Writing Outside the Box

If you didn't make it to the Astronomicon this past weekend, you missed out on a great conference. I spoke to many of the attending authors, who were cordial and accommodating. Although at one point there was a misunderstanding (during the cross-gender discussion panel), a point was made to think outside the box when writing.

If you traditionally write from a heterosexual's POV, try choosing a homosexual POV. If most of your characters are in their thirties or forties, think what someone eighty or ninety might do or say when put in a similar situation (such as a being exposed to a new romance, landing on a new planet, solving a murder.) If you are white, try writing from the POV of someone who is Asian-American.

Or juice up your plot. Maybe a detective isn't trying to find a murderer, but trying to hide one. Maybe the sweet old aunt acts like she wants her nephew to find the love of his life, but instead thwarts his attempts because she is afraid a romance in his life will harm his acting career. Or maybe the leader of the mob has hired a hitman to go after himself because he's miserable but too cowardly to commit suicide. Think opposites.

What can you do to change things up, to help you see things in a different light, maybe get out of a rut? Think outside the box. See where you mind can go once it's been freed.