Wednesday, June 1, 2011

The Epistolary: Writing through letters

There are many modes in which stories are told through, most common being a narrator telling you what you are supposed to know.  However, there are others which can be just as effective as a narrator, and sometimes more effective depending on you subject matter.

One of these modes, and perhaps the 2nd most popular following a narration driven story, is the epistolary story, or a story written through a letter or series of letters.  Famous examples include Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe, and the more recent and more entertaining The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.




Creative Writing Prompt:  Write a story which is told through a letter.  Be sure to address the letter to someone with clearly a clearly defined relationship between the sender and the reciever.  Perhaps a father and son, mother and daughter, two friends, or a letter to a mentor.  Interesting takes might be a criminal to his lawyer, a wayfarer to his family, or an inmate writing an open letter to the public.

Recommended Reading:

I could have recommended Moll Flanders, but I am not cruel.  While it is famous, I found it to be an arduous read with a heroin who was dumb and gullible, with stars in her eyes when it comes to marrying into an abusive relationship.  If you liked it, sorry.

A better way to spend your time would be to read Stephen Chbosky's excellent coming of age novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  Written through letters from a young man to an unnamed influence, this book is entertaining and heartwarming while capturing rather well what it feels like to be young.

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