Episode 2: Characterization

What will be the big book market trends in 2026? Why are somany people gravitating toward horror and cozy fantasy? And what can we do about declining literacy rates? I discuss all these questions and more with author and bibliophile K.C. Norton, who made it her goal to read ONE THOUSAND books this past year.From reflecting on the fate of literary fiction to predicting ridiculous micro-trends like “dank cottagecore” and virus romances, we discuss all things bookish. Read the episode transcript here: https://quotidianwriter.medium.com/predicting-2026-book-publishing-trends-quotidian-writer-episode-4-406d50b6b8e1K.C. Norton’s Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09693FVNG?ccs_id=bbe1aa80-598b-42e4-ba99-a03b80e559c5 List of Literary Magazine Rankings by Brecht de Poortere: https://www.brechtdepoortere.com What’s In, What’s Out (0:00)Kat’s Favorite Reads This Year (7:48)Why Are Horror and Cozy Fantasy So Popular? (11:09)Diane’s Favorite Reads This Year (16:40)Book Market Trends (18:05)What’s Happening with Male Readers? (20:38)The Current Reading Culture (23:01)Upmarket and Book Club Fiction (27:19)Are Solarpunk andHopepunk on the Rise? (28:55)Trend Predictions for 2026 (32:43)What Will Be the Next Bestsellers? (35:13)Declining Literacy Rates (39:36)Are Books Becoming Oversimplified? (45:54)The Literary Fiction Market (55:08)AI Writing (57:28)What’s Happening with Literary Magazines? (1:04:09)Writing in the Current Political Climate (1:08:51)

This episode is a companion piece to my video Fantasy and Sci-Fi Worldbuilding Fundamentals, with even more tips and answers to your questions! How do you avoid "infodumping"? What's the best way to differentiate fictional cultures and subcultures? How do you know where to start and stop worldbuilding?I draw on my experiences as an editor and writer to answer your questions, which are also submitted through my YouTube community page. You can read the episode transcript here. Keep writing,Dianewww.quotidianwriter.com

How do you prevent characters from being clones of yourself? How do you differentiate characters from each other? And how do you ensure your protagonist isn’t carrying the “idiot ball”? Diane Callahan draws on her experiences as a writer and editor to share advice on these questions and more!

What’s the most engaging way to start a story? How do you approach returning to an old project? Diane Callahan draws on her experiences as a writer and editor to share advice on these questions and more!