Read in the present tense

Disciplines > Storytelling > Telling stories > Campbell's Commandments > Read in the present tense

Commandment | Discussion | See also

Previous: Read with eyes of wonder

Next: Read as a God

Commandment

Read myths in the present tense: Eternity is now.

Discussion

Myths are rooted in dark history, and when read in the past tense can appear old and irrelevant. Using the present tense brings the story into now, making it appear more real and immediate.

More than reading in the present tense, tell the story as if it is happening now, all around you. Paint the picture so vividly that you as storyteller disappear and are replaced by the immediate events of the story.

'Read in the present tense' is one of the 'Ten Commandments for Reading Myth' as defined by Joseph Campbell.