up. I ran several. The really hallmark corniest was the volleyball queen arrives in bumfuck as the new volleyball coach. Great cover for somebody.

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    1. Exactly. It will write for itself. Eventually.
      Imagination? In spades. But again, it’s just data, like what3words.com
      /heartache.idler.tooth
      Her peanut brittle sat on the passenger seat. I one-handed the wheel while burrowing my right into the box, pushing aside the wax paper. I took a bite and damn if that shit wasn’t like granite, I’m sure I cracked a tooth. At the next stop sign, the truck’s engine quit. The goddamn idler still wasn’t fixed. Brett, Mr. Fixit, was actually Mr. Fuckit. No matter, just one more broken thing in my broken life. One full of heartache and sorrow and not a little whiskey.

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      1. See how dry and stilted that is? Even if it was human. How, without going verbose, a few words here and there add melody and a sense of place. Whose peanut brittle. What’s the weather, who’s Brett. What this is missing in the background noise (color) of frustration, so it reads like Jack Webb. Or a bad Indie Neo Noir. No point of reference for things referenced. Reader imagination is one thing, a truck and hard peanut brittle, as “The Lie That Tells a Truth” will tell us, is a very short, boring story. Add even marginal depth and you have a scene.

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    2. ChatGPT:
      The idler lay on his couch, heartache weighing heavily on his chest. He had spent the whole day staring at the ceiling, letting the hours pass him by. As he lay there, he absentmindedly ran his tongue over the gap where his tooth used to be. The toothache had been so unbearable that he had begged his neighbor to pull it out with a pair of pliers. Now, he was left with a hole in his mouth and a hole in his heart.

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        1. These AI engines are grade school level noobs. They will learn, evolve at exponential speeds. Humans are cripplingly limited by time, throughput, and capacity. Not AI.
          And this example was not about nuance, style or quality. That’ll come. This was about taking three random (or not so random — did you go there?) words and using an obviously limited context, and its “imagination” to produce a story. The fact that it did it at all says: “this is only data.”
          The good stuff will come later, next year perhaps.

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          1. Not until someone feeds it rules or elements of style, or Norton’s “The Story and Its Writer” and can code it to leaf through there before exposition. If it could generate three word characters a la MacDonald like a name generator does names I’d be all over it. I tried a beta name generator that did the name and (often racist or stereotypical or B movie radiation casualty) description. Short, black, salt an peper beard. Walks with a jerky, one leg flailing motion. LIke RG3’s last pro game. That sorta shit. Anybody can do puffy, pink, sweaty man with a handshake like grabbing a clammy ham. He was running for something because it was obvious, he’d never done nor recognize the value of a day’s worth of real work.

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  3. I don’t know whether to be fascinated or disturbed? Also, I’m currently writing a novel that takes place in the past, written in first person present tense, and the present, written in third person past tense!

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  5. Introduction: “Both present and past tense can be effective in telling a story, and the choice of which to use will depend on the specific needs and goals of your narrative.”

    Conclusion: “Ultimately, the choice of whether to use present or past tense will depend on the specific needs of your story and what you want to achieve with your writing.”

    I’m impressed, Chat GPT. I’ve no doubt you’ll do very well in seventh grade.

    I can’t wait for you-know-who to weigh in on this.

    Anyways, I think present tense is done well when you don’t even notice it, when the immediacy is real enough that you don’t focus on the less-common tense.

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