I'm no puppet, but...

I’ve always been a bit in awe of puppeteers.

I know it’s become a bit analogue and ho hum for many, but the skill, concentration and hours of practice to learn how to pull what string -- or strings -- in what way to bring their puppets to life still impresses me.

Working on this second draft of my Australian historical fiction novel - The Catalina, has got me feeling like I'm the puppet, and the puppeteer is pulling all the wrong strings. And well, at times it feels like I've lost my way.

That’s the week I’ve had.

Why?

Well, over the last eighteen months, completing several creative writing courses, I discovered my preferred style of writing is to put the reader right into every moment of the story as it happens, by having the main characters share what they're thinking, feeling, doing, seeing in real time.

And that's how I decided to write my entire 130,000 word first draft. It's referred to as first-person point-of-view present tense.

So what you might ask.

What I was told by a writing buddy this week was I should have written it in past tense.

I was gutted and felt the energy drain from my body.

Oh well (sigh). But I keep telling myself, if this was easy, everyone would have a book published.

I’m still waiting on some guidance from one of my favourite tutors from the Australian Writers’ Centre and advice from the Historical Novel Society Australiasia.

I think I know what their advice will be, because when I checked back through all the historical fiction novels I’ve read over many years, damn it, they’re all in past tense.

The Catalina and its characters have and continue to develop and it’s a story worth sharing. But why did I originally decide to write my novel in present tense and what did the 'experts' advise me to do?

I will let you know in my next post.