What sets literary fiction apart from commercial
fiction? Is it the complex, literate, multilayered
language? Is it the relatability of
universal dilemmas? The answer is “Yes!”
Among the arts, literature is unique in that it uses as its
medium the language of everyday communication. One major difference is that literary
language remains present in the reader’s mind in the form of stylistic questions
or multiple interpretations in a way that everyday language does not.
This is not to say that literary fiction is all about the
wording at the expense of the plot. In good literary fiction the characters
must still face challenges and evolve just as they do in commercial
fiction. However, in literary fiction,
the plot tends to be more subtle, often unfolding within the mind or emotions
of the character. More often, in commercial fiction the plot involves continuous
action. It is more about how a character interacts with events in the outside world.
Thus, the reader becomes an observer rather than a participant who brings his
or her own meaning to the work.
In Windborne, most
of the plot is inferred by the choices the characters make. It requires a great
deal of empathy to relate to the characters as humans and to deduce the hidden
motivations and desires that lurk beneath their actions. Things happen on the surface, but what is
really important are the thoughts, desires and motivations of the characters as
well as the underlying social and cultural threats that act upon them. The
reader has to recognize the small tuning points as well as the highs and lows
of the plot based on what they know of the characters. They must bring their own experiences and knowledge
of human nature into the work.
In The Stone House Legacy, I am attempting
to fold more action sequences into the inner life of the characters. The plot
is more overt, but what happens out in the world isn’t as important as what
happens within the minds of the characters. By using an Epilogue and Prologue
to foreshadow the action of the plot I hope to refocus the reader’s attention
on the characters’ inner struggle rather than how they defeat or are defeated
by external forces.
The prose is
pretty straightforward, but I am attempting to use more literary devices such
as symbolism, allusion and imagery that will leave more room for interpretation.
The plot points all relate to the inner mind and may be hidden in quiet moments
and small, but powerful, revelations. I
realize that this may make it more challenging for the reader, but I believe it
will be worth it!
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