Writing in the second person

How and why to use it right

Much of the work here focuses around writing non-fiction pieces to go on the record in the public narrative, hopefully creating change and progress as it comes to exist.

But, writers gonna write and I wholeheartedly believe none of us are limited to creating in only one genre, so fiction and creative non-fiction essay enthusiasts, this is for you: Electric Literature’s post: “So you want to write in the second person” is a longer read worth your time. This excerpt, for example:

“There is no room to breathe in the second person. We do not flow in and around the character so much as hurtle along through the narrative space, the world of the story rising up to meet us like passing cars on the highway. What makes second person so challenging to write is that the author must overcome the reader’s response to this forced identification with the you of the story.”

And look, there was a time when every live lit event yielded someone wandering up to the mic to read a piece in second person and who seemed to think what they were doing was revolutionary af, and sometimes it was and usually it wasn’t but the point is that it’s okay to experiment with narrative voice for different pieces to create a certain vibe, mood or atmosphere in your piece.