I’ve been quiet on the blog for a few days while I worked on the opening chapter of my next full length novel. Yes, I have to finish my novella before I actually write this story. But the words were whirling around in my head and I finally gave in to them.
APL will be the second novel I’ve written in first person POV. Third person seems a more natural POV for my novels, but there was something about this story that simply demanded to be told in my lead character’s voice.
What’s made writing this first chapter interesting has been a struggle between present tense and past tense. I prefer past tense for my style of story, but I read women’s fiction and chick lit that is often written in first person present tense, and now I seem to be mixing the two tenses. That doesn’t happen to me when using third person, but it’s sneaking into my first person story. Every time I read over what I’ve written, I catch another phrase where the tense is wrong. Argh! Hopefully, I’ll break that tendency when I get immersed in the story full time.
At least the first chapter is written, and I’m happy with it. Nice to end the week that way.
-rlh-
Robin–I have four POV characters in my story. I recently decided to make the female lead 1st person, leaving the other three in third person. I am doing the same thing you are!! I’m trying to write it past tense, but present keeps popping up!