Changing Your Perspective

​I've been stuck on a not-a-scene for my novel. The overall story is written, and I'm in the midst of rewrites. This particular chapter, however, feels very thin. It does exactly what it's supposed to and little else. I wanted to explore it a bit more...to up the tension and flesh out the creepiness.

The characters are the ghost of a bitter old woman who wants the family gone from her house, and a hippie mom who recently moved in and who doesn't sense the spirit. What makes it a not-a-scene is the fact that they don't interact in any meaningful way. The monster in the house is largely impotent and the human is simply oblivious.

As it is written, the mom goes about her day, tired from the move, frustrated with her pre-teen daughter, and wanting some time alone. And she has no idea that her alone time is anything but.

So I got to thinking...let's explore this from the perspective of the ghost. One hundred percent, write it from her point of view. Explore her hatred for the mom. Why does she want this woman and her family out of her house so bad? How frustrating must it be to be doing the Beetlejuice thing and not only not succeeding in scaring the person away, but for the victim of her taunts to simply carry on as if the ghost weren't there.

Feeling invisible.

That's something just about anyone can relate to.

Although what the grew out of this exercise is largely the ghost's internal monologue, the not-a-scene became a scene rich with emotion and, more importantly, intent. When written from the human's perspective, it was funny, and maybe a little silly, and perhaps a little redundant for the story had already established that the mom doesn't perceive ghosts...with no intention behind the mom's largely routine actions that moves the story forward.  But written from the ghost's perspective, it became full of emotion--hatred, jealously, rage, fear, and fascination--as she tries to manifest, but can't. As she tries to conjure poltergeist activity. But can't. As her after-life world is rocked and all she can do is throw herself a temper tantrum that does little to make her feel any better.

Not thin at all.

If you feel a scene of yours is a little off, or maybe you don't know how to even begin approaching it, try a different perspective and see what inspirations come.