ways_back_room | (no subject)

Because writing, when in a narrative style, is always written in past tense. I think this is to give the illusion that the narrator is indeed telling the story and that this story happened in the past, to make it possible for the narrator to know the story.

I try to use present, because I think that's conventional wisdom. Also, I see everything in the bar happening RIGHT NOW, so yeah. Present tense. Future is just too bloody awkward. I probably have more to say on this when I'm not so tired and an emotional train wreck.

Nothing psychological about it: when I joined I read a lot of the back posts and most were written in present tense. So it seemed to be the way things were done here from a stylistic perspective.

Present tense - because it is happening right now as I write it, isn't it?

Present tense, for the same reason as the others - it's what's currently going on.

For that matter, we only have one poster (

cantstophere) who posts in first person, and nobody who posts in second (though that latter has good and sound logistical reasons behind it, unless we get Jamie Conway in here sometime).

Well, that's just because of my channelling theory . . . we see what happens and what is said in our mind's view and we relay it to the others.

I think the main reason behind not using first person, is b/c it's rather awkward to write things such as "I walk over to the bar to get a drink and sit and talk to [character x]."

It's easier to say: Van Helsing walked over...

Also - there are diff styles for diff characters...

ie: Faith-mun writes for Faith like this:

*gets a drink, goes to a table*

Hey, what's up?

But, I write VH and such like this:

He gets a drink and goes to a table. "Morning. How are you?"

Just depends on the style of the mun I s'pose.

Present tense, because it's happening right now.

--

watch_wait

All the present-tense people have sekrit pasts (or presents) involving D&D; all the past-tense people were writers first.

And some are both. *ghostly noises*

Future tense would be interesting. *is tempted to try a post like that now*

:O

*has never played D&D, likes to write, and uses present tense*

Well of course you're not admitting it. It's a SEKRIT.

... even from me? Dammit, why don't I tell me these things!

It's your inner rogue/sorceror multiclass with a troubled and shrouded past. Teh darkness of ur soul iz 2 prevasive~~11on3!

Present tense: the act of writing an action causes that action to occur.

At least that's my theory.

But I don't really think the tense matters. All times coexist, you see. Moreso at Milliways than in real life, and that fact justifies our abundant use of Millitime.

*grin*

Game started using dialogue, action tags became necessary, action tag default is present tense since it's used in conversation & scripts. And the majority of players being on roughly the same page, style/tense-wise, makes processing easier.

I usually prefer present tense for roleplaying.

Because we're at now now. Everything that's happening now is happening now.

*nods*

In writing, I often use past tense, and sometimes use present tense, depending on the effect I want. But RPing is always a portrayal of the moment, and the desired effect is not to show a narrative of something that has already happened. It's to immerse oneself in something ongoing, in which no one knows exactly what will happen next, including the writers.

Batya, you bring teh funny to my day.

...Does this mean we're all secretly watching MILLIWAYS: The Movie?

::runs off giggling madly at the Spaceballs reference::

I use past tense most of the time when writing (aside from one or two experimental stabs at present tense). But I use present tense in Milliways. Because what's happening now is...well, happening now.

Future tense is practically impossible with narration. David Gerrold Shows why it's almost impossible to tell a story in future tense in his book on writing science-fiction, Worlds of Wonder:

"Max will fail, of course. He has no chance against a creature that has no central brain structure. He will discover the hard way that drelgors are amorphous carnivores--like a giant stomach turned inside out.

"Max will fall backward into the interior of the ship; hull security will be breached--he'll scramble downward to the engineering level and grab the fire extinguisher. Maybe he'll be able to freeze the creature with liquid CO2.

"But he won't have enough! And the drelgor will come bulging down through the open hatch, hungry and slobbering, dripping and drooling with anticipation. The smell will be horrible."

See why it doesn't work? The tense tells you that all this is in the future, but that it HAS to happen. So much for suspense and conflict.

Roleplaying in the future tense wouldn't work for another reason: it would be godmodding. "Faith throws a punch at Michael" is very different from "Faith will punch Michael in the left temple, and the punch will connect. He will collapse and he will suffer a terrible concussion, which will teach him that it is wiser not to mess with Milliways security."

No. Just...no.

Future tense works for things like writing about things anticipated and/or feared, or for prophecies. But most of the time, it just isn't a very useful tense.

On both counts - exactly.

I try and always use present tense, as I agree with everyone who says that it just makes sense, as the action is occuring at the moment. However, I am a writer at heart, I have been a writer since I learned the english language, and I do occasionally switch tenses.

Sometimes in the middle of the post.

However, I've also noticed that how I write is affected by who I'm rp-ing with. If the person I'm working with uses past, I tend to reflect that... because it makes for better continuity.

Also... the different ways people address action has amused me endlessly. As was previously stated, I am a writer, and so LC tends to get very precise, very verbose actions... ~~especially during pr0n~~. However, when people use AIM style action tags, it amuses me... because then I feel like I'm in a giant multi-dimensional chat room.

And those are fun.

If you'll note, Snow's entrance post last night was written in the cannonical Milliways tense.

"I'm writing now. Everything that is happening now, is happening now."
What happened to then?
"We missed it."
When?
"Just now."
When will then be now?
"Soon."

Karen, you're late to the party. Batya already made that joke.

*kicks ground*
*mutters*