Have you ever collaborated with another writer?

[KikiKisses]

I just had a fun experience. I'm new to this site (I have read things off and on for a few years.) I really like stories that are set in the past, the 1940s and 50s are favorite eras. I stumbled across a series by @forgotmyantidepressants called "Ride Home" that really spoke to me. The characters seemed very real and the backstory was compelling. When I got to the 4th story I excitedly went to find the next chapter and that was it! Left me on a cliff-hanger! I reached out to her and she told me she wasn't going to finish it, but that in her mind it ended happily. I asked her permission to write a last chapter as a sort of a fan-fiction to help wrap it all up in in my mind. She gave me her blessing, and then was happy with the result!

I'm so glad she didn't think I was too weird for that! It was such a fun experience and it made me wonder if other people have done something similar. I know there are collabs on here, but this was a little different.

Here's her 4 part series: https://www.literotica.com/series/se/493817829

Here's my contribution: https://www.literotica.com/s/one-more-ride-home

I was trying to cram a lot of ideas into one story and get through the plot, so I didn't do as much descriptive work as I might have liked. I wanted to match her writing style a little more too, and if it was a true collaboration I probably would have worked harder on that. But I also didn't want to seem like a plagiarist. If I was doing something like ghost-writing, I definitely would have tried harder to match the style.

I never thought I would enjoy working with another writer, or doing ghost-writing. I have definitely changed my mind.

 

[StillStunned]

The closest I've come is The City of Scum: a shared sword & sorcery setting that multiple writers have contributed to. It's an interesting experience - I've enjoyed it, but I can imagine that I'd struggle if the collaboration was much closer.

 

[KikiKisses]

The closest I've come is The City of Scum: a shared sword & sorcery setting that multiple writers have contributed to. It's an interesting experience - I've enjoyed it, but I can imagine that I'd struggle if the collaboration was much closer.

That sounds fun too!

 

[EmilyMiller]

I’ve co written with @PennyThompson and @Djmac1031 (not at the same time, we’re not into threesomes).

 

[KikiKisses]

I’ve co written with @PennyThompson and @Djmac1031 (not at the same time, we’re not into threesomes).

How did you find each other and what made you decide to collaborate?

 

[EmilyMiller]

How did you find each other and what made you decide to collaborate?

Dj and I had been friends for some time before we co-authored. Penny and I had read each other’s work and chatted quite a bit before collabing. It was organic in both cases.

 

[Djmac1031]

I’ve co written with @PennyThompson and @Djmac1031 (not at the same time, we’re not into threesomes).

I am, however, open to the possibilities...

...of writing together. Jesus, you people and your dirty minds...

 

[Djmac1031]

How did you find each other and what made you decide to collaborate?

lol, this is a loaded question and I could write a full dissertation on it.

Oh wait, I kinda sorta did.

https://www.literotica.com/s/wiwaw-the-angels-and-demons-saga

 

[ElectricBlue]

I never thought I would enjoy working with another writer, or doing ghost-writing. I have definitely changed my mind.

I've collaborated with three writers - Jason Clearwater twice, @LoquiSordidaAdMe once, and @stickygirl twice.

It's always a fascinating experience, especially the way we did it, which was: "Here's a thousand or so words," lobbed over the fence, "your turn." No pre-conceived plot, no handover notes, no guidance or expectation as to what might happen next. Very free form, very revealing of myself as a writer, and the results were well received by readers.

 

[StillStunned]

I almost forgot: last year I wrote a chapter of a chain story.

 

[Djmac1031]

It's always a fascinating experience, especially the way we did it, which was: "Here's a thousand or so words," lobbed over the fence, "your turn." No pre-conceived plot, no handover notes, no guidance or expectation as to what might happen next. Very free form, very revealing of myself as a writer, and the results were well received by readers.

While several of our stories were more well thought out collaborations, there were also a few where one of us... usually @EmilyMiller ... would just write a big opening chunk of a story, then send it and say "here, write the next part."

Generally these stories were really just excuses to see who could up the ante on the raunchy stuff...

...Emily always won that, of course

 

[PennyThompson]

Along with my fun experience with Emily, I've also collaborated twice with @Actingup. The first was for his just What the Maid Saw and Did, which was 95% his work with a little bit of consultation and suggestions from me, and also using a couple of my characters.

The second was a more equal collaboration, Dark Waters: Mothman vs. the Bunyip which was written very much like it reads, as a back-and-forth correspondence

 

[SkyBubble]

I’ve co written with @PennyThompson and @Djmac1031 (not at the same time, we’re not into threesomes).

How do you list that on Lit? Whose feed does it go in? How do you submit a collaborative story?

 

[PennyThompson]

How do you list that on Lit? Whose feed does it go in? How do you submit a collaborative story?

Unfortunately it's not possible to cross-list two authors.

With ours, it was mostly Emily's story, so Emily posted it on her account and just gave me credit in her author's note I put it into a custom List that I have for collaborations and crossover stories!

 

[EmilyMiller]

How do you list that on Lit? Whose feed does it go in? How do you submit a collaborative story?

You can’t, unless you create a specific account which states it’s for the two of you.

To date we’ve agreed that the person who wrote more posts it to their account and acknowledges it’s a collab at the beginning.

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[Nynah]

I almost forgot: last year I wrote a chapter of a chain story.

Just FYI, this link doesn't work; it's not pointing to an actual URL so you should probably look into fixing that. I assume it's this one.

Seems like the OP found a series that they liked and asked the author to write a continuation, which is honestly better than how most requests for continuations go. Not quite what I expect when I hear "collaboration" but I suppose it still fits.

The second was a more equal collaboration, Dark Waters: Mothman vs. the Bunyip which was written very much like it reads, as a back-and-forth correspondence

I loved both of the stories you wrote with him, but this one worked really well because the epistolary format seems like a natural fit for collaboration.

 

[EmilyMiller]

lol, this is a loaded question and I could write a full dissertation on it.

Oh wait, I kinda sorta did.

https://www.literotica.com/s/wiwaw-the-angels-and-demons-saga

I might have written about it too:

https://emilymillerlit.wordpress.com/2024/05/17/co-authoring-erotica/

 

[StillStunned]

Just FYI, this link doesn't work; it's not pointing to an actual URL so you should probably look into fixing that. I assume it's this one.

Thanks, I fixed it. The link goes to the list that @AlinaX created with all the chapters.

 

[joy_of_cooking]

I also participated in that chain story challenge, with @mrs_mackenzie @Devinter @TheRedChamber @Kelliezgirl and @Kumquatqueen . Here's ours: https://www.literotica.com/authors/joy_of_cooking/lists?listid=21918432

How did you find each other and what made you decide to collaborate?

@TheRedChamber organized it here on the forums: https://forum.literotica.com/threads/what-the-hell-lets-do-a-chain-story.1612959/

For me it was about forcing myself out of my comfort zone and getting feedback from some people whose work I respected.

 

[KikiKisses]

I've collaborated with three writers - Jason Clearwater twice, @LoquiSordidaAdMe once, and @stickygirl twice.

It's always a fascinating experience, especially the way we did it, which was: "Here's a thousand or so words," lobbed over the fence, "your turn." No pre-conceived plot, no handover notes, no guidance or expectation as to what might happen next. Very free form, very revealing of myself as a writer, and the results were well received by readers.

Just FYI, this link doesn't work; it's not pointing to an actual URL so you should probably look into fixing that. I assume it's this one.

Seems like the OP found a series that they liked and asked the author to write a continuation, which is honestly better than how most requests for continuations go. Not quite what I expect when I hear "collaboration" but I suppose it still fits.


I loved both of the stories you wrote with him, but this one worked really well because the epistolary format seems like a natural fit for collaboration.

Yeah, I wasn’t sure how to explain it!

 

[EmilyMiller]

You can’t, unless you create a specific account which states it’s for the two of you.

To date we’ve agreed that the person who wrote more posts it to their account and acknowledges it’s a collab at the beginning.


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[Djmac1031]

How do you list that on Lit? Whose feed does it go in? How do you submit a collaborative story?

Just to follow through on @EmilyMiller s comments:

The first few we wote together went on her feed. They were (mostly) her ideas and (mostly) her writing that I simply contributed large chunks to.

plus it really didn't matter to me who's profile they went up under and actually felt it advantageous to the stories themselves to be published on her feed to draw more potential readers.

Our last one, Emily insisted I publish it, as my writing was in a bit of a slump.

I, as she did me, obviously gave her a co-writing credit at the opening.

https://imgur.com/a/nZgBu7S

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I was part of that chain story, and I have written dozens of forum roleplays (those never finish - I hate that), but I have never done a true collab.

 

[jehoram]

When Athalia was alive, I used to "collaborate" with her constantly. She'd edit my stuff, and I'd edit hers. Sometimes it got to the point where I would do a re-write of some of her stories that were told from a male perspective, and she'd re-write some of my stuff to better reflect a female point of view. But we tried to make the transitions seamless. Oddly, she was better at re-writing my stuff than I was at re-writing hers, which made me suspect that women are better at getting inside men's heads than vice versa.

After she died, I published "College Sex Club" in her name. It was based on some snippets she had around and was planning to weave into a story, but I needed to write some connective tissue to bind the snippets together. The seams probably show.

But I don't think I could ever enter a writing partnership with anybody else. Athalia and I had known each other for about forty years before and, while our relationship was never sexual (bad timing, mostly), our friendship remained deep over the years.

I wrote the essay "The Right Editor" based on my experience with her. It says more than I could say in this post, and I'm re-posting it in her memory.

https://www.literotica.com/s/the-right-editor

 

[Actingup]

Along with my fun experience with Emily, I've also collaborated twice with @Actingup. The first was for his just What the Maid Saw and Did, which was 95% his work with a little bit of consultation and suggestions from me, and also using a couple of my characters.

The second was a more equal collaboration, Dark Waters: Mothman vs. the Bunyip which was written very much like it reads, as a back-and-forth correspondence

Both fun experiences, and I'm proud of the results. Just to add a litle more for the context of the OP - with the first story, it was for the Literotica Convention, which was a fun event but also tricky to navigate as there was a lot of interplay with characters created by other people during the event. I felt in the end that it was a lot more authentic and respectful to formally collaborate with the author who was lending me her precious characters - they are very special creations and I could imagine any author feeling violated if their characters have been miused. And Penny contributed a lot more than her claimed 5% to the story - she's no token passenger.

With the Dark Waters story (posted on her account, so we ended up with one each), it was also helpful (I think) that there was a discussion on ground rules first (thanks Penny!). We weren't attempting a role-play, but we were constructing an epistolary story together, where the two main characters started as friends rather than potential romantic partners (the cryptid threesome at the end was just a bonus extra....). It made it easy to step out of the correspondence to discuss how the story was going and to view the characters more objectively than if we'd been fogging up the windscreen.