Sleepy's picture
Sleepy from Sydney, Australia is reading A Game of Thrones September 27, 2013 - 7:39am

Hey guys

I'm pretty new to this. I'm wondering if revealing information ina  letter is a good device or if it is bit too much of an information dump

Gordon Highland's picture
Gordon Highland from Kansas City is reading Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore September 27, 2013 - 11:57am

Epistolary is the term you're looking for. Eh, it just depends. Information dumps in general, I dislike, not just because it's lazy writing, but because it overwhelms the reader with facts that could be more easily digested over longer periods of time. But a letter's just one of many devices you can use to reveal info (many novels have been written entirely as a series of letters, hence the term up top there). I wouldn't use it for anything critical or twist-y, because it lacks the emotional punch that you'll get from a character interaction, which is what the reader really wants. But for a little backstory or denoument here or there, sure.

Dwayne's picture
Dwayne from Cincinnati, Ohio (suburbs) is reading books that rotate to often to keep this updated September 27, 2013 - 2:37pm

It really depends on how you do it.

If someone who seems like a letter writer writes a letter that helps it go down smooth. If someone who hates writing but loves to send emails writes a letter, not so much. Also avoid them using the one format that happens to work in a crisis. 

Sleepy's picture
Sleepy from Sydney, Australia is reading A Game of Thrones October 30, 2013 - 6:27am

Thanks for your opinions it helps

 

ReneeAPickup's picture
Class Facilitator
ReneeAPickup from Southern California is reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig November 1, 2013 - 11:26am

I agree with Gordon and Dwayne. It really just depends. If it feels like (to you) you're doing it because you have no other way to get the information out -- don't do it. Find another way. If you're doing it because it fits the story, fits the character, etc. then go for it. The reader will be able to tell, I think.

Thuggish's picture
Thuggish from Vegas is reading Day of the Jackal December 20, 2013 - 12:24pm

I also agree with Gordon completely.  

In fact, I think it's pretty much always better to reveal something indirectly, or through implication, maybe dialogue...  I personally don't even like it when the author reveals something to the reader before the characters know, let alone narrating it out, straight-up giving it to them, that sort of thing.

 

@Dwayne-

Also avoid them using the one format that happens to work in a crisis.

 

Maybe I'm having a moment here- what does that mean?

Dwayne's picture
Dwayne from Cincinnati, Ohio (suburbs) is reading books that rotate to often to keep this updated December 21, 2013 - 6:44am

As in don't have the character who always sends emails happen to have sent a letter right before the power outage he had no reason to know about, don't have the girl who always sends texts send a telegram, etc. 

Thuggish's picture
Thuggish from Vegas is reading Day of the Jackal December 21, 2013 - 9:27am

Oh now I get it.  Duhhh.

There's a term for that, isn't there?  Maybe "really bad plot device" is what I'm thinking of...

Possible exception: writing a B horror movie.  

Dwayne's picture
Dwayne from Cincinnati, Ohio (suburbs) is reading books that rotate to often to keep this updated December 23, 2013 - 4:22pm

Yeah, but I think in this context we only need to bring up the relevant sub group of bad plot devices, letters are bad plot devices.

Carly Berg's picture
Carly Berg from USA is reading Story Prompts That Work by Carly Berg is now available at Amazon December 23, 2013 - 6:28pm

I guess any device can be used well or poorly, but in general I like it. Reading a note or email that is not meant for you is extra snoopy fun. I also like books that contain diary excerpts for the same reason.

Thuggish's picture
Thuggish from Vegas is reading Day of the Jackal December 24, 2013 - 12:08am

@ Dwayne

You're probably right, unless the letter was done just right.  I could imagine a plot where a letter was intercepted to reveal something, for instance.  But said letter would have to be written just right.  No laying pipe.

Dwayne's picture
Dwayne from Cincinnati, Ohio (suburbs) is reading books that rotate to often to keep this updated December 24, 2013 - 5:27am

Yeah, but most time you snoop into will be random stuff no one cares about. "Hi Bob, Do we have any Windex?  If so, where at? - Tommy" and an hour of sorting through that to find the email that reads "Important stuff." 

XyZy's picture
XyZy from New York City is reading Seveneves and Animal Money December 26, 2013 - 11:20pm

Fort 64.22.110.34

Dec 25th

 

My Darling AngelEyez91,

It's a cold Boxing day here in the threads, and though I just wrote to you a day ago, I can't think of a more pleasant way to spend my evening than to while away some time with you. Your last missive is well received, and enlightens these otherwise dark days. The care attatchment of lulcatz gifs was particularly delightful, my dear heart. Private _meercat_lover_887_ was moved to tears of laughter by grumpy cat's usual antics, a good sign for the poor lad. We had almost given him up as a casualty in this terrible war, indeed Chaplin Ermahgerdgerd had nearly given him last rites and declared him officially humorless.

But I shan't dwell further on such dour instance. I pray your morning has been delightful, as thinking of you, my dear heart, has made mine. Indeed, it has been quiet on this front for some time, and we have passed the last several weeks in near tranquility, near as any front in this terrible conflict has any right to. But as always it is these quiet moments that lower our defenses and are the most dangerous. 

There has been a troll. I don't wish to alarm you, it was only a minor incursion. And indeed, an old voice with a new face it seems. But it was well-contained, just a few threads, and despite a failed attempt at humor in a forced meme, easily ignored. Unfortunately, it seems we have become lax in our peaceable times, and one of our sergeants called for the [redacted] prematurely, as though the purpose was to just [redacted] every member or comment on even the barest hint of trolldom, and not find ways to communicate with them or ignore them... As they say: you either die a moderator or live long enough to see yourself become the troll. Fortunately, a cooler-headed lieutenant prevailed, with an appropriate amount of snark. The road to unnecessary [redacted] leads to mutually assured destruction.

And truly, there's likely nothing more in it than frayed nerves from months of waiting. I only mention it as it seems our quiet has finally broken. I felt called to action recently, in an old advice thread someone made a daring, if ignorant generalization, that in a literary context "letters are bad plot devices." Or that aside from the singularly rare missive of importance (and only when labeled as such) the only purpose of epistles in human communication is to locate cleaning supplies. Fortuneately ignorance is just that, simple lack of knowledge, and I endeavor to remedy that. But what samples, what exaltation of the written word could pierce through such a blunt shield of shallow comprehension?

Do I endeavor to actually separate epislatory as a narrative structure from correspondence as plot device? Do I dare mention Bram Stoker or Mary Shelley's work in comparison to the letter in Romeo and Juliet, or The Purloined Letter? What would you do, dear love? Oh, I know. I can scarce forget our last parting and your pleas. "Please," you said. "Please do not join the flame wars... No good can come of attacking ignorance on the Internet, what pits brother against sister, step-mother against son, anonymous against anonymous..." But I simply cannot stand by when someone is wrong on the Internet, my dear. I must simply find a way to gently guide ignorance into enlightenment and hope that they follow the path of learning new and wonderful things, and not simply rest on the laurels of "knowns" and broad generalizations as standards by which to write by. All this without sacrificing my own sense of humor and humility, ah it is a tall order and one of infinite patience. Perhaps of an order similar to your patience in waiting for me to give up my arms and return to you. 

And I will, my love. As truly as this message to you is simply a communication between our two beings, our characters, displaced in time if nothing else, and any story that lumps communication between characters as simply a bad plot device suffers from more than a misapprehension of literary terms, I can only send my words and my assurances to you, with my love and hope they find you in a mood to receive them. And indeed when this long struggle is over, that you will in kind receive me. As cynical and jaded as this war is sure to... Well, no matter that. As it comes.

Pray, worry not of me further this year. I will suredly survive and thrive and find a way to communicate.

Yours, ever faithful,

ScratchFandango2011

P.S. - have you received my commissary portion of five and twenty dollars that I sent in the fall?

Gordon Highland's picture
Gordon Highland from Kansas City is reading Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore December 27, 2013 - 6:31am