Writers in the Storm

Heather Webb

I’ve been talking a lot about collaborating on a novel and also in anthologies these days. (I co-wrote my latest book with Hazel Gaynor). I wasn’t prepared for how many people would be fascinated by what it would be like to work on a book with someone else so I thought I’d share that with you all today.

 Writing is a solitary and very personal process. Alone at our writing desks, we struggle with word count and plot, accompanied only by our self-doubt and determination. It’s no wonder then, that the prospect of sharing some of that isolation with another writer is so appealing. Yet, a collaborative novel is a relatively rare, and slightly mythical concept. How do individual writers, with unique styles and voices, come together to produce a cohesive novel with seamless prose? Are the challenges worth the rewards, and what - if anything -  can we learn from working so closely with another writer? Let’s take at look at how this might work.

TIPS FOR COLLABORATIVE SUCCESS:

Choose your writing partner wisely. Your best friend is not necessarily your best writing partner—just like they often don’t make the best roommate. Besties can become lazy in their communication because they assume you know what’s going on in their lives, or they assume you know what they’re thinking, how they feel, etc. To make this work, you need a satisfying working relationship in which you can trust each other and drive a hard business line if necessary.

Have a clear vision for the book. Make sure you are on the same page from the start to avoid in-fighting or any sticky issues down the road. In other words, you need to both agree on the shaping of your main character as well as the revolution of the story, etc.

Agree on a writing schedule you can both commit to. It’s incredibly important to set a schedule, dividing the work time in a way that makes sense. Each person must commit to this schedule--treat it like a business appointment--or the book won’t come together in a timely fashion. (And you might also tick off your partner for not following through on your end of the bargain.)

Leave egos at the door. Co-writing isn’t about who is right or wrong, or who is the best writer. You’re combining your strengths and bringing out the best in each other, at least this is the goal. Make the right choices for the story, not which makes you feel like “the best”.

Be flexible.  This may be the most important aspect of co-writing. You’ll learn a lot about your co-authors’ kids, pets, and family life! Expect the unexpected. Being a control freak while working with another person will cause a lot of unnecessary friction. Above all, be open to suggestion.

Meet/chat regularly.  Continual communication is vital. Never assume you know what the other is thinking, or feeling. Again, set a schedule in which you touch base if not daily, weekly.

Commit. If it is your day to work on the book, work on the book. When it comes to promotion, if you say you’ll write an article, write an article. If you don’t feel like you can commit solidly to this plan, don’t. And maybe you should consider working only on your solo projects.

Have fun. This is a unique experience. Enjoy it! If you aren’t having a good time, why bother doing all the work involved in co-writing?

Celebrate milestones. This is the best part! When drafts are finished, covers are revealed, and foreign sales come in, toast your accomplishments! All that hard work should be rewarded.

 

Have you ever worked on a collaborative effort? What were the pitfalls? The strengths? Would you try it again—or does it not appeal to you at all?

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About the authors:

Heather Webb is the international bestselling author of historical novels Becoming Josephine, Rodin's Lover, and Last Christmas in Paris, which have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, France Magazine and more, as well as received national starred reviews. In 2015, Rodin's Lover was selected as a Goodreads Top Pick. To date, Heather's novels have sold in multiple countries worldwide. She is also a professional freelance editor, foodie, and travel fiend. She lives in New England with her family and one feisty rabbit.

Hazel Gaynor is the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Came Home, A Memory of Violets, The Girl from the Savoy, and her latest release, The Cottingley Secret. She is also the recipient of the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award. Hazel lives in Ireland with her husband and children.

Author W. Somerset Maugham famously said, "There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."

Maybe there aren't any rules per se, but there are suggestions given often enough that they almost seem like rules for writers. Yet three of those "rules" I regularly break.

"Just vomit the words on the page."

Many successful authors suggest you write as quickly as possible and with wild abandon. Theories abound that you can tap into that deeper, truer subconscious when you spill your story onto the page like a rushing waterfall.

I'm sure this method works for many, and I encourage writers to give it a shot. However, I've discovered my own "muse" cannot be trusted with such carte blanche. She turns out a lot of horrible drivel that way.

I don't like having to throw out 20,000 bad words I wrote in a hurry when I could slow down and make sure what I'm putting down is the best I can do. I simply don't write well at a breakneck speed, so instead I write at the more measured pace that works for me.

"Turn off your internal editor."

In the same vein is this idea that you should never edit as you go. Rather, you must shut off the pesky internal editor that wants you to fix errors right now.

I agree you shouldn't be editing with a fine-tooth comb pages you may well toss into the dumpster — that's a waste of good writing time. However, I edit some while writing a draft.

1. I start each day going back through the last scene I wrote and tweaking as I go. That gets my brain back into the story but also quiets the little voice in my head that has been wondering since yesterday if "plucked" would work better than "yanked" in that last scene.

2. When I realize I have a plot or character problem/inconsistency, I go back and fix it where it occurs. Some people simply write a note in the margin or asterisk where they need to fix the plot hole or keep a running list of issues to address later. However, my brain goes too far down that wrong road if I don't go back and fix the problem as soon as I realize it's there.

Personally, I like my internal editor. She isn't too bossy, and she gives some helpful advice. But hey, that's just me.

"If you're blocked on a scene, just writing something, anything...just write!"

Writers write and claiming writer's block for days or weeks while you piddle and ponder is certainly no way to finish novels.

That said, when I really hit a wall, I need to step away from the laptop and do something non-writing related. Most of the time, my brain continues working through the problem in the background. Then I suddenly realize what the problem was and how to fix it — like right in the middle of cleaning a toilet or re-organizing my closet.

Would I have figured it out if I'd continued plowing through the scene, trying this or that? Or even jotting down questions and answering them? I doubt it.

I resolve certain plot or character problems better when I'm nowhere near my novel — while walking the neighborhood or taking a shower or petting the cat or even doing laundry. So for me, no more plugging through a scene if it isn't working. It's better for me to take a day off and work out the kinks than keep writing.

Those are three writing "rules" I regularly ignore. Because I've learned that my process varies from these tips that do work for others. And I have to trust my own process.

What about you? What writing "rules" do you regularly break, because you've discovered something else works better for you?

About Julie

Julie Glover writes cozy mysteries and young adult fiction. Her YA contemporary novel, SHARING HUNTER, finaled in the 2015 RWA® Golden Heart®. When not writing, she collects boots, practices rampant sarcasm, and advocates for good grammar and the addition of the interrobang as a much-needed punctuation mark.

Julie is represented by Louise Fury of The Bent Agency. You can visit her website here and also follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

 Need to tone and tighten the middle of your WIP?

Have a saggy, lackluster character that needs work?

Feel like junking your half-finished, used-to-sparkle story?

Don't.

Today I have a simple tip for you to brighten your character and/or your plot.

Go another way.

I first heard these words in reference to life's struggles. You know, the ones that hammer you, and you just try to keep your head above water? Instead of encountering each challenge with my lance and sword, I was encouraged to try a different response. 

You've heard the definition of insanity: You keep doing the same thing, but expect a different outcome.

Well, if you keep fiddling with a character or a plot over and over, approaching it from the same perspective, you're going to get the same probably-not-acceptable fix.

Go another way.

More specifically, have your character go another way. Have them do something that surprises or intrigues the reader to want to know more.

You've spent time building the layers of your characters and your plot through motivation, back story, dialogue, inner thoughts and emotions. Your readers know your character, know what makes her tick, know how he'll react in given circumstances. What if your character responds to some stimulus in an unexpected manner?

I'm not saying to have her do something wild and crazy that will make readers throw your book across the room, but you can seed the necessary backstory or plot elements earlier, maybe in another character's POV.

For example, in my debut book P.R.I.S.M., by the end of the book Jericho has fallen in love with O'Neill and asks her to marry him. She says yes, in a rushed setting, thinking that for the first time she'll spend the night with him later. But during the day he discovers a secret that puts both of them at risk, making even his friendship dangerous for her. She doesn't understand why he treats her differently and will barely talk to her. The end of the book is a twist that, I hope, the reader never saw coming, supported by a character acting a different way than he had for the majority of the story. In this case, his change was explicitly motivated by his discovery. And we see, and understand, his agony in dealing with his feelings as he tries to lessen the impact of hurt to O'Neill while acting as if nothing else has changed.

Not all instances of a character doing something, well, out of character, work best with well-defined motivation. Sometimes, you want the reader to question why your character said or did something. Or why they didn't. In this case, you'll slowly lead out clues to motivation or backstory. In fact, a character explaining why he did something can be a great opportunity to reveal a bit of pertinent backstory. But not too much...keep your reader wanting more. You're the artist layering the paint on the canvas to create a more complex character, even if you allow other characters to wield the brush.

Going another way is a relatively simple way to layer emotion into your story as well. Nothing can cure a saggy middle like the impact of authentic emotion.

Perhaps one of your characters suspects the other of cheating. A normally easy dinner conversation becomes stilted, awkward, snippy. But the supposed cheater doesn't know about the "evidence" and can't figure out what's going on. Anger and frustration would be natural on both sides, but it would take on a different spin, especially if the subject of cheating is never broached by the "injured" partner who is usually honest-to-a-fault when communicating.

You probably are realizing that you already use these strategies in your writing. But look at go another way differently. You can use it as a tool to strengthen motivation, plot, and character arc. Just like exercises that strengthen your core stabilize your balance, your character's conscious—or subconscious—decision to go another way can strengthen your story in many ways.

Have you come up with a possibility that a character going a different way can take care of your WIP's sagging middle?

Have you already used this technique and have something to add?

ABOUT FAE:

Fae Rowen discovered the romance genre after years as a science fiction freak. Writing futuristics and medieval paranormals, she jokes  that she can live anywhere but the present. As a mathematician, she knows life’s a lot more fun when you get to define your world and its rules.

Punished, oh-no, that’s published as a co-author of a math textbook, she yearns to hear personal stories about finding love from those who read her books, rather than the horrors of calculus lessons gone wrong.  She is grateful for good friends who remind her to do the practical things in life like grocery shop, show up at the airport for a flight and pay bills.

A “hard” scientist who avoided writing classes like the plague, she now shares her brain with characters who demand that their stories be told.  Amazing, gifted critique partners keep her on the straight and narrow. Feedback from readers keeps her fingers on the keyboard.

P.R.I.S.M., a young adult science fiction romance story of survival, betrayal, resolve, deceit, lies, and love.

When she’s not hanging out at Writers in the Storm, you can visit Fae at http://faerowen.com  or www.facebook.com/fae.rowen

Fae also blogs at YA Outside the Lines on the fifth of every month.