Collaboration

[notablerogue]

I’m a new author that’s just submitted my first work and starting on the next chapter. It’s about a non married couple and I need someone that can contribute the female perspective. I’ve seen stories with the different he said, she said sections and I’m thinking that might fit this story well. Any takers?

 

[Voboy]

These requests don't always go well. Most of us here are balls-deep in our own stories already. Have you tried writing the female POV yourself? It's really not that hard.

 

[notablerogue]

Good point. I guess I was hoping to get lucky and find a newer writer that wasn't "balls deep" in their own work yet. I've thought about the female POV it's just that this story is important too me and I don't want to screw it up. I figure I will give this a little soak time and if nobody picks it up I will run with it in 2020. Thanks for responding!

 

[KeithD]

In my experience (and I have experience in successful collaboration, here and elsewhere. Here with Saab, as Shabbu), successful collaboration is built when both authors have existing story portfolios and they see where collaboration is desirable and a fit is possible by assessing the existing work of each other. Suggest you get a story list established representing your genres, topics, writing style, and writing ability before looking for a collaborator. Those starting to look without a writing record of their own usually are actually looking for a ghost writer, which isn't the same as a collaborator or coauthor.

Unfortunately, too much of the time a male looking for a female collaborator without any writing record of his own is actually looking for a hookup. I think having an account name like "notablerogue" doesn't help dispel that thought.

 

[notablerogue]

Excellent points! Yeah, I don't need a hook up with the wife I have and there's a few stories up my sleeve I can get out there for sure. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Excellent points! Yeah, I don't need a hook up with the wife I have and there's a few stories up my sleeve I can get out there for sure. Thanks for the feedback.

Look for some female authors and take a look at how they write. It’s often a very different emphasis in viewpoints and styles.

 

[notablerogue]

Thanks Chloe! Will do.

 

[SimonDoom]

Agree with what's been written before. If you want a fruitful collaboration you're better off establishing contact with someone specifically based on their work, or based on interaction you've had with that person.

Advice:

1. Publish some stories without collaboration so other authors can see what you can do.

2. Interact with other authors and reach out to specific authors whose styles and abilities seem to match what you want.

Your request is understandable and reasonable, but as Voboy says everyone is busy and authors will be inclined to reach out to you only if they know more about you and there is a feeling of mutual compatibility.

 

[notablerogue]

[QUOTE
2. Interact with other authors and reach out to specific authors whose styles and abilities seem to match what you want.
.[/QUOTE]

Not meaning to sound ignorant but I still am to this...By interact with the kind of authors I relate to is that best done through comments on stories or some other means?

 

[BelleCanzuto]

Not to get too repetitive, but I'm just going to echo Chloe, Voboy and Simon.

I've tried including the opposite gender persepective in some of my stories, and I found it helped me think differently about the story overall. Trying to get that other side accurate and believable is an ongoing, worthwhile, endeavour. If this particular story is too dear to experiment with, them maybe try starting a new story (that you're not quite so invested in) from a woman's perspective, to see how it goes...

ETA: And welcome to the fray! We're so happy to have new authors. Swing by TxRad's coffee shop if you're inclined, for some good (or at least strange) conversation and promises of coffee, tea, donuts, pancakes and all manner of other vittles.

 

[Voboy]

I've thought about the female POV it's just that this story is important too me and I don't want to screw it up.

You won’t. Just try it! I enjoy writing female POV, and I’m told I do it well.

Just imagine how your wife would think. Then write it. Add humor.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Not meaning to sound ignorant but I still am to this...By interact with the kind of authors I relate to is that best done through comments on stories or some other means?

Comments, yes, but more usually friendships that start up behind the scenes through Feedback and PMs with writers you like - swapping writer stuff first, before giving collaboration a go.

Having done a couple of collaborative pieces, it's rarely a deliberate, "I want to collaborate with somebody" (which is often shorthand for role play) kind of a thing. I've found it to be more spontaneous, building on bodies of work. You need to learn your chops as a writer before you give collaboration a go, I reckon. It's not the easiest thing to do.

 

[SimonDoom]

[QUOTE
2. Interact with other authors and reach out to specific authors whose styles and abilities seem to match what you want.
.

Not meaning to sound ignorant but I still am to this...By interact with the kind of authors I relate to is that best done through comments on stories or some other means?[/QUOTE]

1. Read their stories and comment on them.

2. Interact with them here at Author's Hangout.

3. Reach out to them via email or private message for more detailed feedback or requests.

I haven't been involved in a collaboration. ElectricBlue has, and Keith D has, and there are others. You might ask them if there's any more specific advice they have to give on the subject.

 

[KeithD]

In my case, in forming the Shabbu collaboration, which has published both here and in the marketplace, Saab read my stories on another Web site, noted I should post to Literotica as well and suggested that we had similar writing styles. I read his stories here and agreed, and then he suggested we collaborate on some stories (and books). We did for several years until he got really busy publishing works of others, opening a winery, and going into the vacation unit business. We still edit each other's stories.

So, who else responding here has experience in collaboration on erotica?

 

[ElectricBlue]

So, who else responding here has experience in collaboration on erotica?

Two stories with Jason Clearwater, where we each took established characters from our individual story universes and put them together; and one with LoquiSordidaAdMe, same thing.

We simply wrote turn and turn about, in roughly thousand word chunks, no planning, no pre-conceived story line, no handover notes; just responding to what we each wrote. The only "rule" we had was the right to veto anything the other author might have written "our" character doing, if we thought it was out of character. But on the whole, it was minor subtleties only that we added in edit, grace notes, I guess. The stories went down well with our respective reader bases.

Jase then borrowed my character in his Valentines for Adam, which was a sequel to the first one we wrote; and I have plans in hand to write a second part to the second one, where I'll continue with his character.

 

[KeithD]

We start off with a dilemma and write alternate chapters from the perspective of the individual characters we are representing in first person, with the character for that chapter giving perspective on the progressed events in the previous chapter and adding new events before the other author picks up the next chapter. We let the story go where it will go, eventually reaching a resolution. As it wraps up, I redo it, closing any unresolved strings. We have twenty-two works here on Literotica and more in the marketplace. We won first place with "The Forever Man" in the 2018 Valentine's Day contest (https://www.literotica.com/s/the-forever-man). I wonder if any other collaborative works have placed in a Literotica contest.

 

[notablerogue]

Thanks everybody for the rich dialog and suggestions to my original DOA idea. This has really spurred me to rethink my current work and future projects. Also thank you Belle for the welcome to the fray!

 

[Robeth123]

I know you didn’t ask for new writers advice, and being new to this space I may not have much to offer. I actually write a lot for my profession and just know that you will receive criticism and accolades and the key is to just keep writing. Some will be good and some will suck but keep going and you will get better.

 

[yukonnights]

I know you didn’t ask for new writers advice, and being new to this space I may not have much to offer. I actually write a lot for my profession and just know that you will receive criticism and accolades and the key is to just keep writing. Some will be good and some will suck but keep going and you will get better.

Look at you, been here since 2007 and only 2 posts — and the one you just wrote here is pretty darn smart Here's to wishing you well on your "new writer" journey!

 

[yukonnights]

I’m a new author that’s just submitted my first work and starting on the next chapter. It’s about a non married couple and I need someone that can contribute the female perspective. I’ve seen stories with the different he said, she said sections and I’m thinking that might fit this story well. Any takers?

I think you may surprise yourself once you jump in and write the female parts.

Regardless, you have to figure it out. Collaborations are, as you can see from what KeithD and ElectricBlue have said, not the same as the "story you have in your head". I've played with these, but never published any, and in my experience they are more difficult. They can be fun in the sense of expanding the story into directions you didn't think of, but they can also get away from your own original idea.

I don't think I saw this mentioned, but you could also seek out a female author or editor to give you some feedback on your "female voice". Of course, this means you'd have to get something written in that 'voice'. I think you have to figure it out if you want to write stories with females in them

 

[notablerogue]

Thanks for the coaching yukonnights and everybody else. Coming to grips with the need to write female for my next chapter. Fortunately my first work published today. Be gentle but honest all who are interested (I already hate the title).

https://literotica.com/s/unlikely-training-couple

 

[yukonnights]

Thanks for the coaching yukonnights and everybody else. Coming to grips with the need to write female for my next chapter. Fortunately my first work published today. Be gentle but honest all who are interested (I already hate the title).

https://literotica.com/s/unlikely-training-couple

I read it and thought it was well done. (actually, at first I didn't think it was going to be very enjoyable. But the style got better about midway in — then the end note explained your choice of point of view and such, etc.) I hope you keep trying to learn new facets of fiction writing and enjoy yourself. I did leave a comment on the story, but thought of something else I should have said; You do seem to know the key to pleasing a woman

 

[notablerogue]

I read it and thought it was well done. (actually, at first I didn't think it was going to be very enjoyable. But the style got better about midway in — then the end note explained your choice of point of view and such, etc.) I hope you keep trying to learn new facets of fiction writing and enjoy yourself. I did leave a comment on the story, but thought of something else I should have said; You do seem to know the key to pleasing a woman

Thanks for that yukonnights! I think I figured out how I can get there it’s just making the time to write. Appreciate all of the feedback gang!!

 

[sbrooks103]

[QUOTE
2. Interact with other authors and reach out to specific authors whose styles and abilities seem to match what you want.
.

Not meaning to sound ignorant but I still am to this...By interact with the kind of authors I relate to is that best done through comments on stories or some other means?[/QUOTE]
Feed back works well. Keeps things private, unlike comments, and if the author wishes to connect, they can.

 

[Desiremakesmeweak]

At the risk of having missiles thrown at me vigorously - I don't believe people can REALLY write things from a 'female point of view' unless they really are a woman.

I wouldn't personally do it, or try to do it. It sounds ridiculous to me.