The Epistolary Novel Form

The popularity of this literary device dropped off prior to the turn of the nineteenth century, but its recent resurgence is something authors of Historical Fiction should take note of. Stories set in the past are perfect for telling through diaries or letters. It can give your reader a deeper connection to your characters than even first person POV.

Have you ever taken a sneak peek into someone else’s journal? That naughty element of voyeurism took you deep into their inner thoughts. It exposed things about that person you would not otherwise know. But in the Epistolary genre, even though diaries and letters are personal, reading them is allowed! You are encouraged to discover the writer’s deepest, darkest secrets, or read the private correspondence between two people.

What is Epistolary Style?

Epistle is the ancient name for letter. Epistolary is when a novel is composed entirely of letters or diary entries. Although, the contemporary epistolary genre may use emails, texts, and blog entries. It makes you feel as though you are receiving a running commentary of the ongoing events in the character’s lives.

Epistolary Novels Can Be:

· Monologic: The focus on one character.

·Dialogic: Two characters corresponding.

·Polylogic: Multiple people are represented.

Epistolary Novels of the Past and Present:

Arguably, the best known Epistolary novels are Dracula by Bram Stoker and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Both frame their text in letters and convey how powerful the use of intimate correspondence for narrative viewpoint can be. Both are still responsible for blood curdling nightmares centuries after they were written.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is a Christian apologetic novel written in the epistolary style. A senior demon, Screwtape, mentors his incompetent nephew, Wormwood, through a series of letters on how to secure the soul of a man.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker is a heartbreakingly poignant novel. Celie, a fourteen-year-old girl, unfolds her traumatic life before us through letters she has written to God. Make sure you have a box of tissues nearby.

The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. is the first novel in a well-crafted trilogy by Sandra Gulland. All three are written as though from the personal journals of Josephine Bonaparte, wife of Napoleon. Sandra Gulland reveals the sequence of events before, during, and after the French Revolution through the intimate sentiments of an island girl named Rose, who grew up to be Josephine, Empress of France.

One Voice or a Network of Voices.

Get your creative juices flowing and think of the many different forms this literary device could take in your next novel. You can use: post cards, newspaper clippings, memos, notes, or stick with the power of the personal letter. You can use one voice in a journal, like Sandra Gulland, or a network of voices, like Bram Stoker used with journals, letters, and newspaper clipping. In World War Z, Max Brook used interviews with survivors of the Zombie apocalypse for a United Nations report.

The Power of a Letter.

The Epistles comprise the majority of the books written in the New Testament. These Holy Spirit inspired letters, written to specific churches or people two thousand years ago, still speak into our lives today. They give us personal and significant insight, and even fresh revelation that we can use in our Christian walk.

Sometimes it takes my breath away to think on it.

The Epistles are a perfect example of how powerful using a letter to communicate can be. So, consider using this literary device in your next novel. And perhaps harness a little of that power as a Christian novelist.

K. D. Holmberg is an author, blogger, and freelance writer. She is a member of ACFW, Word Weavers International, and a founding member of the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. She is represented by Hartline Literary Agency. A retired flight attendant, she has traveled and lived all over the globe. She and her husband, Keith, love to golf and live in South Carolina. You can find more about her: Facebook @authorkdholmberg, twitter @kdeniseholmberg, and website authorkdholmberg.com