looking for someone to CoAuthor a novel with

[israle]

An idea just struck me, but I am willing to change.
Genre I am willing to write: (Christian for all the genres listed) Fantasy, thriller, SCI-FI, horror, suspence.

~God Bless, I. R. Surnak

[Resha Caner]

Why co-authoring if I may ask? I tried this once, and found it to be a very hard thing. I co-authored a story with 4 others where we each wrote a character. It was too much like real life, where I couldn't control the other characters, and hence couldn't control where the story was going. I felt like my character just got dragged along.

I guess I like the power trip of being in charge of a complete world. Isn't that the original sin? Wanting to be like God?

I do have to say, though, that it worked out very well for me when it was all over. My character (Xavier Brown) defected and starred in 2 independent stories of his own - both of which I sold to DoubleEdged.

[israle]

Well, I want to try the experience and part of the hard part (I would imagine anyway) is that you had 4 PEOPLE COAUTHORING AT THE SAME TIME, man, that would be totally crazy!

[israle]

May I ask, were those stories novels? Or short stories, novellas, or what?

[dragonlots]

Working on any type of collaboration is much like a marriage, both writers have to agree. It’s much harder than most realize. I’ve done it several times. For the first two, we worked well together, but the product was never completed. The next time was a loose tying together of two stories. They ran parallel. I’m now finishing a story for another writer, using both her notes and some ideas of my own. It still has to go through her before it posts.

If SF/F/H is not truly your genre, I suggest you follow your interest and write something in that field. Jumping into one you have no true calling in, is a recipe for disaster. Asking for help with it, not really a good thing and will probably end badly. I know of several times when such has and good friends didn’t speak to each other for years, if ever again.

[Resha Caner]

Dec 3, 2009 23:27:40 GMT -5 israle said:

Well, I want to try the experience and part of the hard part (I would imagine anyway) is that you had 4 PEOPLE COAUTHORING AT THE SAME TIME, man, that would be totally crazy!

... and we were all VERY different - from me (the prude of the group) to someone who was incredibly profane. The idea was enticing, but some of the people were difficult to work with.

The idea was to write a thriller novel for Halloween. And it was a NANOWRIMO kind of setting, where we wrote at a frantic pace, thinking that if it worked we would come back later and clean it up. So, the author who had the idea came up with a framework for the story. Then, we spent the month of September talking to each other and explaining our characters. Then we worked out a schedule, and agreed we would post one chapter a day. Since there were five of us total, it meant we each had to write a chapter about every six days. So, starting the first of October, the project launched ... and crashed. We lost 2 authors whom I haven't spoken to since (as dragonlots mentioned). So, 3 of us crossed the finish line, but it was a train wreck.

Looking back, it does seem like an insane idea. Even so, I'm not sure a more leisurely pace would have made it any better. Pressure can be a great motivator. But at least I got two good stories out of it.

[israle]

Dec 4, 2009 8:22:08 GMT -5 Resha Caner said:

Dec 3, 2009 23:27:40 GMT -5 israle said:

Well, I want to try the experience and part of the hard part (I would imagine anyway) is that you had 4 PEOPLE COAUTHORING AT THE SAME TIME, man, that would be totally crazy!

... and we were all VERY different - from me (the prude of the group) to someone who was incredibly profane. The idea was enticing, but some of the people were difficult to work with.

The idea was to write a thriller novel for Halloween. And it was a NANOWRIMO kind of setting, where we wrote at a frantic pace, thinking that if it worked we would come back later and clean it up. So, the author who had the idea came up with a framework for the story. Then, we spent the month of September talking to each other and explaining our characters. Then we worked out a schedule, and agreed we would post one chapter a day. Since there were five of us total, it meant we each had to write a chapter about every six days. So, starting the first of October, the project launched ... and crashed. We lost 2 authors whom I haven't spoken to since (as dragonlots mentioned). So, 3 of us crossed the finish line, but it was a train wreck.

Looking back, it does seem like an insane idea. Even so, I'm not sure a more leisurely pace would have made it any better. Pressure can be a great motivator. But at least I got two good stories out of it.

Then how do you go and approach someone to coauthor?

[dragonlots]

You ask God for the right person to come along. If no one does, then the idea is not supposed to be written. In the situation I was/am in, I am very fortunate that me and the person I’m working with are in agreement. Particularly, since we’ve never met. It was totally a God thing including the things we wrote in our stories without us actually discussing it.

Now, I am going to point blank say what I was trying to say nicely last night. It does not seem like you either read or know anything about the genre. You just have an idea you want someone to help you with. Maybe you think it will get you published. I don’t honestly know.

What I suggest, is that you take the idea and use it in whatever genre you enjoy whether it is romance, mystery, suspense, main stream fiction, etc. Do NOT attempt to writea book in a genre you neither like nor know anything about. Trust me, it will show through to the editor, not to mention the readers, IF it gets published.

This is the best suggestion I can give given your very first statement.

An idea just struck me, but I am willing to change.
Genre I am willing to write: (Christian for all the genres listed) Fantasy, thriller, SCI-FI, horror, suspence.

Am I right?

[israle]

Thanks, your comment helped, Dragonlots! I have prayed about the idea and nothing seemes to be hindering it at the moment so I am in the mindset that God wants me to write it, so I will alone or with somebody.