{"id":489115,"date":"2022-03-18T16:30:21","date_gmt":"2022-03-18T16:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/?p=489115"},"modified":"2022-11-11T09:50:37","modified_gmt":"2022-11-11T09:50:37","slug":"what-is-literary-fiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/what-is-literary-fiction\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Literary Fiction?- A Complete Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One of the trickiest parts of being a writer<\/a>, at least at first, is trying to decide where in the world of publishing <\/a>you \u2018fit\u2019. Trying to figure out what genre you\u2019re writing<\/a> can be one of the most difficult parts of solidifying your pitch<\/a> to agents<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, I will be explaining what literary fiction is, how it\u2019s different to commercial and genre fiction, and why it\u2019s important that as writers we know the difference.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Literary Fiction?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the questions that crops up time and time again is \u2018What is the difference between commercial fiction, genre fiction, and literary fiction?<\/em>\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before writing this article, I asked a few people that very question. I didn\u2019t ask writers, because we have answers for everything, I asked readers. Could they tell the difference? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other than knowing that many literary fiction books find their way into the Booker Prize list, and some readers saying, \u2018well literary fiction books are those high brow ones that get featured in the Sunday Times\u2019 it\u2019s clear most people haven\u2019t a clue what it takes for a book to go from genre fiction to being classed as \u2018literary.\u2019 The truth is, genres in fiction can be tricky to define, and literary fiction tends to be one of the most difficult for readers and new writers to wrap their heads around.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let\u2019s delve deeper…   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Literary Fiction: Definition<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start with the basics, how do you define<\/em> literary fiction?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although for most people, literary fiction may be described as \u2018those classic books they make you study at college and university<\/a><\/em>\u2019 – while that may be true in some aspects, literary fiction is so much more than long painful prose, convoluted metaphors, slow narrative and a slathering of symbolism<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are looking for a clear-cut definition, the closest you will get is \u2018literary fiction is a category of novels that put emphasis on style, character and theme<\/a> over plot.\u2019 Whereas commercial fiction is generally \u2018the easy-to-read stuff that sells\u2019 (think of the kind of books you see in a supermarket or airport); and genre fiction is heavy on style (think romance<\/a>, sci-fi<\/a>, horror<\/a> etc); literary fiction tends to focus on bigger themes, a more serious prose style, and deeper characterisation<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But is that all there is to it? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are The Characteristics Of Literary Fiction?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With an ever-changing publishing industry<\/a>, the definition of literary fiction can change year on year.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, if your work falls within the bullet points below, you may find your book fits somewhere within the literary fiction genre. Does this sound like your novel? <\/p>\n\n\n\n