Fiction Consultations with Rebecca Turkewitz

In both my writing and reading, I’m drawn to worlds I can get lost in, characters who take risks, and work that surprises. I love fiction that challenges genre expectations and has a strong and distinctive voice. I’m compelled by the way point of view and perspective can change the shape of a narrative. I read widely and with varied tastes, but am especially passionate about literary horror, gothic fiction, crime fiction, literary fiction, and the uncanny. I am an avid reader of novels, and have a special place in my heart for short stories and flash fiction.

When providing feedback, I first try to grasp the purpose and intentions of the project: What is the narrative trying to accomplish? What are its most compelling strengths? What is at the heart of the work? This way, I can begin to understand how to judge the work on its own terms, and help it become the best version of itself. I provide commentary on both the micro level (language, dialogue, description, syntax) and the macro level (structure, plot, character, atmosphere). I love seeing the possibility in a work-in-progress, and supporting writers in seeing these possibilities in their own work.

My own fiction focuses on place and landscape, questions of identity, and the power of stories and storytelling. Some of my favorite authors are Shirley Jackson, Jesmyn Ward, Stephen Graham Jones, Louise Erdrich, ZZ Packer, Gwen Kirby, Dan Chaon, Alice Munro, and Victor LaValle.