Letter writing in creative writing
Creative writing is a very broad and diverse genre of writing. Letter writing can be used in different ways to enhance this writing, within the epistolary style. It can be used for character development, a source of dialogue, a sense of authenticity, and to move the plot of the story along in fiction. “In our fast-paced digital age, where instant messaging and emails dominate our communication landscape, the art of letter writing seems like a relic of the past. However, for creative writers, it remains a timeless and invaluable writing technique.” (“Letter Writing: A Powerful Technique for Creative Writers.”) This quote shows how for creative writers, letter writing is still very valuable to this day as it is constantly made use of in fiction writing.
One example of this epistolary style is the book, “Letters to the Lost”, by Brigid Kemmerer. The book is about a teenage boy, Declan, and a teenage girl, Juliet, who have both experienced a major loss in their lives. The book goes in and out of epistolary form, switching between letters and classic narrative writing form. In the book, Juliet has always written letters to her mother, who passed away. She writes, “I’ve written her twenty-nine letters since she died. Two letters every week. When she was alive, I wrote her hundreds. Her career kept her on the cutting edge of technology, but she craved the permanence and precision of the old fashioned. Handwritten letters.” (Kemmerer, 8) This supports the idea that letter writing is considered a very authentic and meaningful way of communication, and that this is the reason Juliet, and her mother wrote these letters to each other. Further on in the narrative part of the story, Juliet additionally writes, “We did the normal things too, or course: emails and video chatting when she had a chance. But the letters- those really meant something. Every emotion came through the paper, as if the ink and dust and smudges from her sweat lent weight to her words, and I could sense her fear, her hope, and her courage.” (Kemmerer, 8) When Juliet mentions that every emotion came through the paper, and that she could sense all her mother’s emotions through her writing, it is obvious that letter writing was a more authentic means of communication between this mother and daughter. In addition to the sense of authenticity that the author makes use of the epistolary writing style for here, it is also clear that this letter writing is a big part of the plot of the story. The characters Declan and Juliet begin writing letters back and forth at the cemetery, since they are both there to grieve for their loved ones. After Declan writes on one of Juliet’s letters, her response in letter form is: “Privacy is an illusion. Obviously, you know this, since you read my letter. It wasn’t addressed to you. It wasn’t for you. It had nothing to do with you. It was between me and my mother. I know she’s dead. I know she can’t read the letters. I know there’s very little I can do to feel close to her anymore.” (Kemmerer, 9) The use of this letter seems to be to show Juliet’s thoughts and feelings towards Declan’s actions earlier in the book when he writes on one of the letters to her mother. The author does a great job making use of this letter to show Juliet’s pure anger, which would not be as strongly displayed to the reader without the use of this letter.
Another example of epistolary style within creative writing is the book “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”, by Stephen Chbosky. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is about a 15-year-old boy, Charlie, who writes to a friend to cope with his grief after his friend commits suicide. Charlie writes, “Dear friend, I do not like high school.” (Chbosky, 6) The epistolary style is used here primarily to show how Charlie is feeling, and what he is thinking on a deeper level. It is also clear that Charlie makes use of letter writing to make him feel better and possibly to get his emotions out to somebody. This connects back to the idea that letter writing is very authentic and intimate. Charlie additionally writes to his friend, “Dear friend, there is a lot to tell you about the last two weeks. A lot of it is good, but a lot of it is bad. Again, I don’t know why this always happens. First of all, Bill gave me a C on my To Kill a Mockingbird essay because he said that I run my sentences together.” (Chbosky, 14) This is another example of the author using letters to convey how the character Charlie feels, as well as how he is characterized throughout the story and these letters. It also reveals how heavily Charlie emotionally relies on these letters to get through his emotions.
One more example of creative writing that makes use of the epistolary style is “I hate everyone but you,” by Allison Raskin and Gabe Dunn. The book is about two girls, Ava and Gen, who go off to college and keep in touch through Gmail emails/letters. The first message reads,
“Dear Best Friend, it is with a heavy heart that I write the first of what I can only imagine will be hundreds of emails detailing every second of our college-bound lives. I am extraordinarily proud of you and can’t wait for the entire city of Boston to both love and fear you. Just remember that NO ONE will ever love (or fear) you like I do…. Sincerely, Ava Helmer (that brunette who won’t leave you alone)”. (Raskin, 1)
In this instance, these letters of epistolary style are used as a source of dialogue between the characters, as well as a source of characterization of them. Very early on throughout the letters, it becomes clear that Gen is more of a risk taker and is extremely outgoing, meanwhile Ava is a much more timid character in the letters she writes. These emails in letter form are what allow the author to characterize Gen and Ava. In addition to this, the letters are what move the story plot along in this book, as the entire thing is written in epistolary format of letters back and forth between the two girls.
Overall, it is clear that epistolary format can play a huge role in creative fiction writing. It can be used to move the plot along, as dialogue, characterization, and authenticity, all of which help authors more effectively write and craft their stories to be shared with the world. Evan Gottlieb, Oregon State University, writes about letter writing: “..It was not uncommon for authors to include letters as part of their overall narrative. These gave readers a chance to hear from characters in their own voices…” What it all comes back to is the use of letter writing to help develop and form characters in creative fiction. Without characters, there is no story. This is why letter writing is so important for creative writing.
Works Cited:
Kemmerer, Brigid. Letters to the Lost. Bloomsbury, 2018.
Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Thorndike Press, a Part of Gale, Cengage Learning, 2020.
Dunn, Gabe, and Allison Raskin. I Hate Everyone but You. Wednesday Books, an Imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 2019.
Gottlieb, Evan. “What is an Epistolary Novel? || Definition & Examples.” College of Liberal Arts | Oregon State University, https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-epistolary-novel. Accessed 2 December 2023.
“Letter Writing: A Powerful Technique for Creative Writers.” Dreamers Creative Writing, https://www.dreamerswriting.com/letter-writing/. Accessed 2 December 2023.
“Letters: Creative Writing? It’s Appalling.” TES: Magazine, no. 5011, Sept. 2012, p. 24. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asm&AN=82556414&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
