An author’s relationship to their novel, or to the novel as a format, is an ongoing exploration. Sometimes a writer needs to sit their novel down and ask it questions, like, “What if you were more like a ship, or a board game…?” Sheila Heti, one of the masters of inquiry—of literature and of human nature—shares with us 10 questions a writer might ask of the novel.
Sheila Heti is the author of eleven books, including “Pure Colour,” “Motherhood” and “How Should a Person Be?” She’s known for her inquisitive, witty and provocative work, and often challenges traditional forms of writing. For her new book, “Alphabetical Diaries,” she did just that— Heti collected ten years’ worth of diary entries, put them in a spreadsheet, and sorted them from A to Z, letting the alphabet dictate the narrative. She was also the host of “Podcast with Raisins,” the episodes of which you can find on her website.
Manifesto is a series on WePresent which invites activists and creatives with something to say to write 10 rules to live by, in order to help spread their message. The poster design on this page was created by Lucy Jones.
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