There he is, the stereotypical fiction writer: alone in a café, on his cabin porch, or sequestered in his office. He is introverted and oblivious to events moving about him as he hunches over his keyboard, hammering out his latest and greatest. His coffee grows cold as he works late into the night, devoid of companionship. This, however, is the Hollywood trope, as opposed to the reality I’ve come to experience in the writing community. Yes, there are late nights when I have bursts of inspiration and need to squeeze out everything I can before the feeling fades, but in my own experience writing has been a much more social experience. This is doubly true as an independent author who primarily markets and communicates through social media.
One of the aspects of the industry that I’ve come to enjoy greatly is collaborative writing and co-authoring, which can be a very different experience than writing on your own. Based on my experiences, I’ve decided to share some insights and recommendations that should help those of you looking to dabble in this form of creative expression. Collaborative writing isn’t for everyone, but for many it can be an expansive experience. Moreover, it offers a chance for someone who is on the fence about writing to give it a shot without the full pressure of having to develop an entire novel on their own. Overall, it offers a unique approach to authorship and can be extremely rewarding, especially if a few basic guidelines are kept in mind.
The first thing to point out is that just as independent writing isn’t some freewheeling, do as you please career, collaborative writing requires even more focus in order to be productive. In most cases you’ll want to do your joint writing sessions in person, where you and your partner can easily bounce ideas off one another and express your thoughts more clearly. This also requires the two of you to be able to work on a set schedule and be willing to remain on task. I’m not saying you shouldn’t spend half an hour exchanging hilarious YouTube videos, but realize that doesn’t count towards your writing time. Make sure you set the stage, declaring formally that you’re getting down to business, and then keep to it.
Granted, shifting gears into work mode can be a challenge, and so it’s important to set agreed upon goals. It can also be very helpful to find a muse of sorts, a video or song that triggers the start of work time, preferably something related to the content you’ll be writing. For example, my co-author and I are working on our Whisky & Rye detective series and start each session by firing up the music video to “Sabotage” by the Beastie Boys. It perfectly encapsulates the mood we’re aiming for, and gets us excited to write in our universe. Regarding mutual goals, this should both be in regards to production (a chapter a session/1,000 words/etc.) and to the work itself (it’s a hard-boiled cop drama in the heads of the main characters, but it becomes comedic as they can’t let go of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s while working the streets in 2015). Revisit these goals and revise them as needed. There’s nothing that says your story has to remain static; things often naturally evolve, especially with two authors giving input.
While I do emphasize the importance of staying on task, I don’t advocate grinding away in the hopes of meeting some arbitrary goal. It’s good to stay relaxed and let ideas come and go. Above all, don’t get locked into a situation where you’re not producing content, you’re just writing words. As with any job, it’s important to take breaks and to relax. If you and your co-author have a shared hobby, you can take time to enjoy that together. I find that whisky helps greatly in this regard, so if anyone would like to ship me a bottle of Lagavulin 16, I’ll be sure it’s put to good use. You’ll often find that it’s during your breaks that you relax and suddenly have a new idea for the plot come crashing in, or a new character emerges from your casual discussion. Breaks can be far more productive than time spent working.
When it comes to the actual task of actual workflow, I’ve found it’s generally a best practice to have the same person manning the keyboard or pen for a given story. This helps maintain continuity of style and keeps things moving forward instead of wasting time determining who will be the one putting text on a page. My coauthor uses his tablet to follow along as I type in Google Drive, allowing us to work in conjunction and make notations or corrections as necessary. It’s also a good idea to have good old-fashioned pen and paper sitting about. This lets you jot down quick ideas that you won’t be touching until later, or else capture an idea, sentiment, or quotation that you don’t have time to notate digitally. By using these methods, you should be able to maintain a good work environment that fosters creative thinking and open dialogue, letting both authors contribute equally to the work.
Outside of that, it’s up to you all to make the best of it. Enjoy the time spent together and the laughs you’ll share, then sit back and admire your work. Even if it never sees the light of day or sells a single copy, you shared part of your life with someone in order to create, and that is a sentiment that is not often appreciated.
A.C. Harrison
Like what you see here? Spread the word and support indie authors! Follow me on Facebook or Twitter. Find me on Smashwords and Kindlemojo.
One of the aspects of the industry that I’ve come to enjoy greatly is collaborative writing and co-authoring, which can be a very different experience than writing on your own. Based on my experiences, I’ve decided to share some insights and recommendations that should help those of you looking to dabble in this form of creative expression. Collaborative writing isn’t for everyone, but for many it can be an expansive experience. Moreover, it offers a chance for someone who is on the fence about writing to give it a shot without the full pressure of having to develop an entire novel on their own. Overall, it offers a unique approach to authorship and can be extremely rewarding, especially if a few basic guidelines are kept in mind.
The first thing to point out is that just as independent writing isn’t some freewheeling, do as you please career, collaborative writing requires even more focus in order to be productive. In most cases you’ll want to do your joint writing sessions in person, where you and your partner can easily bounce ideas off one another and express your thoughts more clearly. This also requires the two of you to be able to work on a set schedule and be willing to remain on task. I’m not saying you shouldn’t spend half an hour exchanging hilarious YouTube videos, but realize that doesn’t count towards your writing time. Make sure you set the stage, declaring formally that you’re getting down to business, and then keep to it.
Granted, shifting gears into work mode can be a challenge, and so it’s important to set agreed upon goals. It can also be very helpful to find a muse of sorts, a video or song that triggers the start of work time, preferably something related to the content you’ll be writing. For example, my co-author and I are working on our Whisky & Rye detective series and start each session by firing up the music video to “Sabotage” by the Beastie Boys. It perfectly encapsulates the mood we’re aiming for, and gets us excited to write in our universe. Regarding mutual goals, this should both be in regards to production (a chapter a session/1,000 words/etc.) and to the work itself (it’s a hard-boiled cop drama in the heads of the main characters, but it becomes comedic as they can’t let go of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s while working the streets in 2015). Revisit these goals and revise them as needed. There’s nothing that says your story has to remain static; things often naturally evolve, especially with two authors giving input.
While I do emphasize the importance of staying on task, I don’t advocate grinding away in the hopes of meeting some arbitrary goal. It’s good to stay relaxed and let ideas come and go. Above all, don’t get locked into a situation where you’re not producing content, you’re just writing words. As with any job, it’s important to take breaks and to relax. If you and your co-author have a shared hobby, you can take time to enjoy that together. I find that whisky helps greatly in this regard, so if anyone would like to ship me a bottle of Lagavulin 16, I’ll be sure it’s put to good use. You’ll often find that it’s during your breaks that you relax and suddenly have a new idea for the plot come crashing in, or a new character emerges from your casual discussion. Breaks can be far more productive than time spent working.
When it comes to the actual task of actual workflow, I’ve found it’s generally a best practice to have the same person manning the keyboard or pen for a given story. This helps maintain continuity of style and keeps things moving forward instead of wasting time determining who will be the one putting text on a page. My coauthor uses his tablet to follow along as I type in Google Drive, allowing us to work in conjunction and make notations or corrections as necessary. It’s also a good idea to have good old-fashioned pen and paper sitting about. This lets you jot down quick ideas that you won’t be touching until later, or else capture an idea, sentiment, or quotation that you don’t have time to notate digitally. By using these methods, you should be able to maintain a good work environment that fosters creative thinking and open dialogue, letting both authors contribute equally to the work.
Outside of that, it’s up to you all to make the best of it. Enjoy the time spent together and the laughs you’ll share, then sit back and admire your work. Even if it never sees the light of day or sells a single copy, you shared part of your life with someone in order to create, and that is a sentiment that is not often appreciated.
A.C. Harrison
Like what you see here? Spread the word and support indie authors! Follow me on Facebook or Twitter. Find me on Smashwords and Kindlemojo.
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