Collaborations - pros vs cons?

thethinker42 · 01-09-2008, 04:13 AM

I'm considering doing collaborations with two different people...one project is non-fiction, one is fiction. I've heard rumblings from various people that collaborations are a bad idea, while some seem to like doing them.

In your experience, what are some pros and cons of collaborations?

L M Ashton · 01-09-2008, 04:50 AM

There have been at least two threads on this in the last month - I know because I posted in both. Try doing a search for them.

DeleyanLee · 01-09-2008, 04:51 AM

Holly Lisle has an essay on it: http://www.hollylisle.com/fm/Articles/wc3-1.html

She's had mixed success with collaborations, FWIW, and if you read elsewhere on her website, she out-and-out says not to do it.

On the other hand, there's teams like Hickman & Weiss or Niven and Pournelle who make collaborations work really really well.

I've done collaborations that have really worked and some that really tanked to the point of pretty much ruining the original friendship.

One of the biggest things I can warn you about is to make certain that you both are totally seeing the same story the same way. While what excites both of you about the story might not be the same, there should be overlap. If this doesn't happen, you'll be writing the story at cross-purposes which--if it gets finished--usually seems very disjointed. If you're both not in sync during the process, there's usually a ton of rewrites because of the lack of joint vision.

One of the pros I've found in my working collaboration is that we have complimentary strengths in our writing. She's really great at worldbuilding & description. I'm really strong in plot. We're both good in different aspects of character. When we're working on a collaboration, we've got the workload arranged so we both work within our strengths and rarely within our weaknesses. However, I have to add that it took us 4 novel attempts and almost 8 years and a LOT of negotiation and discussions to discover how to make this work. It wasn't something we just stepped into.

OTOH, I've had other collaborations where someone wanted to have all the ideas and let me do all the plotting, character building, worldbuilding and writing subject to their approval. And then there were others.... but I don't want this to get too depressing with all my mistakes in the past.

Basically, don't assume this is going to work without extra work, far beyond the writing. It's like any other relationship, even closer than working with an agent or editor because you're sharing the heart and soul of your story from the very start of it. When you joint-create something, you share ownership and there's other legal matters that need be thought about and discussed.

It can be great, it can be hell on earth. Just be aware of what you're getting into from the start and don't be afraid to discuss things with whoever you're thinking about collaborating with.

Best of luck.

thethinker42 · 01-09-2008, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L M Ashton

There have been at least two threads on this in the last month - I know because I posted in both. Try doing a search for them.

I did do a search, but maybe I narrowed it too much, because nothing came up. I'll keep looking.

ChaosTitan · 01-09-2008, 05:22 AM

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/...ight=co-writer

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/...collaborations

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/...ight=co-writer

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/...ight=co-writer

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/...ng+collaborate

Linda Adams · 01-09-2008, 03:08 PM

I was with one that ultimately tanked. It didn't quite ruin the friendship, but it's definitely not the same anymore.

What caused it to tank? I'm still not fully sure, but my best guess is that while co-writer loved the writing part, he wasn't ready for the publishing part.

So, this is my advice:

First, make sure everyone involved is aware you may be writing a solo book--and make sure you do one. Take care of yourself first always!

Make sure you also have projects in the works with co-writers, too--and maybe one in the preliminary stages.

Negotiate everything out first. Get agreement on everything, even to how many times you're going you're going to submit the book to agents before you decide it's time to move on.

Plan for life changing events (i.e., new baby, cancer, deployment, death in the family, etc.) and make sure you get those covered, too.

01-09-2008, 04:13 AM	#1
thethinker42 Abnormal Romance Author Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Omahabad, Nebraskastan Posts: 17,733	Collaborations - pros vs cons? I'm considering doing collaborations with two different people...one project is non-fiction, one is fiction. I've heard rumblings from various people that collaborations are a bad idea, while some seem to like doing them. In your experience, what are some pros and cons of collaborations? __________________ Lori Website * Blog * Twitter AW Library: Lauren Gallagher * L. A. Witt In-Progress: To Know The Enemy - 50,024 / 85,000 The Only One Who Knows (w/Cat Grant) - 53,221 / 60,000 Enjoy the Silence - 1,501 / 30,000 The Princess & The Porn Star - Available Now! Last edited by thethinker42; 01-09-2008 at 04:19 AM.

01-09-2008, 04:50 AM	#2
L M Ashton crazy spec fic writer Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Singapore for now... Posts: 4,756	There have been at least two threads on this in the last month - I know because I posted in both. Try doing a search for them. __________________ Laurie Ashton Farook Twitter \| Facebook \| LinkedIn \|Peregrinas \| A Canadian in King Parakramabahu's Court Looking for something within AW? You can also use Google. Type "site:absolutewrite.com/forums/ search terms" where you put your own search terms in and you don't use the quotation marks. Easy peasy!

01-09-2008, 04:51 AM	#3
DeleyanLee Writing Anarchist Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: lost among the words Posts: 27,593	Holly Lisle has an essay on it: http://www.hollylisle.com/fm/Articles/wc3-1.html She's had mixed success with collaborations, FWIW, and if you read elsewhere on her website, she out-and-out says not to do it. On the other hand, there's teams like Hickman & Weiss or Niven and Pournelle who make collaborations work really really well. I've done collaborations that have really worked and some that really tanked to the point of pretty much ruining the original friendship. One of the biggest things I can warn you about is to make certain that you both are totally seeing the same story the same way. While what excites both of you about the story might not be the same, there should be overlap. If this doesn't happen, you'll be writing the story at cross-purposes which--if it gets finished--usually seems very disjointed. If you're both not in sync during the process, there's usually a ton of rewrites because of the lack of joint vision. One of the pros I've found in my working collaboration is that we have complimentary strengths in our writing. She's really great at worldbuilding & description. I'm really strong in plot. We're both good in different aspects of character. When we're working on a collaboration, we've got the workload arranged so we both work within our strengths and rarely within our weaknesses. However, I have to add that it took us 4 novel attempts and almost 8 years and a LOT of negotiation and discussions to discover how to make this work. It wasn't something we just stepped into. OTOH, I've had other collaborations where someone wanted to have all the ideas and let me do all the plotting, character building, worldbuilding and writing subject to their approval. And then there were others.... but I don't want this to get too depressing with all my mistakes in the past. Basically, don't assume this is going to work without extra work, far beyond the writing. It's like any other relationship, even closer than working with an agent or editor because you're sharing the heart and soul of your story from the very start of it. When you joint-create something, you share ownership and there's other legal matters that need be thought about and discussed. It can be great, it can be hell on earth. Just be aware of what you're getting into from the start and don't be afraid to discuss things with whoever you're thinking about collaborating with. Best of luck. __________________ "For unheard of means that it's undreamed of yet; Impossible means not yet done." --Julia Ecklar "You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist." --Friederich Nietzsche

01-09-2008, 05:22 AM	#5
ChaosTitan Around AW Moderator Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: The not-so-distant future Posts: 15,461	http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/...ight=co-writer http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/...collaborations http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/...ight=co-writer http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/...ight=co-writer http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/...ng+collaborate __________________ Blog: Organized Chaos \| Pinterest \| Facebook \| Website \| Twitter "Holy fck!" --Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks, on CHANGELING. The public doesn't trust them. The government wants to control them. Being a superhero has never been this hard, especially for Tempest.*--Coming April 22, 2013 from Pocket Star.

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01-09-2008, 03:08 PM	#6
Linda Adams Soldier, Storyteller Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Metropolitan District of Washington Posts: 4,262	I was with one that ultimately tanked. It didn't quite ruin the friendship, but it's definitely not the same anymore. What caused it to tank? I'm still not fully sure, but my best guess is that while co-writer loved the writing part, he wasn't ready for the publishing part. So, this is my advice: First, make sure everyone involved is aware you may be writing a solo book--and make sure you do one. Take care of yourself first always! Make sure you also have projects in the works with co-writers, too--and maybe one in the preliminary stages. Negotiate everything out first. Get agreement on everything, even to how many times you're going you're going to submit the book to agents before you decide it's time to move on. Plan for life changing events (i.e., new baby, cancer, deployment, death in the family, etc.) and make sure you get those covered, too.