: Re: Which tense should I use when writing a post about a journey? What tense could I use when I write about a journey? Suppose if I write about a train journey and describe the countryside, would

@Phylliss352

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Choose the tense that suits the story you want to tell.

Like you say, if you want to create the impression that the description of the journey is from a diary, then present tense could work. However, even here you could write as past tense because perhaps you wrote in your diary at the end of the day looking back over the day's activities.

Or perhaps the story you're trying to tell is from the point of view of a changed, wiser person looking back at lessons learned from a particular journey, and you want to contrast between that younger self and the later, older one.

None of these options is any better or worse than the other as long as you tell the story well, and you're consistent. The possibilities are endless, but they all depend on the story you're trying to tell, and that's what you should use to dictate the tense.

Also, trust your instincts: if you feel more comfortable with first person, present tense as a writer, then do that. If you prefer past tense, third-person, do that. The only time I would suggest present tense would perhaps be with action novels, but even there, a story well told is a story well told.

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