Patty Mayeux Blog

Writing in the first-person point of view uses I pronouns versus the he, she or they of third person. The rarer second person uses the you pronoun. The reader becomes the main character, doing, saying, acting and even thinking whatever the author writes. It’s a work of fiction. It’s not about you, but the author is tricking you into delving deeper by calling YOU into the scene. The author has control over the YOU in the story. It is tricky to pull off. Imagine reading a story that begins, “You were late for work because you tripped while running through the rain to catch the bus.” It is very different from reading about someone else.

            Here is a powerful confidence exercise. Say out loud, in front of a mirror, “You are perfectly amazing exactly as you are.” It is more powerful than “I am perfectly amazing exactly as I am,” because the voice of another carries authority. Your brain will hear the voice singing your praises out loud throughout the day. Your heart will believe it. It sounds goofy but it works. Start your day with a different point of view and see what happens.