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Topic : Is it OK to use "I guess" in fiction? Example: I groaned. Why was I doing this? I guess I was afraid of losing him. Like it or not, he was my only guide right now. Does it sound - selfpublishingguru.com

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Example:

I groaned. Why was I doing this? I guess I was afraid of losing
him. Like it or not, he was my only guide right now.

Does it sound strange since the tense temporarily changes to the present? (and I guessed sounds even more weird).

Is this a common usage in fiction? If not, what's the correct alternative?

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You're right, it does sound a bit weird. That's only because of the tense of course. If you were writing in the present tense, it would be just fine.

While no professional, my suggestion would be to use a different word. In the above example, substitute was and make it a question.

Why was I doing this? Was I afraid of losing him?

It doesn't quite have the same sound as the original, so you could probably play with it to satisfaction.

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