Here's why I use and like first-person present.
The obvious is that I keep the reader focued on one POV character and the events happen in chronological order.
The fun part (for me) is that the MC doesn't always voice what he's thinking, so the internal monologue and the dialogue blend together, which can depict emotion effectively.
1st-present plays to my strengths, which is to let the scene flow and let the number of descriptive words set the pace of the action. 1st-present also spares me from my weak areas. I don't like to spend much time on setting, so the only time the MC really narrates setting is when he's in a strange or new environment. I find it a fun and natural way to write. In action scenes, I especially love writing in things like time-slow effects from adrenaline rushes or discovering a friend has fallen during the confusion of battle.
The tricky part for me is NOT slipping into past. I've developed the preference for present at this stage. What IS tricky though is word order. You can't simply change the verbs. Cause and effect have to be written with care. If someone bursts into a room unexpectedly, first the door opens (or wall breaks down if it's Superman, the Hulk, Abobo, etc.) THEN you see who came in.
If you picture the action in your head as you write, this error can be avoided... but I still slip up here. (See my Showcase entry for evidence.)
The obvious is that I keep the reader focued on one POV character and the events happen in chronological order.
The fun part (for me) is that the MC doesn't always voice what he's thinking, so the internal monologue and the dialogue blend together, which can depict emotion effectively.
1st-present plays to my strengths, which is to let the scene flow and let the number of descriptive words set the pace of the action. 1st-present also spares me from my weak areas. I don't like to spend much time on setting, so the only time the MC really narrates setting is when he's in a strange or new environment. I find it a fun and natural way to write. In action scenes, I especially love writing in things like time-slow effects from adrenaline rushes or discovering a friend has fallen during the confusion of battle.
The tricky part for me is NOT slipping into past. I've developed the preference for present at this stage. What IS tricky though is word order. You can't simply change the verbs. Cause and effect have to be written with care. If someone bursts into a room unexpectedly, first the door opens (or wall breaks down if it's Superman, the Hulk, Abobo, etc.) THEN you see who came in.
If you picture the action in your head as you write, this error can be avoided... but I still slip up here. (See my Showcase entry for evidence.)