9 Eye-Opening Predictions on How Writing Will Change Over the Next Year

From quill and ink to AI-generated articles, writing has changed incredibly over the span of time.

Even when I consider the time that I've been a writer, from 6th grade to today, it boggles the mind. I can recall a pencil, a big fat eraser, and a small stack of wide-ruled paper in my earliest memories. Those were my tools, and they suited me well.

I'm sure they suited me well because, at that time, that's all there was.

Then, of course, is the advent of computers, tablets, and of course, AI.

Yeah. I said AI. Artificial Intelligence. Or basically, robots doing the creative work that writers do in an almost identical, if not improved, fashion.

But look, I'm not here to chat up AI and what it "might" do to the craft.

Instead, I'm here to chat up some predictions on where the art of writing is headed in the current and very near future.

One of the most significant changes I've seen is how technology has shaped our writing and changed how we approach writing. There are so many great things about this, but also some not-so-great things that have come along with these advances in technology.

It's hard to predict the future, especially when it comes to something as changeable as writing and the art of writing. With all this said, I wanted to make some predictions about what writing will look like over the next year or two.

But that doesn't stop us from trying.

In this blog post, we will look at 9 predictions on how writing will change over the next year or two. Some of these changes are already happening, while others may still be in the future. But one thing is for sure: writing is changing, and it's changing fast.

So what does the future hold for us writers?

Increasing use of tablets, phones, and other portable devices to create content and share it with others

This is happening faster and more often than we know. Content creators and micro-writers are creating on the go from small devices. Because Wi-Fi is so easily accessible, even from cars now, posting and sharing content is as easy as turning on your iPhone.

A move towards more visual writing, with a focus on images and videos to communicate ideas

Instagram comes to mind. Love it or hate it, the visual aspect of Insta is undeniable as a legit communication medium. And as far as I can tell, it's only sinking its social media tentacles in deeper.

Cohort-style writing groups will continue to grow and dominate the beginning writers landscape

Guilty as charged. I've personally signed up for and participated in at least six groups this past year alone. And as far this homie goes, I'll be joining at least 6 more in the next year or so. They rock.

The death of writing by hand or using pen and paper

This will torque a lot of my friends. Especially the old-school copywriters who swear by the pen and paper technique. I've tried it. It never helped me get better. In fact, it seemed to slow me down. It's going the way of the Dodo for sure.

The rise of "transmedia" storytelling and publishing

The bottom line is a single piece of content can be cascaded across multiple social platforms. For example, this piece will hit Medium, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Later I'll chunk it out with some visuals for Instagram.

The demise of blogging and the rise of social media and aggregators as a primary platform for content creation and distribution

Blogging as a business is dead. In fact, why bother? With aggregators like Quora, Medium, Newsbreak, and numerous others, the prolific writers will rush to these platforms. They already have an audience craving what you're writing.

Continued growth in popularity of writing workshops and online courses

There's no need for writing degrees or expensive college programs any longer. It's all available, arguably better, right at your fingertips for a fraction of the cost.

The increasing popularity of "micro-fiction," or short pieces of fiction that are typically less than 1000 words in length

People are short on time. They want the idea and synopsis quicker than ever, which also applies to storytelling. Quick and fast is in, long and drawn is out. Period.

The emergence of AI-generated content and the increasing use of bots to write articles, blogs, etc

The bots are coming, and there's nothing you can do about it. You can choose to ignore it, even fight it. Still, Artificial Intelligence is quickly becoming a norm in many writing niches. Hell, this piece might be AI-generated...hmmm.

The final word

So there you have it. Nine predictions on how writing will change over the next year or two.

Some of these changes are already happening, while others may still be in the future. But one thing is for sure: writing is changing, and it's changing fast.

So what does the future hold for us writers?

Only time will tell.

But one thing is for sure: we're in for an exciting ride.