Successful Co-Writing: the Who with the What Now?

[lunabee34]

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

Comments

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

Refresh my memory on Childhood's End and I have to confess that I don't know what Soylent Green is. I've heard people say "Soylent Green is people" and assume it's some modern day Swift thing, but I don't really know.

*is lame*

[thelastgoodname.livejournal.com]

That's actually all there is to Soylent Green: the population has grown too large, and in order to feed everyone, people eat "synthetic" food, but it turns out the synthetic food is made of people. The movie's plot has something to do with a detective investigation, and class dynamics, and a romance, but really, all anyone needs to know is: Swift, but with corporations.

Childhood's End is the one where a planet has a ZPM that runs a shield, but the shield is too small to accommodate a large population so as soon as people turn 25, they commit suicide. Of course, Our Heroes (tm) are appalled by this and "fix it" so that people can live past 25. It's a lot like that TNG episode Half a Life, where people committed suicide when they reached 60 so no one had to care for the elderly.

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

Okay, cool. I remember that SGA ep now.

So, throwing out ideas randomly:

1. They want to trade with people for some vital piece of technology but the people don't want to trade for it as it's considered a religous relic, but Atlantis actually really needs it and so they consider stealing it as it's fulfilling no function for these people but spiritual. I think it's weird that the show rarely addresses that Teyla and Ronon have spent their whole lives believing in some sort of theology in which the Ancients figure prominently. Even after all they've seen and experienced would they be able to disabuse themselves of the notion that the Ancients aren't gods? I mean, I have a hard time shucking the internalized trauma of my fundamentalist upbringing and there's no indication in the show that Ancestor worship is an oppressive religion. LOL

I'm running into blocks because I keep thinking of things that I just don't think Teyla would be on board with. Like, I don't think she'd ever approve of a people who collaborate with the Wraith, giving up some of their citizens to save the majority.

[thelastgoodname.livejournal.com]

You know, I really was just thinking old people and the infirm get turned into food. Because it would be easy, and would make sure that the population could easily run/hide from the Wraith, and it would make sense in a "do anything to survive" kind of way that doesn't involve collaboration with the Wraith.

I'm not sure how I feel about the stealing religious artifacts issue, because I feel like it's already been played out on screen and in fanfic: obviously, the extreme immorality of the SGA hasn't run off Teyla and Ronon yet.

Maybe if it were something that is both a spiritual object and something necessary to that culture's continued survival, but not as "necessary" -- or as interesting -- as it would be to the SGA. In fact, maybe the argument between Elizabeth and Teyla is that they both agree that it would be wrong to take the thing, but Elizabeth thinks so because it would only be useful as a military toy (it's a nuclear bomb builder or something) and she doesn't want to go there, while Teyla thinks so because it's just plain wrong to steal (and is a little perturbed by Elizabeth's flexible morals when it comes to the people of Pegasus).

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

True, true. We'd be rehashing the same ground as Planet Kids in some ways.

I like your idea about the old and the infirm getting turned into food. That's something that the Atlantis expedition would find incredibly abhorent. And maybe the beef could be that the Lanteans are afraid that people are coerced or murdered or forced into becoming Fruity Oaty Bars--their position being that it would be impossible to have that kind of policy and not abuse it. Dad getting a little too annoying? Just off him. Political opponent proving a pain in the ass? Make him into a sandwich.

But Teyla sees it as a very loving sacrifice--something that's always chosen and never forced. Or maybe she's kinda grossed out by it too but she knows it's always voluntary and it makes good practical sense for this world that is very agriculturally poor and for some reason that we'll have to think of can't relocate. And this could still be Teyla being perturbed by Elizabeth's flexible morals. We'll be allies with the Genii but not these cannibals. LOL

[thelastgoodname.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it could work, but then how do John and Elizabeth differ on the issue? I can see more clearly the triangle of confusion for your example of the religious Ancient artifact.

[executrix.livejournal.com]

It's beginning to sound like Stranger in a Strange Land, only without the orgies--a deficiency that I think you and your collaborator(s) can be relied upon to remedy.

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

LOL

Oh, Exec. You know all the ways I love you, right? No need to go all EBB on you, huh?

SSL is one of my alltime favorite novels *until* they get to the orgies because I'm all, YOUR EXPLANATIONS FOR WHY NO ONE IS GAY ARE LAME, HEINLEIN. LAME. LAME LAME LAME. LIKE A ONE LEGGED LAMA. LAME.

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

Okay. What if Teyla thinks everything's cool as is, John's completely disgusted and wants to break off negotiations with these people immediately and Elizabeth wants to try to rehabiliate them and then trade?

But I see your point about the religious artifact making a much clearer case. And honestly, I'm incredibly intrigued about theology in Pegasus. I think it's a matter that's gotten, oh, zero attention in the show and one that deserves a shit ton of attention. I have yet to see and would dearly love to find a fic that addresses spirituality Pegasus style.

[thelastgoodname.livejournal.com]

What if Teyla thinks everything's cool as is, John's completely disgusted and wants to break off negotiations with these people immediately and Elizabeth wants to try to rehabiliate them and then trade?

Those are all completely natural reactions, and would be really interesting to explore.

On the other hand,

I have yet to see and would dearly love to find a fic that addresses spirituality Pegasus style.

Either way, if you're game, we've got our plot. (Now we just have to decide which one. Or we could do both, and have a series on our hands. I mean, the thing that I want see most is everyone dealing with issues that don't really have any good resolution.)

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

Maybe.... Oooohhh oohhh ooohh

These two things are tied.

I mean, doesn't it make it much much easier to steal from cannibal bastards than peaceful farmer fred?

[thelastgoodname.livejournal.com]

Let me think about that. Because: wow.

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping that's a good wow and not a "Dear Lord you drank all the wine again didn't you Lorraine" wow.

LOL

[thelastgoodname.livejournal.com]

No, I just need to think out the logistics of writing this thing -- we can't just dump it on our poor heroes all at once (or on the readers).

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

*nods*

I agree. Plus I actually *had* been drinking all the wine last night so who knows if I was making any sense. LOL

[executrix.livejournal.com]

Doesn't it make it much easier to steal from cannibal bastards than peaceful farmer fred?

Bearing in mind, however, this immortal exchange from "Butley":

EDNA: I'm not having any bomb-throwing radicals skipping my seminars!
BUTLEY: Any bomb-throwing radicals are WELCOME to skip my seminars.

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

Pls to be explaining this Butley. LOL

I recognizeth it not.

[executrix.livejournal.com]

It's a very funny mid-seventies play by Simon Gray about an English professor (in both senses of the term) who not only has to deal with the usual academic stresses, but both his ex-wife and his boyfriend are getting married to blokes he can't stand. It was made into a movie with Alan Bates.

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

Oh that does sound funny. I'll have to see if I can Netflix it.

[executrix.livejournal.com]

You know, I really was just thinking old people and the infirm get turned into food.

CANNIBAL #1: You know, I never liked your mother-in-law.
CANNIBAL #2: So, just eat the noodles.

Bada-bing!