Anyone know of any examples of flashbacks in the second person self referential present tense?

Hello, Geoff. I have no idea, I'm afraid. I just thought it was sad that you'd asked this serious question ages ago and have had no replies. So I wanted to come and say hello and apologise on behalf of myself and all the other sad WWers who have read your question in a haze of alcoholic over-indulgence over the festive period, said to themselves, 'Urg, do what? That all sounds a bit complicated' and gone away again to discuss Christmas TV in the Lounge.



Rosy

<Added>

Ask us again when we're sober!

Yes, I know what you mean, but no, I can't think of any. I suspect if there are, then they're short enough that I don't have them tagged as such in my mental database, if you see what I mean.

Emma

Hi Rosy and Emma,

I didn't expect too many replies to this one.

If my memory serves me Diary by Chuck Palahniuk is largely written in this way or something similar to it by I'll be the first to admit it's not something that's often used.

I'm not too sure what you're meaning, but it sounds like when you share dream experiences, or common life experiences and start talking in second person, present tense: "you start running, but you're going really slow" - or "They tie the bungee cord to your shoelaces then chuck you over the edge."

Can't link what you're asking to the thread title.

Have to admit I took a look at this one a few days back and thought - I'll come back to this

No this is really vague but I'm thinking Neil Gaiman - Sandman - the Inn at the World's End - the MC has a car crash and everything goes slo mo and surreal on him at the beginning of the story - it would be Sandman - World's End but I don't have my copy to hand to check.

Help - anyone?

I also have an idea Steph Swainston may use it somewhere for Jant Shira in the Year of our war/ no present like time/ the modern world series but can't be certain.

I think Emma is probably right - for the technique to work it has to be 'invisible seam' which makes it difficult to pinpoint?

Sarah

Something like this

"Moving aside, you realise how little space there is as she steps into the doorway, how little space there is between you and her. Occupied by this useless piece of information you’re struck dumb as she looks up, the briefest of smiles flashing across her face, before turning away. If ever there was a time, this is it, but what to do with it you have no idea. And now you find yourself wanting the bus to appear just as much as she does. Still in your mind you’re searching for a way into conversation, but how you make that work is beyond you. How you strike up a conversation in a dark doorway on a cold and wet night, how you turn that into something more, more than a random meet, more than fleeting conversation is not something you know how to do. And maybe right now is not the right time to practice. And maybe you don’t want to find out right here and now how you could make it work. At least that’s what you tell yourself anyway. That’s how you remember it. And so, maybe to say something would be bad, would be worse than not saying anything at all."

essentially a flashback in the present tense, second person with the character referring to himself as 'you'. The title comes from the fact that writing a flashback in the present tense and then complicating with second person my trip the reader.

It's a lovely read, but I can see how it could trip the reader, but i can sort of see why you want to use it too. i'm not even published like these experts, but is the rest of the book in the first person? Could you go back to that? I have all the authority of having just read a big old book by Sol Stein and I just remember him saying how tricky it was to do flashbacks well. Maybe keeping the person the same as the rest of the txt might help.
Sorry, i'm sure you've thought of this already.