Do people still read books today, and how have reading habits changed?In an online course, Utsudo heard the instructor say commercial web articles should be written so even kids can understand them, because “everyone today has reading difficulties.” With more entertainment options and busier lives, reading is no longer a main pastime, but she believes there are still people who love savoring words — the immersion and lingering aftertaste of text are irreplaceable.

Translated from Utsudo’s original Chinese column.

“Everyone today has reading difficulties”

　　I heard this from an instructor while taking an online course.

　　He said commercial articles online should be as simple and clear as possible — ideally understandable even to kids. He hadn’t used idioms in ages, and if he accidentally used one he’d deliberately change it. Paragraphs shouldn’t exceed three sentences, and you should use bullet points and charts as much as possible.

　　“— Because everyone today has reading difficulties.”

　　To people in other fields, this may not mean much. But for me, a novelist, it was jarring — something I knew deep down but didn’t want to admit.

A childhood where reading was entertainment

　　As a kid, we had lots of books at home — complete fairy-tale series, all kinds of magazines, classic literature, books on nature and ecology — and my sister and I loved going to the library.

　　We already had a computer back then, but there wasn’t nearly as much information and video as now, and not many games either. In other words, our main entertainment wasn’t staying home scrolling phones or playing on computers, but visiting friends, reading books, or catching little critters (that may have been just me XD).

　　I used to set myself little goals, like finishing all the books on a certain shelf this week, or reading every book of a certain type in the library’s collection over the summer or winter break.

　　I read a lot, but honestly I don’t remember much now. I recall reading about a doctor who could talk to animals, a mouse’s adventures in the city, a bunch of kids’ rowdy school and everyday life, and so on — though I don’t really remember the titles. But I believe even the stories I don’t remember still exist somewhere in my consciousness, becoming energy that nourishes my writing.

Changing reading habits: reading is no longer mainstream entertainment

　　Because of the environment back then, reading (outside books) was still a major form of entertainment for us. But as more fun new things appeared and the pace of life grew busier, fewer and fewer people chose reading as a pastime.

　　After all, people are so busy normally that in their spare moments they basically just want to zone out, or only do entertainment that gives quick rewards — which is surely one reason modern entertainment media are so popular.

　　Times are changing, and there will surely be even more instant, high-reward entertainment in the future. But I think there are still people who love savoring words.

The irreplaceable flavor of words

　　Although the impact of text may be slower than other media, it has a flavor that can’t be replaced. When immersed in it, it’s as if you’ve entered the book and experience an adventure through the characters’ eyes. The longer you’re immersed, the longer you can savor it in memory, and the aftertaste lingers — I’m sure you, who also love words, understand.

　　But to keep growing in the novel field, we may need to work even harder than before. There are actually lots of people who want to write books, but as the audience shrinks, selection criteria get harsher, and royalties naturally… So part-time work or combining fields must be taken into account.

　　Of course you can pursue your dreams, but you can’t make your family worry or let yourself go hungry QQ

　　Maybe someday reading will come back into fashion, but until then, it’s important to stay active in the field. Though we can’t change the environment, through persistence we can keep shining on this stage.

　　Words won’t disappear —unless technology that can visualize the images and plots in our minds and post-process them becomes widespread, in which case… I’ll figure out a plan then XD

FAQ

Further reading (in Chinese)

• Previous: #74 (in Chinese)
• Next: #76 (in Chinese)
• Start from the beginning: #01 — Utsudo’s debut
• Column introduction
• Utsudo’s books

About the author

Utsudo is a Taiwanese light novelist and novelist VTuber with more than ten years in the industry and 40 commercially published print books. Her novel 《遺失的情書》 received a 2022 Ministry of Culture youth creative award. The 《嘿！聽說妳在鬼島當作家》 series records her experiences as a novelist in Taiwan.

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