Monday, November 22, 2010

How to turn a page?

I am currently working on a book project where the content is not the primary focus. The only reason for text or image on the page is to provoke the viewer to turn the page.

So I have stumped myself. How do I place the driving force of the book (the text) as a secondary element to something more ethereal and subtle (but at the same time cause the viewer to linger and not just flip through the book).

I would love any suggestions.

Things I have come up with so far, involve the same phrase on each page..

something as simples as:
"turn the page"

or maybe excerpts from the wikiHow directions on How to Turn a Page..

Is that corny?
haha, help!
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6 comments:

  1. Odette EnglandNovember 22, 2010 at 7:43 AM

    Oooooh - maybe the book could come with one of those page-turn device thingys - see link - that way, you wouldn't actually have to say 'turn the page': http://www.google.com/#q=PAGE-TURNER&hl=en&prmd=ivsnb&source=univ&tbs=shop:1&tbo=u&ei=To_qTMjhI4L58AbMpaSoDQ&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=5&ved=0CEwQrQQwBA&fp=4af82180c88c7c93

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  2. Odette EnglandNovember 22, 2010 at 10:22 AM

    There is also something in the concept of inviting people to 'linger longer' - maybe you could call your book that - or, include it in the intro/preface/title somehow. I think 'linger longer' is also the name of a card game.

    Or - perhaps you incorporate an image of 'page flipping' on every single page of the book? e.g.: http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=page+flip&revid=1111267392&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=ubTqTPPdKYKclgeoqK3TCQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=6&ved=0CGcQsAQwBQ&biw=1381&bih=852

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  3. keithallynNovember 23, 2010 at 5:40 AM

    have the text run along the edges, obstructed by the actual page....cut off in the middle of the sentence by the edge...think of it as a sort of animation gone askew. It may appear that the words from page to page compile into something legible, but they don't...."The"(1)........"next"(2)........"page"(3).........."for"(4)........etc etc...........

    i dunno

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  4. rebeccaNovember 23, 2010 at 7:00 AM

    i like these ideas. maybe think of the book as a little landscape that you can make footprints all over - if you shrank yourself to insect size. then no part of the book is safe from your story.

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  5. maireadNovember 26, 2010 at 6:10 AM

    Or have a set of questions that conventionally people are interested in:

    for the name of your true love [turn over]
    for the day of your death [turn over]
    for your calling ...
    for will you or won't you ...
    for what would make the difference ...

    maybe have answers.

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  6. maireadNovember 26, 2010 at 6:14 AM

    Actually, it occurs to me, the one way to get people to read something is to put their name on it. How can you personalize every page?

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