Contemporary Literature is a genre that includes stories taking place from WWII to the present day with characters who often encounter difficulties and issues of those times. Contemporary Lit showcases the lives of relatable, diverse characters in real-world settings. These stories reflect trends in life and culture and generally feature reality-based plots.
When deciding if a story is considered contemporary lit, consider these points:
📌 Believable, relevant characters who behave the way most readers would.
📌 Time frame ranges from WWII to the present.
📌 The setting is a real place or seems like a real place.
📌 The events could happen in real life.
📌 Dialogue is often informal and conversational and can include regional dialects.
Stories written under the contemporary lit genre can also contain any number of subgenres, such as: romance, mystery, thriller, horror, humor, chick lit, general fiction, dystopian/utopian, military fiction, even historical fiction if the time frame doesn't pre-date WWII.