How to Keep Technology From Dating Your Novel

For Authors Technology can make a story feel immediate and authentic, but it can also date a book faster than almost anything else. References to popular platforms, cutting-edge gadgets, and specific devices may seem perfectly natural today, but can become distractingly obsolete by the time readers discover your work. That doesn’t mean authors should avoid technology altogether, but simply that they should use it carefully to avoid unnecessarily tying their stories to a particular moment in time. This week, Ginger looks at how authors can incorporate technology into their stories without quickly dating them. By focusing on what technology does, the problems it creates, and the human consequences of using it, authors can keep their fiction feeling contemporary without sacrificing its longevity. From avoiding unnecessary brand names to recognizing when period-specific details can add authenticity, these practical strategies can help ensure technology serves your characters and story without drawing too much attention to itself. Last week I wrote about how tackling contemporary events is the key to timeless fiction, and this week I want to flip that completely on its head. Previously,...