An Atheist at the Community Table

Make it yours

Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.

1. Keep what the hero wants and what they need in tension.
2. Tell it through the messages, notes or voicemails the characters leave.
3. Write the scene everyone else would skip: the morning after.

Writing contemporary fiction

People like us, now, in trouble we recognize.

Contemporary fiction is set in the present day and deals with life as it's actually lived: families, marriages, friendships, work, loss. It sits between literary and commercial fiction, often shelved as book club or upmarket fiction.

What readers expect

• A present-day, realistic setting
• Relatable, flawed characters
• Emotional stakes over action
• Issues readers face themselves

A tip before you start

Today is your setting, so use it: the group chat, the parking ticket, the brand of cereal. Specifics make it feel true.

More about contemporary fiction in our book genres guide