Unconventional Structures: Experiment with unconventional narrative structures, such as nonlinear timelines, multiple perspectives, or fragmented storytelling. This can captivate readers with fresh storytelling approaches.  Novels like Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell weave together six distinct but interconnected stories, spanning different time periods and genres. Each narrative is presented in a unique style and voice, creating a complex and layered reading experience.  Whereas The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner employs multiple perspectives, each represented by a different character, to tell the story of the Compson family. The narrative is intentionally fragmented, offering varying and sometimes contradictory views of events.

Interdisciplinary Influences: Draw inspiration from other fields or disciplines, such as science, art, history, or philosophy, and integrate these insights into your writing to offer a unique perspective.  This is highly used in SFF novels.  Neuromancer by William Gibson is a groundbreaking science fiction novel drawing heavily from his background in counterculture and the world of technology. The book introduced the concept of “cyberspace” and is considered a cornerstone of the cyberpunk genre, reflecting interdisciplinary influences from computer science, sociology, and futurism.  Also, my upcoming novel Drayton’s Discoveries by JL Nich gives a new perspective of future scientific transportation via man-made wormhole passageways and newly discovered raw energy sources that change the galaxy born from my scientific studies in Physics and Botany.   

Local and Niche Expertise, Cultural Sensitivity, and Personal Experiences are methods that leverage creating specific and insightful content with unique perspectives and authenticity.  I still remember the imagery and cultural differences I read when I picked up The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini an Afghan-American author and physician, who drew on his personal experiences and cultural sensitivity to craft an emotionally powerful novel. Delving into the complexities of friendship, betrayal, and redemption in the context of Afghanistan’s history, culture, and politics was eye-opening and yet understandable.

Or maybe you want to try Genre Fusion, Experimental Writing, or Mash-Up Concepts to create concepts or ideas of something entirely new?  Perhaps blended storytelling of mixed genres like the novel Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman who is known for blending fantasy, urban mythology, and dark fantasy elements into his works.  This technique always reminds me of the movie Cowboys and Aliens produced by Jon Favreau, an obvious fusion of genres of Western and fantasy.

Innovative Formats or Collaboration are used more often these days and can be quite compelling. Epistolary novels (written as a series of letters), and chat logs, engage readers in new and intriguing ways.  The novel The Illuminae Files series by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff is an adult science fiction series, consisting of books like Illuminae and Gemina, and stands out for its innovative format. The story is told through a combination of emails, interviews, surveillance reports, and other documents, creating a unique and immersive reading experience bringing this epistolary style of writing to life.