"Why Epistolaries?"

A friend of mine recently asked:  "why epistolaries?  they remind me of stodgy old books from the 1700's." He wasn't criticizing my choice of story telling devices because he's mean or dismissive, epistolary stories just aren't what he prefers to read (he likes grand, sweeping, world changing epics which tend to be told in the third person point of view).  I, on the other hand, like "stodgy old books" though I prefer the ones from the 1800's and I also really enjoy epistolary novels, so the idea of writing an epistolary set in an imagined version of the 1800's appeals to me.

To be fair to my friend, most books aren't written in the epistolary style, probably because most stories don't lend themselves to being told that way.  I mean, you could tell the story in The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan or Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin as a series of letters and journal entries, but they would be much longer and significantly more cumbersome--and any story that's already more than 1000 pages before it's half way done doesn't need to be any longer or more cumbersome.  Also, consider the stories in the Dragonriders of Pern books by Anne McCaffery which simply could not have been told in an epistolary style without completely changing the stories into something entirely different.  Given that the entire culture of Pern relies on oral histories and literacy is rare rather than universal, to change those underlying facts would alter the setting in unpredictable ways.

In contrast, there are stories that simply could not be told in any other way.  Well, I suppose The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows could have been told in a non-epistolary style, but it would have lost a certain degree of intimacy and charm that made it engaging.  Of course, there's also Sorcery and Cecelia or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Carolyn Stevermer, which wasn't originally a novel so much as a game between friends.  That book really could not have been written in any way besides the epistolary style.

None of which actually explains why I'm writing in the epistolary style.  To be honest, when I first considered telling this story it had very little resemblance to what it is now.  Originally, it was set in the modern day, Claire and Adele didn't exist, and the whole thing was just a bit of a side character's background that may or may not have ever come up.  At first, I thought that it would be sufficient that I knew the character's story and if it came up in conversation or flash back as part of someone else's story then that would be enough.  The more I thought about it though, the more I felt like this character's story really needed to be told.  But the more I tried to write it, the more that I felt like it didn't quite feel right.  So I put it aside for a while and let it stew in the back of my consciousness.  Which is probably where it would have stayed until the end of my days, except that a friend of mine got me involved in an epistolary game set in an alternate fantasy Europe and something clicked in my head.  It involved an entire revision of what I had previously considered to be firmly established conditions and the creation of new characters who could serve as a supporting cast.  Thinking about it now, while I could tell the story in some other style, I don't think it would be as effective.

Besides, then I would have to give up Adele and Claire, and I've grown sort of attached to them too.

Strike While the Iron is Hot but Stay In the Moment

Have you ever come up with a well crafted sentence, clever wording, or even just the grain of an idea, and said, "I've got to write that down later!"  Then, when later comes, you sit down in front of a blank screen and...nothing.  You can't even remember the shape of what you wanted to write?  That happens to me all the time!  And I really wish it wouldn't.  I cannot tell you the number of times that I've thought to myself, "How did I say that before?  It sounded really awesome in my head!" but been unable to remember the exact wording or even what the topic was.

So what is the solution?  Obviously the answer is to write it down.  Carry a notebook with you, install a notepad on your mobile device, jot it down on your hand, so that when you craft an interesting turn of phrase in your head you can record it before it gets lost in the ether of the daily grind.  Okay, well that's not too hard.  Of course, there will be times when you really can't just stop and write down what you've come up with.  Maybe you're at the grocery store and there's ice cream in your cart, or you sit down and realize that your baby desperately needs changing, or you're in the middle of a long drive to SoCal.  Obviously, those are times when you can't just put everything aside for a few minutes to jot something down.  Which brings me to my next point...

Stay in the moment.  Ironically (since this is a blog about writing) I don't actually mean the moment that you're in the writing groove.  I mean all of the other times when you're at the grocery store or taking care of your baby or driving on the freeway.  If you really can't stop and write something down, don't think about the things you're going to write about.  Trust that the inspiration will be there when you do have a moment and focus on what you're doing.  Because otherwise, if inspiration comes at an inopportune time, you're going to be kicking yourself later and asking, "Why didn't I write that down when I thought of it?"  To be honest, that's the wrong question.  The real question should be:  "Why was I thinking about writing when I knew I wouldn't be able to follow the inspiration?"  Sometimes inspiration just finds us, but most of the time we find it because we're looking for it (or at least that's how it works for me).  So it seems somewhat foolish to go looking for inspiration when you can't follow where it leads.

[Epistolary] A Letter from Adele Rosette de la Reines to Claire Satine du Paroisse

My Dearest Cousin Claire,

Whatever were you thinking?  Ardent Rose?  Clever Silk?  Whatever inspired you to invent such dramatic pseudonyms?  Now, you know that I enjoy a sapphic adventure as much as the next woman, but I do believe that our respective mothers might find such an exchange of affections between we two rather objectionable.  Frankly, given the degree to which your stature overshadows my own, it is doubtful that anyone would believe that our affections are anything more than familial, but you know how our mothers are.  Also, in the future, if you intend to use aliases to protect the guilty, might I suggest that you provide everyone with one?  Armand, I suspect, would be quite put out that you would give me a nom de guerre and not extend him the same courtesy, seeing as how I was not involved and he managed to get impaled through the arm as a result of this particular misadventure.

Speaking of Armand, he is not nearly as upset with you as one might imagine.  Though, of course, that might just be the hashish speaking.  We will see how he feels once his recovery is far enough along for him to return to the public eye.  Considering grandpapa's problem with the milk of the poppy, I must say I am relieved that his vices trend in a different direction.  Though why he believes his hashish is any better, I cannot say.  Given, however, that he is your brother, you are more likely far more familiar with his predispositions and the reasons for them than I.  As for Chauvelin, that pompous, self-righteous ass, you should have told him to go back to his pamphlets and leave the satire to those with the wit to appreciate it.  Considering the number of impressionable married young women my brother has attempted to debauch just in the last month, I doubt that he would know a binding promise if it challenged him to a duel before the palace gates--which seems more and more likely every day.

And now that the necessary familial reports are complete, it is my sad duty, as your self-appointed manager of dramatics, to inform you that your assessment of your journey to Lombardi as exile is needlessly melodramatic.  Uncle Frederic merely wishes someone to accompany Aunt Nicolette while he is occupied with the current court session.  Moreover, how can you begrudge your mother a little bit of company on her travels...no, do not answer that, I perfectly comprehend your feelings.  How could I not, when Aunt Nicolette is so very...her.  But perhaps, while you are with her, you will uncover the truth regarding this sudden desire to visit to Lombardi and the mysterious...what was that name again?  Isabella?  Was that not the name of Cousin David's bride?  Though perhaps my supposition is wrong, after all, she did remarry shortly after his unfortunate demise.  Not to speak ill of the dead, but he always was too quick to take offense over inconsequential matters.  Regardless, you will most certainly be back here in time to attend Mme. Renette's musicale (for which I am eternally grateful, as your presence may be the only entertaining piece of the entire evening) so do not fall too deeply into despair, my dear cousin, for we will be reunited soon.

Yours,
Adele

Follow The Inspiration, But Don't Get Distracted

So four days and not very much writing (or at least not very much writing that didn't make me frustrated, but more on that further on) later, I've learned two things:  1) follow the inspiration, 2) don't get distracted.

Okay, so Follow The Inspiration.  That's simple enough, write what you're inspired to write.  If you've got to work on something that you can't seem to get started, work on something else.  Hopefully, something that you're inspired to write.  That actually worked really well for me, because once I got on a writing roll, I was able to seamlessly transition from what I started writing to what I needed to write.  So that's the good news.  The bad news is that it took me four days.  Why did it take me four days instead of one?  That brings me to:

Don't Get Distracted.  Now, when I say, "don't get distracted," I don't mean by the television or youtube or whatever (though that's pretty distracting, I covered that one in The Sound of Silence).  I mean by writing.  What?  How can you get distracted by writing when you're writing?  Isn't that an oxymoron?  Yes, and like an oxymoron, it works.  Okay, so a little bit of background:  I read news online.  Sometimes I read about politics online.  That's a mistake.  Don't read about politics online, it'll just make you mad.  And, occasionally, when I'm mad, I read the comments.  That's also a mistake.  Never read the comments.  They'll just make you furious.  On the plus side, when I'm furious, I'm inspired to write.  On the down side, I'm inspired to write comments on political news articles (yes, I become one of those people).  And that doesn't help me to write anything else.  In fact, it does the opposite.  It inspires me to continue writing comments and I have trouble calming down enough to write other stuff.  It doesn't help that the people who I'm commenting to are equally furious and respond back to whatever point I've made, which I feel obliged to respond to, and so on.  It really is a vicious circle.  And four days later, you stop checking your inbox for responses and finally get around to writing what you should have been writing four days ago before you got distracted by political news articles.

So really, you can't always follow your inspiration.  Because sometimes it just takes you in a furious circle, like a dog chasing it's tail.  The important part is knowing when your inspiration is going to take you in a horrible mobius strip of rage and when it's going to lead you to where you want to go.