In the book “House of Leaves” by Mark Z. Danielewski, the author explores how the structure of text on a page can affect a story. While almost all novels utilize the same format, with paragraphs following each other to fill chapters, Danielewski strays from this dramatically. Whole passages can be seen crossed out, displayed backwards, or relegated to the footnotes of the page.
These deviations from the literary norm changes how the reader engages with the text. Each of these surprises introduces a new hurdle, and they often control the pacing at which the reader understands the text. For example, on the pages where text is displayed backwards, the reader must slow down and work to register each word.
Similar experiments with visual form have been seen in poetry, namely with E. E. Cummings. This American poet would often display words in a very precise and structured way, ignoring normal rules of print. Words would float away from each other using excessive spacing, and would often flow down the page in a non-linear manner. While these techniques have been explored in poetry, it is far less common in novels due to its difficulty to print and produce.
I find this technique of writing to be very engaging. Often reading across the page can become predictable, and users could find themselves skipping ahead in anticipation. However, when the structure of your novel is out of the norm, readers must concentrate and take care in following the plot, or else they will get lost. I also find it especially beautiful in poetry, as it can convey more than just words can, as though it is painting a picture of the poem itself.
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