Literary Fiction

Literary Fiction always had a bit of a snooty sound to me, like the music that is good for you one hears on public radio or that the writing is on such a high plain that one might need several college degrees and an extra set of brains to read and understand it, dense, plodding prose that promises more work than enjoyment, not unlike this sentence. Not my style at all. So imagine my surprise when my friend Ernie Hebert, noted author and professor at Dartmouth, told me that my own novel Grants Ferry could be literary fiction.

Literary? Moi?

I had no idea. I just tried to write a story.

So I looked up Literary Fiction to see why Grants Ferry might fit. The simplest explanation is that literary fiction (also known as "serious fiction") is not genre fiction. It's not mystery or romance or sci-fi or horror. It's also not apt to be plot driven. It needs a plot, of course, a destination, but literary fiction will take its own sweet time getting there and there can be lots of detours and opportunities to become familiar with and close to the characters. It's not necessarily a triumph of Good over Evil but can be a casual stroll to a general resolution of things and driven by the characters, not some outside influence like a ticking bomb.

According the the source I found, there are four main characteristics of Literary Fiction. I've simplified them here.

• Characters and their personal stories generally get more attention than plot. People who enjoy literary fiction don't need to get to the next thing and the next thing and the next thing. Simply watching the lives of the characters and the events that surround them unfold are more important than saving the world in 300 pages.

• Literary novels are often more philosophical, searching for some larger meaning or truth than one might find in a detective story or an espionage novel. Digging into the thoughts of the characters and what drives them is probably more important than overcoming the next plot point.

• The writing has to be good. The writer needs a way with words that can be either simple or flowery but it must first be an enjoyable read.

• In Literary Fiction just about anything goes - as long as it works.

Finally, Serious or Literary Fiction generally sell in smaller quantities than genre or mainstream novels.

Damn.