I'm glad to hear that, because I often worry it's not edgy enough. But whether I'm writing horror or humor, middle grade or adult, I can't seem to avoid it even when I try.
I just thought authors hoped their books read fast and their writing style is fueled by caffeine, I totally didn’t think that you can use techniques like the Fast Fly method. This insight is definitely something that won’t be found in a typical writing book!
I'm atypical in some respects. I didn't get a cellphone until I retired, and then I used it only for things like Uber. I was engage in social media for a while but gradually withdrew from it.
But it's important for me to remember that all of my readers aren't like that.
I think there's plenty of readers who go to a book because they reject social media and the speed that comes with that sort of thinking... but with young readers, those are few and far between, I suspect.
I definitely notice myself when reading and my phone goes off putting down the book for what feels like 5 minutes and turns into 2 hours. So I have started something new. Anytime I read I put my phone in another room and just close the door, and turn it off. I now read more and read faster and disconnecting so I can connect more with the world in front of me is the best decision have ever made.
Ugh I’ve definitely noticed my inability to focus, especially with movies and tv . My hand will twitch and then all of a sudden my phone is out! I’m actually better with books but with audio books, same thing. I’ll feel the need to DO something and then have to re listen to the audio 🤦🏼♀️ failed attempts at “productivity”
Oooh, this is so interesting to me and I wonder if you notice a difference in fiction vs. non-fiction audiobooks or podcasts. My mind will definitely wander during fiction, but if it's non-fiction I feel pulled in by the narrator because my brain interprets it as them telling me something in real-time and we're having a conversation of sorts.
I wouldn't have thought this myself but now that you ask...yes!! With non-fiction, I've actually started taking notes more, so I'm really actively listening, and I'll pause to think on something before resuming. Fiction...hot mess.
Current reads: The Art of Mingling, The Courage to Be Disliked, and Set Boundaries, Find Peace.
HA, I think these should be required reading for Authors ^
Agreed! I am horrible at listening to audio books because I just zone out and miss the entire story. When this happens with music I realize it's probably a hint to stop my overconsumption of media and sounds and sensory input, even though that's so hard to do XD
This is all such great advice, thank you so much! I don't have much experience with re-reading or revising my work yet but when I begin that process it will be nice to have a unique strategy to start with, so thank you.
I am an avid movie watcher, but because I am in college I often have to watch them in installments -- an hour here, then I go to class and forget about it until after dinner, then another hour, etc. This isn't really due to my attention span more than it's due to my busy schedule, but either way I'm still actively catering towards my need for speed, which I think is a big part of our collective attention deterioration.
I LOVE your fast-paced books and I wholeheartedly agree that books need to be fast-paced or at least thrilling and gripping in some other way in order to be readable.
But sometimes in my own writing I've found that I try to go too fast. I want to cram every word and idea into one sentence so I can move on with the scene -- and then I wonder why long-form writing is so difficult.
I've noticed that my attention span has gotten significantly better since getting rid of social media. It's still not perfect, but I have hope that I can steadily train myself to slow down and let the moment be, even if I feel like I'm wasting time or could be multi-tasking or whatever. It's nearly impossible to be present these days, yet I think that's part of the key to being happy.
In terms of writing, I want to split my sentences up more and write a few extra paragraphs here and there. I don't think the reader gets bored as quickly as the writer (I hope!) so maybe by allowing myself to ramble a little bit I can really get my point across and still write an interesting story.
Thank you for this advice! I'm loving the little tidbits of information about your new novel, really excited to learn more.
The splitting paragraphs is *brilliant*. I used to love writing long, long paragraphs before because it gave you such a vibe and moment... but it just doesn't work as well as much as it used to in terms of holding reader engagement. Long paragraphs make them bail.
Phones did change a lot of things about reading. I tried kindle and audiobooks and it never worked out, since there is always other things on the phone that requires much less brain power than books.
But I had the experience of reading Fall of SGE on my phone, and it was so engaging that almost nothing could distract me from it. The pace, the plot, and the writing were engaging in a way that every sentence leads somewhere and nothing is redundant.
Getting the pace right is challenging but really important, now that I'm thinking about it, I can't recall how many times I've given up a book just because I re-read the same sentence for the fifth time and had no idea where they are leading to.
I love love love the idea of pre-viz-ing a manuscript, Soman! It makes so much sense and can be so helpful, especially for someone like me who has to go back in during revision to beef up setting/descriptions. In regards to if I read differently over the past few years, it's a big ol' yes for me. I have to be reading 3 things at once now, where before I wouldn't dream of reading multiple books at the same time. I find that after about twenty pages read, my mind wanders, so I've got to switch up to a new novel to keep focus during my morning reading time.
What's interesting is that when you pre-viz it after you write it, you sometimes realize that you're in the wrong point of view to get the best source of action! That's what's cool about just putting your own generated text in AI. It really gives you an objective look at your own words, or as close to objective as can be... And same here, I wonder if audiobooks will become bigger and bigger because they actually favor multitasking in a way written books don't.
I'm definitely going to be trying this as I dive into my next manuscript! And I think you're so right about audiobooks being more aligned with how folks consume media these days, giving them this opportunity to keep growing. For my backlist titles, I'm noticing the audio sales numbers are much higher than I expected, and I love that they're finding audiences in ways I didn't anticipate.
Scene visualization is legit the first use of AI for writers that I actually think is a good idea, and I’ve come across A LOT of ideas. Thanks for this one!
I'm experimenting with similar issues, and am finding that as I write it often helps me to have created images with AI and Photoshop and digital collage so that I catch important 'details' (especially since a final version of the illustration will accompany the story), but it has also changed the story sometimes because it 'thinks' of things to include in the scene that I might not have.
I just went to an AI panel at a writers conference and they touched on using it in this way. I'm excited to try this!
And now I think I'm wondering what my strength is. I think it might be earnestness.
Oooh, I like earnestness as one because it's a rare quality and one many readers crave and love.
I'm glad to hear that, because I often worry it's not edgy enough. But whether I'm writing horror or humor, middle grade or adult, I can't seem to avoid it even when I try.
I just thought authors hoped their books read fast and their writing style is fueled by caffeine, I totally didn’t think that you can use techniques like the Fast Fly method. This insight is definitely something that won’t be found in a typical writing book!
That's what I'm here for... all my secrets!
There's lots of food for thought here.
I'm atypical in some respects. I didn't get a cellphone until I retired, and then I used it only for things like Uber. I was engage in social media for a while but gradually withdrew from it.
But it's important for me to remember that all of my readers aren't like that.
I think there's plenty of readers who go to a book because they reject social media and the speed that comes with that sort of thinking... but with young readers, those are few and far between, I suspect.
I definitely notice myself when reading and my phone goes off putting down the book for what feels like 5 minutes and turns into 2 hours. So I have started something new. Anytime I read I put my phone in another room and just close the door, and turn it off. I now read more and read faster and disconnecting so I can connect more with the world in front of me is the best decision have ever made.
Agreed... the phone is often a barrier to REAL engagement.
Ugh I’ve definitely noticed my inability to focus, especially with movies and tv . My hand will twitch and then all of a sudden my phone is out! I’m actually better with books but with audio books, same thing. I’ll feel the need to DO something and then have to re listen to the audio 🤦🏼♀️ failed attempts at “productivity”
We are literally brainwashed by the machine!!! It takes over our instincts and impulses.
Oooh, this is so interesting to me and I wonder if you notice a difference in fiction vs. non-fiction audiobooks or podcasts. My mind will definitely wander during fiction, but if it's non-fiction I feel pulled in by the narrator because my brain interprets it as them telling me something in real-time and we're having a conversation of sorts.
I wouldn't have thought this myself but now that you ask...yes!! With non-fiction, I've actually started taking notes more, so I'm really actively listening, and I'll pause to think on something before resuming. Fiction...hot mess.
Current reads: The Art of Mingling, The Courage to Be Disliked, and Set Boundaries, Find Peace.
HA, I think these should be required reading for Authors ^
Agreed! I am horrible at listening to audio books because I just zone out and miss the entire story. When this happens with music I realize it's probably a hint to stop my overconsumption of media and sounds and sensory input, even though that's so hard to do XD
This is all such great advice, thank you so much! I don't have much experience with re-reading or revising my work yet but when I begin that process it will be nice to have a unique strategy to start with, so thank you.
I am an avid movie watcher, but because I am in college I often have to watch them in installments -- an hour here, then I go to class and forget about it until after dinner, then another hour, etc. This isn't really due to my attention span more than it's due to my busy schedule, but either way I'm still actively catering towards my need for speed, which I think is a big part of our collective attention deterioration.
I LOVE your fast-paced books and I wholeheartedly agree that books need to be fast-paced or at least thrilling and gripping in some other way in order to be readable.
But sometimes in my own writing I've found that I try to go too fast. I want to cram every word and idea into one sentence so I can move on with the scene -- and then I wonder why long-form writing is so difficult.
I've noticed that my attention span has gotten significantly better since getting rid of social media. It's still not perfect, but I have hope that I can steadily train myself to slow down and let the moment be, even if I feel like I'm wasting time or could be multi-tasking or whatever. It's nearly impossible to be present these days, yet I think that's part of the key to being happy.
In terms of writing, I want to split my sentences up more and write a few extra paragraphs here and there. I don't think the reader gets bored as quickly as the writer (I hope!) so maybe by allowing myself to ramble a little bit I can really get my point across and still write an interesting story.
Thank you for this advice! I'm loving the little tidbits of information about your new novel, really excited to learn more.
The splitting paragraphs is *brilliant*. I used to love writing long, long paragraphs before because it gave you such a vibe and moment... but it just doesn't work as well as much as it used to in terms of holding reader engagement. Long paragraphs make them bail.
Phones did change a lot of things about reading. I tried kindle and audiobooks and it never worked out, since there is always other things on the phone that requires much less brain power than books.
But I had the experience of reading Fall of SGE on my phone, and it was so engaging that almost nothing could distract me from it. The pace, the plot, and the writing were engaging in a way that every sentence leads somewhere and nothing is redundant.
Getting the pace right is challenging but really important, now that I'm thinking about it, I can't recall how many times I've given up a book just because I re-read the same sentence for the fifth time and had no idea where they are leading to.
I love love love the idea of pre-viz-ing a manuscript, Soman! It makes so much sense and can be so helpful, especially for someone like me who has to go back in during revision to beef up setting/descriptions. In regards to if I read differently over the past few years, it's a big ol' yes for me. I have to be reading 3 things at once now, where before I wouldn't dream of reading multiple books at the same time. I find that after about twenty pages read, my mind wanders, so I've got to switch up to a new novel to keep focus during my morning reading time.
What's interesting is that when you pre-viz it after you write it, you sometimes realize that you're in the wrong point of view to get the best source of action! That's what's cool about just putting your own generated text in AI. It really gives you an objective look at your own words, or as close to objective as can be... And same here, I wonder if audiobooks will become bigger and bigger because they actually favor multitasking in a way written books don't.
I'm definitely going to be trying this as I dive into my next manuscript! And I think you're so right about audiobooks being more aligned with how folks consume media these days, giving them this opportunity to keep growing. For my backlist titles, I'm noticing the audio sales numbers are much higher than I expected, and I love that they're finding audiences in ways I didn't anticipate.
Scene visualization is legit the first use of AI for writers that I actually think is a good idea, and I’ve come across A LOT of ideas. Thanks for this one!
I'm experimenting with similar issues, and am finding that as I write it often helps me to have created images with AI and Photoshop and digital collage so that I catch important 'details' (especially since a final version of the illustration will accompany the story), but it has also changed the story sometimes because it 'thinks' of things to include in the scene that I might not have.
Thank you for the great writing advice!