Books I Haven't Finished Exploring Are Accumulating by My Nightstand. Is It Possible That's a Good Thing?
It's a bit uncomfortable to reveal, but here goes. Several novels sit by my bed, all only partly finished. Inside my smartphone, I'm midway through over three dozen audio novels, which looks minor next to the nearly fifty ebooks I've abandoned on my digital device. That does not account for the expanding collection of advance copies next to my coffee table, competing for endorsements, now that I am a published novelist myself.
Starting with Dogged Reading to Purposeful Abandonment
On the surface, these figures might look to corroborate contemporary thoughts about today's concentration. One novelist noted recently how easy it is to break a reader's concentration when it is fragmented by digital platforms and the constant updates. They suggested: “Maybe as readers' attention spans shift the literature will have to adapt with them.” But as someone who once would persistently finish whatever novel I started, I now regard it a individual choice to put down a book that I'm not enjoying.
The Finite Span and the Abundance of Choices
I do not believe that this habit is due to a short focus – rather more it relates to the sense of existence passing quickly. I've always been affected by the Benedictine teaching: “Keep death every day before your eyes.” A different reminder that we each have a just limited time on this world was as sobering to me as to others. And yet at what previous time in human history have we ever had such instant availability to so many mind-blowing masterpieces, at any moment we desire? A surplus of riches greets me in each library and on any digital platform, and I want to be purposeful about where I focus my attention. Might “abandoning” a story (shorthand in the publishing industry for Incomplete) be not just a sign of a poor focus, but a thoughtful one?
Choosing for Empathy and Insight
Especially at a era when publishing (and thus, commissioning) is still dominated by a particular social class and its issues. Although engaging with about people different from our own lives can help to build the muscle for empathy, we additionally choose books to reflect on our individual journeys and place in the universe. Unless the books on the racks better reflect the backgrounds, realities and issues of possible audiences, it might be extremely challenging to keep their focus.
Current Writing and Audience Engagement
Naturally, some novelists are indeed successfully creating for the “modern focus”: the tweet-length style of certain modern books, the focused pieces of different authors, and the short chapters of several modern books are all a excellent demonstration for a more concise approach and technique. And there is plenty of author advice designed for securing a audience: hone that first sentence, polish that beginning section, raise the drama (more! higher!) and, if creating mystery, introduce a dead body on the opening. That guidance is entirely sound – a potential agent, house or buyer will spend only a a handful of valuable moments choosing whether or not to proceed. There's no benefit in being difficult, like the individual on a workshop I attended who, when questioned about the narrative of their novel, declared that “the meaning emerges about three-fourths of the way through”. Not a single author should put their follower through a set of difficult tasks in order to be understood.
Creating to Be Accessible and Allowing Time
But I absolutely compose to be clear, as to the extent as that is achievable. At times that demands guiding the reader's attention, steering them through the story beat by economical point. At other times, I've realised, comprehension takes perseverance – and I must allow me (and other authors) the permission of exploring, of adding depth, of deviating, until I find something meaningful. One writer argues for the novel developing innovative patterns and that, rather than the traditional dramatic arc, “other structures might help us envision new ways to craft our tales vital and real, continue producing our books fresh”.
Evolution of the Novel and Modern Mediums
In that sense, the two viewpoints align – the story may have to adapt to accommodate the modern audience, as it has repeatedly achieved since it began in the historical period (as we know it today). Perhaps, like previous novelists, tomorrow's authors will go back to serialising their books in publications. The future those writers may currently be sharing their work, chapter by chapter, on web-based platforms like those accessed by many of regular readers. Creative mediums change with the period and we should let them.
Beyond Limited Attention Spans
Yet let us not say that any shifts are completely because of reduced focus. If that was so, short story compilations and flash fiction would be regarded far more {commercial|profitable|marketable
