I’m writing a novel with a friend, and we are doing it in the style of written letters. The main challenge so far is not seeing the entire story ahead of time. We have a very rough goal, but we decided to leave all of the details open. It feels very much like stage improv, where you listen for the story and then immediately discard anything you had in mind going in that doesn’t fit. You build only with what you’ve got. It’s fun when your writing partner is very different from you.

Part of what makes it even more interesting is that I listen for how my partner’s character reacts, particularly to perceived slights. There is a power dynamic that exists, but is also being revealed as we write. It’s also interesting to try to solve some of the basic puzzles, like does the timing of the events make sense, are the events being sequenced correctly, and so forth.

I hope the reader is grabbed by the mystery that unfolds, and also how the main characters are affected by the story and by each other. I find stories told through letters very compelling because it is almost like voyeurism. It feels like you are reading things that were meant to remain private, and that makes the experience feel both intimate and unsettling in the best way.

We are still a few months away from completing, but I will post here when we’re done.