The academic discipline of English literature has certain conventions, or standard practices, that scholars in the field use when writing about literature. These conventions help scholars contribute their ideas clearly and efficiently. If you follow these conventions, you will enhance your credibility and enable your readers to focus more easily on your ideas.

Referring to authors, titles, and characters

The first time you refer to an author of a literary work or a secondary source, such as a critical essay, use the author’s full name: Virginia Woolf is known for her experimental novels. In subsequent references, you may use the last name only: Woolf’s early work was largely overlooked. As a rule, do not use personal titles such as Mr. or Ms. or Dr. when referring to authors.

When you mention the title of a short story, an essay, or a short or medium-length poem, put the title in quotation marks: “The Progress of Love” by Alice Munro (see 37c). Italicize the titles of novels, nonfiction books, plays, and long poems: The Fourth Hand by John Irving (see 42a).

Using the present tense to describe fictional events

Perhaps because fictional events have not actually occurred in the past, the literary convention is to describe them in the present tense. Until you become used to this convention, you may find yourself shifting between present and past tense. As you revise your draft, make sure that you have used the present tense consistently.

note: See also 7f on avoiding shifts in tenses when you integrate quotations into your own text.