Memoirs, Past or Present Tense?

Published on February 7, 2026 | Written by Parpar

Memoirs and testimonies are interlinked, yet there is a difference in focus.

When we share about our past, our journey, the lessons learnt through the joys, sorrows and experiences of our past, we open up a window to our souls-

First, to ourselves as we begin to delve into our inner workings in the process, and recount our journeys in hindsight, understanding (or not) and hopefully a bit more wisdom and maturity.
Then, we share what we have gleaned, experienced or overcome with others to give them a window to ourselves and our history. This is, in essence a memoir.

A testimony tells the story but focuses on the redemption, deliverance or salvation story in our lives and primarily focuses on God – His story in our lives. We are bearing testimony to God’s work. A testimony is a legal term. It is a formal, oral or written statement given by a witness. It serves as a form of evidence to establish facts, as distinguished from physical documents. Understanding that your testimony carries legal weight in heaven before the throne of God, against your accuser, with Christ as your advocate puts it in a different category to merely sharing your life story. A testimony, unless specifically written as a story, should always be written in the past tense as a reflection.

A testimony or testimonies can be woven into a memoir, and a testimony can serve as a memoir of sorts, and in this way they overlap.

Memoirs are predominantly written in the past tense. However, the present tense can be used to create immediacy, intimacy, and a sense of ‘living’ the moment. Both are valid, but consistency is key throughout the manuscript.

Here are some options for writing memoirs:

The benefits of using the past tense are that it offers a natural, reflective tone, which makes it easier to manage time shifts and offer context to past events.
The benefit of using the present tense is that it makes the emotional stories (joys, trauma, grief, etc.) feel more in the moment.
The third option is to mix tenses. Some authors use the present tense to heighten tension before switching to the past tense weave the stories together.

The publishing industry prefers the traditional use of past tense for memoirs; however, both are accepted. Present tense can present more of a challenge in maintaining a well-executed storyline through the book.

Ultimately, the author has the final choice as it is their personal story that is being shared.

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