So does my ass.  And my back.  Because I have spent too many hours in the last umpteen days sitting in front of my laptop working.  And I wish I could say I was creating amazing and interesting new worlds to capture someone’s imagination and take them away from reality.  Alas.  I am firmly rooted in reality at the moment.

And just on the other side of a very oddly patterned curtain there is even a beach with rolling waves calling my name.  But I am camped out on a disturbingly firm bed (which heightens the prison analogy in my fogged little mind) working away.

(And look.  I actually got it to load a photo.  I am so excited.  Can’t you tell?)

Such is real life.  So, next time you want to complain about how long that author you love who still has a full-time job is taking getting out their next book, remember this feeling.  (Because I know you’ve all been there yourselves.)

And, because this is a writing blog, and I do owe you something for listening to me complain, here is Dr. Doyle with excellent advice:  Peeve of the Day 5.

The long and short of it – if you’re writing in the past tense and writing about something that happened before the time in your story (so, let’s say you’re story is set in 1982 and you talk about events from 1981) you can use “had” and “have.”

She actually knows the name of the tense.  I just know that’s how it works.

No pretzel-like twisting to avoid the words is needed.  Own them.  Love them.  But use them properly.

(And if you don’t know how to use them properly then get out there and READ.  Lots.  But avoid the weirdos who think you can’t use that tense in your writing.)