![]() The draft itself I wrote in Google Docs I briefly considered writing it in a scriptwriting program like Final Draft, but ultimately decided I didn't want the formal or structural limitations imposed by that kind of software. I outline everything longhand first, so I was working off of a pretty detailed beat sheet written out on a legal pad. What was the process of actually drafting the novel in Slack format? Did you type in Word, copy and paste from Slack, or use any other software? ![]() Mostly I wanted to try and use Slack to the fullest extent that I could within the context of the story I felt it was important not to leave unexplored any obvious (to me) storytelling potential that was latent in the form, though I'm sure there's plenty of meat left on that bone. Obviously I'm not the first person to suggest that formal constraints can actually be generative rather than limiting. Part of that fun comes from my having a decent amount of experience in writing scripts and plays-particularly audio fiction-so I'd already gotten some reps in re: telling a story primarily through dialogue. Really had myself a one-man slumber party. We're talking full-on mumbling and occasionally bark-laughing to myself while writing, jotting down lines to use later so I don't forget them while I write the current scene, the whole deal. I had a blast writing the book in this format. My first reaction was "That would fucking suck," and my immediate next thought was "But what if it didn't?" All of which is to say, it was always going to be in Slack. Years ago I saw a tweet-which has either been deleted or I've so badly misremembered the wording that I can no longer find it-that jokingly presented the idea of a novel written entirely in Slack. Did early drafts have other narrative modes or did you always know it would be written in this format? What difficulties did you face writing a novel in this strict form? One of the first things that stands out about Several People Are Typing is that it is written entirely in the format of Slack. Kasulke also said if readers have more questions, they can ping on Twitter or Instagram. There’s also a dog food PR crises, strange howls from the beyond, and plenty of workplace antics and commentary on this surreal stage of late-stage capitalism. The entire novel is written in the form of Slack chats and involves a character who accidentally uploads their consciousness into Slack. ![]() ![]() This workplace comedy is rollicking ride that hits that sweet spot between being experimental and very readable. I’m very excited this first entry in this series I’m calling “Processing” is Calvin Kasulke, whose hilarious debut novel Several People Are Typing was published this August. I think the most common complaint I hear privately from other authors is “No one asks me about craft!” So I’ve decided to be the change and reach out to authors whose books I loved with questions about processes and craft. ![]() ) But as interesting as process and craft questions are to writers, it’s something that often gets ignored in book coverage. (Here are some entries on Zadie Smith, César Aira, and myself. Every author has their own process-and often a different process for every book-and I always find it illuminating to hear about them. Since this is a craft newsletter, I spend a lot of time talking about writing processes. ![]()
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