This is great, something I know I'll return to as I edit my (hopefully) upmarket manuscript. I appreciate all your specific examples, taken from books I've adored.
Historical fiction can run the spectrum from commercial to upmarket to literary (although it seems to more often land upmarket or literary). It really depends on where you want to fall on the spectrum, but remember elevated language is only one element. This infographic and article by Carly Watters goes into more detail on the other elements. https://janefriedman.com/what-is-upmarket-fiction/
Heather, you’ve provided a checklist for everything I value and strive for in my fiction, as well as book examples I love & have studied for their approach. Thanks for confirming I am on the right track & not to rush to the finish line if it means neglecting these essential elements.
I don’t write upmarket fiction, but I’ve been desperately trying to improve my own prose for the sake of getting my writing to match my taste, so this article was insightful! Now if only I could retrain my brain to automatically think in beautiful sentences lol
I honestly think the more you read of it, the more it naturally seeps into and influences your writing voice. Even if you've been a lifelong reader, that's true because we just read differently as writers...you notice things you probably wouldn't have noticed before when you were just reading for entertainment. I think annotating books you love can really influence your writing practice too. Thanks for sharing and reading...glad to know this connected with you!
I do have a question: does this hold true for YA fiction, which needs to move faster than adult fiction? My writers' group is always editing out detail from my manuscripts saying it sounds too adult. Thank you!
YA isn’t my area so I’m not the best person to field YA questions, but I can say this: When we speak of upmarket, we’re generally referring to adult fiction. However, YA and even middle grade can certainly run the spectrum from commercial to upmarket to literary too. The Giver by Lois Lowry is a middle grade book that fits into literary fiction, so you can certainly have elevated language across kidlit genres. It’s a matter of finding the right balance for your voice and your audience.
You mentioned your writers group "editing out detail," and perhaps this is just the way you summarized it but I would also caution you to be careful about the power you allow others to have over your writing. A writers group should provide feedback that you take into consideration to determine if it's valid or lands for you, however, ultimately it is YOUR story. Even an editor or book coach should be making editorial suggestions with details of why we see something as not working rather than simply editing it out. I've seen many good-intentioned writing group members do more harm than good this way. This post might be helpful to you, specifically the part about how not all editorial feedback carries the same weight. https://writeyournextchapter.substack.com/p/5-steps-to-effectively-process-and
This is a great article! It absolutely pinpoints what elevates our prose. I very much appreciate your posting this. I'm keeping it for future reference.
Re: “I recognized the silent rage. The black anvil of depression. The inexhaustible self-pity. The mouth, grotesquely pinches from the violent and punishing thoughts ceaselessly circling, his only source of comfort” (45).
An overly simplistic description might state something like, “He looked angry and depressed.”
Good prose is all a matter of context, but even granting it, most of the literary passage is pretentious drivel - the “black anvil,” the “inexhaustible” self-pity that elbows out all the ostensible rage and depression, and the muddled nonsense about the “mouth.”
The comparative passage is just an invented whipping boy that nobody would write except a self-conscious MFA product who could articulate some high-flown justification for it.
Robert, I’ve created this space to help writers who are looking to grow. It’s a space where there is often vulnerability as people explore and learn about writing. It’s not a space where I welcome negativity or rudeness as that does not build community and it impedes those who want to ask questions from speaking up, and I just frankly have no tolerance for it. While I appreciate thoughtful, respectful criticism or disagreements, I do not have any patience for snarky, negative comments. In the words of New Orleans artist Dr. Bob: Y’all are welcome but you gotta act right.
This is great, something I know I'll return to as I edit my (hopefully) upmarket manuscript. I appreciate all your specific examples, taken from books I've adored.
This is a really great list!
This is the clearest explanation of upmarket fiction that I have come across. Thank you. Really helpful reference.
Heather does this stand for historical fiction too?
Historical fiction can run the spectrum from commercial to upmarket to literary (although it seems to more often land upmarket or literary). It really depends on where you want to fall on the spectrum, but remember elevated language is only one element. This infographic and article by Carly Watters goes into more detail on the other elements. https://janefriedman.com/what-is-upmarket-fiction/
This is so helpful8 in understanding upmarket fiction. I am definitely saving this post to come back to again and again. Thank you!
Love to hear that...thanks for sharing! 😊
Heather, you’ve provided a checklist for everything I value and strive for in my fiction, as well as book examples I love & have studied for their approach. Thanks for confirming I am on the right track & not to rush to the finish line if it means neglecting these essential elements.
Glad it's useful info for you...thanks for reading and sharing!
Thank you for going deeper into this topic than the average discussion.
You're welcome! Thanks for reading and your comment.
A lovely list of tools in the toolbox, for when I’m revising. And now I feel more confident that I understand the Upmarket definition. Thank you.
So glad it was helpful to you, Ada!
Wonderful post, Heather.
Thank you, Karin!
I don’t write upmarket fiction, but I’ve been desperately trying to improve my own prose for the sake of getting my writing to match my taste, so this article was insightful! Now if only I could retrain my brain to automatically think in beautiful sentences lol
I honestly think the more you read of it, the more it naturally seeps into and influences your writing voice. Even if you've been a lifelong reader, that's true because we just read differently as writers...you notice things you probably wouldn't have noticed before when you were just reading for entertainment. I think annotating books you love can really influence your writing practice too. Thanks for sharing and reading...glad to know this connected with you!
I also loved Go Gentle and Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors. Both books made me so envious of the authors’ gorgeous sentences.
Don’t miss it. One of my long-term writing buddies kept recommending it because I am working on a three POV novel.
Blue Sisters is still on my TBR list!
I do have a question: does this hold true for YA fiction, which needs to move faster than adult fiction? My writers' group is always editing out detail from my manuscripts saying it sounds too adult. Thank you!
YA isn’t my area so I’m not the best person to field YA questions, but I can say this: When we speak of upmarket, we’re generally referring to adult fiction. However, YA and even middle grade can certainly run the spectrum from commercial to upmarket to literary too. The Giver by Lois Lowry is a middle grade book that fits into literary fiction, so you can certainly have elevated language across kidlit genres. It’s a matter of finding the right balance for your voice and your audience.
You mentioned your writers group "editing out detail," and perhaps this is just the way you summarized it but I would also caution you to be careful about the power you allow others to have over your writing. A writers group should provide feedback that you take into consideration to determine if it's valid or lands for you, however, ultimately it is YOUR story. Even an editor or book coach should be making editorial suggestions with details of why we see something as not working rather than simply editing it out. I've seen many good-intentioned writing group members do more harm than good this way. This post might be helpful to you, specifically the part about how not all editorial feedback carries the same weight. https://writeyournextchapter.substack.com/p/5-steps-to-effectively-process-and
This is a great article! It absolutely pinpoints what elevates our prose. I very much appreciate your posting this. I'm keeping it for future reference.
Re: “I recognized the silent rage. The black anvil of depression. The inexhaustible self-pity. The mouth, grotesquely pinches from the violent and punishing thoughts ceaselessly circling, his only source of comfort” (45).
An overly simplistic description might state something like, “He looked angry and depressed.”
Good prose is all a matter of context, but even granting it, most of the literary passage is pretentious drivel - the “black anvil,” the “inexhaustible” self-pity that elbows out all the ostensible rage and depression, and the muddled nonsense about the “mouth.”
The comparative passage is just an invented whipping boy that nobody would write except a self-conscious MFA product who could articulate some high-flown justification for it.
Robert, I’ve created this space to help writers who are looking to grow. It’s a space where there is often vulnerability as people explore and learn about writing. It’s not a space where I welcome negativity or rudeness as that does not build community and it impedes those who want to ask questions from speaking up, and I just frankly have no tolerance for it. While I appreciate thoughtful, respectful criticism or disagreements, I do not have any patience for snarky, negative comments. In the words of New Orleans artist Dr. Bob: Y’all are welcome but you gotta act right.