JL: I bought a capsule!
E: Ooh, nice! Thank you :) So which word would you like to be the inspiration of the dialogue?
JL: Intimacy.
I met Encapsuled on the crypto writers discord, searching for something new, and I was excited by their Capsules project on Hic et Nunc! For just 1tez, I purchased a yet to be written unique dialogue. I thought about how my one word would be a poke in the author’s brain, a catalyst to creative expression. I was intrigued. It felt so personal, so intimate.
As I read my unique dialogue, I couldn’t help but imagine it was a conversation between myself and my Fantastic friend. I immediately shared it with them, and we were both amazed at how perfectly the author had encapsulated our kind of intimacy. I had to understand how Encapsuled managed it!
JL: After you get the prompt for the capsule, what was your process like for the dialogue? Are you one of the characters? Who do you imagine is speaking when you write them?
E: I start by thinking aloud, and I brainstorm on what topic I want to touch. In this case, I wanted to reflect on the fact that we have more freedom to speak the truth in intimacy, while with superficial relationships, we tend more towards agreement. I imagine two people sitting on a bench. I am not one of them; I observe them from behind. There is no specific time set in the scene, but if you read them all one after the other, you’ll see that, in reality, it is one long dialogue.
JL: Is that intentional or accidental?
E: It is intentional. As a writer, I feel like you need some aces up your sleeve to surprise your readers, and to do that, you need to plan ahead.
And Encapsuled likes to plan! They even have created their own website so they could make their own custom contracts. That way, if IPFS goes down for whatever reason, as long as ETH lives, the text of their poems will still be there and can be retrieved directly from the contract.
JL: Why did you decide to do your own website?
E: Because I think it shows that I put extra care into the things I do. Additionally, I wanted the flexibility to store my poems on the chain.
JL: Are you a full-time writer? What have you published in real life?
E: So far, I published a collection of short stories in both Italian and English, a collection of poems in Italian and 5 novels, all in Italian. I have a couple more novels ready under review and another collection of short stories in both Italian and English under review, but my whole writing at the moment is a side project; I am employed as a software development engineer. I think that by keeping writing a side project, I can focus on writing what I want and not be pressured to make sales.
JL: What kind of software do you develop? Do you like it?
E: I do a bit of everything, so I guess you can call me a full-stack. Mostly web apps. I like writing software. I have always been very good with logic and math, so it comes naturally to me.
JL: Does writing poetry come as naturally as writing software?
E: Yes! I used to write poetry mostly in sad times, often when drinking a lot. But that has changed, and now I write poems at random times, preferably at the beach. And I don’t need to be sad anymore!
JL: What made the change?
E: I found love and intimacy.
I learned a lot about Encapsuled during our interview, but I am not at liberty to divulge the most personal details of their life. Since they, like many crypto artists, are finding their freedom in their anonymity.
JL: How many Identities do you have?
E: I only have Encapsuled and my real identity. I like to partition them because, with the real name, I handle my friendships in real life and my published writing.
JL: Do you think obscuring your identity affects your sales?
E: I am not sure, it shouldn’t matter in theory, and my name is not big enough to make a difference anyway. Besides, I like it more this way.
While Encapsuled left much for imagining, I found that if I asked the right questions, I could get a glimpse into their humanity; much like a character in a novel, I slowly learned more and more, imagining them as a whole, living, breathing individual.
JL: What are you most proud of?
E: My first novel. It made me realize that if I put the work in, I can do anything in life. Also, how everything turned out, I am truly happy where I am now. I am very proud of that.
JL: What is your first novel about?
E: It’s a novel that follows 8 young adults in a period of change. Each of them has a choice to make, and they each represent a specific trait: past, vulnerability, overthinking, improvising, logic, pain, dream and love.
JL: That sounds rad! How did you come up with the idea for your first novel?
E: That’s the weirdest, the first sentence came to my mind out of nowhere, and I had it all. Never had such a strong inspiration rush before.
JL: You often mention drinking and smoking cigarettes in your writing. Would you describe yourself as having a hard lifestyle?
E: I used to, now I’m much healthier. I still smoke a few cigarettes and drink but in moderation. I make sure to eat healthily and go running every day.
JL: What’s your favourite food?
E: Ice Cream, no doubt!
JL: Favourite flavour?
E: Mascarpone.
I may not know Encapsules real name, age, gender, or location, but I got a peek into the workings of their brain and I am grateful to have Encapsule’s conversation in my collection. There is a special kind of intimacy in the written word, and I look forward to reading more from Encapsuled.
