Past Tense or Present Tense?

[Stripes]

One of my many problems when writing is that I switch from past tense to present tense to past tense again. I am debating which way I should go. Here is the first part of story is present tense. Read all of it and ignore spelling mistakes.

Manchester’s Secret
Manchester United has just won, 3-1, against Chelsea. The fans cheer, shout and sing in joy, dancing around with their noisemakers along the aisles. Most people left, rushing to see the team leave the stadium, waiting for hours. James, a tall, pale skin fellow with red curly hair and brown eyes also waits. Expect James waits differently; he waits inside an air vent.

James is a very devoted fan. He buys season tickets every year and watches every home game. His trivia of every team player since 1985 (the year he was born) is outstanding and he buys every merchandise he can get his hands on. Unfortunately, this isn’t enough for James, he needs something more personal from the team.

Every since James was eighteen, he has been stealing from the Manchester United team. The routine goes along like this: James hides in one particular men’s washroom that is never busy due to its popularity of breaking down. After a couple of hours, the players have left, the janitors are done cleaning and any extra workers have headed home, in which the excitement begins. James, once working in the stadium as a sercitey guard during his college years, knows all the little secret hallways, paths and stairs to take to avoid any cameras. The hallway to the teams locker room is heavily watched with cameras. James keeps his back along wall as he slips under the cameras. Once in the locker room, James unlocks the lockers with the classic hairpin. Yes, James is a very snecky man and has gotten away with it for seven years. Unknown to James, this night won’t be as smooth as before.

On this particular night, James is happily fiddling around in Wayne Rooney’s locker, looking for anything that he can take home that won’t be noticed missing. Debating if he should take a towel with Wayne’s sweat on it, James suddenly hears footsteps outside the door. As he listens closely aginst the exit door, he notices the steps coming towards the room. In a panic, James quickly closes the locker shut and hides in the shower room with the towel still in his hand. The door open and two big muscular men (dragging another man) enter the room. A dark skin, 5 ft 9 man with short black hair and wearing a long black coat walks in behind.
“Silly boy” says a soft voice from the 5 ft 9 man.
“I pay you good money to throw the match when you play against my team. Yet you scored two of the three goals in tonight’s game.”
The man being held started to beg, “I am sorry, I am sorry, you must understand!”
“SHUT UP! NO ONE TRIES TO CON JOSE MOURINHO!”
Jose walks to the exit and turns around “My two Spanish friends will teach you a couple of new moves.”
Snapping his figures as Jose leaves the room, the two big men begin to laugh.

[jjpor]

Haha - the Special One (as he once called himself, no kidding)! Yes, I'd like to think this is exactly the sort of thing he might get up to! Who is the unfortunate, bribe-taking, player about to get his legs broken (or worse?) - if it's Rooney, that would warm the cockles of my heart... ;D

Check this out; the Special One in action; pretty amusing:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsKSlE35sbo

I don't know if the past tense/present tense thing really matters that much provided its what you're comfortable with. I tend to write past tense, but it's just a preference thing; when I do try to write present tense I end up slipping back into past tense without meaning to. In this case, the present tense thing maybe works well, because it's putting you straight into the story; it's like somebody is telling you about the character and his activities. But as I say, whatever works best for you is probably fine.

[Stripes]

Apr 18, 2009 13:42:50 GMT jjpor said:

Haha - the Special One (as he once called himself, no kidding)! Yes, I'd like to think this is exactly the sort of thing he might get up to! Who is the unfortunate, bribe-taking, player about to get his legs broken (or worse?) - if it's Rooney, that would warm the cockles of my heart... ;D

Check this out; the Special One in action; pretty amusing:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsKSlE35sbo

I don't know if the past tense/present tense thing really matters that much provided its what you're comfortable with. I tend to write past tense, but it's just a preference thing; when I do try to write present tense I end up slipping back into past tense without meaning to. In this case, the present tense thing maybe works well, because it's putting you straight into the story; it's like somebody is telling you about the character and his activities. But as I say, whatever works best for you is probably fine.

Holy crap I have no clue what that was but I like it. So is the main puppet based of Jose? Because when I first saw a picture of him, that is exactly how I thought he would dress.

Werid how I got this man so spot on yet I know nothing about him.

[magnusgreel]

I only started to make some headway in writing when I said to hell with all the details, and all the tweaking to make the writing acceptable or respectable, and just refocused on what was important in the piece for me, the feelings and thoughts. I focus on that first and as for the rest of the details (like present vs. past tense), I just let it be whatever it is, maybe flawed, if it is. You have to concentrate on having it be good before you can concentrate on making it "perfect", if perfect is even possible, which it isn't.

One of my favorite lyricists is Bernie Taupin, who writes with Elton John. Over the years there have been plenty of clumsy or awkward lines from him, even now, and often they happen in the middle of very well-written songs with vital, good ideas and depth to them. He cares more about gut-level feeling and doesn't worry so much about fixing the rough edges.

Past tense, to me, feels like a sort of standard, neutral, everyday way to write... which is what you want to do most of the time, so the events and dialogue are given precendence. An unusual way of telling the story can be distracting if it's not necessary.

Present tense feels different. Read something written in present tense, maybe, and see how it sounds or feels to you, and ask yourself if that feel is what you want. If you don't actually need to use it, maybe you shouldn't.

On the other hand, if you're just learning and doing a sort of writing exercise, you could try it just to see what it turns out like. As an experiment.

This doesn't seem like one of the big issues. It won't hurt your story to do it either way, probably.

All the above just came out of me... it must come from someplace. I'm hardly in a position to lecture on this subject, yet I have just done so, and I'm even posting it...

[Stripes]

Due to the fact that is due to tommorrow, I did it in past tense. I do like present tense but that takes alittle more time.

I should just write what I feel, which in some ways I did, but this is a school project with requirements I don't think I will meet.

[clocketpatch]

I think you'll do awesome Newton *hugs*

[merrythemad]

Good luck, Newton!!!

[jjpor]

Yes, don't worry, I'm sure you'll do well.