Grammar Question

Today's Mood: Relieved (It is Friday). Today's Music: Music Library on mix--Push by Matchbox 20 stuck in my head on an endless loop. Today's Writing: still revising, still chapter 9. Actually got 2 paragraphs written today--then erased. Then wrote one again. Today's Quote:

Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't. Mark Twain

(1835 - 1910)

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Here's a grammar question for you: if I am writing in first person, past tense, and my MC (main character) is REMEMBERING something that happened, do I write that in past perfect? We had been in the weight room when ....?

I wrote a paragraph like that and it seemed so...cumbersome. Weak. So I switched it to past tense--but that didn't seem quite right. Although maybe I could do this as a flashback? With a white space above and below?

Or maybe I should just take that memory out and make it a separate scene and put it in the linear timeline? Then it would be past tense. Maybe this would make it more active?

And is there any benefit for having it one way or another? I mean, I've read stuff about mixing up the timeline to create an impact. But I guess I'd love to know what impact it is supposed to have.

Any thoughts on the matter?

Change in tense

Today's Mood: happy (of course, considering the amount of wine I consumed in the last two days...) Today's Music: believe it or not, I was listening to old tapes (yes, those old cassette tape things. Not as old as records but getting there) of Dire Straits and Peter Gabriel. Today's Writing: Chapter--I think it is 9 or 10 of IFFY. Today's Quote:

"That's just your [writing] gremlins talking"--Tricia and the other wild writer women of Whitefish Lake

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I changed to past tense in my current manuscript. BUT, I didn't start over. I was tempted to, but Tricia talked me into starting from where I was at in the manuscript--and making a note of it in my notebook so I know where I made the change. From the things Tricia has read, there is research that shows present tense to be the hardest to write AND read. I find that interesting because writing in present tense is my instinctive way to write--and I've written two novels in present tense already. In fact, I found the switch to past tense challenging. For some reason I have the tendency to want to use a lot of being verbs. I have to really think about how I can write past tense and use active, vivid verbs.

As for being hard to read--or more tiring--I can honestly say that I haven't notice it--IF the writing is good. Reading poor writing whether it be present or past is always tiring. But really, if the story is great and the writing is good, I often couldn't even tell you without looking if that book was written in past or present.

So why did I switch? Because I'm hoping it helps me with transitions. I get stuck in a scene or conversation and don't know how to get my character out of the room. She has to continue to see, smell, taste, hear, and say everything. I have a difficult time skipping over the unimportant parts without it sounding choppy. This wasn't a problem in my first two manuscripts because they are more journal format. But this story doesn't fit that style. Hence the attempt at past tense and a more storytelling voice. I'll let you know if it works. For right now, at least it is good practice for me.

Two more things. One is that boy, oh boy are the writing gremlins (those little voices in every writer's head that say that she/he is no good. They say this in all different ways--mine do go on about tense--and they are very insidious.) loud after such a long period with no [regular] writing. I needed my writing buddies to remind me that I am not a crap writer, or a piss-poor writer, and yes they WOULD let me know if I thought a piece was publishable and it really wasn't ready, and yes--if they tell me I am a good writer they are NOT lying..... Those gremlins! I really need some duct tape to put over their mouths.

Second thing. We--the wild writer women at Whitefish lake--saw the most gorgeous sunset. The pinks, salmons, oranges, and golds contrasted with the blues, indigo, and purples in spectacular patterns. And the fact that the tornado in Montcalm country was north of where we were in Montcalm county was also a good thing. I wouldn't go in that pump house if I saw the dang twister heading right for me! It looked exactly like a mausoleum. No joke. I decided I'd take my chances in the bathtub--but thankfully that was unnecessary as well.

I can't wait to get back to my writing and my writing schedule on Monday! Happy weekend. Happy writing.

Tense--past versus present

Today's Mood: Cheerful. Today's Music: Simon and Garfunkel. Today's Writing: IFFY--climax chapter. (Yup, I'm writing out of order--amazement! awe! shock!) Today's Quote:

"The last time somebody said, 'I find I can write much better with a word processor.', I replied, 'They used to say the same thing about drugs.'"Roy Blount Jr.

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What are the advantages of using past tense over present tense? How does it change the writing? I've been working on this novel (IFFY) in present tense--mostly because that is what I am most familiar with--but I wonder if there would be an advantage in writing in past tense. Present tense makes it more immediate--you ARE the character and experience events as they unfold. But I wonder if writing in past tense would give a better sense of voice? I mean, then the character (since it is written in first person) would be TELLING the reader the story.

Sometimes I think using past tense would make it easier to winnow out the unimportant and just have the character tell the important parts--like all good storytellers do. I have a tendency to write a LOT of dialogue. Most of the story is dialogue--or at least, sometimes it seems so. And dialogue is one of the hardest things for me to write.

So what am I saying? That I want things to be easier and I'm wondering if I can do more telling if I use past tense? I don't know. What do you think?