I am struggling to find what tense I want to write in, I can't decide between first present or first past. Past is easier to write but I think I could invoke more vivid emotion with present.
i.e. 'Here, now, the snow finally touches ground and only distant street lights can break the perfect dark. It's unbelievably quiet. I am in love with this - I can't think of something more peaceful, more resonating, the snow collecting at my feet and the hushed howl of a winter's gale.'
vs.
Whatever else; I actually can't think of one, I have been putting all my attention into first present. Thoughts?
Luis Barnes
I think that excerpt would sound better in past tense.
Caleb Lee
re-write it, give me an example.
Nathan Harris
I do some of my writing in present tense just because it's unpopular. It's fun to play around with the tenses and understand what they're good at and what their limitations are. Some people here swear it off but it has its uses and it's important to remain curious about less established methods of writing.
Blake Reyes
Present tense is a meme. Also >1st person Literally kys
Jose Sanchez
I honestly don't have anything better to do than spoonfeed you but please don't ask for something like this again.
'Here, now, the snow finally touched ground and only distant street lights could break the perfect dark. It was unbelievably quiet. I was in love with this - I couldn't think of something more peaceful, more resonating, the snow collecting at my feet and the hushed howl of a winter's gale.'
Past tense gives more distance to the text, it gives the possibility that the narrator character doesn't think exactly what he thought then. This could of course be a negative thing if, for example, the character is supposed to come off as naïve, but without any further context I feel like this is better.
It also feels more like being told a story and less like someone talking to you directly in a conversation and just yapping on and on without letting you get a word in edgewise.
Chase Campbell
Future tense
Liam Campbell
Reading a book in present tense is fucking torture. Don't do it. And lose the first-person noir stuff too.
Owen Martin
Present tense and first person are both fine seperately. Both at the same time is pleb central unless you're really good.
Brandon Sullivan
This. Unless you're writing YA do not do 1st person present
Mason Lopez
Snail Frogposter
Hunter Morales
Silly rule. They're fine together. You just need to know how to pull it off, and there are plenty of authors who do.
You could always try future tense.
Michael Sanchez
Past: "There, then, the snow touched the ground and only distant street lights could break the perfect dark. It was unbelievaby quiet. I was in love with it -- I couldn't think of something more peaceful, more resonANT, the snow collecting at my feet and the hushed howl of a winter's gale."
Or, future tense:
There/here, soon, the snow will touch ground and only distant street lights will be able to break the perfect dark. It will be unbelievably quiet. I will be in love with it -- I won't be able to think of something more peaceful, more resonANT, the snow collecting at my feet and the hushed howl of a winter's gale.
Jaxson Reyes
Potentiality-tense:
Somewhere, sometime, the snow could possibly touch ground and only distant street lights might be able to break the perfect dark. It could be unbelievably quiet. I could be in love with it -- I mightn't be able to think of something more peaceful, or more resonating, the snow collecting at my feet and the hushed howl of a winter's gale.
Logan Phillips
hmmmm, now that's a hmmm
Asher Ross
Here.Now.Ground-touched snow and distant street lamp-broken darkness. Unbelieved quiet. Loved ; Unthinkable greater peacefulness, resonance. Snow collection at feet and hushed howl of a winter's gale
Jeremiah Lee
fucking kek.
>future tense well i never.
I suppose you bring up something noteworthy, it doesn't allow much for the imagination and just what you are told. though I feel that is an issue with or without the conversation on tense; not one of mine, but someone's.
I think I am set on this present. I want to do an epistolary type thing, which would solve my whole dilemma, but I am afraid it would be too similar to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, leaving me to just shove all my words at people. I could just do something different.
Nolan Rivera
...
Jose Edwards
no verbs
Sebastian Nelson
"Hey "Here", hey "Now"? You, Snow, and Ground, are you two going to touch? Come, Light from the distant street lamps or don't ! Perfect Darkness, you can break only now?? Quiet I cant believe (You)? Love, are going to be in me? More Peaceful and and More Resonating, are you going to be unthinkable? Is that you who are ..........
Jaxson Kelly
death. why does this actually sound like bullshit Shakespeare
Brayden Roberts
>you had an arse full of farts, darling.
>my darling's arse is full of farts.
>my darling; her arse will be full of farts.
James Joyce is the Veeky Forumsmus test. Which do you think conveys Joyce's deep ideas best from the above?
Benjamin Adams
the middle is prettiest.
Brody Nguyen
>be me >be here, now > the snow finally touches ground >only distant street lights can break the perfect dark >unbelievably quiet >in love with this >can't think of something more peaceful, more resonating >snow collecting at my feet >hushed howl of a winter's gale
Greentext tense, obv
Nicholas Phillips
>be me >no one likes your text > :(
Easton Hernandez
I don't hate it. I was just answering OP's question with the obvious choice, that being
Michael Rodriguez
OP here
imma be an author yall
Matthew Ortiz
>mightn't
Is it really that much of a bother to just write "might not" that you have to resort to an abomination of a contraction, you lazy piece of shit?