Today's Treat: Going Topsy-Turvy

Today's Treat is a Friday segment dedicated to helping writers 1) treat themselves like a writer by building confidence and craft and 2) putting themselves in situations where others will treat them as a writer to build community and connections.

Today's Treat comes from "Chapter 3: Advice" of Jane Yolen's fabulous book "Take Joy: a book for writers". 

Aptly titled, this Chapter gives so many wonderful pieces of advice regarding developing one's craft and keeping it fresh.  However, the tip that stuck out the most for me was:  "Be Ready to Go Topsy-Turvy".

In this section, Jane explains that:

"Painters know that if they turn a picture upside down, the central shapes are better exposed. No longer concerned with the drawing -- is the head on straight?  Are the trees consistently green? -- what comes through is the composition itself.

Now you cannot very well turn a book upside down, or read it back to front.   But you can look at its composition differently."

She suggests changing the gender of a main character.  Or blocking out the modifiers of a certain paragraph.  Perhaps focus on all five senses when describing.  Maybe chage the point of view.

When you do this, Yolen states that we can see "anew what is on the page."

How can you go "topsy turvy" with one of your pieces this weekend?  Perhaps I will rewrite one of my manuscripts in poetry instead of prose.  :)