Creating letters to use as a plot vehicle

The Juno Letters uses two conventions throughout the stories - letters and journals. These are the text-messages and voice-mail of the era. People wrote often and kept these life chronicles safely away. They are the true "stuff" of history. Creating them for your story, however, is frustratingly difficult.

Over the years I have developed my own strategy. In the new story, The Last Speech, I have a series of letters that move the story forward. The second of the group is used to try and determine who 'the bother' is and the context behind the letters. To meet the intent of the story, the language needs to be obscure but clues have to live buried within. Here is letter #2 -

10 Sept 1947

My Dear Brother,



I regret I have not written these many months. I have been able to send this letter through a British friend and escape the eyes of the prison censors.



The trial has been exhausting. For three weeks we faced our accusers whose pretense was finally revealed. Several charges have been dropped but I fear more prison time awaits.



I have not been able to correspond with my brother to ask him about the girl. I believe father arranged her departure. I think Mother knows of this, however she refuses to talk to about that time. Perhaps the truth may be told one day.

For now, expect little correspondence as long as I am in prison.



Obediently yours,

Otto

This is the fourth iteration of the letter. As I write the story based on this the content of the letter changes - I obscure more and more detail as Monique works to unravel the hidden nuances. By working backwards from what I originally wrote (what contained too much information) I am able to fit the letter snugly into the mystery. Likely I will eliminate references to prison, censors, etc., and find other means to obscure the facts but plant clues to find. This is part of the fun.

Watch the story develop at The Last Speech.

Good Reading!

I Love a Conspiracy - The Last Speech

Conspiracy theorists of the world, believers in the hidden hands of the Rothschilds and the Masons and the Illuminati, we skeptics owe you an apology. You were right ... the world is a rigged game.

- Matt Taibbi

Ah, for the love of a good conspiracy. If you follow The Juno Letters series you have found a thread that winds itself through the complex maze of my stories - the conspiracy theory. Historians have long known how easy it is to create a conspiracy backwards. Events do have a chain that links them together from finish to start, no matter how ludicrous or incredible. Creating that chain forward is a far more difficult matter. People and events tend to happen with random or unexpected twists and turns making actually accomplishing the objective of a conspiracy nearly impossible - even if one attempts to.

At least that is my objective world view, for what it is worth. However, for writing nothing beats a great conspiracy. I like to debunk the popular conspiracies in The Juno Letters stories, only to leave the reader with the unmistakable impression that the writer of the stories has in reality uncovered one deeper and darker than what was imagined, often unknowingly.

Book 9 - now in development - revolves around one of the great conspiracies of the 20th Century - the demise (or not) of Adolf Hitler. I am not going to give away details, but I wanted to let you know that I will be posting the chapters as they unfold on The Juno Letters website so you can watch the story evolve.

The first installment is online at The Last Speech book page. Have a look, and while you are there sign up for free versions of the entire story draft when it is ready.

And remember - when the "other guy" makes the big score and not you, it just might be what journalist Matt Taibbi called "a rigged game."

Good Reading