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   🌻 (aworldinpages@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 30-Oct-2023 22:23:49 JST 🌻

   Alright, so here's a question for grammar nerds and writers.

   We know how the first, second and third person POV works but is it okay to use "you" in third person narration here and there? I'm getting kinda confused because technically speaking, it doesn't sound right, but writing is a creative process...

   For example: "Sometimes you don't know how to begin again. How do you make a fresh start again? Mia was struggling and was nowhere close to accepting her misery."

   #help #grammar #writing

   • Embed this notice
     Albert ARIBAUD ✎ (aaribaud@mastodon.art)'s status on Monday, 30-Oct-2023 22:23:46 JST Albert ARIBAUD ✎

     in reply to

     • Mackaj

     @mackaj

     Those "you" are actually generic and just indicate tha the narrator is expressing a general statement about people. So they're not second person narration.

     @aworldinpages

   • Embed this notice
     Mackaj (mackaj@mastodon.me.uk)'s status on Monday, 30-Oct-2023 22:23:48 JST Mackaj

     in reply to

     @aworldinpages

     I'm no expert, but what feels wrong to me is the repeat use of "again" to end both sentences. It reads better without.

     Also there's a switch of context between introspection about fresh starts and Mia's troubles, so maybe start a new paragraph to separate them?

     "Sometimes you don't know how to begin again. How do you make a fresh start?

     Mia was struggling and was nowhere close to accepting her misery."

   • Embed this notice
     Albert ARIBAUD ✎ (aaribaud@mastodon.art)'s status on Monday, 30-Oct-2023 23:20:10 JST Albert ARIBAUD ✎

     in reply to

     • Mackaj

     @aworldinpages

     It's ok to use with all narrator types, although it may prove difficult with first or second person narrators.

     @mackaj

   • Embed this notice
     🌻 (aworldinpages@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 30-Oct-2023 23:20:12 JST 🌻

     in reply to

     • Albert ARIBAUD ✎
     • Mackaj

     @aaribaud Yes, exactly that. So it's okay to use them, right? I mean, I feel like it should be, and I'm pretty sure I have come across such usage a lot in fiction, but just want to be sure. @mackaj