Illustration by Ana Hinojosa.

When I write fiction, I can never seem to keep to one point of view. I always find myself drawn to more than one character and that makes sense to me: I am creating a world. I need more than one set of eyes, more than one set of experiences to get a full sense of that world. When I teach writing, I always ask my students to rewrite a scene from a different point of view, either taking on a different character or going to third person and seeing things from above. This allows them to gain more insight into their story and sometimes they discover a more interesting perspective that takes their short story or novel in a whole new direction.

Today I’m inviting you to try this out–and it doesn’t have to be with a piece of fiction. You can use a photo series, a poem, a comic, any creative project that you want to get a fresh take on either because you are just beginning to explore it, you are revising it, or you are stuck. Reread or reexamine the initial piece while reflecting on what new point of view you would like to take. This could mean taking on a new character or persona or looking at things from a different angle or in a different light (perhaps literally if you are working on a visual art project). With fiction, you may choose to retell a scene or continue it from this new perspective.

When you are finished, you will have a dual narrative. Send your writing or art along with your first name, last initial, age, and city/state to [email protected] with the subject line “Creative Prompt” by Monday, July 30 at 6 PM EST. Feel free to send us both pieces if you like how they stand side-by-side or just your fresh take. We look forward to seeing what you create!

Last month, we asked you to daydream your past life. Here’s what you came up with…