A different perspective can save your writing from the bin

It’s easy to fall into a rut without realising it. Most people find themselves in that position at one time or another.

Writing is no exception. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing fiction or copy it can creep up on you.

If you find yourself in that writing rut, it might be time to take a step back and look at it from a different perspective.

There are times when the story you’re trying to tell just doesn’t work. It might have everything going for it. A great plot. Wonderful characters. A captivating dialogue and all the elements to make it a good read. But for some reason it just doesn’t flow. It comes across as stilted and lifeless.

No matter how many times you re-write your work or fiddle about with it, nothing seems to improve it. But before you despair and throw it away in disgust, give it another chance. You don’t even have to drastically cut what you’ve already done. Simply look at it from another point of view.

Using a different character for instance.

A good story needn’t always be told through the eyes of the one you’ve decided is the principal character. Observation from a different person can allow insights into someone’s personality that might be difficult if they’re the ones telling the story. They can be in a position to see things from an outsider’s point of view. It can also be a good way of introducing menace or tension.

If you’re writing copy you probably won’t have the same options for change. But again you can write it from a different viewpoint. Take someone who you think would be the average customer for what you’re offering. Ask yourself what their lifestyle is likely to be. What sort of house would they be likely to live in, and what would be their occupation?

Create that particular person in your mind and write for them. Sometimes trying to please too many people at the same time means losing your focus. Even if you’re not in a position to do that it won’t be a waste of time. It’ll still give you a better understanding of who you’re dealing with.

Thinking from a different perspective can make all the difference to fact or fiction. Whatever you’re writing it’s never a waste. If it doesn’t work for what you’re doing now, it might well be perfect for something else later.

So think twice before you destroy it completely. You never know how much you might regret it later on!