One Piece of Advice From 26 Literary Fiction Authors in 2023
Literary fiction is one of my favorite categories, though it’s often difficult to define exactly what literary means. For many, literary is something they know when they read it, but the genre crosses over with many other genres, including historical fiction, mystery, romance, and more.
Regardless of the definition, I find that literary fiction often makes me think on a deeper level. These works of fiction tend to be more focused on thoughts and ideas than on plot, though literary fiction can definitely feature strong plots (just as genre fiction can explore deeper ideas).
Here I’ve collected one piece of advice from 26 authors who identified their 2023 book releases as literary. Be sure to click the author names if you’d like to read their full author spotlights from earlier this year. Enjoy!
“I would say read widely, and don’t worry about writing every day.” –Farah Ali, author of The River, The Town (Dzanc)
“Stop talking about writing. Instead, sit your butt in the chair and write.” –Matthew Binder, author of Pure Cosmos Club (Stalking Horse Press)
“Write to the contemporary authors whose work you adore and let them know. Build a network of writers that you feel passionate about being a part of.” –Sarah Blake, author of Clean Air (Algonquin Books)
“Being a writer often entails discovering your ‘rules’ and sticking to them no matter what. But now and then, you’ve got to break these rules. Every writer always knows when.” –Stephen Buoro, author of The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa (Bloomsbury)
“Write whatever you feel called to write. When I first started querying agents in my late 20s, I was getting feedback that essentially said, ‘Your prose is good, but write realist stories about poor immigrants instead of cyborgs.’ Obviously, there is nothing wrong with realist stories about poor immigrants, but there is something wrong with telling marginalized folks they must write about x. … It got to a point where I almost gave up. Then one day I started drafting a weird urban fantasy novel with sentient balls of fire and tar pits, and my guiding principle for that book was, what do I personally want to see happen next? So I wrote an entire novel like this, and it reminded me that writing was supposed to make me happy. Because if I wanted to make myself miserable, I would get a 9-to-5 job I hate, and at least that would come with a 401K.” –Rita Chang-Eppig, author of Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea (Bloomsbury)
“Stop comparing! I almost feel nervous answering these questions, because I know how I would’ve poured over another author’s timelines and process just a couple of years ago. It’s interesting to learn the roadmap to other people’s accomplishments, but it can be unhealthy—the brain often searches for evidence that we’re doing things wrong. Believe in your own process.” –Nicola Dinan, author of Bellies (Hanover Square Press)
“Always rewrite. I find it the most enjoyable part of the writing process. I can keep rewriting a book I’m working on for years if I were allowed to.” –Tan Twan Eng, author of The House of Doors (Bloomsbury)
“E. L. Doctorow famously wrote: ‘Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.’ My advice: Follow those headlights. Don’t give up ‘til you get to the end. Ideas come from writing, not the other way around.” –Christine Evans, author of Nadia (University of Iowa Press)
“I’m grateful to the people who believed I could bring this project to fruition—their encouragement was everything. Find the person who believes you’re a finisher!” –V.V. Ganeshananthan, author of Brotherless Night (Random House)
“Write the book you want to write without letting concerns or fears about how you’ll sell it and get published interfere with your process. Once you have a manuscript you are proud of and excited by, then focus on all the rest.” –Vibhuti Jain, author of Our Best Intentions (William Morrow)
“Creativity has its seasons. Let your writing bake, marinate, hibernate. You’re writing stories all the time, even if they’re not on paper. Life is long and art is never linear—give yourself time.” –Haley Jakobson, author of Old Enough (Dutton)
“Stay curious about the world around you, as well as yourself. Keep examining the question of what moves or interests you.” –Tania James, author of Loot (Knopf)
“The most important advice I received was to write the book you want to write, rather than chasing trends or aiming solely for critical and commercial success. Such success is often unpredictable and largely dependent on luck. Instead, focus on writing authentically for yourself, rather than trying to cater to a specific audience. If your writing is genuine and true to your own voice, your audience will naturally find you.” –Lang Leav, author of Others Were Emeralds (Harper Perennial)
“I remember seeing Bo Burnham on a talk show when he was asked to give inspirational advice to aspiring comedians. ‘You gotta just take a deep breath,’ he said, ‘And give up.’ I found myself caught off-guard, laughing a lot. He went on to say that the system is rigged against you, your hard work and talent will not pay off, and luck plays a much bigger role in success than you think. I think this comically ruthless piece of advice can help you face the uncomfortable truth that your efforts to be a successful writer might not become fruitful. Ironically, however, accepting this harsh reality can make you realize whether you are truly motivated or not.” –Mirinae Lee, author of 8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster (Harper)
“Adapt and collaborate but with care! Use the obstacles out there and the many paths to publishing today, from small presses/indie publishing to self-publishing, to your advantage.” –Amy Grace Loyd, author of The Pain of Pleasure (Roundabout Press)
“I would suggest that other writers find hobbies and communities outside of writing. It’s so easy to become too immersed in your writing—in your own bubble—that you forget that the outside world exists! For me, only focusing on writing (which sometimes I have to buckle down and do) wasn’t healthy. I needed to remember that while I love writing, it’s still a job, and that my spirit is better sustained by balancing that with other joys.” –Susie Luo, author of Paper Names (Hanover Square)
“Celebrate the small victories!” –Isle McElroy, author of People Collide (HarperVia)
“It’s sometimes NOT writing that helps your writing most, getting away from the computer, putting the pen down. Since I was in a band and once a sculpture/art major, I find I look to paintings, photographs, sculptures, and songs for inspiration. Watching my brother-in-law run his portable sawmill, my mom make spaghetti sauce, my dad bait a hook, my friend quarter her day lilies, a man reload shotgun shells in his basement workshop, an old, old woman tat and stitch a doily, these all inspired me to find my way into writing stories.” –Jolene McIlwain, author of Sidle Creek (Melville House)
“Readers are excellent at telling you what’s wrong with a story. Listen to them! They’re also terrible at telling you how to address what’s wrong with a story. That’s the writer’s work.” –Mai Nardone, author of Welcome Me to the Kingdom (Random House)
“Follow what works for you. If, like me, you have a full-time job, kids, and a host of other things going on, it’s more important that you write when you can than to forgo writing. Find your moments of calm, however short they are, and start. Don’t get discouraged that you haven’t hours to write, or you can’t get beyond a few lines at a time. Write a sentence or a paragraph. Pick it up again the next time you have those moments of calm, or the next time you just have the urge to write. It’s like knitting, a little at a time also works.” –Nyani Nkrumah, author of Wade in the Water (Amistad)
“My favorite piece of advice is from former US poet laureate Tracy K Smith: Read as widely as you can, and sometimes read against your own tastes. If you dismiss a book simply because it’s not written in a register you particularly love, you risk missing out what it might have to teach you. And also, take your time. Most books benefit from a little extra patience.” –Ben Purkert, author of The Men Can’t Be Saved (Abrams/The Overlook Press)
“Keep hustling! I spent nearly a year looking for representation for Tell Me One Thing and was declined by over 50 literary agents before I submitted it directly to Regal House Publishing. This business is hard and takes a lot of elbow grease, but it’s so worth it.” –Kerri Schlottman, author of Tell Me One Thing (Regal House Publishing)
“Leave an unfinished sentence each day to finish the next day.” –Caitlin Shetterly, author of Pete and Alice in Maine (HarperBooks)
“Be intentional in the development of your craft. I think about that in three ways: keep writing on a routine that works for you (just stick to that routine, whatever it is); keep reading widely and with curiosity and with an eye towards what is working in texts (sometimes we can lapse into excessive critique that serves little purpose and drains us of the joy of reading); and use your writing and reading routines to think about what elements of craft you’d like to improve on and how you can go about doing that (which could mean searching other books for techniques, writing your way into your own set of tools, or a combination of those approaches). Whatever you do, keep love for the craft at the center of your practice.” –Anise Vance, author of Hush Harbor (Hanover Square Press)
“Revise the hell out of that draft and do not rush your story.” –Mirza Waheed, author of Tell Her Everything (Melville House)
“Make sure the topics you are covering are ones you’re passionate about. If those topics happen to be timely, great. But writing about something just because it’s timely may take all the fun out of it for you. Write for yourself first, readers second.” –De’Shawn Charles Winslow, author of Decent People (Bloomsbury Publishing)