The Future of the Written Word

[CharleyH]

I had a dream. Well, I had a dream last night about writing video game story lines. When I awoke, I rolled over and told Lauren. It was a cool dream and a cool idea ... we both loved the concept of writing video game stories. It sounded like a cinch of a writing gig at first, but then I started thinking ... is it? Sure the basic story and cut lines are easy, but what about the rest of the writing? Video game stories aren't static - they require the participation of the user and much more literally than the participation required of a novel reader.

This got me thinking about the future of the printed word. I read an article the other day (sorry, can't link you because I don't recall where I found the article) about the demise of the newspaper. In it, the writer suggested that people are fooling themselves if they think the newspaper will last because many people these days get their news from the Web and eventually everyone will be getting their news from the Web.

With this in mind, what about the novel? The short story? Where is writing headed in the future? Will we need to become like video game writers, yet going beyond and having to write multiple stories by predicting the sex, ethnicity and actions of those who want to experience our ... stories? I'm not even sure the word 'story' would be appropriate in a virtual reality novel.

Anyhow, I can't help but be curious about the future writer facing a world where people desire, more and more, virtual interaction. However, I also know that "video never did kill the radio star" as The Buggles ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWtHEmVjVw8) once premonitioned in song.

What are your thoughts on the future writer, or the demise of the printed word?

 

[sr71plt]

On the video game storyline. Haven't they always been written on a decision tree basis, with the gamer having to select one of the established choices at every decision point? Or am I missing something here.

On the demise of the written word: If/as it comes it will be slower than most think in taking over (it's already started, of course). For some time to come there will be those who either don't have a computer (and already are suffering from the decrease in choice--like all of those, especially old folks, who were opted out of telephone communications early by the touch tone system) or who choose to read some portion of their reading in print.

By the time it gets here fully, we will have forgotten what was previously available.

In things like novels, it will be a disjointed transition, I think. I already think that erotica is being purchased mainly in digital form (more easily purchased and hidden from others as a primary reason). Literary novels not so much.

What hasn't taken off as much as I thought it would be by now is multimedia books and textbooks best updated frequently and more attractive in compact form and able to be accessed and search in a computer. Those are coming along, but I thought they would lead off the parade. (I actually did some work with an academic publisher on the latter, and it isn't taking off with quite the fire we expected).

 

[Liar]

With this in mind, what about the novel? The short story? Where is writing headed in the future? Will we need to become like video game writers, yet going beyond and having to write multiple stories by predicting the sex, ethnicity and actions of those who want to experience our ... stories? I'm not even sure the word 'story' would be appropriate in a virtual reality novel.

The literatis of the time had the same fears and thoughts concerning the rise of the Motion Picture. Will we need to become screen writers? Will we have to write only visually? Will we have to limit our narratives to what fits in the time frame of a reel?

The answer then and now, is a resouding no. Just because there are new forms of expression it doesn't mean that other forms of expression must adapt and merge.

Written fiction has never been the sole form of narrative. We've had ballads, plays, scripts, periodicals, comics and recently the innovative interactive narrative of video gaming, which can be anything from linear, to desicion tree based, to reactions pulled from a discourse database (some of the latest and most "free range" video games with narrative elements employ this method).

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I think we're doomed. We'll become like the Chinese and Japanese or Egyptians who've never produced literature or philosophy worth a crap. We'll dum things down to a 1000 distinct symbols, as we do with road signs. Thats all Chinese and Japanese is, is road sign language.

 

[sr71plt]

Excuse me, both the Chinese and Japanese have a rich literature heritage. Of course I'd expect someone living in a trailer in Florida and barely able to get out of his Laz-Y-Boy not to be aware of that.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

SR71PLT

Instruction manuals arent literature.

Emoticons and road signs is our literary future.

 

[matriarch]

The written word will never die out.

I can't really justify or qualify that statement, I just know it.

Books, as printed documents have been around for hundreds of years, and you only have to go into even the smallest local bookshop to see part of the millions of books that are printed every year.

Add to that the second hand bookshops that do a roaring trade in even second hand paperbacks, out of print books, and every rarer first editions.

It could be that I'm just one of those people who loves books, even if I never get round to reading them (it happens!), and I love nothing more than browsing charity shops and second hand bookshops to try and find old (pre 20th century books), and believe me, there are plenty out there. I love the feel of them, the look of them, and the thought of the history that goes with them.

Books and the written word will be around for a long, long time.

As for newspapers, indeed, most of us get our news on line or via the tv, but what about those times when you don't have access to a computer or tv (I'm thinking car, ferry, train), and when a newspaper is a very good distraction? Newspapers themselves are undergoing a metamorphis, into on line papers as well as hard copy, but again, I can't see that disappearing until the technology of carrying a computer in your pocket is accessible to all, at very cheap prices. A long, long way off.

My two'aporth. And I could be more wrong than I ever thought possible, but I don't think so.

 

[matriarch]

On the video game storyline. Haven't they always been written on a decision tree basis, with the gamer having to select one of the established choices at every decision point? Or am I missing something here.

On the demise of the written word: If/as it comes it will be slower than most think in taking over (it's already started, of course). For some time to come there will be those who either don't have a computer (and already are suffering from the decrease in choice--like all of those, especially old folks, who were opted out of telephone communications early by the touch tone system) or who choose to read some portion of their reading in print.

By the time it gets here fully, we will have forgotten what was previously available.

In things like novels, it will be a disjointed transition, I think. I already think that erotica is being purchased mainly in digital form (more easily purchased and hidden from others as a primary reason). Literary novels not so much.

What hasn't taken off as much as I thought it would be by now is multimedia books and textbooks best updated frequently and more attractive in compact form and able to be accessed and search in a computer. Those are coming along, but I thought they would lead off the parade. (I actually did some work with an academic publisher on the latter, and it isn't taking off with quite the fire we expected).

People still like the feel of a book in their hands. There's something comforting about it.

 

[DeeZire]

Looking at the music industry as an example, I foresee a drastic reduction in income for writers, unless some kind of digital rights management system is put in place to protect copyrights.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

The written word will never die out.

I can't really justify or qualify that statement, I just know it.

Books, as printed documents have been around for hundreds of years, and you only have to go into even the smallest local bookshop to see part of the millions of books that are printed every year.

Add to that the second hand bookshops that do a roaring trade in even second hand paperbacks, out of print books, and every rarer first editions.

It could be that I'm just one of those people who loves books, even if I never get round to reading them (it happens!), and I love nothing more than browsing charity shops and second hand bookshops to try and find old (pre 20th century books), and believe me, there are plenty out there. I love the feel of them, the look of them, and the thought of the history that goes with them.

Books and the written word will be around for a long, long time.

As for newspapers, indeed, most of us get our news on line or via the tv, but what about those times when you don't have access to a computer or tv (I'm thinking car, ferry, train), and when a newspaper is a very good distraction? Newspapers themselves are undergoing a metamorphis, into on line papers as well as hard copy, but again, I can't see that disappearing until the technology of carrying a computer in your pocket is accessible to all, at very cheap prices. A long, long way off.

My two'aporth. And I could be more wrong than I ever thought possible, but I don't think so.

All you say is true, but kiddies and young people arent reading; theyre playing with their toys. And the toys are conditioning them to communicate with emoticons and road signs. Its quicker, like the old Z Codes and Q Signals telegraphers used.

Who does math since calculators became common?

The rat-race gets worse every day.

 

[Liar]

Looking at the music industry as an example, I foresee a drastic reduction in income for writers, unless some kind of digital rights management system is put in place to protect copyrights.

First, close the public libraries...

 

[Handley_Page]

First, close the public libraries...

I don't know about the 'States, but our UK libraries pay something to the author based upon the number of times a book has been out.

Matriarch
People still like the feel of a book in their hands. There's something comforting about it.

I once had a row with one guy who reckoned that 'on-line' technical manuals was the way to go as it was easier to read. I told him I thought he was wrong. On-line manuals expect a certain level of understanding with the reader whereas a physical book can be consulted at will.
I still think he's wrong.

A printed book, either for entertainment or information is far better than any on-line (in-line, disc-based or whatever) medium.

 

[Weird Harold]

This got me thinking about the future of the printed word. I read an article the other day (sorry, can't link you because I don't recall where I found the article) about the demise of the newspaper. In it, the writer suggested that people are fooling themselves if they think the newspaper will last because many people these days get their news from the Web and eventually everyone will be getting their news from the Web.

With this in mind, what about the novel? The short story? Where is writing headed in the future? Will we need to become like video game writers, yet going beyond and having to write multiple stories by predicting the sex, ethnicity and actions of those who want to experience our ... stories? I'm not even sure the word 'story' would be appropriate in a virtual reality novel.

There has to be a distinction made between the demise of hard-copy printed media and the demise of 'writing.' Books may well come primarily in electronic form in the future, but places like Literotica prove that a change in format may well increase the amount of short stories and novels available to people.

Science fiction authors over the years have predicted the general demise of hardcopy publishing, but I can't think of a single one that predicts the demise of "books" that aren't hardcopy or that actual books won't be precious treasures held in awe by those who don't have daily contact with hardcopies.

 

[sr71plt]

places like Literotica prove that a change in format may well increase the amount of short stories and novels available to people.

Agree with the overall posting, but with this specifically. Electronic publishing has not only broadened the range of specific-interest topics and genres that can reach a reading public but has already given life to publishing of the sorter works (novellas--and the whole world of poetry) and extra long works (not to mention animated graphics-embedded works).

 

[trysail]

I am not able to concentrate hard on stuff that appears on a screen. Further, I am not the least bit interested in studying electronic files or reading anything important on any kind of device. If something is important and you want me to read it make a print copy that I can highlight, underline, interlineate, annotate and bookmark.

The ephemeral— and inconvenient— nature of electronic files is a fundamental reason that I will never willingly adopt the technology for important archival or study purposes.

If I truly value a piece of writing or a reference source, I will purchase it in a print version. That will never change. If something is that important, I'll be damned if I'm willing to see it disappear into computer or Internet hell. Furthermore, I don't trust the damn promoters to support various formats in the future. The goddamn technology vendors will never have the ability to force me into an upgrade that I don't want.

It'll be a cold day in hell before I use a Kindle.

 

[sr71plt]

What will change, Trysail, is that you--and some of the current options--will disappear.

Sometime in the distant past, I get the echo of some peasant saying, "You'll never get me on a horse--and that will never change." By which he meant he didn't believe the horse would ever be used as a mode of transportation.

 

[oggbashan]

Every year for the past twenty, more book titles and more books in total have been published each year than the year before. There are more books in print now than at any time in history particularly as obscure titles can be obtained as POD (print on demand) books.

The total sales of books continues to grow, even if some of them are absolute crap. Who needs the Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus Recipe Book or the fifth 101 Things to do with a Dead Cat?

The Harry Potter phenomenon has brought more children to reading in the last few years and has increased the sales of other children's books by a significant amount, even classic children's titles. Any child who has read all the Harry Potter books will have a far wider vocabulary than equivalent children ten years before Harry Potter was first published.

Paper based books are becoming disposable items. Their short life has led in the UK to a large increase in charity book shops. Within a ten mile radius of my home there are six charity book shops that sell nothing but books, and more than fifty charity shops that sell books as well as other things.

This morning I visited a small local boot fair. There were more books on display than I could have stocked in my secondhand book shop and the prices ranged from ten pence each to five pounds.

Books still live and until technology produces an equivalent that requires no power source, books are likely to continue to be popular.

What is changing is the content of books. Annual reference books are being replaced by other media; educational textbooks become outdated faster; ephemeral books commemorating people or events are produced quicker and die just as quickly e.g. the four, five or more biographies of Michael Jackson due out this month.

Og (retired bookdealer)

 

[trysail]

What will change, Trysail, is that you--and some of the current options--will disappear.

Sometime in the distant past, I get the echo of some peasant saying, "You'll never get me on a horse--and that will never change." By which he meant he didn't believe the horse would ever be used as a mode of transportation.

I fully comprehend that the "tyranny of the majority" applies to commerce. You are absolutely correct; I have had technology forcibly shoved down my throat before— and, believe me, I was kicking and screaming the whole way. Nevertheless, in this case, I intend to be the "last adopter."

If there's any justice, I will be dead and moldering in the grave before it becomes impossible to find print editions of important work.

"Neither be the first by whom the new is tried, nor the last to set the old aside."
-Samuel Pepys

 

[oggbashan]

I If there's any justice, I will be dead and moldering in the grave before it becomes impossible to find print editions of important work.

With Project Gutenberg you can download and print a hard copy of almost every classic work ever published.

Og

 

[Handley_Page]

A very well-made point, Og.
I discovered today that the largest bookseller in Europe is Oxfam.

 

[oggbashan]

A very well-made point, Og.
I discovered today that the largest bookseller in Europe is Oxfam.

I know.

I'm a volunteer specialist book-pricing advisor for my local Oxfam shop and my local Hospice shop. I have provided detailed written advice to several charities who were considering setting up their own bookshops.

Og

 

[sr71plt]

If there's any justice, I will be dead and moldering in the grave before it becomes impossible to find print editions of important work.

My guess is that you will be, so probably no reason to obsess over it.

 

[R. Richard]

The decline in newspapers can be attrributed to the speed of information dissemination over the Internet. I can read several versions of a news story before the next day's newspaper comes out. I can also read the stories that my local paper chooses not to print.

However, the decline of the newspapers doesn't have anything to do with a decline in the written word. There were predictions that radio and then television would kill newspapers, but that didn't happen. The Internet may kill newspapers, at least hard copy versions, however, that's not due to any decline in the written word.

 

[trysail]

... until technology produces an equivalent that requires no power source, books are likely to continue to be popular.

You raise one more point ( and an important one ) in favor of print versions. No malevolent worm ( well, perhaps a literal worm! ) or virus is going to destroy them or make them vanish into the ether of bits and bytes. No depleted battery is going to defer my pleasure. You know full well what the most reliable engineering solution to any problem is: it's the one with the fewest moving parts!

With Project Gutenberg you can download and print a hard copy of almost every classic work ever published.

See above. As commendable as Project Gutenberg may be, it still requires that I have electricity and that I bear the expense of purchasing and maintaining both a computer and a printer with considerable capacity.

My guess is that you will be, so probably no reason to obsess over it.

I pray that will be the case. It is possible that I am the last person in the United States without a cell ( mobile ) phone. Both the world and I got along just fine without them for a long period of time. My lack of one doesn't hamper me in the least and I am perfectly happy not to have the expense. It appears to me that the providers are operating a gigantic racket with completely unintelligible pricing.

 

[sr71plt]

I pray that will be the case. It is possible that I am the last person in the United States without a cell ( mobile ) phone. Both the world and I got along just fine without them for a long period of time. My lack of one doesn't hamper me in the least and I am perfectly happy not to have the expense. It appears to me that the providers are operating a gigantic racket with completely unintelligible pricing.

I am told I own two cell phones. One's in my wife's car; one's in mine--in both cases "somewhere" so they'll be there for emergencies when traveling. My wife keeps them charged. I sometimes take mine when I'm out hiking "just in case." I think I've made a few calls on one just to use the minutes before they expire; I've never received a call on one.

But then I don't use the telephone when I can avoid it, either.