How to Write Epistolary Fiction

by Melody E. McIntyre

Epistolary fiction includes stories told through documents instead of a regular narrative. Although the term “epistolary” derives from the Greek word epistole “letter”, this term is often extended to include works comprised of other documents, too, such as diary entries, newspaper clippings, memos, etc. Sometimes this style of writing is called “found fiction” like the movie version, “found footage”. Instead of a narrator telling the story, the reader must piece it together by examining fictional documents. This style of writing can be challenging but can also be rewarding to write and to read.

Epistolary fiction has a long history, dating back to at least 1485 when the first truly epistolary novel, the Spanish “Prison of Love” by Diego de San Pedro was written. Despite drifting in and out of fashion through the centuries, epistolary novels continue to be written and enjoyed. Likely the most famous example is Dracula, which uses letters, diaries, dictation cylinders, and newspaper articles to tell its story. Today, we are going to look at some examples for ideas on how you can use epistolary fiction in your own writing.

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How To Write A Prologue

There are few things more controversial in fiction writing than prologues. Conduct a search for information about prologues, and you are bound to find articles, lists, etc. all about how prologues are bad and you should never use them. But writing rules are often more like guidelines, in that they don’t apply to everyone and every situation. Plenty of well-written novels, particularly in the fantasy genre, utilize prologues to great effect. In this article, I’m going to look at the pros and cons of prologues, and how you can best use them (or not) in your own fiction.

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How to Use Second Person Point of View

by Melody E. McIntyre

The two most used points of view in fiction are first and third person. First-person is directly from the main character’s point of view using “I” pronouns. Some famous examples are The Hunger Games trilogy and Catcher in the Rye. Third person can also be from the main character’s point of view, but uses their name and he/she/they pronouns. Third person is probably the most common way of writing. Non-fiction is most often in third person, and some famous examples of fiction are The Stand by Stephen King and the Game of Thrones series. But what about second person point of view? 

Second-person POV is directed at an audience, like this article is. It is written using “you” pronouns. You may be more familiar with it than you realize. Letters, correspondence, emails, are all in second person. An unusual and daunting POV for some, second person is the rarest of the three in fiction. But using the second person can produce some interesting and unique stories. In this article, I will discuss some common uses for the second person POV in fiction, along with examples, to give you ideas how you might use it in your own fiction.

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