How to write Contemporary
The texture of ordinary life: jobs, families, group chats and the town that talks. Track careers and family trees so nobody’s sister changes jobs between books.
Includes
Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Women’s Fiction, Small-Town Fiction
Beats readers look for
- Meet-Cute
- Pop Culture Ref
- Small Town
- Family Dinner
- Workplace
- Holiday
- Friend Group
- Rival Family
- Dark Moment
- Grand Gesture
Story structures that fit
- Story Circle: Eight steps around a loop, comfort to change and back. Best for character-led stories and tight, repeatable arcs.
- Three-Act Structure: The plain spine. Eight beats, no ideology. Best when other frameworks feel like too much scaffolding.
- Kishotenketsu: Four parts, no conflict required; the third recontextualises the first two. Best for quiet, literary and slice-of-life work.
Worth keeping track of
- Family Tree
- Careers & Places