Tense: Past or Present, and Why?
It's a simple question, do you prefer to write in past or present tense, and why?
Personally, I greatly prefer past tense. Not only does it feel more natural towrite in, but I also find it less intrusive.
The idea behind present tense, as I understand it, is that it creates a sense of immediacy, with the idea that it drives greater reader engagement. Personally, I find it creates an artificial immediacy, and for me, the artifice often outweighs the immediacy.
The problem with that, speaking as much as a reader as a writer, is that if I'm paying attention to the writing, I'm not paying attention to the story... that's a bad thing.
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