Do you read fiction? (God, I hope if you’re reading this the answer is a big fat YES!) When trying to describe what genre I read, I usually say, “Good fiction.” I know. Pretty ambiguous. Thankfully I recently read an article where the author gave a friction break down that really explained it well:
- Commercial Fiction – The plot flies the plane
- Upmarket Fiction – The characters flies the plane
- Literary Fiction – The prose flies the plane
Since I describe my stories as “character driven”, I put myself in the second category. That is until she gave examples.
- Commercial Fiction – Entices the broad audience (Nicholas Sparks)
- Upmarket Fiction – Wine, cheese, bookclub (Jodi Picoult)
- Literary Fiction – Lush meaty craft (Donna Tart)
Okay, now I know. I definitely read Literary Fiction, that is confirmed. I aspire to write literary fiction but can’t compare myself to Donna Tart or any of these authors for that matter. Right now I’m shooting for ‘finish the novel.’
db hargis 
I write Commercial Fiction, but I want to start writing Literary Fiction. Thanks for sharing.
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