Broadstairs Bacchanalia

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We've written a number of fics together hence being asked to do the talk...


Why co-author?

• Complimentary skills or expertise


• Two minds potentially (not necessarily!) better than one…


• Double the ideas (double the trouble…)


• Halve the research and work


• Easy to take different povs – writing as rpg


• Immediate feedback


• Learn from each other, develop new skills


• Fun!

Things to consider

• Do you really need to or want to co-author? Why?


• With whom?


• Will they be open to it?


• Can you really work with this person?


• Remember that best friends don’t necessarily make best co-authors…

• Are your writing styles compatible?


• Remember that the finished story should read like a single piece of work even with different povs

• Both goal and process should be negotiated together


• Agree on the story at least in broad terms


• Agree on who writes what/who


• Agree on how and when and how much re writing


• Communicate, communicate, communicate…

• Commercial co-authoring brings additional complications…


• Rights, profits, costs, credit, legalities…

Example 1. Co-authored 'verse
Plotted together, discrete fics written separately




Example 2. co-authored fic
Alternating povs - under the cut for length and to spare those traumatised by SCD RPS of Bruno/Craig *g*

( From notes... )


( ...to finished fic )


Useful links - I had a look around for advice out there and these were some of the better posts on the topic
http://www.writing-world.com/fiction/coauthor.shtml
http://alyssaauch.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/tips-for-co-authoring-book.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gina-buonaguro/how-to-co-author-a-novel_b_406306.html


Recs for co-authored fics... Sadly, I can't think of any of the top of my head although I KNOW I've read and loved some. Maybe you can help?


QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS WELCOME

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