Questions about Co-writing on Lit

[MrsDeathlynx]

I have a few questions about co-writing, that and things relating to it. I was hoping to get a few answers from those who have co-written and put their stories up on Lit.

1. I was thinking about co-writing some stories with a friend and wondered if there was a certain procedure one had to use when setting up an alt for use in putting them up on Lit?

2. Does the second author have to be published on Lit? Would they need to set up an individual account and put something up themselves before putting up an alt?

3. When I've done co-writing and stuff it's been through RP (role play), how does one go about editting that so it can be put up on Lit? Do you just ended the individual sections and post it like that or does it have to be spliced together and editted that way?

4. If a friend gives me permission to use his/her RP character and I do the writing on my own would I be allowed to do that or would it need to be put up as being co-written?

 

[Liar]

The answer to #1 and #2 is easy: No, just set up a new account. Or for that matter, use your own and put in a note that says "Co-written with XXXXXX" in the beginning.

#3, how to edit a RP session into an enjoyable stpry, I have no idea. I'm sure it's been done by other authors here.

#4: If you have permission from the creator of a character to use the character, that's all you need. It's you and your friend who agrees on terms, and what those are is nobody else's business. For instance if she wants to be credited as co-author, thanked in a footnote, or something like that, (or not).

 

[emap]

What Liar said, oddly enough so does not live up to the name. Bad Liar bad.

I actually have one posted I did with Blacksnake a while ago, he edited it but form what i can tell all he did was edit the sections so they are correctly spelled. I'm not always the best at that.

That said though, we were using the story idea section to do it so we got a bit wordy and each section had a big chunk of the story to it. It worked fine, though of course many don't like the way it jumped between the male and female so much. Though for an RP style it's really the only way without adding in your own description on the stuff the other person does to you so you can post it in he said she said form.

I'd post an example type thing but I'm not up to it. Hopefully what I said makes sense.

 

[cantdog]

I haven't actually noted any conventions about it. Mutual agreement smooths all roads; the difficulties and niceties only have play when contention exists.

 

[cantdog]

Rp

It feels, of course, as though, in role play, one has mutually assisted a joint story line to be born. But I can't imagine a simple edit job would make it into a narrative. It seems to me you'd have to imagine the characters, in the round, doing the story, and then cast that action in narrative more or less de novo.

 

[TxRad]

I have a few questions about co-writing, that and things relating to it. I was hoping to get a few answers from those who have co-written and put their stories up on Lit.

3. When I've done co-writing and stuff it's been through RP (role play), how does one go about editting that so it can be put up on Lit? Do you just ended the individual sections and post it like that or does it have to be spliced together and editted that way?

Ok, let me see if I can help with this. I'm co-writing a story with someone right now. She copied the story into a Gmail file and we use our Gmail accounts to view it, write in it, and edit.

Just save the story lines and copy the RP story into Gmail and have at it. We found that using red for new writing, blue for in edit, and black for finalized works pretty good unless you both try to edit the same part at the same time.

Good luck

 

[cantdog]

Google docs

Ok, let me see if I can help with this. I'm co-writing a story with someone right now. She copied the story into a Gmail file and we use our Gmail accounts to view it, write in it, and edit.

Just save the story lines and copy the RP story into Gmail and have at it. We found that using red for new writing, blue for in edit, and black for finalized works pretty good unless you both try to edit the same part at the same time.

Good luck

Yes. Google docs. Easy to set up and to use. The doc is always accessible to you. Great tool for this.

 

[TxRad]

Yes. Google docs. Easy to set up and to use. The doc is always accessible to you. Great tool for this.

Thanks. I got brain locked and couldn't get the Doc's part out.

 

[impressive]

Bel & I didn't set up an alt, we just took turns posting under our regular accounts and added an authors' note at the beginning to indicate it was co-written.

 

[sr71plt]

I have a coauthor here (and in books as well). We have a separate story account for our combined writings. We both edit the whole thing after we've cowritten it (and it can be "cowritten" in several ways--separate sections by the separate writer or comingled writing). At some point we agree that it's written and edited (as a professional editor, I guess I usually have the last word on that). Our biggest problem is that he's Australian and writes British style and I'm American. Since this is basically an American site, though, we usually end up with consistent American style (with Briticisms left for any character who is either British or Australian).

Credits are based on how the one owning the material feels about it. He has some stories of his own in which he credits some contribution I've made and the same with me. If the concept owner doesn't care that much about it, though, or if the end is the result of a rolling discussion, we don't bother to credit.

We're about to launch a book that is the result and filling out of three paragraphs that formed from a steamy e-mail exchange between us. That one will go out under our combined author pen name.

 

[freshface]

I haven't co-authored, but do have some observations as a reader. I agree that creating a separate story account is a good idea, especially if you plan to write more than one story together. A note in each author's profile identifying the separate account will help your fans find your joint projects, as will making your joint account a Favorite.

 

[tickledkitty]

Bel & I didn't set up an alt, we just took turns posting under our regular accounts and added an authors' note at the beginning to indicate it was co-written.

Marsh and I have a separate account for the stories we write together, obviously, but I wish we'd have done it this way for a few different reasons. The main one is that he has much more of a following than I do, and I think we'd have gotten more friendly readers initially that way. Also, I don't really like our names combined anymore. I'm going through a phase, I guess, where I'd really prefer a regular pen name even for my own stuff.

Anyway...live and learn.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I have a few questions about co-writing, that and things relating to it. I was hoping to get a few answers from those who have co-written and put their stories up on Lit.

1. I was thinking about co-writing some stories with a friend and wondered if there was a certain procedure one had to use when setting up an alt for use in putting them up on Lit?

2. Does the second author have to be published on Lit? Would they need to set up an individual account and put something up themselves before putting up an alt?

3. When I've done co-writing and stuff it's been through RP (role play), how does one go about editting that so it can be put up on Lit? Do you just ended the individual sections and post it like that or does it have to be spliced together and editted that way?

4. If a friend gives me permission to use his/her RP character and I do the writing on my own would I be allowed to do that or would it need to be put up as being co-written?

Check out my story - Orchard Falls - RHF co-wrote parts of it.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Joey'sgame and I posted one story, under the alt Omega's Game;
The End Of Innocence
We posted it under "Letters and transcripts" and I edited for spelling. We did a teensy bit of re-writing; in order to keep the story going forward, Mostly I suggested the changes and he agreed to every one, like the good little sub that he is

If you want to post as an RP, my advice is to remember your readers, and do edit out the repeats and interminable discussions that are part of RP but no part of story-telling.

 

[MrsDeathlynx]

Thanks everyone for your answers. I think I got all the answers I needed though it did bring up a new question...

Do people have a difficult time reading RP style stories? (Like alternate postings from one person and then another...)

 

[cantdog]

If a story is written that way, I'm afraid, I backclick out of there. Sorry. I want a narrative, with dialogue. I have been known to stick it out with an epistolary story, but it has to be a damn good story.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Thanks everyone for your answers. I think I got all the answers I needed though it did bring up a new question...

Do people have a difficult time reading RP style stories? (Like alternate postings from one person and then another...)

I think so... It depends on how good both writers are... or, like I said, on if you agree to edit for flow and ease of reading.

 

[sr71plt]

Thanks everyone for your answers. I think I got all the answers I needed though it did bring up a new question...

Do people have a difficult time reading RP style stories? (Like alternate postings from one person and then another...)

Unless RP-style writings are worked over real well after they've been written, they can only be stories by extremely rare circumstance, I think. Well-constructed stories don't really just blurp out there. They need to have a coherent beginning, middle, and end. A resolution and threads that all serve the story. So, yes, in most cases an RP-style story won't fly very well to a third-party reader unless it's been intentionally redone into a real story. There's no reason why the author-enjoyed stage of the original role play can't be redone as a coherent story stage for a third-party reader, of course--they just aren't unless someone recasts them as a coherent story. Don't expect a third party to be as turned on by a straight publishing of a role play that it was to the original authors as they roleplayed.

 

[MrsDeathlynx]

So it seems that an edittor that can put the two parts together would be in order...

 

[tickledkitty]

So it seems that an edittor that can put the two parts together would be in order...

I think the idea is that you put the two parts together into a story and then pass it on to an editor.

When Marsh and I send a story to our editor, it's usually done and ready to post, as far as we're concerned. Now, the editor will point out some stuff that probably needs changing, and we know that he will, but our part is pretty much done by the time the editor sees it.

 

[Guest]

Ok, let me see if I can help with this. I'm co-writing a story with someone right now. She copied the story into a Gmail file and we use our Gmail accounts to view it, write in it, and edit.

Just save the story lines and copy the RP story into Gmail and have at it. We found that using red for new writing, blue for in edit, and black for finalized works pretty good unless you both try to edit the same part at the same time.

Good luck

With me!

And we created a new Lit account, a bit of each of our Lit names, and plan to post a few stories under that.

 

[sr71plt]

I think the idea is that you put the two parts together into a story and then pass it on to an editor.

When Marsh and I send a story to our editor, it's usually done and ready to post, as far as we're concerned. Now, the editor will point out some stuff that probably needs changing, and we know that he will, but our part is pretty much done by the time the editor sees it.

For it to work well as a coherent, tightly threaded story, I think one of the two (or multiple) authors needs to be given responsibility to form it into such a story independent of whoever edits it.

On the editing, if both/all authors are highly literate, I think each pouring over the other's work and then one making the style/spellings/format consistent is editor enough.

 

[tickledkitty]

For it to work well as a coherent, tightly threaded story, I think one of the two (or multiple) authors needs to be given responsibility to form it into such a story independent of whoever edits it.

Isn't that kinda what I said?

On the editing, if both/all authors are highly literate, I think each pouring over the other's work and then one making the style/spellings/format consistent is editor enough.

In your case, I would agree. However, we've found having a third and even sometimes a fourth party's imput quite helpful. We do look at and discuss eachother's work and make appropriate changes before we pass it off to the editor.

 

[emap]

RP style postings can work, not for all though. The one I did with Blacksnake stayed RP style, I didn't receive any it sucked feedbacks, not much feedback at all actually though people have said they want a sequel.

RP is not a terribly popular style in the stories section, there is a section of the forums for that after all. Though the lovers of those do wander into the stories since well it takes a long while to get one of those written to completion.

So you can leave it RP style and get readers, not as many as you would if it's a regular story. However, I have to say, some people hate my stories because I write in first person, some people hate third person omniscient and most hate second person. Some would read an RP, some would not, I have no clue on the actual percentage of who would and would not read it, but there are people who would read it and love it so just do it however you want and you will get readers, and feedback.