Bummed about the fact that Steve Jobs died, but that got me thinking. The personal computer re-defined the way we write. No more pen to paper for most of us; instead, we sat before an empty screen and blinking cursor. But since the computer revolution, it seems to me that fiction has changed. Books are shorter, as are chapters. I remember when a 20-page chapter was the norm. I don't think that's the case any more. The books I'm reading today have shorter chapters, and most open in media reas, in the middle of the action.
I'm not saying this is better or worse than the way things used to be; just different. Or am I imagining things? I think back to the Brontes and even Pat Conroy and the beautiful, lyrical phrases and descriptions they could weave, and I don't think that style of writing is as prevalent today. Did the computer have anything to do with it? Are we losing our ability to live in the moment? For the moment? Must everything be rapid-fire, goal-oriented, make-every-second-count? Just because we can do things faster with a computer, must we?
5 comments:
I would look to tv programming, movies and other sorts of visual entertainment like music videos for the change in pace and length of novels. You are right, the classics meander much more. Our storytelling has become much more frenetic in all forms of media.
We are all wired for a much faster intake of information and stimulation, and I certainly agree computers have played a major role in the process.
Oh, good point. I remember when one movie came out that was over 3 hours long (Out of Africa??) and people were debating whether or not they should see it simply because of the length.
The PC made writing a lot easier for me. When I started out writing short stories, I had to do it on a typewriter and send everything out by snail mail.
As for shorter chapters and books, I think it's the fast pace of society. Readers don't have the patience to read flowery writing or long chapters. With the evelotion of e-readers, my publisher is pushing for novella-length, or even shorter stories, readers can purchase for a modest price and download to their readers. These stories can be read in one or two sittings.
Good point, Susan. I hope novels never go away, though. I LIKE longer books!
Definitely TV and movies - although I remember Gone With The Wind had an intermission, and so did My Fair Lady and The Great Race, so they must have been long. And Gettysburg was four hours! I waited for it to come out on DVD. The last huge novel I saw in print was "And the Ladies of the Club" or something like that.
A good story is a good story. Trends have always come and gone. What bothers me is seeing shallow, badly written books on the stores' shrinking shelves. Better authors are publishing with independent presses or straight to Kindle due to that shrinkage.
Writers need to foster reading in whatever format possible, ebook or print.
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