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It's somewhat awkward to confess, but let me explain. Several books sit next to my bed, each only partly finished. On my phone, I'm some distance through over three dozen audiobooks, which seems small alongside the nearly fifty Kindle titles I've left unfinished on my digital device. The situation fails to account for the growing stack of pre-release versions next to my living room table, striving for blurbs, now that I am a published writer in my own right.

From Dogged Completion to Intentional Abandonment

On the surface, these stats might appear to support contemporary opinions about today's focus. A writer observed not long back how effortless it is to distract a reader's concentration when it is divided by online networks and the constant updates. They suggested: “Perhaps as readers' attention spans change the literature will have to adapt with them.” But as a person who used to persistently get through whatever book I started, I now regard it a personal freedom to put down a story that I'm not connecting with.

Life's Limited Duration and the Abundance of Possibilities

I do not believe that this practice is due to a limited attention span – rather more it comes from the feeling of life slipping through my fingers. I've often been struck by the spiritual maxim: “Keep death every day in mind.” A different idea that we each have a only limited time on this planet was as horrifying to me as to everyone. However at what different time in human history have we ever had such immediate availability to so many mind-blowing works of art, anytime we want? A wealth of options meets me in every library and within every digital platform, and I strive to be purposeful about where I channel my energy. Could “not finishing” a novel (shorthand in the book world for Did Not Finish) be not a sign of a poor focus, but a thoughtful one?

Selecting for Empathy and Self-awareness

Particularly at a period when publishing (and thus, selection) is still controlled by a specific group and its issues. Even though reading about individuals different from ourselves can help to develop the capacity for empathy, we furthermore read to think about our own journeys and place in the universe. Unless the works on the displays better depict the backgrounds, realities and concerns of potential individuals, it might be very difficult to maintain their focus.

Contemporary Storytelling and Consumer Engagement

Naturally, some novelists are skillfully writing for the “today's focus”: the concise style of certain recent works, the tight fragments of others, and the quick parts of various recent books are all a wonderful showcase for a shorter approach and method. And there is no shortage of craft tips geared toward grabbing a reader: hone that opening line, polish that opening chapter, increase the stakes (higher! more!) and, if crafting mystery, introduce a victim on the beginning. This guidance is entirely sound – a prospective representative, publisher or audience will use only a a handful of precious moments deciding whether or not to forge ahead. It is no benefit in being obstinate, like the person on a class I participated in who, when confronted about the plot of their manuscript, declared that “everything makes sense about three-fourths of the way through”. No writer should force their reader through a set of 12 labours in order to be comprehended.

Creating to Be Understood and Granting Time

And I do write to be clear, as much as that is feasible. On occasion that requires guiding the audience's attention, steering them through the plot beat by succinct point. At other times, I've realised, insight requires perseverance – and I must allow my own self (along with other authors) the permission of exploring, of adding depth, of straying, until I find something true. An influential writer argues for the novel developing new forms and that, as opposed to the standard narrative arc, “different patterns might assist us imagine novel ways to make our tales dynamic and authentic, persist in making our books fresh”.

Change of the Novel and Modern Mediums

From that perspective, the two perspectives align – the story may have to change to fit the today's audience, as it has repeatedly done since it began in the 18th century (in the form today). Maybe, like past authors, future writers will revert to publishing incrementally their books in newspapers. The upcoming such writers may already be publishing their content, part by part, on web-based platforms such as those accessed by many of regular users. Creative mediums evolve with the times and we should let them.

Not Just Limited Concentration

However we should not assert that any shifts are completely because of reduced focus. If that were the case, brief fiction anthologies and flash fiction would be considered much more {commercial|profitable|marketable