What tense do you use most often???

I read an article in Writer's Digest (WD) online yesterday that got me thinking and wondering - what tense do you write in most often?  The article was written by Brian Klems who is one of the editors at WD.  He was listing the pros and cons of writing in present tense and it got me thinking.

I had read a few articles/blog posts from other editors and authors who almost universally suggested that present tense was the way to go.  It lends and immediacy and in your face quality to the story and keeps it lively, or so the arguments went. It made sense to me at the time and I bought it wholeheartedly.  I even went back and am editing my novel, A Quarter Ton to Kona, rewriting it in present tense.

Klems' article got me thinking, though. Was this the right thing to do?  I'm not sure at the moment.  I'm just over halfway through the novel with the edit and its coming along slowly.  I don't think there should be a hard and fast rule about this.  Mixed tenses are great as they allow the author to bring in past events and manipulate time lines. I even think about the classic stories and fairy tales that start 'Once upon a time...' and realize that past tense is very useful in story telling.

So, I'm curious, when you write, what tense do you use?  Do you stick with one or do you use mixed tenses as appropriate to tell the story?  I would love to hear what you think!

Keep on writing.

Novel or Screenplay

As I'm writing my novel, "A Quarter Ton to Kona",  I see that there is massive competition for resources in the novel space and it scares me a bit.  I really think my novel is a pretty inspirational story and that it could well help people make positive changes in their lives.  My fear is that the message won't be seen by very many if I stick with the novel format.  If I could get it made as a movie, I think it has a much better chance of reaching people.  I can actually see it in my mind as the movie plays out.  The scenes are perfect for the screen and it might actually allow there to be more subtle nuances than I have written, depending n the actors used.

I have other ideas that seem to play out in my mind as if they are on a screen.  I can see and hear the action and ambient or background sounds as well as see and feel the dialog. "The Elevator Story" also lends itself to that type of presentation.  I can see scenes and action and I think it might play out better on the screen than what I can write.

This brings me to my dilemma: do I continue to work on both of these, editing and rewriting them as novels, or should I look at them as screenplays and rewrite them as such?  Should I write the novels and adapt them to the screen?  I just don't know.  I'm more comfortable in the novel arena as I have read many, many novels, but never looked at a written screenplay.  That is my big hesitation.

What would you do?????

Editing is much harder than writing

Last fall as I prepared to complete the NaNoWriMo and produce my first novel in 30 days, I figured that the initial writing was going to be the toughest part.  I was so wrong!  That was the easy part.  The editing of what I wrote is so much harder.

As I was writing my novel I was free to let the ideas flow and capture the essence of the story on paper.  Now that I'm writing I not only have to make sure that the story flows, I have to make sure I have a constant voice and that I am truly painting the picture that I thought I was.  One of the toughest parts is deciding to remove material that seemed  crucial to the story but which adds no appreciable value.

In fact I have found there are a few sections that I wrote which do nothing for the story except bog it down and confuse the storyline.  Now I can't bear to actually delete these sections.  What I have done is removed them and placed them in another document for safe keeping in case I feel they have something to contribute to the story at a later date.  They are almost like children.  Just because they don't fit in doesn't mean we throw them away.  We keep them and nurture them so that they may blossom in their own time.

Who knows I may actually take some of these sections and create a new story.

Writing tools

Being a technical writer by trade and new author of fiction by choice, I find it interesting that there are so many different authoring tools out there. When I first started writing, oh so many years ago, I was using WordPerfect.  With a change of positions and working for a Microsoft shop, I soon learned Microsoft Word and that has been my writing tool ever since.

I am quite happy with using MS Word for all of my writing needs. At least I have been until going through NaNoWriMo last November ans seeing the myriad other writing tools out in the world.  I now wonder if I am giving up some key functionality or time saving  feature by not using another application.

Right now I am sticking with Word since that is where my novel currently lives and it is where I am editing it.  I'm looking for opinions of regarding other tools, though.  All of my computers run on Windows so that is the first consideration, but do you have a favorite writing tool and if so, why is it your favorite and what does it do that Word does not.

Please let me know what you think in the comments below.

Thank you!

Novel Excerpt number 3

Here is another excerpt from my novel "A Quarter Ton to Kona":

A RIDE TO ENJOY RIDING

Since I had been diagnosed with prostate cancer I had not been back on the bike.  Not even for a short ride around the block.  Recognizing that I could be off the bike for a while, Saturday morning I decided it was time for a ride.  I didn’t have a plan for how far I might go, but I wanted to get out and enjoy it.  It was supposed to be hot, but my plan was to head out early and try to beat the heat.

I got up at 4:40 and got dressed for the ride.  The sun was due up about 5:25 and I hoped to see it rise while I was riding.

I grabbed some PowerAde along with a couple of Honey Stinger waffles for breakfast and headed into the garage.  I aired up the tires, put a stick of gum in my mouth, grabbed my helmet and gloves and was out the door before 5:00.  My destination was somewhere to the west.  I wasn’t sure how far I would make it since I haven’t been on the bike in a month but it didn’t really matter as long as I get to ride today.

There were just a couple of wisps of cloud in the sky, catching fire from the sun just below the horizon as I swung my leg over my steed and I headed off to the west.

I tried not to ride too fast but as I started going I just felt like I needed to push it.  It was if I was trying to run away from something and the harder I pushed myself the better I felt.  Shortly my breath was coming in ragged gasps, but I kept at it.  My world collapsed down and all I was aware of was my breathing and the turning of the cranks.  I felt the pain start in my legs, a burning ache that would normally make me back off, but today I needed to feel that burning.  I needed to push as hard as I had ever pushed. 

I passed Fort Apache Rd and Grand Canyon Drive and I kept pushing.  Ahead of me I saw the sun start to light the tops of the mountain peaks.  I pushed harder and the burning intensified.  My breathing was nothing but gasps for air, but I didn’t want to let up.  I made the slight turn along the kink in the road to the left and knew I was only a mile from the intersection of route 160.  I kept the hammer down, but knew I was running out of steam.  I down shifted a gear and then another as my legs were giving out.

I was to the traffic information sign, less than a half mile to go.  I dropped down to my middle ring and it was too easy, I was turning the cranks too fast, but that didn’t last long.  I was slowing as the turn approached.  I downshifted again and hit the slight downhill before the climb to the turn.

I was on my middle ring and upshifted a gear, then two to keep my momentum into the climb, but my legs were weak, I had nothing left and quickly had to down shift, one, two, 3 gears.  I was in my second to lowest gear ion the middle ring and barely able to keep moving forward but I was still moving.  I made it up the incline and around the turn. The road leveled out a bit here and I stopped for a moment to catch my breath and take a drink of PowerAde as the sun cleared the eastern horizon.

In that moment I simply enjoyed the breathtaking view as the sun light the landscape.  As the light flooded the valley I appreciated the subtle differences in color, the browns, tans and taupes all looked rosy in the light from the rising sun.  I knew it was a good day.  How could it not be?  I was here, enjoying the sunrise, having gotten here under my own power, riding my bike.

The moment was fleeting.  As the sun rose into the sky the temperature started to climb as well.  I felt the drain the exertion had put on my body.  I started riding again, heading slowly down the road for another mile or so before I recognized that I was in no real condition to go farther.  It had been stupid to push so hard so early in what I had hoped to be a long ride.  I was cooked.  I was done.  Fortunately it was downhill back to the house and I had to do little more than steer the bike as I was exhausted and barely hanging on.

I got to the house, put the bike in the garage and staggered into the house.  I collapsed into my chair.  It took a while to regain some strength but it had been worth it to be out there and see that sunrise this morning on the side of the road with no one else around.

I realized I had forgotten to stop my Garmin when I entered the house.  Fortunately I had it set to pause whenever I stopped moving.  I stopped it now and curiously put it into the cradle to download the file from my ride.  I had no real expectations for the number but was surprised when I looked on Strava. Seems I had set a personal record on the segment from Fort Apache to Route 159. Looking at the numbers I realized that I had done that section a full minute faster than I had done it before. I guess going all out on the bike does have its benefits.

After that I was tired and ended up nodding off for a couple of hours until Linda woke me to go get ready for some breakfast. It was a good morning.

To be a writer

In my mind, I've always had the ability to be a writer.  I can sit down and churn out many words about this or that topic almost at will.  Primarily these words are in the form of instruction manuals or training aids - what I would normally think of as "technical writing."  This is the easy stuff.  It has a specific purpose, a well defined framework and it has a very specific structure.  Where I falter is in the realm of fiction.

I love a good story.  I love to read stories where the underdog saves the day and does so through various trials and feats of self-discovery all encapsulated within a tale full of humor and light.  Piers Anthony is one of my favorite authors because he has a great sense of humor and incorporates that into his work.  I would love to write like him, but I am not as clever nor as quick with a quip as he seems to be.

My goal is to explore this realm of fiction writing and hopefully to produce something that others might feel is worth reading.  I know there are stories I need to tell, now I just need to tell them.

To be a writer isn't all that hard.  To be a writer, all one has to do is to put words on page or on screen.  What is hard is to be a good writer and that is what I want to be.  So forgive me as I practice and refine this craft and put forth small snippets of my writing here so that I may garner a bit of honest feedback.

IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Here is another excerpt from my novel which is a work in progress.  This si a fictional race report from teh world championships....

I awoke at 4:15 AM when the alarm went off feeling pretty well rested and ready to go.  I was a bit excited but strangely calm at the same time. Today was the day I would become an Ironman. All I had been training for had been leading up to this one day.  I had practiced my pre-race rituals so that I performed them like I was on autopilot.  I ate got dressed used the restroom, drank and did some stretching to get loosened up.  Linda woke up and I helped her into the bathroom.  We agreed that there was no need for her to fight the crowds to get to the start and she would watch the coverage via TV and try to get close to the finish when she knew I was getting close.  Ellen and Tim from FitBit were going to help in that regard as well.

Once I was ready I gave Linda one last kiss and she wished me good luck.  I told her I loved her and was out the door heading down to the start area by 6:00.  I knew the first 2 waves of professionals and elites were going off at 6:30 and 6:35 and then it was the mass start at 7:00 for the rest of us.  As I headed towards the start the noise and enthusiasm started to infect me.  I was getting really excited andkeyed up.  I had to calm myself a few times to keep from getting too carried away.

I headed to the line of Port-a-potties for my PRP and hoped that it would be enough.  Just after I emerged the gun went off and the first wave of elites were away.  Five minutes later the second wave was off with the gun as well. My stomach was starting to have butterflies and with 10 minutes to the start as everyone was getting in the water I had to make a last dash to the port-a-potties.  I took care of business and entered the water just as they were counting down the last 30 seconds to the start.  Unfortunately this meant I was near the back of the group, not where I had hoped to be starting.  I would have to make the best of the situation and headed towards the outside of the course.  Just as I got into position the gun went off and it was a mass of flailing arms and kicking legs looking like a school of piranha at feeding time. The race had begun.

I stayed to the outside and started pacing myself for the distance.  I had swum much farther than this distance several times in the last few weeks so I knew I could do it, but I had to keep myself in check.  I wanted to go fast and get it done, but I knew if I pushed too hard I would pay for it on the bike and the run.  I was getting into a nice rhythm, catching the person’s draft in front of me when I got kicked in the face.  They knocked my goggles of and I had salt water in my eyes.  I stopped to wipe my eyes and put my goggles back on.  At the same time I assessed where I was and saw that I was heading too far out, away from the buoys.  I quickly got back to the task at hand.  I attacked a bit harder, looking for a draft, but leery of another kick to the face.

Fortunately I did find another swimmer going at the right pace.  I locked onto their feet and let them pull me around the course.  Before I knew it we were making the turn at the halfway point and heading back towards the beach.  I had found a strong swimmer who followed a good line and managed to steer us away from the other groups of swimmers.  I noticed that someone had latched onto my wake shortly after the turn and I pulled them into shore as the athlete in front of me was pulling me. Almost before I knew it we were back to shore and heading out of the water.  As usual when transitioning from the water to the land it took me a moment or to to get my legs back under me.  I always felt very heavy when I first came out of the water and it takes me several steps before I’m steady on my feet.  This was all the guy in front of me needed to pull away.  I had wanted to thank him for the pull but he was gone before I could.

As I ran into transition I mentally went through my checklist of what I needed to do In order to head out on the bike.  I had been practicing my transition to get it down to a science.  I had my cap and goggles in hand as I reached my rack and they quickly went into the 5 gallon bucket.  I then sat on the edge of the bucket, dried my feet and took the time to put on my socks and cycling shoes.

I was being fast but efficient in the transition.  I had a plan and I had to stick to it.  Included in the plan was making sure that I was hydrated and fueled for the entire race.  This meant I needed to take the extra seconds to eat and drink now while it was still early so I wouldn’t pay for it later.  I also put on my Garmin so I could track distance and splits. I added my hat, sunglasses and race belt and I was ready to go.  I grabbed my bike and headed towards the mount line and the exit of the transition area.

There were other athletes also heading towards the mount line pushing their bikes and it was a bit confusing right around the line.  I crossed the line and tried to do a running start to mount my bike as I watched others do.  Now its not a good idea to try too many new things on race day as there is usually some type of a learning curve.  This maneuver is one of those things.  Just as I planted my left foot to try and spring onto my bike, the cleat slipped and I ended up falling.  No harm except I was embarrassed and almost got run over by the guy behind me.  I quickly got back up, mounted from a standing start, clipped in and off I went, face red and heart beating too fast from the adrenaline of embarrassment.

Having pre-ridden the bike course earlier in the week I pretty much knew what to expect except the winds today weren’t as strong or gusty as they had been.  It was nice that I wasn’t having to fight to keep going straight.  I knew I would lose some positions as I climbed up to Hawi and the turn around point.  I was keeping within my limits as far as riding ability, going by feel more than anything.  I was also being faithful to my fueling and fluid plan as I had a reminder set to go off every half and hour for me to eat and drink and every time it went off I was eating and drinking.  Looking at my Garmin at the turnaround I noticed that I had been biking for 3 hours and 32 minutes.  Not a bad time for the halfway point of the bike.  If I could keep up the pace, then I would finish the bike right around 7 hours. Add that to my swim of just over an hour and I would have over 8 hours to finish the run.  I was feeling good.

AS I shifted into a higher gear for the descent down from Hawi I noticed that I was having trouble getting into my highest gear. Seems my spill at the beginning of the leg had done some damage and bent my derailleur in.  I played with the shifter a few times trying to get it to shift into my highest gear but it just wouldn’t go.  I knew I was losing time and ground by not having this gear so I made the decision to pull off and see if I could do anything with it.  I signaled I was stopping and pulled to the right.  I quickly stopped and dismounted.  I looked and didn’t see anything wrong so I just pulled on the derailleur to try and bring it out enough to shift, but I was being careful to not pull it too hard where I would be dropping the chain.  I jumped back on the bike and pedaled off hoping it had worked.

I shifted down and then back up and it finally did shift into the highest gear.  I got low on the bars into my most aero position and just pedaled trying to make up a little of the time I had lost.  Would it make much of a difference in my overall time?  Probably not, but it was more to keep my head in the game.  The committee was starting to warm up as I was starting to feel the effort on the bike and they were telling me to slow down, take it easy.  I had lots of time.  I just kept on it and even tried to pick up may cadence a bit.  Looking at my Garmin I was blasting along at 23.5 mph on the mostly flat course.  I knew this was good for a short bit, but was unsustainable in the long run.  After about 10 minutes I eased back to 22 mph and it almost felt like I was coasting.

I neared the 9^th of the 11 aid stations on the bike route and realized it was time to eat and drink.  The problem was I couldn’t face another Gu gel.  I had been having one every half and hour on the bike and the thought of another turned my stomach.  I decided it made sense to stop in the aid station and see what else that had.  Fortunately they had bananas and  Bonk breaker bars which I decided to try.  I only ate half of a banana and half of a bar and drank some water.  I also decided I should use the restroom.  It had been hours since the start and I did have to go.  Fortunately there was no line and I was in and out feeling greatly relieved.  The fact that I had to go I thought was a good sign that my hydration and fueling was working.

I got back on my bike and into the home stretch of the bike course.  Only 20 or so mile to go and then it was time for the run.  As I finished up the bike and entered Transition for the second time, I noticed on my Garmin that I had done the bike in 6 hours and 49 minutes.  That was a good time for me and left me lots of time for the run if I needed it.  My T2 transition went off with out a hitch and it was with a surge of energy that I ran out through the cheering crowds in town before heading out onto Ali’I drive.  My plan was to do a 5 minute run one minute walk pattern until I had to reduce to 3 to 1 and then to 1 to 1 if necessary.  My complete failure on the run back in Texas was haunting me as I went through the first couple of walk/run cycles.  I was now out of town and the crowds were pretty much gone.  The committee in my head started talking it up.

They were pretty quiet at first, but as I got out onto Ali’i drive and there were other athletes running by me every time I slowed to walk, they started trying to goad me on and to break from my plan.  I knew it was a good plan and that if I stuck to it I would be successful, but in the quiet of my mind, the committee started getting traction.  I started to doubt myself and started trying to push beyond the 5 to 1 run to walk ratio. I quickly got a hold of myself talked myself through the plan.  It was a solid plan. It would work, I just had to see it through.

To keep the committee quiet I started trying to think of other things than the task at hand.  I thought about Linda and how I was really doing this in support of her fight.  I thought about all of the good people who helped me to get to this moment and I was momentarily overcome be emotion.  I even stumbled in my running as the wave of gratitude and appreciation washed over me.  Those two thoughts helped to restore my resolve to see this through strong, to follow the plan and just get it done.

By this point I was already past mile 18 of the run.  It had worked.  I had pushed to and through the usual wall and now it was all downhill.  Just over 8 miles to go and I knew I could do it.  I still felt OK, but realized that I was on the verge of cramping. Thinking back I realized that I hadn’t had anything to eat or drink since I started the run.  I wasn’t following the whole plan.  Fortunately there was an aid station just ahead and I run to it and got my hands on another banana and 2 Gu.  I forced myself to eat it all and to wash it down with a glass of water and some chicken broth.

I walked out of the aid station with a banana and another cup of broth in my hand.  I slowly ate and drank this over the next mile and I started to feel better.  I was back to a point where running at least for short stretches, was again possible.  I passed mile 20 maintaining a 2 to 1 run to walk ratio and I actually started to feel better.  The nutrients and minerals were getting into my system and recharging me at least a bit.  I knew better than to push any harder, though.

At the aid station at mile 23 I again had some broth and a couple of Gu.  I had to force it down but I knew I needed it to finish strong. Then all I had was a 5k left to the finish line.  I was now reentering town and the crowds were still there and were still cheering just as loudly as before.  They helped to reenergize me as well and I actually picked up my pace.  I was determined to run the rest of the way to the finish, even if it was a slow jog.  I passed the marker for 26 miles and was in the finish stretch.  There, ahead was the finish line.  Just beyond I saw a sight that took my breath away.  Linda was there in a wheel chair with the folks from FitBit.  I ran for all I was worth to the line and into her arms.  I was just so over come with emotion as I crossed the line I heard the announcer say Anthony Franklin, you are an Ironman. 

Tears were streaming down my face as the emotions washed over me.  Linda was crying I was crying the FitBit folks were congratulating me.  It was amazing.  The tired ness I had felt just minutes before was gone.  We cleared out of the finish area and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.  Several of the news crews who had interviewed me the day before wanted to get a few words now as well.  At first I was reluctant, but then I realized I had to share this achievement with the world. I talked for a few minutes, about what I don’t remember.  I don’t even know if I was even coherent.  We then headed back to the hotel for Linda to rest and for me to eat and rest as well.

I had done it.

I am an IRONMAN.