This roundup of novels not told from the main character's point of view got me thinking. We are all, individually, the main character in our own lives. We are not, however, the main character in life.
In writing workshops, I task student writers with crafting a one- or two-pager from an opposite point of view to their own.
For op-eds, that means arguing persuasively for an opinion you disagree with. For memoirs, that means telling the story "as" the antagonist.
For narratives, try a side character or shift point of view.
And so on.
It's still the best technique I know to acquire deep understanding of and respect for beliefs, points of view, and worldviews we don't share.
Nothing is one-sided.
If we attempt to tell our story slant, i.e. from another's possible point of view, how much richer might our writing be?
