Looking For A Writing Partner

[frecklearms7227]

I'm looking for someone that can help me start writing again. I have quite a few ideas that I think could become very good stories.

 

[KeithD]

You're more likely to get interest by indicating the categories you want to write in and to be able to show stories already written so that those possibly interested can check out whether there might be a fit.

I have a writing partner here, but the partnership stems from both of us writing here already, one of us seeing the possibility of a fit, and that writer contacting the other. Truth be told, I think this is just about the only way to form a cowriting partnership successfully.

 

[ChloeTzang]

I'm looking for someone that can help me start writing again. I have quite a few ideas that I think could become very good stories.

Not to rain on your parade but the only person who can start you writing is you. Pick up your laptop, go somewhere where you’ll be uninterrupted and by yourself, and start writing. That’s it. You’re the one that has to motivate yourself, put fingers to the keyboard and start. I can’t do that. I can’t put your words down. I can’t think for you. You have to do all of that.

Writing is a solitary pursuit. You, and your story. Anything else is procrastination. So get to it. Start writing. If you can’t think of anything, take one of my stories and rewrite it in your own words. You have my permission. I’ll even come and say nice things when it goes live on Literotica.

Go got it!

 

[frecklearms7227]

You're more likely to get interest by indicating the categories you want to write in and to be able to show stories already written so that those possibly interested can check out whether there might be a fit.

I have a writing partner here, but the partnership stems from both of us writing here already, one of us seeing the possibility of a fit, and that writer contacting the other. Truth be told, I think this is just about the only way to form a cowriting partnership successfully.

All of my stories are more into the kidnapping and rape of young females (ages 18-20)

 

[yukonnights]

All of my stories are more into the kidnapping and rape of young females (ages 18-20)

Before you do start writing these stories, I hope you've read Literotica's guidelines and restrictions for stories about kidnapping and rape of young females

 

[yukonnights]

You're more likely to get interest by indicating the categories you want to write in and to be able to show stories already written so that those possibly interested can check out whether there might be a fit.

I have a writing partner here, but the partnership stems from both of us writing here already, one of us seeing the possibility of a fit, and that writer contacting the other. Truth be told, I think this is just about the only way to form a cowriting partnership successfully.

I keep hearing about writing partners and collaborating on a story with another author. I have an author friend that this discussion came up. But at the end of the day, neither of us can figure out how that actually works. So, how do two people write the same story? Is it actual individually written parts, or just planning and outlining, or writing and discussion/editing?

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[HeyAll]

I keep hearing about writing partners and collaborating on a story with another author. I have an author friend that this discussion came up. But at the end of the day, neither of us can figure out how that actually works. So, how do two people write the same story? Is it actual individually written parts, or just planning and outlining, or writing and discussion/editing?

Inquiring minds want to know.

I do this a lot, but only for my stories.

One person HAS to be the lead. Meaning, that person has final control.

Usually, me and the other person write seperate parts. That person goes over and enhances my writing. And I enhance the other persons writing. I am in charge of all final edits and cutting what needs to be cut.

Also, outlining beforehand is critical to avoid any conflicts down the line.

Without having a lead, it'll be a disaster and the story will have uneven writing.

 

[yukonnights]

I do this a lot, but only for my stories.

One person HAS to be the lead. Meaning, that person has final control.

Usually, me and the other person write seperate parts. That person goes over and enhances my writing. And I enhance the other persons writing. I am in charge of all final edits and cutting what needs to be cut.

Also, outlining beforehand is critical to avoid any conflicts down the line.

Without having a lead, it'll be a disaster and the story will have uneven writing.

This is what I was thinking it'd have to be. Be interesting to hear what other authors approaches are. I usually end up making a lot of "suggestions" when I proofread someone's story, but collaboration seems to imply much more than that. Thanks for chiming in — good info.

 

[ElectricBlue]

One person HAS to be the lead. Meaning, that person has final control.

Also, outlining beforehand is critical to avoid any conflicts down the line.

Without having a lead, it'll be a disaster and the story will have uneven writing.

Disagree, in my case, with all three points. I've done collabs with three different writers, and we did none of those things. What we did was this:

Write a thousand words or so, lob it over the fence, no handover notes, no nothing.

The other author writes off the back of that, wherever they want to take it, and make any edits they like on what's already been written - usually to make sure "their" character stays consistent - in all cases, pre-established characters were the take off point: "I wonder what would happen if X got with Y? Let's find out." Lob it back and forth as many times as it takes to reach a conclusion - between 10k - 20k words, with ours.

None of the stories were outlined ahead of time (pantser writing, getting out of comfort zones).

No lead writer, joint ownership, no pride.

Some of the writing became very "real", because when you meet someone new in real life, there is no plan. Collaborative writing can be like that - but doing it this way is not for everyone, I'll grant you. You definitely have to "click" with the other writer - erotica being what it is, it can get very intimate, very revealing. Many would get uncomfortable with that, I would think.

One of those stories is my highest ranked story with a 4.89, the other two are 4.72 and 4.69, and the latest hasn't gone live yet. All of them were well received.

 

[KeithD]

I keep hearing about writing partners and collaborating on a story with another author. I have an author friend that this discussion came up. But at the end of the day, neither of us can figure out how that actually works. So, how do two people write the same story? Is it actual individually written parts, or just planning and outlining, or writing and discussion/editing?

Inquiring minds want to know.

I write here (and in the marketplace) with Sabb, using the account name Shabbu. We have 22 stories here and more than that in the marketplace. Haven't written together for a while, although we have one building now. Someone sets the stage with a first chapter. We each take a character and write a first-person chapter, developing the story from that character's perspective--each giving our own character's perspective on what was given by the other character in the preceding chapter and advancing the plot to give the other writer's character something to react to and build on in the next chapter. We let the story go where it will, although a few times we've decided beforehand how it should end and what the dilemmas are. We do not outline beforehand. We almost never try to renegotiate where the other took the story in the previous chapter. We work with what's there.

You can probably see how we do it by reviewing the stories by Shabbu here. They all use the same method of collaboration.

One of us (me) takes the responsibility for rectifying threads and smoothing out the prose at the end. We have similar writing styles, but there are subtle differences. Since we are writing separate characters, that's not a continuity problem, though.

We won the Lit. Valentines Day contest in 2018, with "Forever Man" (https://www.literotica.com/s/the-forever-man), in which we wove together elements of an Australian legend (a sidewalk chaulker in Sydney--Sabb is an Aussie) and an American one (the legend of leaving brandy and flowers at Poe's grave on his birthday--I'm an American). In that case, I came up with the story idea, having recently visited Sydney. Sabb now lives in Spain, so our more recent stories are set there.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Thing is, the collaboration is all very good, but the OP wants help to start writing and has some ideas that could be good stories. My point is, you have to start writing before you can collaborate, otherwise it’s coaching, which Is entirely different. I’d say to the OP to start writing their own story. Not going to find anyone to collaborate with without something in common as far as writing goes. You guys have obviously done it, which is more than I have, but are any of you going to spend time co-writing with someone whose style and approach you have No idea about?

 

[ElectricBlue]

You guys have obviously done it, which is more than I have, but are any of you going to spend time co-writing with someone whose style and approach you have No idea about?

Absolutely right - and the answer is no, because as you say, where is the thing in common?

I think the OP needs to start writing by themselves, and only later contemplate co-writing. My post was more in response to Yukon's question and HeyAll's thoughts on the process.

 

[KeithD]

T My point is, you have to start writing before you can collaborate, otherwise it’s coaching, which Is entirely different. I’d say to the OP to start writing their own story.

Yep, my initial response was to have your own stories posted that you can point possible collaborators to.

 

[SimonDoom]

I have never done this or wanted to do it, although I've seen successful examples of it. I liked "The Forever Man" and was impressed that there seemed to be no clash in styles between the two authors. I would think that would be difficult to do.

With all due respect to the OP's question, I suggest thinking hard about what you want to achieve. I imagine collaboration works best with two established authors who know and respect each other's styles. If, on the other hand, you're looking for someone to spur you to write, I don't think collaboration is the answer. Just write. Or if you think it would help, open up a dialogue with a writer you like about helping you get started.

Although I have not collaborated with other writers, I have, on two occasions, taken "commissions" for stories the ideas for which were provided to me by men who wanted stories about their wives. Since I enjoy "hot wife" stories, that was quite an enjoyable experience and they and I were satisifed with the stories that resulted. But that's not at all a collaboration in the same sense.

 

[yukonnights]

I really appreciate all of you who chimed in on this concept of collaboration. The reason I asked is that the subject has come up with some of the folks I currently share "writing chores" with. I like the idea of it and the opportunity for a free-flowing back and forth as EB and KiethD mentioned.

Sorry if I sidetracked the OP's thread. Wasn't my intent and it seemed to be a close fit to the question. (okay, I've been wanting to ask more about this for awhile and I brazenly hijacked the thread — I'm so ashamed, but I cannot tell a lie )

Am I mistaken, or did I read where someone was talking about getting said collaboration published to both author's story list?

 

[KeithD]

Am I mistaken, or did I read where someone was talking about getting said collaboration published to both author's story list?

I haven't heard of that being done. Sabb and I have a separate account for the collaborative work and link to that account in our writer profiles.

 

[yukonnights]

I haven't heard of that being done. Sabb and I have a separate account for the collaborative work and link to that account in our writer profiles.

I may have dreamed that — blame it on COVID ! I'm still trying to convince the other person it might be fun, just checking the turf at this point. Thanks for your input, always helpful. By the way, I do have another western epic going — but another thing I'll blame on COVID; I'm too lethargic to be motivated, so that story is growing mold right now

 

[Voboy]

Yeah, I sort of tried collaborating once; it felt inorganic, which is the enemy of good writing. If some can make it work, more power to them, but it doesn't get much less organic IMHO than asking someone to come aboard with your ideas and get you to start setting them down.

I'm not above taking other peoples' ideas and running with them if they ask, though they don't always get over the finish line after I start writing them. I'm not above commissions, either, and those usually work out just fine. Lol.

 

[jehoram]

The only collaboration I've done, if you want to call it that, is with the person whose work I edit, and who edits my work. There were a few times when we've asked each other to re-write portions of our stories. (I don't think that either of those stories are on this site). In one story, the third chapter was from a woman's point of view, and she re-wrote it in the first person, adding a few things that I wouldn't have thought of. In another story, I extensively re-wrote the last two chapters, since they were about the only male character in her story. She was new to writing erotica at the time, and she didn't feel comfortable about writing from a man's perspective.

In each case, the original author was in sole control of the story, and it was published under the name of the original author.

We've tried other collaborations, where one of us started a story and sent it to the other to continue, but it never seemed to work out. We kept wanting to steer the story in different directions, and ended up with stories that neither of us were satisfied with. But productive collaborations do occur with other writers, and I wish them well.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Am I mistaken, or did I read where someone was talking about getting said collaboration published to both author's story list?

No, can't be done. The best you can do is decide which writer runs the whole story, and the other writer posts the first thousand words or so on their account, with a link at the bottom to the main story. That way the story gets in front of both writers' followers. It's easy enough to coordinate with Laurel.

The alternative is a third co-writer's (shared) account. The down side with that, unless you can churn out stories by the truck load, is nobody will know who you are.

 

[RelentlessOnanism]

I don't know if this is a rarity, but my first ever story was a collaboration. I co-wrote a story called 'A Dangerous Game’ with Carnal_Flower. It was a very satisfying process, although I was very much the rookie and deferred to my more experienced writing partner. She took the lead and made all the final choices. The story scored well and seemed to be quite successful.

Subsequently, it inspired me to write my own work, and I now have more than a dozen stories published under my own name. It might seem to be an unorthodox way to begin a writing 'career', but it worked for me.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

I started writing some things in the SRP forum as a way to find out how much I would enjoy collaboration. I still haven't transitioned that into trying a collaboration on a more formal piece, but I do enjoy the process of writing these threads with a partner, quite a bit. I think the key is to come to the process with half an idea. If you've got the whole thing, then what do you need a co-writer for? But, if the two of you are building on and improving each other's ideas as you go, surprising each other with the world you're making together, than I think you can end up with something better than either of you could have done alone. And, it'll be more fun, too.

 

[yukonnights]

No, can't be done. The best you can do is decide which writer runs the whole story, and the other writer posts the first thousand words or so on their account, with a link at the bottom to the main story. That way the story gets in front of both writers' followers. It's easy enough to coordinate with Laurel.

The alternative is a third co-writer's (shared) account. The down side with that, unless you can churn out stories by the truck load, is nobody will know who you are.

Okay, I see where a link to your story file was put in the introduction on another authors story that you recently collaborated on. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[jehoram]

The alternative is a third co-writer's (shared) account. The down side with that, unless you can churn out stories by the truck load, is nobody will know who you are.

It would depend on the name of the account, I think. If Athalia and I created a joint account and named it Jehoram&Athalia or Athalia&Jehoram, the search engine might spit it out if people were looking for either name.

The other alternative, of course, is to put a link to the joint account on each author's bio in the page you go to when you click on the author's name on the story page.

Either way, it's a makeshift solution to the problem.

 

[KeithD]

The other alternative, of course, is to put a link to the joint account on each author's bio in the page you go to when you click on the author's name on the story page.

This is what Sabb and I have done with the Shabbu account. We don't mind, though, if Shabbu is allowed to have a following of his own here. We haven't posted in a while, but Shabbu has twenty-two stories here and gets reads/votes.