The Making of #GnightSaraNightHeck
Writing a novel is often seen as a solitary endeavor, but the creation of “Gnight, Sara / ‘Night, Heck” tells a different story. This novel is not just about its characters and their narrative; it’s about an extraordinary friendship that blossomed between two strangers with contrasting mindsets and opinions.
Meeting Through Words
I remember the first time I connected with my co-author. We had followed each other on Twitter for years without much interaction, just occasional likes on each other’s posts. Apart from social and political discourse, there was little to indicate our shared passion for anything. However, I admired his command of the English language—raw but real, a rarity on that platform. He stood out as helpful, one of the few who messaged me when I was looking for a service center that could develop my photos taken from an old-school film camera. Occasionally, he will send links about Twitter posts on favorite TV series Succession and Alexis Munier’s Big Black Book of Very Dirty Words.
Like any author, I get excited whenever someone posts about my book. So when he posted about my first novel, “Four Seasons,” I sent him a direct message thanking him for his support. We began to talk occasionally about it, with him sometimes dissecting scenes from the book. At the time, I was writing the sequel, and I sent him certain scenes to beta read. He was honest and brutal with his critiques.
One day, he commented on a mutual Twitter post about Matthew Goode, noting that he often mistook Goode for Rupert Everett from My Bestfriend's Wedding. Although the tweet wasn’t mine, I reacted to his comment because I’m a Matthew Goode fan, and he was the muse of my first two novels. I vowed to immortalize his comment in my second novel, “The Last Snowfall,” by creating a character to annoy him. Surprisingly, he and others whose anecdotes I found worth publishing were amused instead. While most of our Twitter/X mutuals call him by his username D, he was Frank to me, the fictional character I created for him in my second book.
Like regular mutuals, we became constant fixtures in each other’s posts. Sometimes, he would buzz me and share his thoughts on certain scenes in my manuscript, challenge them, and help me fact-check details in my novel. He wasn’t one to sugarcoat things; he told it exactly as it was. Other times, I would pop into his direct messages about anything. One thing I particularly liked about him was his taste for music and films. Sometimes, he ridiculed some of my choices for the writing playlist, which pretty much annoyed me. So, I asked him to curate the reading playlist for “The Last Snowfall.” To my surprise, readers love them!
One day, while he was beta-reading a scene from my manuscript, he messaged me:
Him: “Richard is a Hollywood star. He’s been around and done so many things, probably with both the opposite and same sex. Your honeymoon scene is dull. You should give your readers something they haven’t read before.”
Me (with my ego badly bruised): “Why don’t you rewrite the scene?”
Him: “Okay, I will do it.”
And boy, could he write beautifully. He not only fixed the entire chapter but also wrote another one. I never imagined a day would come when I would discuss and write sex scenes with the opposite sex. Yet, that was both amusing and natural, much like dissecting a frog in junior high. We would debate how the scene should unfold and then laugh about it. Before long, we began bouncing ideas off each other, exploring concepts that could one day become the heart of our novel.
Crafting a Friendship
What started as casual conversations quickly turned into late-night brainstorming sessions and discussions about films, books, and music.
Him: “Did you watch ‘Midnight In Paris’?”
Me: “Nope, what’s that about?”
Him: “C’mon, you’re a writer, and you love Paris. Of all people, you should have seen it at least.”
Me:” ‘Kay, you’re the boss.”
Him: “Don’t read the synopsis or reviews. Just go in blind. You’ll thank me later.”
That week, I scoured my subscriptions to find the film. When I finally did:
Me: “Hey!!! Gil Pender met F. Scott Fitzgerald and Cole Porter!”
Him: “Hmmm...just watch, you’ll see more.”
Me (a few minutes later): “Fvck! He met Gertrude Stein, Hemingway, and almost all the literary icons!”
Him: “See?” (and he laughed).
More movies follow–– Vanilla Sky, Before Sunrise, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I made him watch The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. We became fast friends, and I soon realized we were opposites. I talked a lot; he didn’t. I wrote long messages; he wrote in short, telegram-like bursts. He made fun of my music preferences while I admired his playlists. I loved classics—the sounds of the 50s and 60s, Michael Bublé, and John Mayer. His playlists were filled with hidden gems, songs I had forgotten or missed.
Out of the blue, I asked him if he wanted to co-write a short story with me, and he said, “Sure!” That’s how our adventure of writing “Gnight, Sara / ‘Night Heck” began. The beauty of this story lies in its duality, much like our friendship. We decided the narrative would be told from two distinct perspectives, mirroring our own voices. Sara and Heck, our protagonists, represented parts of us—our hopes, dreams, fears, and conflicts, sans the romance.
In just four days, we produced a well-received short story. Readers started to ask, “What happens next?” This question prompted us to expand it into a full novel.
Despite our differing perspectives on almost everything, we found common ground in our love for storytelling.
Writing Between Notes and Messages
The process of writing together was unconventional yet incredibly fulfilling. We don’t see each other (sometimes in different time zones); our collaboration happened through notes and direct messages. Twitter/X would probably be proud of us for fully utilizing the platform to create our manuscript. Between our day jobs, we wrote without a detailed outline, simply adding whatever came to mind each day. At night, we chatted to discuss the storyline. Each morning, I’d wake up to new messages filled with his ideas and notes and spend my free time weaving my thoughts into the narrative.
Music played a vital role in our writing process. We created playlists for our characters, using songs to convey their emotions and drive their actions. These shared soundtracks became our silent language, a way to bridge our gaps and find harmony in our creative process.
Like any normal human being, our constant chats and focus on the story took a toll on both of us. We argued, even on random things. And because we were comfortable with each other, we often said what we had in mind, whether it hurt or not. We stopped talking at times, and the manuscript was put on hold. We unfollowed each other, then followed back again. Sometimes, we even blocked each other. Then, on Christmas night, we greeted each other and started writing again. We never discussed what had happened. The next month, we disagreed again, and the usual series of follow, unfollow, block, and unblock. These became our regular thing.
Those moments of frustration and disagreement only strengthened our resolve and enriched our story. Although our debates were sometimes heated, they pushed us to think deeper and work harder. We tried to sweep our disagreements under the rug, but those months of tension felt like it was deliberate so that we could translate every word in “Gnight, Sara / ‘Night, Heck.”
A Symphony of Differences
Our different approaches to storytelling became our greatest asset. His tendency to dive deep into character development complemented my focus on building intricate plotlines. Even our voices were entirely different and distinctive; our book editor could easily tell who had written which chapters or scenes, even when certain chapters or scenes were cross-written between us.
When the novel was published, I loved engaging with readers. His perspective was different: he said he didn’t write for the readers; he wrote for the story, and thus, he didn’t enjoy talking to strangers or readers.
Much like Heck, a wealthy kid who doesn’t want to be rich, he is a talented writer. He has an affinity for writing that comes naturally to him, but he doesn’t want to be a writer. Perhaps he was dealing with impostor syndrome. Despite all those hurdles and constant disagreements, together, we crafted a story where the characters’ journeys were as compelling as the events unfolding around them.
The Beauty of Collaboration
Looking back, I realized that creating “Gnight, Sara / ‘Night, Heck” was more than just writing a novel; it chronicled how to build a lasting friendship. Despite almost wanting to kill each other every single day, we learned to trust each other’s instincts, respect each other’s opinions, and celebrate our differences.
Yes, the story behind our novel is indeed a beautiful story of friendship. Two strangers, brought together by their love for films, books, and music, created something extraordinary. Our journey from initial conversations to the final draft proves the power of collaboration and the magic that happens when two minds work towards a common goal, no matter how different.
And The Story Ends….
Just like our novel, our late-night discussions and constant communications eventually came to an end. He left the platform—our digital meeting place—where we had collaborated. Writing this novel compromised his anonymity on that platform. “Gnight, Sara / ‘Night, Heck” was almost shelved. But I was glad we reached the finish line and created a beautiful story together. He said goodbye to Twitter/X when we started working with our book editor. I couldn’t blame him; the platform was beginning to look like a cesspool of toxicity. We transferred to Google Docs and emails, bouncing ideas back and forth like a Ping-Pong ball.
When the book was published, our communications were further reduced to emails about important matters like royalty fees and marketing plans. We no longer talked about music or films—perhaps there was nothing left to discuss.
I surely miss the days when, during bouts of writer’s block or when words felt elusive, he would provide a playlist to help me tap into my emotions and write those heart-wrenching scenes. But I find peace in knowing he’s happy with his private life, away from the toxic environment of social media. Sometimes, while writing my new manuscript at a pub he recommended just across from my office building, I can’t help but think he might surprise me by showing up and saying, “Hey dude, what’s up?” But I’m not holding my breath.
Instead, I remind myself every day of the incredible bond we formed and the unique story we shared with the world. Perhaps one day, our children and grandchildren will discover our book and manuscript and realize that dealing with strangers isn't so bad after all. You just have to be willing to open your door, be authentic, and be honest. Who knows, something good might come from it.
Co-writing "Gnight, Sara / ‘Night, Heck?" Oh, it’s a journey I wouldn’t trade for anything.
Justine Castellon is a brand strategist with an innate ability to weave compelling narratives. She seamlessly blends her professional insight with her passion for literature. She writes about her journey as writer in between peotry and short stories. She is the author of two novels –– Four Seasons and The Last Snowfall.
(Twitter/X @justcastellon)
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