Any co-writer on the look for a new project?

Bjorkio · Mar 25, 2020

Hello everyone !

I am 32 years old (well... still 31, but 32 is coming soon, so...) guy, with an overwhelming writing project to make "real". It has been a back burner project since I was 17, and in these unprecedented times, most people quarantined in their homes, it feels like the perfect time to put oneself to work, don't you agree?

Who am I really?

Let's not dive into too many details, I'll use key words instead:
- mostly cheerful
- spontaneous (no filter other than common decency)
- very curious
- weird and quirky sense of humor (mostly puns and snap-back punchlines)
- French native (usually not that important, but here...)
- Psychology acomplished student (Master Degree, entitled to practice as a therapist, but sort of chose not to ~ will gladly answer private questions)
- also a "used to be English teacher" (as a foreign language for French, who are the WORST &#55357;&#56850

Why am I here?

Well, as I've briefly stated earlier, I would like to find someone to work with, to get my story/scenario/universe out of my system, and maybe make it a worthwhile piece of work to share with the World &#55358;&#56617;

I already have a pretty specific idea of how such partnership could work:

I have an outline of my story, how it starts, the main developments, and the core key idea of how it should end

&#55357;&#56726; It would definitely be something divided in several parts, how many? That's one of the questions

&#55358;&#56760;*

&#55357;&#56693;️*

&#55358;&#56760;*

I would like it to contaign numerous characters, some would be mandatory, others are up for debate. Along the story, the focus would shift several times, so many would be equally important

ideally, I'd love to create archetypes based on the MBTI test, so that ANYbody could indentify with one or several main characters, and it feels like the best starting point to create well rounded characters. Once again, that'd be up for debate

&#55358;&#56605; Basically, I bring the big picture, the global vision, the main plots and twists, and you would bring your writing skills and experience into it.

&#55357;&#56401; I think it would be wise, before anything else, to define an "ultimate decision maker" for each aspects of the writing process.

Of course, I value the ping-pong of ideas, the passion of valid arguments exchange, but I'm afraid it could get counter-productive at times if we ever came to a hudge disagreement. So the idea would be that for some aspects, there would be one councellor, and one "king": so that the collaboration remains fruitful, but not too frustrating, as everyone would have their area of expertise and "ultimate controle over".

&#55358;&#56596; So... what the heck is all this fuss about, you might ask? For obvious reasons, I won't endulge into any specific details in a public space. I cherish the ownership of my general concept, and I'd like to keep it that way, and only share it with...

the one(s)

. But what I can say is...
- it starts with a dream (yeah, the sleepy kind)
- it redefines Human origins (of couuurse it's fiction)
- it may give some answers and overall coherence to many myths in History (same as above)
- it ends far far away, deep in the confines of the Universe
- shall it be a novel saga? a TV-show script? ultimitaly both? You'll tell me!
- it may remind of an improbable mix between... "Avatar the Last AirBender" (cartoon), "Once Upon A Time" (the TV-show), "Predestination" (movie), "Stargate SG1" (TV-show), "The Magicians" (book & TV-show) & "Sense8" (TV-show). Weirdly and frustratingly enough, I had concept ideas similar to some of these artwork, before they were broadcast. So I mostly list them as a disclaimer, not as an identified "source of inspiration".
- it would definitely have to be LGBTQ+ friendly, this theme would not have to be a core aspect of the general artwork, nore a source of token-pink-washing characters, but there will be gay/lesbian/bi/trans characters, that's non-negociable &#55357;&#56860;

If interested, feel free to reach out, duuuh! &#55358;&#56595;

regdog · Mar 25, 2020

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Enlightened · Mar 25, 2020

Hello and

Chase · Mar 25, 2020

, Bjorkio.

I like your introduction part but maybe consider porting the co-writer part down to "Discussions" and "Beta-readers, Mentors, and Writing Buddies."

Most AWers would like to know something beyond a single post to work with another writer. :greenie

Good luck in your quest.

Bjorkio · Mar 25, 2020

Chase said:
[...]porting the co-writer part down to "Discussions" and "Beta-readers, Mentors, and Writing Buddies."[...]

Thank you for the 'orientation tip'! I had a sneak peek on the different sections, and was wondering which one would be the more appropriate for such an enterprise... I would have expected to find an actual section devoted to co-writing process.

I'll try to paste the "writer's Craig's list" portion of my presentation there. I know it won't be with these few words I'll find effortlessly a writing partner. I expect to have inquiries from people potentialy interested, to figure out if a collaboration may be possible or not.

Future will tell!

Marissa D · Mar 25, 2020

Good luck, Bjorkio...but it might be a little harder than you expect. The people here in general already have plenty of their own ideas to work on--they're not necessarily looking for someone else's. Why not try to write it yourself? Everyone is a beginner at some point.

PyriteFool · Mar 25, 2020

Hi and welcome! It’s great that you have an idea that you’re excited about, but I think Marissa is right. Your time will be better spent learning craft and executing it yourself. For a lot of reasons.

First off, yes. Writers have our own ideas! We want to tell our stories (I myself started writing to tell the stories clattering around in my head, not because I love parts of speech). Sure, ghostwriters and work for hire people exist...but they get paid upfront to execute other people’s ideas. Unless you want to pay someone, asking for this kind of arrangement isn’t really fair.

Here’s the harsher part: ideas are cheap. There’s a reason you can’t “own” or copyright an idea. Having an idea and an outline is the easy part. The actual execution is where the real work lies, so this arrangement is the equivalent of asking someone to do build you a house with all their engineering and architecture knowledge with you providing only a sketch and “supervising.” Writing well is hard and it’s a skill that takes years to develop. I know you’re excited, but I think if you expect a ton of takers for this arrangement you’ll be disappointed. It doesn’t sound like you want a co writer (someone with whom to evenly divide the work and vision) but a ghostwriter.

The good news is, AW is a great place to start learning about writing! The craft, the business. You’ll be much better served by learning to execute your own ideas. And you’ll learn very quickly why just having an idea is barely even approaching the starting line.

ETA: Also start reading widely in the genre you want to write in!!! (you don’t specify a genre here, but I’m guessing sci-if?) All your comps here are tv shows aside from one which is a book and a show, that are pretty different. Reading will teach you a lot about what’s been done, how, and how to put a fresh spin on it yourself

cornflake · Mar 25, 2020

Hi, welcome to AW

I'm not trying to just rain on your parade, and you certainly might find someone interested in this buuuut...

[�� Basically, I bring the big picture, the global vision, the main plots and twists, and you would bring your writing skills and experience into it.

Every writer. I mean every writer, everyone who even, in a bar, vaguely mentioned they wrote for their college paper, has had multiple people say they have a great idea, and they'll tell the writer about it, the writer will turn it into a book, and they'll split the profits. Every. Writer. Ever. Has had this offer made more than once.

Ideas are basically worthless. Every writer has a ton of ideas, as do most other people. It's the execution and the actual work of putting it into a novel (or whatever), that makes something work.

However, that's actually good news. You know your story. You know how you want it to go. You can write it yourself. We have tons of people and threads that will help.

Bjorkio · Mar 26, 2020

Thank you all for your warm greatings, and advice!

I guess I am already witnessing the limits of talking about this in English: I awkwardly gave the wrong impressions x)

As I candidly admitted, I don't know the 1st thing about co-writing, I just figured that a starting point, as good as the next one, should be to share the aspects I already have, and the way I could imagine such a collaboration. I don't want full controle, I don't want to boss around someone.

"ghostwriter"? that is not what I'm looking for, I did not want my poste to come off that way. I would definitely consider any collaborator as equally owner of the whole project, as I am eager for a ping-pong of creative process. I have thought of many things for this, but not EVERYthing. As several of you mentionned: the real work lies into specific details: that's the part I'd like to have the ping-pong about.

I want to actively write it too, but I guess I am both too much of a perfectionnist and too little confident in my "litterary skills" to get satisfied by my work only on my own. I have tried several drafts in French over the years, and the trial results felt too much of a cheap school project (mostly because I was only <22 at the time). I also tried to start a scenario script version (in French too), and when I showed it to a friend working as a movie director, he told me I was basically trying to be both the scenarist AND the director: I was giving too many details on how it should be filmed, and that is not the purpose of a proprer scenario script.

I am definitely not full of my self, I don't imagine an endless queue of people applying either! I know my message here is nothing less of a veeeery loooong shot! The main reason why I took the leep is because of the period of time we're in, most people having to stay at home. Might as well use it to do things such as diving in a writing project.

These past few days, I've been getting to it, and starting things on my own in the meantime. But if someone feels curious enough to reach out for more details and to try this adventure with me, just let me know! ^^

Thank you all, again!

I'd better start sticking a bunch of postits saying "you can do this" near my computer: anyone is their own harshest critic I guess.

mccardey · Mar 26, 2020

You Can Do This!!!

And you're far more likely to get results by learning to do it on your own. (But not quite alone, of course - we're here to help. :Sun:

)

Maryn · Mar 27, 2020

If the screenplay version has greater appeal, step one is to read twenty screenplays. No more than half can be of movies you've seen. There's no reason to limit yourself to great movies, although you can. It's important that they be relatively recent so you'll absorb what's being done today.

You won't be done before you understand what your director friend meant. The screenwriter is not the set decorator, designer, location coordinator, costumer, vocal coach, etc. (The novelist is, though.)

Drew's Script-o-Rama is a good source for scripts in English. Seek only final-version screenplays, not early drafts or transcriptions.

Maryn, who'll see you in three weeks or so

Any co-writer on the look for a new project?

Bjorkio

regdog

The Scavengers

Enlightened

Always Learning

Chase

It Takes All of Us to End Racism

Bjorkio

Marissa D

Scribe of the girls in the basement

PyriteFool

cornflake

practical experience, FTW

Bjorkio

mccardey

Maryn

Baaa!