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The Writer’s Desk with Chaitali Sen

The Writer’s Desk with Chaitali Sen

March 21, 2024
The Writer’s Desk features the desks and writing practices of Gemini Ink faculty, visiting authors, teaching artists, volunteers, students, interns, staff, partners and more.  Receive new posts in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter at bit.ly/geminiinknewsletter.

Join Chaitali Sen on Saturday, May 4, 10am-4pm CST (with 30-minute lunch); Hybrid (students can take this class online or in-person at Gemini Ink), for her workshop: First Page Fiction Bootcamp with Chaitali Sen. In this one-day workshop, we will study and discuss various examples of compelling first pages to see what works; we will review craft elements such as character, setting, point-of-view, and narrative voice; and we will write and examine our own first pages in a safe, supportive environment. 

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions, Chaitali! We are excited to hear all about your inspirations as well as learning more about you as an author!

Please introduce yourself and describe your first writing desk. 

I am the author of two books, a novel, The Pathless Sky, and a story collection, A New Race of Men from Heaven. I was born in India, raised in New York and Pennsylvania, and have lived in Central Texas for 18 years. My first writing desk was my school desk in 6th grade. My teacher didn’t do much – he was actually a terrible teacher – but he gave us time to write stories every week.
When writing, do you carefully plan things out, or do you prefer to just go with the flow?
I’m definitely not a planner. I’ve tried and have found that my characters rarely cooperate with my plans. However, once I know the characters better and I understand what the story is about, I do make an outline and plan scenes that will result in a cohesive, satisfying piece.
Where is there most magic in your writing process?
I think it’s at the moment when I’ve solved a big problem, something I’ve been pondering for months and one day the perfect answer just comes to me. That process is so mysterious that it really does seem like magic.
In your experience as a writer, what do you think was the most challenging thing to learn? 
By far, it’s the discipline of writing consistently and giving it priority. I have lots of ideas, but have learned the hard way that stories don’t write themselves.
Top 3 favorite writers.
 This changes all the time. Right now, if I had to pick three, I’d say Elena Ferrante, Toni Morrison, and Virginia Woolf.
 
What is your next project?
I’m still working on a coming-of-age novel about a Bengali American girl that has gone through several major reconceptions and revisions. I should probably move on, but these characters are still evolving for me, and I love the main character, so I’m going to stay the course.
What inspired you to want to teach this particular workshop?
I’ve taught 3-hour classses, and I’ve taught 4-6 week classes, but I’ve always wanted to teach a one-day intensive where you can home in on something very specific. Gemini Ink was open to trying that with me, and we thought a First Page Bootcamp would be a focused way to cover a variety of craft lessons. Who doesn’t love a compelling first page?

How would you describe your teaching style?

My teaching style is very interactive. I have a background in elementary education, so I like classes where people are doing things and talking to each other.

Chaitali Sen is the author of the novel The Pathless Sky (Europa Editions 2015) and the story collection A New Race of Men from Heaven (Sarabande Books 2023), chosen by Danielle Evans as the winner of the 2021 Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction. Her stories and essays have been published by American Short Fiction, Boulevard, Catapult, Colorado Review, Ecotone, Electric Literature, LitHub, Los Angeles Review of Books, New England Review, Shenandoah, and many other publications. Born in India and raised in New York and Pennsylvania, she currently lives in Austin, Texas.

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