Fanfaron: Writing the Pluperfect Tense Without Sounding Forced

The Cru dives deep into one deceptively small word with outsized consequences: had.

Before writing from the prompt fanfaron—a swaggering bully or cowardly boaster—we get into a lively craft discussion about the pluperfect tense (the “past of the past”). Why does it so often feels forced? How, as a writer, do you know it's actually doing meaningful work on the page? Murph makes the case against overusing had, PC breaks down how context can replace grammar, and Father Spud champions the musicality of the pluperfect in Southern oral storytelling.

Stories this week begin around the 16:30 mark.

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