You, Me & A Bit of We – It’s Here!

Yay – I love printed books... especially ones with me in them, he he ;)

Yay – I love printed books… especially ones with me in them, he he 😉

Look what I just found in my mailbox!

Having just completed a seriously mega edit, I needed some fresh air – so thought I’d walk to my front gate and check my mailbox. I’m so happy I did… my copy of You, Me & A Bit of We was inside. Yippee!!

You, Me & A Bit of We is a literary anthology published in the UK. Celebrating writing in the first and second person, it includes my first person plural story Our Something Said.

In case you’re interested, here’s a reminder of what ‘first’ and ‘second’ person writing means:

  • first person writing is: “As I strolled towards the mailbox, I could see something big stuffed inside.”
  • second person writing is: “You ambled towards your mailbox with your eyes closed and a smile on your face, stretching as if breathing in the scents of spring.”
  • first person plural writing is: “We wondered why the girl started jumping up and down beside her mailbox, until we saw the book in her hands.”

The effect of each style on a reader can vary according to both their preferences and what they’re used to reading. If you’re interested in reading some different styles to see what you enjoy the most – this anthology is the perfect place to start. I can’t wait to get stuck into it myself, as there’s a great mix of flash fiction and longer fiction in there. Here’s the blurb:

Through a selection of flash fiction and short stories, readers are invited to discover their favourite seat in a story. Is it front row centre, in the midst of a crowd, or from a more personal vantage point? Where second person thrusts the reader into an active role, first person offers experience through the eyes of an individual or group. Although the use of first person is common, second and first person plural perspectives are relatively rare. Written by an international cast of authors, this collection includes a broad range of themes. There are tales of transition, conviction, lost love, grief, conflict, domestic strife, tragedy, second chances, and stories about letting go and moving on. There are worlds where it is rare to be sighted, skin tells a story, past lives haunt, deadly viruses and parasites threaten humanity, and death is personified. From the poignant to the fantastical, dark, witty and uplifting, each story in this anthology is original, thought provoking, and reflective of the versatility of perspective as a literary device. 

My story Our Something Said, is one of those rare stories written in first person plural and the editors describe it as:

“Absorbing and unique.”

I’m very proud of this story, which is also one of those rare stories I write about motherhood. Here’s the opening paragraph:

In all our hearts lies the fear that someday our children might be taken from us. For some of us though, it’s more of a knowledge. We live waiting for the day it will happen. We’re not sure how exactly it will happen—after all, our children are only three, four, maybe five—yet they behave so differently from others that the idea of losing them feels inevitable.

What are these mothers talking about and what’s wrong with their children? What could be so bad that they’re convinced their children will be taken away? To find out, just follow this link to grab your copy from the publishers Chuffed Buff Books. Delivery is to the UK, Australia, the States or anywhere else in the world that you desire, and my copy arrived beautifully wrapped and protected and smelling of fresh print. Hmmm… I love that fresh print smell, don’t you?

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Hey – did you know I teach creative writing?

My next creative writing workshop will be on Saturday 23 November.

If you’re in Sydney – why not pop in?

Do you want to know why aren’t editors accepting your stories? What’s the ‘secret poet’ of your narrative voice? What’s contrived or false suspense? How do you write engaging characters that will draw readers into your story? How do you find your ‘voice’? Join me on my “Writing Safari: The Big Five” workshop to discover essential tips, secret tricks & more! I’ll deconstruct, improve and stimulate the way you write… Book now!

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Zena Shapter

Zena Shapter writes from a castle in a flying city hidden by a thundercloud, reaching across age and genre into the heart of storytelling. A multi-award-winning author of speculative and contemporary fiction, she teaches writing at festivals, libraries and schools, judges various literary awards, mentors and edits other writers, and encourages everyone to value the importance of creativity. She loves movies, frogs, chocolate, and potatoes, though not at the same time!

2 Comments:

  1. Good on you, Zena! What a great hook – super intriguing.

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