The ficlet in its original first person perspective. Read the read the other versions (second person and third person) and tell me which one you prefer.
I am Svana, daughter of Jorge and Heidi, sister to Sassa, mother and wife to none.
There is a burning desire in my heart for I know not what. By night I am tantalised by fragments of dreams that are more than dreams, by day I bury myself in trivialities and know that I am meant for more than this, more than my relationships, more than my work and the knowledge drives me mad.
Who, what, why am I? The key to it all resides within the fragmented narratives of my dreaming, I know this like I know I have a purpose beyond my everyday humdrum. I know it with an absolute certainty that sits in my heart like a stone, strengthening me even as it weighs me down. But the dreams that border painfully on memory find no meaning within the meagre wealth of my existence, beyond the literal confusion of historical fact and scientific fantasy. And so I wait, I wait for some clue, some sign to unlock the mystery that is I.
I am Svana, daughter of Jorge and Heidi, sister to Sassa, mother and wife to none and I am waiting.
Very ambitious to write three versions at once. I like the feel of the first person version, but third person is close behind.
Thanks Tim. I actually stopped writing the first and second person versions at Page 4, having settled on third. It was a bit of a challenge to do all three at once but not as hard as you might think and was actually kinda fun. It’s amazing how much, and how little, different pronouns can effect an existing piece of writing.
Why don’t you give it a try with one of your own pieces some time, say as a mini-challenge/writing exercise?