Write-vember Diaries: Day 16
Do a shot every time I say epistolary
Inner-ramblings-turned-outer-writings of a girl trying to hit 50k in 30 days
Daily word count: 1,826 / 1,667
Total word count: 23,567 / 50,000
% complete: 47%
We’re into the second half of the challenge! I’m lagging about 3k words (2 days) but nothing I can’t pull back. How are your challenges going? Finding it inspirational or draining… or both?! (I’m a bit of both.)
Lesson learned yesterday: don’t go to see scary/ tense movies late at night.
Chef and I went to a post-9pm viewing of Heretic. The film was dark, brain-twisty, life-questiony - which are all things that made it sing, while simultaneously making it the worst thing to watch before bed! Turns out, I’m better with scary movies if I can exit the cinema in daylight (like I did with Alien: Romulus - plus I had popcorn that time). Lesson learned. If you’re open to subversive debates, are absorbed by excellent acting, and don’t mind feeling tense for 2 hours, this is a film well worth watching.
(I nearly couldn’t keep Hugh Grant on my title card, so creepy.)
Favourites moments from today: FaceTiming my bestie; honey-miso trout w/ soy broccoli & rice; watching the Taskmaster finale; one of my true loves: garlic bread
Session notes
Reading rules: Do a shot every time I say epistolary*
*non-alcoholic drinks also included, she says, sat here sipping on mint tea
Eeeep I think I’m in trouble. Do I want to write an epistolary fantasy novel?!
What’s an epi-what novel?
‘An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of letters… The term is often extended to cover novels that intersperse documents of other kinds with the letters, most commonly diary entries and newspaper clippings’
I bloomin’ love an epistolary novel. Especially if it’s a mix of letters, interviews, documents, etc. Their multi-format approach makes them highly addictive, meaning that - many times - I’ve found myself staring down 2am just to finish the last few pages.
In today’s session - a brief hour blast through the word count; I am grateful for the words, dizzied by how quickly they came out - I interviewed a character about their job role. It started off as a conversation between acquaintances, in the hopes that I would gain insight on their day-to-day. Soon enough, a more formal conversation developed. But it wasn’t until I was putting shopping away (mundane tasks make creativity sparks), that I realised I was flirting with the idea of an epistolary novel. Maybe I wanted to write this. More importantly, maybe I could write this.
Writing a novel like this has often appealed to me. It’s no easy feat; there are so many through lines to get just right, in the right format, from the right POV. So many logistics. It boggles the mind.
And I’ve always thought: Nooo, I can’t do that! I’d need to write at least three novels, full with edits, before I’d be accomplished enough to write one. But I’m not writing for publication. I’m writing for me. The idea of creativity PLUS logistics is so seductive. It makes both halves of my brain feel like they’ve been served sumptuous hot chocolates. (Hot chocolate is seductive? Y/N/M?)
However, one writing session does not a novel format make!
This’ll be an idea to stew on, and perhaps play around with a little further. Watch this space…
Shelf-Talkers
If you like the sound of an epistolary novel and have never read one, here’s a great starter:
The Appeal by Janice Hallett, Profile Books [Crime Fiction]
Janice Hallett’s debut is a surefire gateway into the world of epistolary novels. After a tragic murder in a quiet town, a suspect is in custody - but are they the culprit?
The book is presented as a case file for two junior lawyers, and you read through all the evidence they are given - with occasional text messages between the lawyers as they share their findings and ideas. Intriguing from the off, this cosy-adjacent story is a great one to test your sleuthing skills.
You can’t go wrong with Hallett - my favourite is The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels - but this one is fantastic to test the water. The format works particularly well for Crime Fiction - and I’ve got more recommends to share at another time! (Feel free to DM me if you want them earlier.)
Thank you for reading!!
If you’ve got alllll the way to here, and can still see straight after drinking all those ‘epistolary’ shots, I invite you to join The Story Archives - we’re a growing bunch of creatives and story fanatics.
See you tomorrow <3
