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Successful Co-Writing: the Who with the What Now?
I've been wondering for some time now how those of you who co-author fics negotiate doing so. It seems to me that writing with another person is potentially an incredibly rewarding experience but also one that can be fraught with tension. The only time I attempted to co-write a fic was roughly two years ago, and while the experience was very positive and a lot of fun, the fic was ultimately abandoned when we both had different visions for the project.
In the interest of full disclosure, my musing is prompted by an unfinished fic currently sitting on my hard drive. I'd love for someone to write it with me, but I'm unsure how the actual writing would proceed. Does one person do most of the actual writing, while the second person contributes heavily in the outlining, plotting, and revision/expansion stages (which seems the most workable model to me)? Do both people write equally, maybe taking turns every page or so (which seems much more difficult to me as even two very good writers will differ in terms of style)?
If you have written with another person and feel that the experience was a positive one, please share with me your tips on co-writing. And I'm maybe kinda putting out feelers to the hard-core flisters here about collaborating with me on something. Maybe. LOL
In the interest of full disclosure, my musing is prompted by an unfinished fic currently sitting on my hard drive. I'd love for someone to write it with me, but I'm unsure how the actual writing would proceed. Does one person do most of the actual writing, while the second person contributes heavily in the outlining, plotting, and revision/expansion stages (which seems the most workable model to me)? Do both people write equally, maybe taking turns every page or so (which seems much more difficult to me as even two very good writers will differ in terms of style)?
If you have written with another person and feel that the experience was a positive one, please share with me your tips on co-writing. And I'm maybe kinda putting out feelers to the hard-core flisters here about collaborating with me on something. Maybe. LOL
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First, we just talk about our story idea. See where our ideas line up and where they don't, and kind of hash it out. Decide how we want it to go. Rere is very good with actual concrete outlines, plucked out of our meandering instant message conversations. Heh.
I like to write Spike predominately, and she likes to write Xander, so we usually do the 'bulk' of our favorite character's pov ourselves, but of course can switch back and forth if necessary.
We decide on our first scene, where we it to end up and what's to be included, and then whoever has the best opening line just starts. We write until we're 'played out' or want a pov shift and then send off the written bit - usually about 100 or so, 300 words - to the other person.
We usually are talking in yahoo the whole time, checking stuff and getting ideas, and we write until....well...bedtime or whatever, heh.
That's how it works for us. Take into account that the very first time took a little time to feel each other out, so to speak, and learn weaknesses and strengths and how 'touchy' the other is, which is not very at all, yay! Reremouse rocks to write with, but i think i got mega-lucky on that score.
You just have to be able to let go of your own dearly-head plot or character ideas if it's not working for the story, and be flexible about stuff. Writing with someone who's uber touchy about things or can't take hints or criticism would suck, so....
Good luck!
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It seems that the key for you guys is really being in constant communication the whole time. It sounds like you don't go off and write and then present the ideas to each other; you are communicating for most of the time as you're actually writing. Is that right?
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Currently I am working with my friend Cait on a series of X-Files adventures some of which are the most cracktastically funny things I have ever written and also with a very good friend on an epic Xenafic. Like 400 plus pages epic. lol
Anyway before we start a new story or chapter we briefly discuss and outline what we want to happen. Then we work together via messenger to flesh out the idea and merge our two visions into one. There is a lot of give and take and just plain free forming, but I find that kind of stimulating when I have to think on my feet.
Also, we each have a character which we write predominately, but we keep each other honest on characterization and such.
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Good luck with the project! I would love to see the results. :)
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I don't know if I'll actually collaborate with anyone on this but I think I've gotten rid of my writer's block in any case.