CLIMB A HILL

OR RIDE A 

FERRIS WHEEL

View things from a new perspective, and afterwards:

Choose a section from your novel to write or re-write from this expanded viewpoint. What can you zoom out to include? For example, a scene of two people dining in a restaurant might move first to the other diners, then to the restaurant kitchen, then the adjoining street, and out to the neighbourhood and surrounding area, ad infinitum. What’s happening in each of these places? What do they tell you about the world of your novel? That street, for example, might be almost empty, or full of luxury cars your protagonist can only dream of owning, or of old bangers and your protagonist has rolled up in a show-stopping sports car. There might be a burglary taking place, or a proposal – or a murder.

Experiment with zooming in on different moments in the novel. What do you see? <<CLICK TO TWEET>>

That same restaurant scene might reveal the stain on her blouse your protagonist is trying to hide, the poster in the men’s  room, the carefully chosen wine glasses or carelessly stacked chairs. Or, by zooming in, you might find yourself inspired to allow the colour of the walls to seep into the scene – creating a powerful emotional charge.

It’s easy to stay in one fairly safe descriptive mode throughout your novel.  Experimenting with perspective can help you develop an interesting and distinctive style. You might not directly use all of this material, but by both opening out and focusing in on key parts of your novel, you will certainly spark some fresh ideas.

This is an extract from innovative writing aid '52 Dates for Writers'.

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