No Time Like the Present...

Have you toiled with the idea of stepping out of the box, and into a new style of writing? There's no time like the present, nor is there a style quite like it!

When I consider writing in the present tense, Ann Voskamp comes to mind. Few have grasped the skill as well as she has, time and time again:

Socks hurl across the kitchen, a hail of chaos splintering morning routine and order. Thunked in the back of head, I spin from sink and into the face of a grinning twelve-year-old. I am set to return with volley of words about maturity and setting an example and simply folding laundry instead of rocking the boat. His younger brothers are already whipping back knitted wools with mismatched sweatsocks. And then one of the statutes of the Geneva Convention of Motherhood flashes across my interior screen: Ignore negative attention-seeking behavior so as not affirm it. ---Ann Voskamp, "The Parenting Pursuit," March 2008, CWO.

You've got to love Ann Voskamp. I have no doubt that this woman is destined to be a best-selling author. She's already my favorite writer of all time!

Writing in the present tense is different, and it can be difficult. It doesn't come natural to me, but I do look at it as a creative way to break out of the writing box that I often cozy up in.

The present tense illustrates action as it happens. Look at it as a narration of sorts. Imagine yourself in the scene, while speaking the narration aloud.

I was at a loss for words one Tuesday evening with my Wednesday deadline fast approaching, and so I took the opportunity to give present tense writing a shot. I just began by describing my thoughts from the evening in present tense. I enjoyed the change, and really like the way the entire piece turned out.

"What can I write, Lord?" I ask, as we make our way back toward the little red Yaris. It's my way of saying, "Fill my cup, Lord," because I know that when I try to fill it on my strength alone we get a pretty stale cup of brew. God on the other hand, offers a pure blend of inspiration that wakes us up to the truth, and moves us to drink from His word. He slides a double-double across the counter, and I taste His words, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." - Ecclesiastes 9:10, NIV. The aroma fills my thoughts while I meditate. ---Darlene Schacht, "Make This Day Count!," LWW, July 16, 2008.

Although entire novels have been written in the present tense, it is rarely done. It appears most often in short stories.

Here are three tips to keep in mind when writing in the present tense:

1. Above all else, be cautious of your verbs: ran, runs, run, etc. 2. Imagine the action happening as you are writing. 3. Use imagery to describe the scene around you. What is whizzing past your head? Can you feel it brush your ear as it flies by? You are setting the scene, so describe it well.

Next time you have writers block, give present tense a try. Or on second thought, why wait for the block, when you can write it today!