Novels I Haven't Finished Enjoying Are Piling Up by My Bed. What If That's a Good Thing?
This is somewhat embarrassing to reveal, but let me explain. Five books sit by my bed, every one only partly finished. Within my phone, I'm some distance through 36 audio novels, which pales compared to the forty-six Kindle titles I've abandoned on my e-reader. This fails to include the growing collection of early editions next to my coffee table, striving for endorsements, now that I work as a published novelist personally.
From Determined Completion to Deliberate Abandonment
Initially, these stats might look to confirm contemporary comments about current attention spans. A writer noted not long back how simple it is to distract a reader's focus when it is scattered by social media and the constant updates. He suggested: “It could be as people's attention spans shift the fiction will have to adapt with them.” But as someone who previously would stubbornly get through every title I picked up, I now consider it a personal freedom to set aside a book that I'm not in the mood for.
The Short Time and the Glut of Options
I don't think that this practice is caused by a brief attention span – instead it relates to the feeling of existence moving swiftly. I've always been struck by the Benedictine teaching: “Hold the end each day in mind.” A different reminder that we each have a mere 4,000 weeks on this planet was as horrifying to me as to everyone. But at what other time in our past have we ever had such instant availability to so many incredible creative works, anytime we want? A wealth of riches greets me in any library and within each digital platform, and I strive to be purposeful about where I channel my attention. Is it possible “abandoning” a novel (shorthand in the literary community for Unfinished) be rather than a indication of a weak mind, but a thoughtful one?
Selecting for Understanding and Self-awareness
Especially at a period when publishing (consequently, commissioning) is still led by a particular social class and its concerns. Even though reading about individuals distinct from our own lives can help to develop the muscle for compassion, we additionally select stories to think about our own lives and place in the society. Unless the titles on the shelves better depict the experiences, stories and issues of prospective readers, it might be extremely hard to keep their attention.
Contemporary Storytelling and Consumer Interest
Of course, some writers are indeed successfully creating for the “today's attention span”: the short prose of some current books, the tight sections of different authors, and the brief chapters of several recent books are all a wonderful showcase for a briefer approach and technique. Furthermore there is an abundance of author tips aimed at grabbing a reader: perfect that initial phrase, polish that opening chapter, increase the tension (higher! more!) and, if writing mystery, place a victim on the beginning. Such guidance is completely solid – a possible publisher, publisher or reader will use only a several precious seconds deciding whether or not to proceed. There's no benefit in being contrary, like the writer on a writing course I participated in who, when questioned about the storyline of their manuscript, announced that “it all becomes clear about 75% of the way through”. No author should subject their reader through a series of 12 labours in order to be grasped.
Crafting to Be Clear and Allowing Time
But I do write to be understood, as much as that is feasible. On occasion that demands guiding the audience's hand, guiding them through the plot beat by economical step. Sometimes, I've realised, insight takes patience – and I must grant my own self (as well as other authors) the permission of meandering, of adding depth, of digressing, until I discover something authentic. One author argues for the fiction developing fresh structures and that, rather than the traditional narrative arc, “other patterns might assist us conceive innovative ways to make our tales alive and real, continue creating our works novel”.
Evolution of the Novel and Modern Mediums
From that perspective, both perspectives align – the fiction may have to adapt to fit the modern reader, as it has constantly achieved since it originated in the 18th century (as we know it today). Perhaps, like earlier writers, tomorrow's writers will revert to serialising their novels in publications. The future those creators may even now be publishing their content, chapter by chapter, on online services like those used by millions of regular users. Art forms change with the times and we should let them.
More Than Limited Concentration
But let us not say that all evolutions are entirely because of limited concentration. Were that true, short story collections and flash fiction would be considered far more {commercial|profitable|marketable
