: Re: Can I switch from past tense to present tense in an epilogue? I have written my entire novel thus far in past tense. However, I feel like my final chapter/epilogue would work better in present

@Caterina108

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You can do whatever you want, there is no law, governing the use of tense (past, present, or even future) in creative writing. Essentially it all comes down to how you are going to handle it: use of the present tense conveys a sense of urgency and often indicates immediate action, which makes writing (and reading) a longer piece somewhat difficult.

Give it a shot and see how it goes--you can always switch to past tense, if you feel that your epilogue sounds strained and unnatural (it is harder to decide what to write, then how to write it).

If you can't tell, give it to a friend to read.

Good luck!

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