More Than Just Words
There are so many mediums that feature more than just words and enhance a story in a multitude of ways. Examples may include graphic novels and comics, audiobooks, or even multimedia novels. On this day, we will be talking about those books and formats that move beyond just the words and use other ways to experience a story. Which books stand out to you in these different formats?
You are going to read a lot of posts today about the audiobooks or graphic novels everyone loves. Or mixed media, but in reality, I have absolutely no idea what mixed media even means! Mine is going to be a very different type of post.
Here and now, I confess to never having read a graphic novel. Ever. Browsed my kid’s copy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid briefly, but that is as close as I have come. I was never into comic books as a kid. I don’t do superheroes and things like that. My 10 year old has an emerging interest in Manga, and mom is totally clueless. I imagine there are a ton of things that I don’t want him to come across there, but I wouldn’t even know where to start.
As far as audiobooks, well, the honest truth is I have SEVERE ADHD. I have tried and failed a couple times with audiobooks. I excitedly signed up for Audible at one point, and paid for the membership for a few months, only to discover that I just can’t focus enough to listen to an audiobook. The first one I attempted to listen to was the first in Karen Marie Moning (Please tell me I spelled that right)’s Fever series…. And I made it about 10 minutes before my “ooh, there’s a squirrel” moment hit.
Maybe on the audio, I didn’t pick the right book. Maybe I just did not click with the narrator. I imagine there are a myriad of different explanations and I have no idea what the solution is. I downloaded all of the Audiobooksync YA titles this year, and will likely do the same this year, plus I have at least half a dozen titles in my Audible account, and yet, I just don’t know if I can make it through them. I want to like audiobooks, I just can’t seem to connect with them.
I struggled to write this post because of my ineptitude. But then, after brainstorming on Twitter, the idea came to actually just discuss my ineptitude on this subject. Why not confess to my readers that I haven’t got a clue, and ask them for some suggestions on things to try to get over it?
Are there graphic novels that aren’t the whole “superhero” or “comic book” thing in the traditional sense? Is there a “reading graphic novels for dummies” out there? What about for audiobooks?
Is there a narrator for audiobooks that is just so awesome to listen to that you can’t walk away? A super-sexy voice that has you so drawn in you don’t even realize the rest of the world is happening?
Comment below with your suggestions and maybe I will rethink my lack of exposure to these other media formats. I feel like I am missing out on something, and would love to hear what you think would get me back in the loop.