imagine something like visual novels, as easy to make (computer-wise) as those are now, but broken totally free from the anime art style/dating sim holdovers (first-person being a less obvious one)/that certain demographic, and more importantly, make strong use of the dimension of time. whereas visual novels introduced interactivity (and sometimes take it away to strip it down to an illustrated medium much heavier on text than most others, aka a kinetic novel), dynamic novels introduce temporality.
what is a dynamic novel that a visual novel isn't?
- dynamic novels borrow from graphic novels and comic books in their embracing of freeform panel layouts that suit the narrative.
- dynamic novels borrow from webcomics (particularly early experimental ones and in opposition to verticalized webtoons) in their ethos of the computer screen as a potentially infinite canvas.
- dynamic novels borrow from visual novels in their digital distribution method, giving more power to its authors to self-publish and find their audience, as well as offering creators the option to include some degree of interactivity and animation.
- dynamic novels borrow from graphic novels and visual novels in their most natural monetization model being one payment for a finished product.
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dynamic novels expand on all of the above by utilizing rich text, animation, and sequential panels to introduce more cinematic elements into the story-telling.
imagine you are reading an interactive graphic novel where, like a motion comic or illustrated film, the action can be accompanied by animation, but need not be throughout; the author can act as a media jockey and pause it all to let the art sink in, putting the decision on when to continue in your hands. this format would also let you read text at your own pace rather than nearly requiring voice acting and narration, but you are also given something better and richer than static silence- the author can give characters video game style "chatter" to simulate the sound of their voice that changes pitch and patter when the author tells the characters to through the computer, like a director would. just as naturally, the character acts through the text as well. font, typeface, color, size, speed of appearance, animation of all kinds, skewing the shape of the space words occupy, "talking over" other text in a variety of different ways, all deployed in the service of evoking the emotions of the narrative.
that is a dynamic novel.
stay tuned.