🔗 Share this article

This is somewhat embarrassing to reveal, but here goes. Several novels sit by my bed, all incompletely finished. Inside my smartphone, I'm partway through thirty-six audiobooks, which looks minor alongside the forty-six digital books I've set aside on my e-reader. This fails to include the growing collection of early copies near my side table, striving for praises, now that I have become a published writer personally.

Beginning with Determined Completion to Deliberate Setting Aside

At first glance, these numbers might seem to confirm recently expressed opinions about current concentration. A writer noted a short while ago how effortless it is to distract a reader's focus when it is fragmented by digital platforms and the constant updates. He remarked: “Maybe as people's attention spans evolve the writing will have to adjust with them.” Yet as an individual who previously would stubbornly get through whatever novel I picked up, I now consider it a individual choice to set aside a novel that I'm not in the mood for.

The Short Duration and the Wealth of Possibilities

I do not think that this tendency is a result of a brief focus – instead it comes from the sense of existence moving swiftly. I've always been affected by the spiritual principle: “Keep death every day in mind.” One idea that we each have a just finite period on this Earth was as shocking to me as to everyone. But at what different time in human history have we ever had such instant availability to so many incredible masterpieces, anytime we desire? A wealth of treasures greets me in every bookshop and behind each device, and I strive to be purposeful about where I focus my time. Could “DNF-ing” a book (term in the book world for Unfinished) be rather than a indication of a weak mind, but a thoughtful one?

Reading for Empathy and Self-awareness

Notably at a time when publishing (and therefore, selection) is still dominated by a specific social class and its issues. While exploring about individuals distinct from us can help to develop the muscle for compassion, we also choose books to think about our personal journeys and position in the world. Before the titles on the racks more accurately depict the backgrounds, stories and interests of prospective individuals, it might be very difficult to hold their focus.

Modern Storytelling and Consumer Interest

Of course, some novelists are actually skillfully writing for the “modern focus”: the tweet-length writing of certain modern works, the compact sections of different authors, and the brief chapters of numerous recent titles are all a excellent showcase for a shorter style and technique. Additionally there is plenty of writing advice aimed at grabbing a consumer: perfect that initial phrase, improve that start, elevate the tension (further! further!) and, if crafting thriller, put a victim on the opening. Such advice is completely good – a prospective publisher, editor or reader will devote only a few valuable moments deciding whether or not to forge ahead. There is little reason in being contrary, like the person on a workshop I participated in who, when questioned about the storyline of their book, stated that “it all becomes clear about 75% of the through the book”. No writer should force their follower through a sequence of challenges in order to be understood.

Writing to Be Accessible and Giving Time

Yet I certainly write to be clear, as much as that is possible. On occasion that requires leading the audience's hand, steering them through the narrative beat by efficient step. At other times, I've understood, understanding requires perseverance – and I must give myself (as well as other authors) the freedom of meandering, of building, of digressing, until I discover something meaningful. An influential writer makes the case for the story discovering innovative patterns and that, rather than the conventional plot structure, “other structures might help us conceive new ways to make our stories alive and authentic, persist in making our books fresh”.

Transformation of the Book and Contemporary Platforms

In that sense, each viewpoints converge – the story may have to adapt to suit the contemporary reader, as it has repeatedly achieved since it originated in the 18th century (as we know it currently). Perhaps, like previous authors, tomorrow's writers will go back to publishing incrementally their novels in periodicals. The future these writers may currently be sharing their writing, chapter by chapter, on online platforms such as those used by millions of frequent visitors. Art forms shift with the period and we should permit them.

More Than Limited Concentration

Yet let us not say that any changes are entirely because of limited focus. Were that true, brief fiction anthologies and very short stories would be considered far more {commercial|profitable|marketable