I’m with Bueller on this one. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and
look around once in a while, you
could miss it.” I feel that way about how
technology is rapidly influencing the way we experience books. Within the past
few years e-book readers have exploded and audio reading is on the rise. The
mind can only imagine what reading will look like ten years from now. (Who am I
kidding, the way things move, probably two years is more like it?)
What will it be like
to read in the future. I brainstormed a few potentials.
Five aspects of reading I predict will continue to develop
in the future...
Sensory
My recently released novella, The Disappearing Key, portrays
a teenager who is a synesthete (Oriana experiences sights and sounds on a more
intense, comingled level).
Picture tapping your finger on a sensory button on your
Kindle Fire that would enable you to smell the fragrance described or to hear
the exact trumpet sound or song the author wrote into their scene.
Interactive
Will readers be able to select alternate endings to novels?
I envision authors setting up this option through different means. Authors
could very well provide their work in stages. This is already taking place in
the case of beta readers providing
insight for authors as they help them to refine the revision process.
Anyone who doubts the influence of interaction only has to
look at the powerful sway reviews have regarding book sales.
Involvement
Call me crazy, but I just can’t get enough of book clubs. I’m
visualizing future book clubs interacting with authors not only after a book
has been written and published, but even during the process. Similar to how
Goodreads has a section for quotes and trivia, I’m imagining a reading
experience with games, trivia, probing questions, and an Ask the Author section built right into the book.
I also wonder if readers will continue to play a more vital
role as they have opportunities to create their own powerful reactions on
Youtube, by developing and/or directing a movie version of what they
experienced.
Imagery
Have you encountered a wee little website called Pinterest
yet? It’s only one of the fastest growing social media sites out there. Need I
state the obvious? People are attracted to pictures. I’m willing to bet we’re
going to see a lot of creative imagery in future books. I recently finished reading The
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. It suited the main character to tell his story with pictorial
depictions. My gut says this is going to become more and more common as readers
crave and respond to images.
Interconnected
I know you’ve seen it, authors who write a book with
wonderful descriptions of meals and then they have the wisdom to include
detailed recipes in the back of the book. This is only a hint of what’s to
come. I’m envisioning links to all sorts of local resources tied in to the
book. Guides to cooking, listings of local cooking classes, tutorials, links to
Youtube How-tos, etc.
I’m not arguing whether this influx of resources will add or
detract from the reading experience, but I am guessing it’s something we’ll see
in the future.
When I worked at Microsoft I remember sitting in on some
pretty intense brainstorming sessions. People were constantly trying to come up
with the next greatest thing.
Personally, it always has and always will come back to a
good story for me. I won’t be looking for the bells and whistles to enhance my
experience. I’ll try them because I’m open-minded and curious as all get out,
but I’ll always hunt for a story with the power to climb inside my soul and
nest there.
What about you, how
do you think our reading experience could change in the future?
*I’m giving away FIVE autographed copies of my book via a
Goodreads Disappearing Key Days Giveaways for the Holidays starting tomorrow at midnight. Make sure to check it out.
**Also, I’m visiting five book clubs this month that have
signed up for my Key Book Clubs from Coast to Coast Contest. Please contact me
if you want to involve your book club. (See sidebar.)
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