Fiction Consultations with Miah Jeffra

We have a general problem in literature, and that is the privileging of certain voices, namely straight, cis, white, able-bodied and male. Now, this has been discussed a lot as an issue within the publishing world, what is assigned in literature courses, and considerations with affirming what constitutes good writing.

But we perpetuate this narrowly conceived sense of “good writing” in the consultation process, as well, through the discussion of craft and implementation of suggestions for revision. Our notion of what constitutes good craft is bound by white supremacy and unconscious bias. We have defined what is good writing by what has historically been celebrated as good writing, and then we call it craft—we think of exalted craft as being a methodology, one that is color-blind, that is gender-neutral, that is without a particular audience in mind. We think of it as universal. We forget that aesthetic is all relative, and established and perceived good craft is borne of whatever is the most prevalent aesthetic: white, male, heteronormative, which becomes historicized by a lack of recognition of its narrow, dominant perspective. Thus, we further hegemonic aesthetic unknowingly, in the innocent conceit of being good craft. I have heard it in workshop, even, the argument that “Craft is craft. Good writing is just good writing.” The thing is, it’s not that simple.

In my consultation, I will emphasize not “Good Craft” with a capital G & C, but craft that will be good for achieving authenticity in the particular manuscript.

When working with fiction writers, I focus on getting to the heart of the work’s intention, communicate what I as a reader perceive as the intention, and then provide a range of possibilities on how to achieve that intention without compromising the unique voice, knowing that I may also possess blind spots in my reading. The potential dissonance between my read and the author’s desire is a great place to negotiate what will be best for the manuscript.

In my own fiction, I lean heavily into voice/point of view, dialogue as a tool to propel a story forward, and language that evokes setting and character. Many folx have called my writing social realism, but I defer to ambiguity for fear of being labeled one thing. Most of my characters are severely flawed, yet I try to render them easy to empathize with as a means for the reader to recognize their own complexities through the character’s experience. Fiction writers I find inspirational—those not afraid to show our culture’s complicated psyche—include Toni Morrison, Ron Rash, Annie Proulx, ZZ Packer, Michael Cunningham, Kazuo Ishiguro, Randall Kenan, Aimee Bender, among others. However, I read across genre and style in order to cultivate writing strategies that move beyond my own identity and practice.