Saturday, April 24, 2010

Vertical books

I'm still thinking about the evolution of the screenplay into a "vertical book" shaped specifically for reading on electronic devices. I think the writing would look something like this:

IN THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE

Emil dresses after an exam.

The doctor says,
"In a few weeks, I think
you'll want to consider
moving into a hospice.
In the meantime,
I'm increasing your
pain medication."

Emil asks,
"How much time
do I have?"

and so on, telling the story in a vertical stream of words down the small screen of the electronic device. "Vertical reading" already is an established concept in spec screenwriting, made necessary so that scripts can be read quickly and understood quickly, in the "buyer's market" of the real world reading environment for screenplays, and this form of writing, a minimalist, vertical way of writing, is easily adaptable to the rhetorical style above, a well as to others, which are perfectly suited for reading on small screens.

If I were younger, I'd found a publishing company dedicated to this new literary form. Someone should do it. I think the concept has a future, both commercially and aesthetically.

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