Collaborating

I know several of you collaborate from time to time, but I've never done it. I'm thinking, tho, that it might be a good thing for me to try this summer. So I'm wondering:
is there a "right" way to do a collaboration? Any specific tips for how to make it work? Things to avoid?

Thanks bunches!

sophia jane said:

I know several of you collaborate from time to time, but I've never done it. I'm thinking, tho, that it might be a good thing for me to try this summer. So I'm wondering:
is there a "right" way to do a collaboration? Any specific tips for how to make it work? Things to avoid?

Thanks bunches!

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mine have been very different from one another...but I'll say two things...

1) You absolutely MUST establish total honesty and a willingness to not hold beack for fear of hurt feelings. Many times your instincts are there for a strong reason. My collaborations with BP420 would have been much better if I were not worried about hurting her feelings (she certainly felt no compunction about speaking her mind to me though... )

2) I volunteer to write with you...I'd love to get even more a glimpse of that dirty mind of yours...

I'd be more than willing to do a compolation with anyone. I'm trying to expand my general writing style and not be so limited in scope. I think it's a great idea to work with someone and see what happens. Bel is right though, total and upfront honesty must be clear for good communication. Like any relationship, communication is paramount.

I've never done a collaborative effort... I don't know that I could... how do you do it? Do you write sections and then the other person works off of those (kind of like a chain?)

SelenaKittyn said:

I've never done a collaborative effort... I don't know that I could... how do you do it? Do you write sections and then the other person works off of those (kind of like a chain?)

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That's what I'm wanting to know, too. Thanks for asking the questions I didn't! Very curious about the whole process.

i've done two collabs with two different people and different writing strategies. the first was that each writer took on a character and alternated scenes. the second, we wrote it as one pov for a few hundred words or so then sent it to the collab writer who in turn fed off the other's ideas. i much preferred the latter strategy. the result was a smoother amalgamation that no one could tell who wrote what and made for very hot reading every time i got the story back.

Just collaborated in a small graphic novel – I wrote the story and the artist illustrated it.

It was an interesting process for several reasons.

Firstly, it was a shock – a nice one – to see the story illustrated from another viewpoint.

Secondly, it was brilliant to be able to dicuss the story and plot with another person who was as deeply involved.

We began as strangers – long distance ones – and ended up as good friends.

Planned to do another if the response from readers was good – it was published two days ago and the response has been amazing!

Summary – communication is the key and respect for the others creativity. Also, don't be precious about your work and have fun.

Collaborating with Jessy19 on a lesbian incest story (Hispanic cousins, actually) and with RedHairedandFriendly on a Letter/Transcript series involving a Queen and her Captain/lover. I enjoy it so far.

And I have already collaborated on "Confronting His Lies" with my girlfriend/slave Amasterfound, which needs a new chapter. It's a bisexual love triangle between a man, his male roommate, and his college crush. That has been fun writing too.

Malachite had some very interesting ideas on the mechanics of collaboration. I wouldn't wish to post them publically because she explained them in a private missive, but perhaps if you ask she'll be kind enough to offer them up.

Shanglan

Something to do: Make sure you share the same work ethic with whoever you're collaberating with. It can be annoying to be driven to get something done when your partner doesn't want to write more than a paragraph a day.

Back up your work often.

Ensure your writing styles complement each other.

Plot out the story in a very skeletal way. You'd be surprised how much a collaberation can move away from a tight plan.

Something not to do: Work with me. We bitch at each other too much.

Before you jump into a collaboration, I think it's important to be on the same page as to WHY you're collaborating in the first place. If one's objective is to get published (or win a contest or whatever) and the other's is just to have some fun ... then someone's probably going to be disappointed with the outcome. As with any sort of team effort, being serious when your partner(s) is/are just playing (or vice versa) is quite frustrating.

If you want a quality product, you've gotta be willing (as dear Bel said) to be totally open with your partner. It's kinda scary at first -- especially if you care about your partner's feelings -- but that quickly turns into a major rush when the trust pays off in a kick-ass story.

As to the "how" ... the simplest way is to do a story in alternating (ping-pong) 3rd person limited POV. The story is told from the POVs of the main characters. You take one character & your partner takes the other. (I suppose this could be expanded to any # of collaborators.) You write a section of a certain length (800-1000 words works well) from "your" character's POV, then you pass the baton to your parter, who writes a section from his/her character's POV. In this way, you can allow the story to unfold with very little in the way of advance plotting. (This is how we did San Diego Sunset and, although we did discuss plot in greater detail, Artistically Inclined.)

With Switch (and with two more stories in the works -- one of which is its sequel, Amichu), we've used to 3rd omniscient. It is MUCH more difficult and requires even greater trust -- but the result is a smoother story, IMO.

Choose your partner(s) carefully -- and be prepared for an all new kind of intimacy.

impressive said:

If you want a quality product, you've gotta be willing to be totally open with your partner. It's kinda scary at first -- especially if you care about your partner's feelings -- but that quickly turns into a major rush when the trust pays off in a kick-ass story.

***

With Switch (and with two more stories in the works -- one of which is its sequel, Amichu), we've used to 3rd omniscient. It is MUCH more difficult and requires even greater trust -- but the result is a smoother story, IMO.

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Imp and I have had major hashing out to do over something as simple as a character's tone of voice...and we continue to do so...she's dug her heels in on something before and I've done the same...you just have to hammer out a compromise...and it does make for a much tighter story...

For reasons posted above I don't collaborate well at all. It takes a very long time to build up the trust between me and someone else.

Worse, when it comes to other people, I don't trust myself. I've rarely been anything other than a disappointment to other people in my life, so it's difficult for me to do anything at all.

rgraham666 said:

For reasons posted above I don't collaborate well at all. It takes a very long time to build up the trust between me and someone else.

Worse, when it comes to other people, I don't trust myself. I've rarely been anything other than a disappointment to other people in my life, so it's difficult for me to do anything at all.

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I suspect I'd probably be the same way in a collaboration, Rob, so I understand.

*ahem*

next person that puts themselves down gets a severe talking to...

I'd threaten a spanking, but it would just encourage SJ...

Belegon said:

*ahem*

next person that puts themselves down gets a severe talking to...

I'd threaten a spanking, but it would just encourage SJ...

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It's not really putting myself down. I just have this problem with my interactions with others. I worry too much about hurting feelings, about disappointing, etc etc etc. So I suspect a collab could be really hard for me; I'd stress out alot about it. I don't build intimacy or trust with anyone let alone someone I hardly know. That's all I'm saying. Not criticizing myself; just stating facts.

Same here, Bel.

The AH is unique in my life. The first place that accepted me as me. And didn't pile tons of unattainable expectations on me. Here, I get congratulated for what I do, not castigated for what I didn't do.

But it's going to take a long time to overcome the mental habits of a lifetime.

Just sayin',

That's fine...both of you...

just as long as you're both aware that I will not allow anyone to say mean things about ya without facing consequences...and that "anyone" includes the person you see in the mirror...

Just Sayin'


as to the trust and the being willing to say the hard things...yep. Hardest part, certainly was for me.

<threadjack>
Hey... psst... Bel...

i'm an overopinionated, loudmouthed, rude, crude, dirty, rotten bitch.

But i like me that way, so it's ok.
</threadjack>

sophia jane said:

I don't build intimacy in trust with anyone let alone someone I hardly know.

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That makes me sad.

impressive said:

That makes me sad.

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Me too but only cuz you quoted a typo.

I was asking Imp for pointers on a collaboration yesterday...

My editor, who has become a very good friend suggested it... We're just starting to hash out the details... it should be fun.... we'll either have a great story of the funniest mess in the history of writing... either way, we'll both learn something...

It'll be interesting.....

I have been interested in a collaboration, too, for a couple reasons.

1) I'd prefer to stay anonymous, but I'd like to publish one day, which might require interviews and publicity shots or something. If I had a collaborator I could have her be that public face, if she was interested, and I could stay in the corner. I would be the Bernie Taupin (sp?) to her Elton John, but I hope she doesn't wear the duck suit - except in private.

2) I am good at some things like knowing how people feel and what they might say. But I am lousy at lots of other things, mostly anything visual. I'd love for my collaborator to improve all that I am lousy at, and I would improve hers. Wait a sec, this sounds more like a spouse than a co-author.

My vision on how it would work is that one of us starts with a bare idea. Then the other has to fill out the outline. After you agree on the gist, one person writes a draft and sends it to the other. That person brutally re-writes, scrapping everything dubious, keeping what's good, and adding everything that was missing. For me, that might be: she gives me a plot; I write the draft; she improves the draft by adding in stuff that she is better at than me; Then we iron it out. Of course, I have no idea if this would work. It's just my vision.