Why Authenticity Is the New Non-Negotiable in Fiction

Hi Reader,

How do you feel about letting people read your work? Are you gushing with pride, wanting to send it out to the whole world? Or are you more cautious? Nervous even?

What if it’s someone who’s close to you? A family member, perhaps, or a close friend?

For me, I can send my book out to agents, book coaches, and editors, and be fine (ok, fine-ish) with criticism or rejections, but the second someone I know in my real life wants to read it, I clam up.

But last week, the most amazing thing happened to me.

I finally took the plunge and sent my romance manuscript to my husband to read. Why was this a big deal? For two reasons. First, because he’s not a fiction reader at all, and I assumed he would be bored the whole time. And second, because this book is deeply personal and contains elements of his own story (with his permission, of course).

What would he think of seeing his wounds, so much of his story brought to life? Would he hate it? Would he feel exposed or ripped off?

Turns out, he loved it. I think it was incredibly eye-opening for him to see for himself what I’d spent so much time and effort on. It was like he finally got it, got me a little more.

But—he had some notes. Four pages of notes, in fact, which I think was pretty impressive for a non-fiction reader.

His main concern: authenticity of voice.

We are living in an age where truth matters more than ever, especially in publishing. A few weeks ago, a horror book, Shy Girl by Mia Ballard, was pulled off the press by publisher Hachette Book Group over suspected use of AI to write the book.

You are welcome to read more about the drama here, but suffice it to say that publishers and readers are becoming increasingly aware of, and concerned about, the use of generative AI in novels. Agents have said that they are seeing larger numbers of submissions that are suspected AI, and for the traditional book industry this is a huge no-no.

Now, this isn’t an essay about why you shouldn’t use AI, nor even really about AI at all. What I want you to understand is that readers crave authentic content. Books that feel wholly human and completely real.

For my husband, parts of my book missed the mark. See, I dared to write in first person POV from the perspective of a firefighter with PTSD. Firefighters are a unique subculture, and while I am a first-responder wife, I am still not part of the group. So he skewered me on things like my character using the word “colleague” to describe a firefighter working in the same department. Or different jargon bits that weren’t quite right. Most importantly he worked with me on shifting some of my verbiage to something that sounded more authentic to a male firefighter.

This stuff matters when you’re crafting your narrative, y’all.

Right now I’m listening to Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (highly recommend for its funny, authentic voice), and a passage stuck out to me that talks about this very thing.

In the book, Margo is listening to her ex-pro-wrestler dad explain about wrestling personas and what is real and what is not in the ring:

“That’s the magic,” he went on. “It has to be authentic to work. But it’s also, you know, by definition, fake. You’re dressed up in neon spandex and holding a microphone--that is not how fights actually happen.”

“What do you mean it has to be authentic to work?” Margo asked.

“I mean, the match, even if it has incredible acrobatic spots, it still must have the psychology of a real fight. And if a persona is too fake, it doesn’t work, you’ll never get over. It has to ring true…”

Fiction is the same. It’s not real, but it has to feel like it is. If I were to use the word “colleague” in my book, and some other romance-reading firefighter happened to read it, it would jerk them out of the narrative. The persona would be too fake.

So how do we make sure that we sound authentic? How do we make sure that what we are writing feels real on the page?

First, it all comes back to knowing your character inside-out. Who are they? What is their personality like? What makes them tick? How do they see the world? What are their wounds, their flaws? What are their speech patterns, and how can you reflect that in their thoughts and dialogue?

And second, it might mean getting an “expert” read. For me, this meant talking to an actual firefighter to see if this rang true. For someone writing historical fiction, it might mean asking an actual academic expert whether your details are authentic to the place and time you’re writing about.

Third, if an expert isn’t something you need—if you’re writing fantasy or something contemporary from the perspective that you identify with and experience personally, then authenticity looks like digging super deep.

Let me amend that last thought…writing authentically always means digging deep. It's not just for those who don't need an expert's opinion. Crafting an authentic voice means getting to that human emotion or experience under the surface. It means saying something that resonates because, at its heart, people know it’s real.

It looks like taking a breath before you let yourself get vulnerable. It looks like saying the thing that maybe you shouldn’t. It looks like leaning into the story instead of your own insecurities and fears. Easy? No. Worth it, yes.

I believe that when we are connected deeply to our writing, our soul will shine out of our words, and other humans will feel it too. That’s what resonance is, and it is absolutely what you want.

So do the scary thing—be authentic. And if that means reaching out and sharing your words with a reader, maybe it will wind up making your book that much stronger.

---

Summer Story Studio

In case you missed I'm gearing up for my next quarterly small group coaching session, starting the first week of May. If you're looking for accountability, coaching, forward momentum, craft lessons, and community, consider joining us!

How does it work?​
For 12-14 weeks, I host 4-5 writing sprints on Zoom a week, and lead bi-weekly meetings (rotating between a craft lesson and hot-seat coaching session in which participants share pages they'd like direct feedback on.)

Here's a sample schedule from last week:

Monday: Writing Sprint 5:30am PT/8:30am ET
Tuesday: Hot Seat Coaching 10am PT/1pm ET
Wednesday: Writing Sprint 5:30am PT/8:30am ET
Thursday: Writing Sprint 12pm PT/3pm ET
Friday: Writing Sprint 11am PT/2pm ET

Of course I work with my writers across time zones to find sprint times that they can attend.

How much does it cost?
​I'm proud to offer this 14-week session at a low rate of $97

What are the dates for the next session?
​I'm looking at Monday May 4th through Friday August 7th, 2026, with some lighter weeks around holidays and vacations.

---

Offerings

Thanks so much for being here with me. I value you and I sincerely hope that I provide value for your writing journey. If you feel inclined, drop me a line and let me know what you’re working on!

Happy Writing,

Karyn

P.S. Loving these emails? Buy me a cup of tea to say thanks. Or you can book a free 30-min story strategy chat here if you're interested in getting specific help with your book.

Granite Bay, CA
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​