NOTE: This article is a republication- Source: CrimeReads (by Rick Pullen).
“Speed kills” has always been identified with fast-moving cars and drugs. But today it best describes the crime novel genre, which combines murder with a quickened pace to compete for the conscious mind of an Attention Deficit Disorder society.
“It is a different world now and we can’t deny attention spans are shorter. That’s not going to change,” says bestselling author Jeffery Deaver. “…We authors are up against a different medium for storytelling—TV and video games.”
Today’s culture becomes more problematic when you consider authors are trying to write stories that engage their readers even closer. How do you do that in a world with the attention span of a gnat?
“I believe a reading experience is the most intense story engagement we have. You read a book and it’s integrated within your spirit and your art,” Deaver says. “Books are threatened now because we watch TV.”
“I write differently now. I call it a streaming style. Readers want a story experience they get on TV because it’s easier. I want to grab those people so you can have a more intense experience. So, what does this mean? I write shorter books, shorter chapters… More dialogue, more interaction instead of interior monologue about a relationship. I show the relationship.”
Read the full article here