There’s no such genre as uplift, just as there isn’t one called griplit, which is applied to thrillers, it’s just marketing jargon used to encourage readers to jump on your book. However, it’s at the back of my mind when I write that my books progress to an endpoint that is satisfying for the reader.
In order to reach that ‘uplifting’ moment, I like to think I’m leading a reader into a different world, one they can escape to and forget about their daily worries, or simply enjoy a good read. But in order to achieve that goal, I have to start somewhere less pleasing. Yes, the downside of up, is you have to begin a story at a low point, and that means putting your main character in a difficult place. They might be going through a job crisis, unhappy, struggling with relationships, running out of money, losing friends. Maybe they’re in a rut and need something exciting to happen. That might be the case for Laura, who is on jury service, the starting point of my latest book, Beyond the Yew Tree.
Is it exciting? Well that would be spoiling the story. What is unexpected are the people she meets and the secrets she uncovers. Along the way, will she be ‘uplifted’ and undergo a metamorphosis? Again, that’s for the plot to tell, and certainly she’s going to be challenged, and so will other characters that have surprises in store for her.
The mission of a satisfying read is to leave the reader content. Hopefully I’ve managed to achieve that even if the story might bring a tear or two to your eyes – be warned!
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