When can a 3rd person narrator use present tense adjectives in a past tense novel? (examples included) writing

When can a 3rd person narrator use present tense adjectives in a past tense novel? (examples included)

I usually always write in first person present tense. Lately I started work on a 3rd person past tense book. The switch has been mainly easy, but I catch myself writing some present tense words. Mind you, these are not actions being done, so I think it's alright?

I found some examples from The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith to give example of what i'm doing and what is REALLY confusing me.

first example:

"Finally he pulled on his overcoat and walked, in what was now a downpour, down a sodden, dark Charing Cross road to buy food at the nearest supermarket. There had been too many takeaways lately."

Emphasis added by me. The narrator seems to exist in that time as if it's the present tense, but still describes action in the past tense. I can't seem to find any rules that dictate how this works.

another example from the same book: "…people were trapped in cars, or evacuated from homes and now huddled in emergency centers"

how can the narrator be using the word "now" in a past tense book? I mean, I think the writing is great, and it works and has clear meaning. But still i'm confused with my own personal writing: can the narrator essentially exist in the time they are describing, as long as character actions and place descriptions are kept in the past tense, but you can keep… something in present tense? It seems arbitrary.

any help would be great. Thanks!

Submitted March 29, 2016 at 08:36PM by dstrauc3
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