A tense subject ...

Let’s talk tense. Not tense like how you feel before a big talk (though, yes, that too), but tense as in past vs. present tense when telling a story.

Here’s the deal: I always say you’ve got about seven seconds to grab your audience’s attention. One of the best ways to do that? Drop them right into a story.

But there’s a catch: Let's say you’re 40 years old. If you start your story with, “I’m 17 years old, and it’s my first rodeo…” the audience is going to do a double take. They see a 40-year-old, but they’re hearing 17. Their brains short-circuit for a second while they try to reconcile what they’re seeing and what they’re hearing. Not a great way to start.

Instead, open in the past tense: “I was 17 years old, and it was my first rodeo.” Now the audience is grounded. They’re with you.

And here’s the fun part: once you’re into the meat of the story, you can slide back into the present tense — make it vivid, immediate, alive. (“I step into the arena, the sun blazing, my palms sweaty against the rope…”)

If you’re writing, you’d never do this tense switcheroo. But on stage? It works. It keeps your audience clear on the timeline and right there with you in the moment.

So, the formula is simple: Past tense to start. Present tense to continue. Audience hooked.

There you go — a tense problem solved.