It all depends whose shoes you're standing in....

Last week we were looking at point of view in one of our seminars. As I was working on the assignment at the weekend, it got me thinking. What would it be like if you could see something from someone else's point of view? I don't just mean from what you imagine their perspective to be, but what they actually think.


It would be an interesting superpower - just think of all the things you could do with it! OK, you can stop thinking now..... There would inevitably be people who would use it for less than honourable purposes. There's a big difference between wanting to find out if someone you're attracted to is interested in you and using this 'overheard' information to reinvent yourself as a criminal mastermind.

As a writer, you are in the unique position to know exactly what all your characters think about a given situation. I'd never turned a scene around before and written it from a different character's viewpoint. It was fascinating what changed; tiny things took on new meaning when seen through someone else's eyes. I had fun with the scene, looking for ways I could play with the meaning. It made me realise how much of everyday life is open to interpretation. Each of us makes our own interpretation of everything we experience. Perhaps it's good to step into someone else's shoes once in a while......