The Pros and Cons of Co-Writing

By Ismer Riven | May 15, 2018

So, you and a fellow writer are considering taking the plunge. Co-writing, a relationship arguably as difficult, if not more so, than marriage. Though there are people who will warn you against it, there are also people who have had tremendous success in partnering with another writer. As one half of a co-author duo, I’ve found that for all of its challenges, co-writing can be an incredibly rewarding venture. In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever write alone again.

The #1 factor in being a successful author duo is Compatibility

via GIPHY

Like all great duos, you want to have good chemistry with your co-author. Otherwise, you might spend more time fighting about the direction of your story than writing it.

Below are some questions you should consider:

Do you both share similar goals for your current writing project, i.e. having character A and character Y end up together in the end, or prioritizing the action in the novel over the central romance?
If your story doesn’t contain multiple POVs, can you easily mold your writing into one consistent voice?
Similar interests. This should be the first question you ask yourselves. Is one of you a Sci-Fi writer and the other strictly non-fiction? If so, can you compromise on a story/plot for your project?
Are you comfortable criticizing and being criticized by one another? Co-writers have to be ready to have difficult conversations. No matter how compatible you are, there will be things that the other one does that you don’t like, or think can be better

This brings me to factor #2: Compromise

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As a solo author, you have the power to be the dictator of your prose. Every decision is yours to make. Hate character X? Kill him! Love word Y? Use it all the time! Sure, you might have to battle it out down the line with editors, but at least in the early stages, you have the complete freedom to shape and control the trajectory of your creative vision.

This is not the case for co-writing. It’s important when working with another author that you’re both on the same wavelength. I recommend discussing your disagreements at length. If you imagine that the main character is tall, but your co-author sees them as short, plead your case. Talk it out and see if maybe you can meet somewhere in the middle. This is also a great strategy for thinking things out. Whenever I’m stuck on a particular scene, I talk through it with my co-author, and the act of verbalizing my thoughts often helps me gain a clearer understanding of where I should go with it.

If you find another writer that you’re compatible with, and are able to compromise, go ahead and give it a shot! Once you’ve found the right partner, there are significant benefits from entering a writer partnership.

Reasons why co-writing can be awesome:

Two sets of eyes. Not only is this fantastic for proofreading, but it also helps with discovering potential plot holes and inconsistencies
A permanent person in your corner. Writing can often come with a lot of self-doubt, especially when you’re in the midst of the querying trenches or waiting for a response from a beta reader. With a co-author, you have someone to support you throughout the journey. Sometimes it’s nice to know you’re not alone
You split the work. Is there a scene that’s getting you down? Perhaps as a writer you’re more of a dialogue person than a description person? A co-author can help to fill in the spaces of your weaknesses. They’re awesome for helping with tough scenes, offering advice, and providing preliminary feedback before going to the betas

With that, I’ll set you free into the world again. Makes good choices, and let me know if you have any questions about co-writing!

-Riv

Shorn’s Guide to Writing – 2

By Lewynn Shorn | March 15, 2018

Tips & Tricks

Ever since last night I’ve been wracking my brain to come up with other suggestions. Thought of a few additional tips that I wanted to share below. Enjoy:

1. Follow a schedule

Being well-organized is a critical part of being a writer. If you can’t keep yourself organized, it’ll show in your work. That starts with your routine. Consider the following questions:

Do you find yourself writing on particular days or at specific times?
Do you block off chunks of time to focus on nothing but writing?

If so, great! If not, try to come up with a schedule for your next writing session. Having a schedule or routine can help to structure your writing time. It’ll keep you focused on the task at hand, and if you set yourself an end-time for each session, it’ll give you a clear goal to work towards. Which brings me to my next idea…

2. Set goals

Humans are naturally competitive beings – we love having goals. Nothing feels better than checking off the box on your daily to-do list or accomplishing a particularly daunting task. You can gamify your writing in much the same way. Give yourself objectives that you’d like to accomplish with each writing session – what you’d like to get out of it every time you sit down. Whether it’s to finish a set number of pages, or to reach a certain scene in your novel, it’ll help propel you forward and give you something to strive for. You can even reward yourself for hitting your goals! Nothing is better than a nice treat to top off a great session where you can leave feeling accomplished and satisfied. Personally, I’m favorable to drumsticks (the ice cream kind).

3. Choose your surroundings carefully

Putting forward your best work takes a lot of concentration, and for that, you’ll need a place where you can focus. Whether it’s a nice nook in your house, or the local library, you should choose a place free from distractions. You can either stick to one place that you know well, or even try to mix it up to keep your writing fresh. Sometimes a change of scenery can have a profound impact! When it comes to me, I prefer my home office. It’s filled with a lot of personal items – things that give me a boost whenever I need a quick little push of inspiration. The structured environment also helps to keep me focused and motivated, much more than I’d be if I were say, sitting on a couch (what Ismer prefers). Do whatever works best for you!

4. Take a break!

Seriously, take a break. Even if it means getting up to walk around and stretch your limbs. Like your blood, your thoughts can pool inside you, stagnating. Ever find yourself stuck, staring at a blank page, no progress made even though it’s been an hour since you sat down? You might just need a break. Go outside. Fly a kite. Or whatever the kids are doing for fun these days.

May your path always be clear, and your step be swift. Travel well, friends.

Shorn

Shorn’s Guide to Writing

By Lewynn Shorn | March 14, 2018

Tips and Tricks

Let me start off by saying this: I don’t profess to know much about writing. Or anything about it, really. Anyone that does is most likely bullshitting you, as well as themselves. Writing isn’t something you can ever truly know. How can you know something so massively intangible, something so perilously complex? You can’t. But, there are definitely some tips and tricks that can help when it comes time to creating work you can be proud of.

Rather than try and uncover the “secrets of writing,” I’ve gone in a different direction. Instead of looking for the answers outside, I’ve turned within. It’s taken awhile, but I’ve come to learn a few things about myself; how I work best, what motivates me, what interests me. What I need to do to be a better writer. And because I know these things, I can use them to my benefit.

Below are the three main tips I try to follow. I struggle with them, every time I turn on my computer, but still, I try, because I know they work.

1. Don’t drop that pen

Or keyboard. Not that you should hold your keyboard, but you get the picture. Sometimes all you need to do is write. Get it out on the page. Once it’s there, you can go back and edit it. Make it flowery, whatever. But you can’t do anything if it’s not there. Normally they say that showing up is half the battle. When it comes to writing, showing up is the battle.

2. Listen to criticism

I’m not going to lie – I have a very hard time with this one. It can be difficult to listen, really listen to someone when they look at your work and give you feedback. We all hate having our masterpieces torn to shreds before our eyes. But we all must realize that nothing is ever written perfectly on the first try. Or the second, or the tenth, or thirtieth. Even though you think you might have written your best piece, the very pinnacle of your life’s work, it more than likely needs some tough love. Everyone needs it. Not being able to take it when freely offered is one of the worst mistakes you can make as a writer. But sometimes it can be a little too much. Which brings me to…

3. Ultimately, you’re the author

At the end of the day, you know when to trust your gut. You’re the captain of the ship, and even though the first mate might be yelling about stormclouds on the horizon, only you can know if you need to sail through them to get to your destination. No one else can write your story for you. No one else knows it, after all. So, if someone tells you to change something, and you disagree, listen to your instincts. You’ll come to learn that they can and should be trusted.