Certain books have remained popular, even controversial, from their first publication. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, The War of the Worlds, the works of William Shakespeare,  Frankenstein, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer come to mind. Whether delivered on pulp or as digital ones and zeroes, these titles resonate with readers across time and cultures.

Perhaps titles like these appeal powerfully to our brains, that is, they tap into stories stored inside our “gray matter.” The brain “scripts” are the result of our life experience, and reading words engage these scripts. To test this, scientists used a brain scanner to visualize the scripts stored in the brain’s neurons. In fact, various sections of the brain illuminated as the imagination of the reader were engaged.

“…[C]learly there are several different neuron clusters involved in story comprehension. For example, a particular area of the brain ramped up when readers were thinking about intent and goal-directed action, but not meaningless motion. Motor neurons flashed when characters were grasping objects, and neurons involved in eye movement activated when characters were navigating their world….Indeed, it appears that we dynamically activate real-world scripts that help us to comprehend a narrative—and those active scripts in turn enrich the story beyond its mere words and sentences. In this way, reading is much like remembering or imagining a vivid event.” [The Narrative in the Neurons]

These preliminary findings are interesting to ponder and add scientific weight to the “filling in” that we routinely do as we read, pulling from our life’s trials and tribulations to add meaning to the story. Moreover, from a writer’s perspective, do writers who incorporate all the brain regions and use all the five senses provide a more compelling narrative, making the characters more “real” to the reader? And if writers incorporate video into the text, do they open up additional opportunities to engage the eBook user?

…The brain has special regions that process motion. For example, if you look at a screen of moving dots, your motion areas will activate. Interestingly though, areas that process motion of inanimate objects are distinct from the areas that process so called “biological motion”. This is still an active area of research, but one reason biological motion might be special is because we’re social creatures. The movements of fellow humans are important for us, so we’ve evolved to be highly tuned them. We’re experts at interpreting movements (pointing? reaching towards something?) for the underlying motivations and mental state of the mover. This is something to keep in mind. Humans are highly attuned to biological movement, so use the movements of your characters to your advantage. [Narrative and the brain (original emphasis)]

Such are examples of the evolving technology to help tell stories. At WOWIO we’re interested in digital storytelling. Writers and readers will experience new possibilities as technology provides the ability to weave text, audio and video into untold multimedia combinations. But the story itself, not the technology, remains fundamental.

The “correct” balance as how to use the technology appropriately is a story still unfolding: that’s a story in itself.

About the Author

Gary Hamel — one of the founders of WOWIO — is an editor, quality guru and resident futurist who surveys the competitive landscape and looks at the big picture of the eBook marketplace. Gary is also a pizza connoisseur and WOWIO’s acknowledged expert hobbyist on restoring classic Dodge and Plymouth cars.

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Other Links to this Post

1. WOWIO News » We’re All Storytellers: the Reader’s Role in the Evolution of the Book — August 25, 2010 @ 5:39 pm

2. The Weekly Wrap-Up: A New Character | BW Media Spotlight — September 5, 2010 @ 6:04 pm

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