At the end of the day it’s about story.
It doesn’t matter if it’s on the printed page, in an e-book, on an iPad or even on the back of a cereal packet – it’s a writer’s job to be read. And the corollary is that it’s a reader’s job to read.
Debates about page versus screen, shallow versus deep, these are distractions. So are the future versus the past, adapting versus stagnating.
Story is how we make sense of the world. We’re hardwired that way.
Kate Eltham is a writer and creative industries professional based in Brisbane, Australia. She is Chief Executive Officer of 
kate.eltham {at} gmail.com
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I totally agree when you say that arguments about page versus screen are distractions. It’s an ideological debate that we need to get over. We also need to get some historical perspective. The “Art of Immersion” post is spot on when it says that we’re at an intersection where we can see the outlines of a new form, but its grammar is as unclear as the grammar of cinema a century ago.
Hi, Kate.
I see a great future for you in television. Such Star Power! Look out, Jennifer Byrne!
As for the debate, I think people need to separate “technology” (tools, know-how) and commerce (making money, not-throwing-money-away). Whether someone wants to read from a book, an ipad or a cereal box is a matter of personal preference. Technology is a tool, an opportunity. Embrace it.
What people fear is the danger of commodification. If it doesn’t sell, it won’t be made available. If people don’t think that is more than possible, go out and buy Lady GaGa’s latest cassette tape.
Or, how many times have we read about someone submitting ‘Jane Austen’ to a current publisher only to have it rejected? How many times has someone in power ‘burned books’? Look at how some governments are censoring the internet. Look at how Foxtel makes you pay for stuff you don’t want and pay extra for what you do want.
Technology allows us to see narratives at an ever increasing rate so we can see many more patterns that don’t actually exist. Now, is a historical moment in time when we can jump to a breathtaking number of wrong conclusions and make more misguided decisions than we ever have been able to in the past.
Hi, I’m Michelle, a writer new to blogging, and I’m looking for great bogs to follow. This one looks right up my street! Any similar recommendations? Many thanks, Michelle