By The prompt for this week was to write in 2nd person. While this was a difficult prompt, there were some fantastic pieces. My favorite might be the one where a club member wrote a choose your own adventure that needed crowd participation. Top tier writing and presentation.
Second person generally serves one of two purposes: in nonfiction, it instructs; in fiction, it immerses.
–Spectrum.ccs.ucsb.edu
If you are not familiar with the different POVs, here is a crash course:
- 1st Person: In first person point of view, the narrator is in the story and telling the events he or she is personally experiencing. The simplest way to understand first person is that the narrative will use first-person pronouns, like I, me, and my.
- 2nd Person: In this point of view, the narrator relates the experiences using second person pronouns, like you and your. Thus, you become the protagonist, you carry the plot, and your fate determines the story.
- 3rd Person: In third person narration, the narrator is outside of the story and relating the experiences of a character. The central character is not the narrator. In fact, the narrator is not present in the story at all. The simplest way to understand third person narration is that it uses third-person pronouns, like he/she, his/hers, and they/theirs. (Source thewritepractice.com)
My current work-in-progress is written in 3rd person limited with dual perspectives. I don’t actually write in first person that often and I should probably fix that just to expand my writing ability. Anyway, I’d love to know what POV you prefer to read and write in.
Climb
Desire pushes you despite your exhaustion. The summit is in sight, mocking you after the false summit. Turn around time is nearing but you can do this. You can scramble up this mountain in this thin air. Snow reflects the sun’s brightness, slipping under the edge of your sun glasses, blinding you.
Yet hours ago you welcomed its light. Having started this climb in the dark, you appreciated being able to put away your headlamp. Its limited range had made the world seem small and the dark outside the beam full of invisible monsters. You had cursed the clouds as well, the ones that kept you cold even as the sun rose but now it is nearly noon. The night is gone, as are the clouds and the summit is nearly beneath your feet.
Climb. One step. One more.
Small flags in a multitude of colors wave before you. Are they real? A mirage? You stumble on a protruding rock in exhaustion, catch yourself on the packed snow and the wind slaps a wall of colorful fabric into your face. Real. They. Are. Real. You made it! The summit is beneath your feet and the world spreads out before you. Greens, browns, blues all sparkling with snow.The view alone was worth it.
At your feet is an old metal lunch box. The handle tied to the flag pole with a multitude of rainbow paracord. Opening it you smile, the summit logbook. Proof to the future summiters that you were here. With a tired hand you add your name and the date in blue ink. Your name is the first one today. Closing the box and clicking the clasp you stand for one last quiet breath, one last look at the fantastic view.
Time to climb down.
Back through the blinding snow and rocks. Back to the well trod path, past the people that started later than you and into the cool shade of the treeline. Taking nothing but the memories of the beauty and the knowledge of what you can accomplish with you.
2nd Person Book
There aren’t a ton of fiction books written in 2nd person. This is one of the only books that I have read at all that is written in 2nd person. I picked this book up used in Ireland and yeah, trigger warning for SA if you read this book.
If you want to read my review, check it out here.
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McGee Travel Tales 