Novels I Haven't Finished Enjoying Are Accumulating by My Bedside. Is It Possible That's a Positive Sign?

It's somewhat awkward to reveal, but I'll say it. Five titles sit next to my bed, each partially consumed. On my phone, I'm midway through over three dozen audio novels, which pales compared to the 46 digital books I've left unfinished on my digital device. That does not account for the growing collection of pre-release versions beside my coffee table, competing for praises, now that I work as a published novelist myself.

From Dogged Reading to Intentional Abandonment

At first glance, these numbers might appear to confirm recent comments about current attention spans. An author observed recently how easy it is to distract a individual's concentration when it is fragmented by digital platforms and the constant updates. They remarked: “It could be as people's focus periods shift the writing will have to adapt with them.” But as a person who once would stubbornly get through every novel I began, I now consider it a personal freedom to put down a novel that I'm not connecting with.

Life's Finite Span and the Abundance of Choices

I don't believe that this habit is a result of a brief concentration – instead it relates to the feeling of life moving swiftly. I've always been impressed by the spiritual maxim: “Keep the end each day before your eyes.” A different idea that we each have a only finite period on this planet was as shocking to me as to everyone. However at what previous point in human history have we ever had such direct entry to so many mind-blowing creative works, at any moment we want? A surplus of riches greets me in each library and within any screen, and I strive to be deliberate about where I focus my energy. Is it possible “not finishing” a novel (term in the literary community for Incomplete) be not a mark of a limited mind, but a thoughtful one?

Choosing for Empathy and Reflection

Particularly at a period when book production (consequently, selection) is still dominated by a specific social class and its issues. Although exploring about characters distinct from our own lives can help to strengthen the ability for understanding, we furthermore select stories to reflect on our own lives and role in the universe. Until the works on the shelves more fully depict the backgrounds, realities and interests of potential readers, it might be extremely hard to keep their interest.

Modern Authorship and Reader Attention

Naturally, some writers are indeed successfully creating for the “contemporary focus”: the tweet-length writing of certain recent books, the compact pieces of different authors, and the brief chapters of various modern stories are all a excellent showcase for a briefer form and style. Furthermore there is no shortage of craft advice aimed at grabbing a audience: hone that first sentence, polish that opening chapter, elevate the drama (higher! more!) and, if writing thriller, place a dead body on the opening. Such advice is completely sound – a potential agent, publisher or buyer will devote only a few precious moments choosing whether or not to proceed. There's little reason in being difficult, like the individual on a writing course I participated in who, when questioned about the storyline of their book, declared that “everything makes sense about three-fourths of the into the story”. No author should subject their follower through a series of difficult tasks in order to be comprehended.

Creating to Be Accessible and Allowing Patience

And I do write to be understood, as far as that is achievable. Sometimes that needs guiding the audience's interest, steering them through the narrative beat by efficient beat. Sometimes, I've understood, comprehension demands patience – and I must allow me (as well as other creators) the freedom of wandering, of layering, of straying, until I hit upon something authentic. A particular author makes the case for the fiction finding innovative patterns and that, instead of the standard dramatic arc, “other patterns might assist us envision new approaches to craft our tales vital and real, keep producing our books original”.

Change of the Novel and Current Platforms

In that sense, the two opinions converge – the story may have to change to suit the modern consumer, as it has repeatedly achieved since it originated in the 18th century (in its current incarnation now). Maybe, like earlier writers, future authors will revert to serialising their novels in periodicals. The upcoming such writers may already be sharing their work, part by part, on online sites including those visited by many of frequent readers. Creative mediums change with the period and we should permit them.

More Than Brief Attention Spans

But let us not claim that any evolutions are completely because of limited concentration. If that were the case, brief fiction anthologies and flash fiction would be viewed much more {commercial|profitable|marketable