I recently read and thoroughly enjoyed Remarkably Bright Creatures, a novel about friendship narrated by a curmudgeonly octopus. (Trust me, it works!)
I wondered how author Shelby Van Pelt came up with such an unusual premise — then I learned that she connected the dots! She had recently watched a YouTube video about a captive octopus picking open a locked box to obtain the treat inside. So, when a writing workshop prompted her to write from an unexpected point of view, well, Marcellus was born and the bestseller list followed.
While you may not need a writing prompt to start your next novel, the concept can work in many other situations. Think of an unexpected point of view for your next gift-giving occasion, your newsletter article, or your first PowerPoint slide. It’s an easy way to trigger your creative brain and create something special.
Source: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, 2022
