15. Nanogenetic Econarratology

Genetic criticism explores the dynamics of the creative writing process through material traces, such as notes, drafts, versions, and manuscripts. Genetic narratology thus introduces different versions to the study of narratives. The digital environment in which present-day literature is composed commonly hides the writing operations useful for such analysis. This essay discusses a method that scholars can use – in collaboration with living authors – to provide a solution to this problem: the use of keystroke logging to log the writing process from the first character typed to the last revision. Keystroke logging data offer a wealth of possibilities for genetic criticism and allow for an analysis of the nanogenesis: the author’s movement through the text and the sequence of text production and revision. To investigate the use of keystroke logging for genetic narratology, this essay focuses on the creation of the story ‘Mondini’, written by the Flemish author David Troch. The story is set in a world after environmental collapse and its writing process was logged with the keystroke logger Inputlog. The keystroke logging data of this narrative, which deals with the effects of climate crisis, therefore allows for the study of the writing process from an econarratological perspective. As such, this essay looks at the visible dynamics of writing as Troch alternated between different genres and explores the ‘principle of minimal departure’ in the writing process. Marie-Laure Ryan’s ‘principle of minimal departure’ suggests that readers project their knowledge of the real world onto the world represented by the text. In addition, as this essay shows, it could also be used as a framework for understanding authorial decisions.