Do they sell? Do people want to read short stories in the forms of letters? Am I wasting my time?
In letter form...
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MacAllister
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Well, the August 2008 issue of "Fantasy and Science Fiction" contained a story that was a humorous "Open Letter to Earth," (written by Scott Dalrymple) from aliens explaining their oft misinterpreted encounters with humans, so there is a chance it could work for you.
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Great! After some time on it today I'll be sending a piece to the SYW boards....can't wait for the beating, I mean, I can't wait to hear what ya'll think! 
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I'd be just as likely to read a story in letter format as in regular format, given that it's interesting. The letter format has the additional point of making it seem like the reader is "eavesdropping" or "peeking in" on something private. I adored the "Griffin & Sabine" books, or whatever they were called, for this very reason.
The letter format has the additional point of making it seem like the reader is "eavesdropping" or "peeking in" on something private. I adored the "Griffin & Sabine" books, or whatever they were called, for this very reason.
Definitely depends on whether it works or not. I see no reason why it wouldn't. I'd always read it if it's good. The important question you'd need to answer is why is this story written as a letter? If--at the end--I'm wondering "okay....good story....why was it a letter?" there's no reason why you shouldn't have just written it more normally. As long as there's a good reason for it to be a letter, don't worry, just go for it.
The important question you'd need to answer is why is this story written as a letter? If--at the end--I'm wondering "okay....good story....why was it a letter?" there's no reason why you shouldn't have just written it more normally. As long as there's a good reason for it to be a letter, don't worry, just go for it.
Well, you'll see when I post it in the SYW...I'd love all of your honest opinions. This one is tuff for me.
I don't mean to be too anal, but just to keep everything organized, toss the actual letter over into SYW (I'd guess either in Mainstream or Literary...) and give us a link here. I'll be happy to look at it there.
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Good stories sell, just as astonwest said.
I just saw a epistolary story in Fantasy magazine a bit ago. It's a whole genre of its own in novels.
They sell, if done well. I think they have a unique voice that can move a story forward in a unique way.
I just saw a epistolary story in Fantasy magazine a bit ago. It's a whole genre of its own in novels.
They sell, if done well. I think they have a unique voice that can move a story forward in a unique way.
Most of them don't work well IMHO, but sometimes they can work very very well. Like "The Sun God at Dawn, Rising From a Lotus Blossom" in WotF 23. It's a story told in a series of letters from the clone of King Tut to the clone of Abraham Lincoln. It's an amazing story, one of my favorites.
I've also read stories in the form of Wiki entries, medicine labels, and instruction manuals. I think the key is to develop a striking voice and a lot of times it ends up not being a story so much as someone telling a story, which makes it more tell than show.
Make sure the story is solid and that the form adds to the story, not distracts from it or ends up coming off as a non-traditional form covering for a lack of story.
I've also read stories in the form of Wiki entries, medicine labels, and instruction manuals. I think the key is to develop a striking voice and a lot of times it ends up not being a story so much as someone telling a story, which makes it more tell than show.
Make sure the story is solid and that the form adds to the story, not distracts from it or ends up coming off as a non-traditional form covering for a lack of story.
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