Why Should a Serious Fiction Writer Use Second Person Narration?
More than a few editors see stories with second-person narration as trendy these days. You enter the church; you kneel at the altar. You stare into the downcast eyes of the statue of The Virgin, and you wonder if she’s listening. Some readers accept this without question as good, and innovative writing. Others find it irritating. Rob Spillman, Editor of Tin House, said: “I have a pet peeve against the second person that I call the second–person accusatory: ‘You are walking down the street.’ I go, ‘No, I am not walking down the street!’”[1] Spillman reflects the views of many. … Read More…