This might sound like a stupid question, but I have always written story's in the present tense, for example: 'The ship jolts as it settles on its landing legs, the engine humming as it winds down'.
With my novel, I am trying to write it in the past tense, but because I have always written in present tense, I am having some trouble.
There is a sentence in my novel that reads:
“These beds are too small” she complained, shifting her position again.
Is that acceptable? to say 'shifting' after she 'complained'? or should I say:
“These beds are too small” she complained, and shifted her position again.
Another example is:
One moment she was lying on her side, her wings folded behind her. The next, she was lying on her back, one wing hanging over the side of the bed, the other creeping up the wall.
Should I say 'hung' and 'crept up the wall' instead?
Any advice would be helpful
The first two I can understand the latter is correct, but with this example:
Raven continued to stare up at the stone ceiling, studying the fine details.
I feel like it explains that when she was staring up at the ceiling, she was studying the fine detail as she did, so I feel its fine. Am I correct?