Several hours into my funk yesterday..
I got a call from Cassie the Flute Player…
If you remember, I’d met her at the nursing home...
Cassie was there because of a hip replacement…
I, visiting a loved one.
I hadn’t heard from Cassie since February…
We both began updating our lives…
She tells me that she went on a spiritual journey…
With a friend of hers who eventually left her stranded…
In the mountains of South Dakota.
Poor Cassie had to fend for herself and find a way home.
With no money!
Two months later she made it…
With many nail biting encounters along the way,
Her tales got me thinking…
My demons (metaphorically speaking) are within…
And while I don’t live a posh life, it is cush…
And I've never been stranded anywhere.
On the flip side...
The demons Cassie had to fight...
Were all physically on the outside…
And this got me thinking…
About novels...
I’ve often heard that in commercial fiction…
The conflict is more external…
While in literary fiction…
The conflict is internal.
(I know this is simplifying it)
So? I guess I could say I was in a literary funk yesterday.
But seriously...
What’s your take…
On the difference between commercial and literary fiction?
And what do you write?
Always, Em-Musing
5 comments:
Ultimately, I think literary fiction is focused more on the HOW it is written rather than the WHAT :o) I write literary, and although my writing, DOES have a plot, it's not typically my first priority. My writing has to sing first, then I check that the content works.
I'm commercial fiction all the way. The content has to be appropriate for the genre and while the writing has to be clear, it's more about the story.
Here's my take totally simplified -- commercial fiction is about making money. Literary fiction is about making you think.
I write romance( historical, contemporary, women's fiction) so I'm in both camps.
I actually mix both internal and external conflict in my writing. Just makes it that much more interesting. :-) I'm glad the lady got back safely.
Literary fiction has no plot and is therefore closer to life.
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