The Fate of Literary Fiction
As I try to place my first novel, I am beginning to notice that literary fiction has become a genre that many agents now avoid. Most of the agents I speak with seem to want more plot-based stories, rather than character-based ones. This is really disheartening, primiarily because it seems to indicate that Americans are becoming less interested in language and substance while becoming more interested in the cheap thrills that a wonderfully-woven plot can offer. Initially, my goal was to create a tight, character-driven novel. However, as I move through this process, I’ve noticed that, over the last few months, my initial objective has changed. Now, my goal has become to create a novel that does both, one that combines an intricate plot supported with interesting language. I wonder if other novelists struggle with this.