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Challenges Writers Face in the Digital Age

Concetta Cucchiarelli
November 07, 2024 | 3 min read

Have you ever seen photos of the place where Virginia Woolf wrote many of her masterpieces?

It's a study in Yorkshire, a small room with a desk, a chair, an oil lamp, a bottle of water, newspapers, and notes.

It's not much different from the places we write nowadays. Many people don't have such a dedicated spot. Still, we have something to write on, something to drink, somewhere to sit, and something to light up the place (though no oil anymore).

There is one big difference, though: these days, we write on a laptop with a smartphone nearby.

This means that while we write in the physical world, sitting before a keyboard, we are also half in a different world, where people are talking, sharing, and commenting — even if they are not physically with us, they create tangible effects on our consciousness.

The difference, to put it simply, is that we live a digital life.

Chronic Information Overload

In addition to the things we encounter in our physical world, we are also constantly bombarded by an incredible amount of information from the digital world, such as emails, memes, texts, status updates, photos, videos, news, you name it.

Twenty years ago, information scientists estimated that an American was being exposed to information equal to 178 newspapers daily. That’s massive, right?

Today, that exposure has doubled.

And even if, at first glance, more seems better, especially when it comes to the availability of information, more actually means a significant erosion of our cognitive abilities.

To make sense of all this information, our brains need to filter it down, separating what's useful from what's not. This means making many minute decisions, which in turn means enormous cognitive costs.

In order to write, we must accomplish several different things, like staying still for a certain amount of time, not getting distracted, and generating new ideas. This is already a considerable effort on top of the monumental amount of information our brains are dealing with.

To make sense of all this information, our brains need to filter it down, separating what's useful from what's not. This means making many minute decisions, which in turn means enormous cognitive costs.

But it's not just about quantity.

Imagine living in a giant library full of books (one of my biggest dreams). That doesn’t sound bad. But now imagine those books coming alive and starting to attack you. You have to protect yourself while knowing that among the books you are trying to avoid, there are also books you need to live and thrive.

That’s the struggle your brain is going through in the modern world.

In other words: most information we receive nowadays is unrequired but we have to sort through it to find the information we need to live. Not only that, the unrequired information is also specifically designed to get through to our brains through the emergency path dedicated to vital information. (“10 Reasons You Need To Change Your Fabric Softener Now!”)

At the end of the day, the problem is this: being exposed to a massive amount of information puts us in constant information overload.

That’s something Virginia Woolf definitely didn’t have to deal with in the early twentieth century.

The Mental Price of Social Media

Of course, one of the most significant sources of information these days is social media.

Distractions from social media are the sneakiest. First, they hook our attention, carrying us away from the task at hand.

After that, many become internally rooted thoughts that we replay in our minds, affecting deeper levels of our being, like self-esteem, and strongly affecting mood and emotions.

Adding another layer, social media is constant, which generates a fear of missing out on something potentially relevant or important.

More Is Not More

As the Nobel-winning economist Herbert Simon predicted in 1977, "a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention."

Cognitive fatigue from filtering out, decision-making, and self-control management translate into body tiredness, fatigue, and anxiety.

That's why we should not overlook the role of information overload in our ability to focus, be productive, and especially to be creative.

Cognitive fatigue from filtering out, decision-making, and self-control management translate into body tiredness, fatigue, and anxiety.

The worst nightmare of every writer, Virginia Wolf included, used to be the empty mind of writer's block.

But in the digital era we find ourselves in, our minds are so full of information that an empty mind is almost desirable.

[BACK TO “WHY FOCUS IS DYING”]

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What's a romance author to do when a global pandemic hits?

For Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro, the answer was to start writing horror.

Carolina was writing romance when she first signed with her literary agent six years ago. But, Carolina explains, when the pandemic hit, she pivoted to horror.

"There was something about being isolated at home, living through the literal nightmare that COVID-19 was, that made me want to dive into a haunted house book," she explains. And it's a good thing she did.

That horror novel, Bochica, sold to Simon & Schuster at auction. (Trust us, it's a big deal.)

In fact, switching genres changed her life in more ways than one. "Writing Bochica made me want to move to an old manor in the woods," Carolina says, "so I now live in a house that I’m pretty sure is haunted."

Read on to learn how this Freewriter uses her four-year-old Freewrite Traveler to draft.

ANNIE COSBY: What does your writing process look like?

CAROLINA FLÓREZ-CERCHIARO: My writing process varies depending on the project, but generally, I start with some brainstorming before drafting. I’m not a heavy outliner, but I do make a rough roadmap — usually marking where the character starts, the midpoint, and a general idea of the ending.

It’s often just a list of bullet points to give me some structure. I don’t always know how I’ll get from point A to point B, and the outline changes as I go. I usually re-outline after drafting to make better sense of the story. I don’t treat the outline as strict — I let myself get lost in the story once I’m in it.

It’s really important for me to get the words on the page, even if they’re messy. You can’t edit a blank page, and revising is actually my favorite part of the process. So I focus on finishing that first draft so I can dig into the part I enjoy most.

For projects like Bochica where the historical backdrop is essential, I research before drafting, and continue to do so while writing and revising.

"I don’t treat the outline as strict — I let myself get lost in the story once I’m in it."

AC: How long did it take you to write Bochica?

CFC: The first draft took me about three months to write, and I revised it for another six to eight months with my agent before we sold it to my editor.

AC: That's really fast! How did Freewrite factor into your writing process?

CFC: My Freewrite Traveler is an essential part of my writing process, for every project I work on. It helps me get the juices flowing when I’m stuck, but it also helps me get those words on the page faster. I call it my little magical device!

I not only use it when I draft, but also when I’m revising, and I need to rewrite or add new passages, chapters, or scenes. I use it ALL the time.

"I call [Traveler] my little magical device!"

AC: Why do you prefer to draft on a Freewrite?

CFC: There’s a literal freedom that I get from using it as I’m drafting, similar to when I write by hand, but way more convenient. It’s quick, it keeps me off the internet, and I can easily upload it to my computer!

AC: Let's dig into your publishing journey. How did Bochica get published?

CFC: Bochica isn’t the first book I ever wrote, and it’s also not the book that got me my agent. I was actually writing romance when I signed with my literary agent almost six years ago, and when the pandemic hit, I decided to pivot into writing horror which had always been my favorite genre to read.

When the book was ready for editors, my agent sent it out, and I got an initial offer within days, then we got more offers, and the book ended up selling at auction to Simon and Schuster.

"Writing Bochica made me want to move to an old manor in the woods, so I now live in a house that I’m pretty sure is haunted."

AC: How has the publishing process been so far?

CFC: It’s been quite an experience; you go from hitting the lowest point to feeling on cloud nine the next second.

To sum it up in one word: WILD.

I’m lucky to have an amazing team behind me, both with my literary agent, and with my publishing team at Atria/Primero Sueño Press, to help me navigate this road, to get through the good, and the bad.

"[Publishing] has been quite an experience; you go from hitting the lowest point to feeling on cloud nine the next second."

AC: And before we sign off, what is Bochica about?

CFC: After her father is accused of murder, a young woman returns to her haunted childhood home — turned luxury hotel — and is forced to face the sinister shadows of her past, and unearth the truth of her mother’s mysterious death.

Think Mexican Gothic meets The Shining.

AC: Wow. I'm in!

If Bochica sounds like a wild ride to you, too, check it out here