PRESENT VS PAST TENSE

What tense do you prefer?

Which one is prettiest to read?

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?

I think that excerpt would sound better in past tense.

re-write it, give me an example.

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.

Present tense is a meme. Also
>1st person
Literally kys

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.

Future tense

Reading a book in present tense is fucking torture. Don't do it. And lose the first-person noir stuff too.

Present tense and first person are both fine seperately. Both at the same time is pleb central unless you're really good.

This. Unless you're writing YA do not do 1st person present