I am currently working on a textbook chapter with another author. The editors have asked us to use personal examples and experiences with the information and write in first person, but I am struggling with how to do this when there are two authors. I was provided with an example, but it only had a single author. Does anyone have a suggestion or example of how this should be done? Any experience with this?
Karyn Warren My colleague Marit Hartviksen and me have written a book together about cooperation, conflict, guidance and development work. One of the many subjects in the book is about the important first person perspective. Because of this point we found out we also had to write in the first person perspective. The way we solved this was by being clear in the foreword of the book. We wrote that the first person perspective sometimes is Marit, sometimes is Kjartan and sometimes is both of us. It worked very well. If there was important key elements that needed to be traceable to one of us we put out name in parenthesis (Marit/Kjartan). We only needed to do this twice in our 300 page book.
Kjartan Skogly Kversøy did you ever refer to your colleague, and if so, was it by first name? For example, I am telling about a situation that involved both of us using my first-person perspective and I referred to her as Megan.
Karyn Warren If we were both in the story and the «I» needed to refer to the other person, we used each others first names. We felt the need to do this both ways or else we felt the reader would indetify the «I» with the ones name that was not mentioned. In hindsight it all felt less important. We both got credit from our readers and students. In the writing moment it felt like a big issue. The book we wrote: «Cooperation and Conflict - to sides of the same challenge. Original Norwegian title: Samarbeid og konflikt - to sider av samme sak»; has been a wonderful success for us.
You could use "we" or even "I (KW)" and your coauthor uses her/his initials
Dear Karyn,
In a multi-author book as simple indicated in particular places the roles of particular authors. For example, the first co-author put attention at.... The second co-author despite been very experienced in .....was surprised by .... etc.
Chapterwise division of book writing needs specializations , two or more .
You could write in the third person and say something to the effect that "one of the authors had the experience that......."
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