It is a blessing when remarkable persons that we admire make time to speak with us. Those shared interviews are reflections of us both, that’s why it’s imperative that what we ask matters.
One of those persons we were blessed to speak with was State of Grace author Sydney Walters!
During our conversation we asked her this GOOD QUESTION: How does emerging technology benefit storytelling?
She answered, “Storytelling has left a massive mark on human history. What was once spoken stories passed down by generations, grew into perfecting every mark of ink on parchment under the flickering glow of candlelight. Today, it has matured into an extensive, engaging, and technology-powered world building revolution.
It all starts in our minds. A story can manifest itself as a scattered dream, and then perhaps transform into a prophetic dream. As time passes by, the story beings to call to you, until it turns into an endless daydream.
Taking up all of your headspace, you can’t seem to get this idea out of your brain. Nevertheless, you need not worry about your future story’s progression. Everything that you need for futuristic storytelling is already within your reach.
For my novel series, The Saving Grace Trilogy, I started writing only on my smartphone. With a quick flick of my wrist into my pocket, I began to tap away as I started to create my fictional world.
Tapping became my new typing. Everything from notetaking, to brainstorming, to researching historical truths — every facet of my writing process was conducted on mobile devices, written entirely on a smartphone and tablet.
World building through modern tech is easier than ever today. With just a drag and a drop, a tap and a swipe, you can create a universe of your own with enchanting wizard-like movements.
What’s even more pioneering, is that you can write a story without even using your hands. This is accomplished through electronic voice-typing. Carpal tunnel has always been an issue for hard-working writers, so the hands-free method is a viable, high-tech option.
We have already reached the point in time where artificial intelligence can compose stories of their own. AI is another fascinating writing alternative. If you have an idea for a story, but don’t have the time to write it, why not program an AI to build it for you? Company OpenAI is a great example of this, with their language model, the GPT-3. Besides, who wouldn’t want to feel like Tony Stark with their very own J.A.R.V.I.S., Karen, or Friday?
It doesn’t end there. Even if you’re simply looking for character inspiration, you can use AI to scan thousands and thousands of human faces until it creates one for you on its own. This is practiced by using machine-learning structures to imagine a hyper-realistic human face that would fit perfectly into your world. Try www.thispersondoesnotexist.com for your next character idea.
We have come a long way from campfire stories. Today, science can often feel like magic as technology continues to advance, allowing us able access to more than we could have ever imagined in the past. The possibilities seem endless.
As future technologies develop, and modernization rewrites our lives, we can learn to write better stories in the future. It’s all just a tap away.
In fact, this column was written entirely through voice-typing, so it is really just one command away.” | THIS.
[By M.J. Walker]
