New Tools for the Immersive Narrative Experience

Abstract

As a result of Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, the way the audi-ence experiences the written word has completely changed. New genera-tions of readers are facing multimedia interaction as a part of the long format narrative. These technologies represent burgeoning strategies to spark and capture readers’ interests. Partnerships between tech companies and tradi-tional publishers are yielding breakthroughs in trans-media storytelling, and, as a consequence, offering new avenues for filmmakers. For example, romance novels read on smart phones now include videos and photos of the hunky love interest, voice messages amongst characters, and even short films accompanying the reading experience. As publishers and authors forge these new avenues for long form storytelling, do these multimedia elements dumb down fiction for readers with already shrinking attention spans? Will saving books undermine reading in general? Or, are the bonds readers feel with fictional characters so strong, that they will thrive in the digital realm. The future of the immersive narrative might not be just the massive specta-cle of IMAX, but, more likely, an intimate experience in the palm of your hand.