Go into any forum and ask about literary fiction and there is no doubt that a rampant debate will begin. People’s opinions on what makes a story literary vary more widely than any other fiction related topic.
What is it that makes a work of fiction Literary?
Some say that anything written before the twentieth century can be considered literary. Others say that anything given to them to read in school is literary. And still others say that literary means boring and meaningless creative writing exercises that somehow managed to get published.
Opinions on the genre are rife with negativity and misunderstanding. And more and more readers are splitting into the houses of lovers and haters.
Literary fiction is the stuff that wins awards, Pulitzers and Booker Man prizes. These are the stories that survive through the ages and are often studied in schools and universities and discussed and interpreted at length.
This kind of story is more character and theme driven. When reading a literary piece the focus isn’t so much on the plot but on the central theme and everything circles and unfolds around this theme. Characters, settings, plot, action and suspense all portray or reflect the theme in one way or another.
Literary Fiction: Is there a Plot?
The simple answer is yes, there is a plot in all literary fiction. The longer answer is that it’s sometimes hard to find, usually multi-layered and almost always character driven on a multi-layered more psychological level.
The plot of a literary novel flows more organically. Rather than a series of events and points, the plot of a literary story is more a series of decisions and moments and memories.
Literary Characters and Point of View
And here is the fun part of literary fiction. Unlike most genre and mainstream fiction where the rules are often set in stone, in literary writing the author can be much more creative. Omnipresent points of view are much more common in literary works as are first person. In Ian McEwan’s Atonement we were gently pulled from one head to another often not even realizing that we had moved on and yet he managed to do it in such a way as to not be jarring or confusing.
Character is everything in literary fiction. A literary character MUST be multi-dimensional, floored, interesting and real.
Writing a Literary piece is not something to enter into lightly. Literary writing requires almost perfect poetic prose. Every detail must be described and brought to life. If a character is sad or happy or disturbed it must be explained in technicolour detail.
Often literary authors about to embark on a new book will start with a theme, settings and characters completely fleshed out then simply let the story unfold as they transfer it from their mind’s eye to the paper.
Quotes from Famous Literary Authors:
- "Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree."- Ezra Pound
- "Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become." - C.S. Lewis
- “I loved writing a book in which, in some ways, it's very, very classical, and in some ways I'm breaking lots of rules about what you can do and what you can't do.” - Neil Gaiman
- “The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.” - Anaïs Nin
- “Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” - Anton Chekhov
Sandra Fowke - Hi there! I'm Sandy, self confessed book worm and a writer through and through. I'm a thirty-something single mother of three, freelance ...
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