Deadlock

Project Overview

A 40-50,000 word comedic novel following 2-3 engineers navigating the absurdities of big tech corporate bureaucracy. Inspired by the satirical humor of Catch-22 and MASH.

Genre & Style

• Genre: Corporate Comedy/Satire
• Tone: Absurdist humor, witty dialogue, satirical commentary
• Influence: Joseph Heller's Catch-22, Richard Hooker's MASH
• Target Length: 40-50,000 words

Main Characters (To Develop)

• Engineer 1: [Name TBD] - The Yossarian figure, sees through the absurdity
• Engineer 2: [Name TBD] - The Hawkeye figure, witty and rebellious
• Engineer 3: [Name TBD] - The Trapper John figure, smooth-talking and charming

Corporate Antagonists (To Develop)

• The Colonel: Middle management obsessed with metrics
• Major Major: HR representative who never makes decisions
• The General: C-level executive with impossible demands
• The Chaplain: Well-meaning but ineffective team lead

Plot Structure

• Act 1: Introduction to the corporate absurdity
• Act 2: Escalating bureaucratic conflicts
• Act 3: Climax and resolution (or lack thereof)

Writing Process

• Collaborative development of characters and plot
• Scene-by-scene writing with comedic focus
• Regular review and revision cycles
• Emphasis on dialogue and situational humor

File Structure

• outline/ - Plot and chapter outlines
• characters/ - Character development notes
• chapters/ - Individual chapter files
• scenes/ - Standalone scene drafts
• research/ - Corporate culture and tech industry notes