Guest post
by: Daniel Stiles
Authors, in my experience, and as a general rule, are solitary folk. Granted, I base this information entirely on the only author I know personally and spend considerable time with, myself. Often, I certainly do not enjoy my company, and I like to believe it’s the same for other authors. It makes me feel closer to them even as I despise them for it.
I find such a mindset understandable considering an author’s work can serve as an author’s creative child. A child must be guarded and protected until ready to be presented to the world as a full fledged adult. Only at that time can a parent step away to allow society to appreciate the brilliance that has been spawned. Nobody wants others to know about the problem child locked in the attic rattling chains and breaking windows. That’s why authors can’t have guests over. However, sometimes it makes two to create a child. All right, maybe it always takes two to create a child, but we’re talking about stories here.
For many of my published works, I have benefited from a co-author by the name of Pedro Cerda, also known as ‘Pete’ to those who have difficulty with two syllable names. Before my collaborations with Pete, my writing could have been considered mundane, dull, or even ordinary, and that’s three times the boring. With Pete’s unique sense of humor, I was able to integrate a new perspective into my stories in regards to character, plot, and dialogue. I believe our different personalities assisted in this regard. For example, one of us dislikes the technological spiral to the incomprehensible, also known as cell phone worship and texting. The other adores any technology that can assist in keeping him on the go. We’re the new original odd couple, which is exactly why we don’t live together, or speak to each other more than what’s necessary to complete our tributes to the world on paper. Well, they’re on paper after we print them. Otherwise the tributes stay electronic.
The lesson here would be that every once in a while, even the best of us, and everyone else too, need to allow for creationist evolutionism. The only way to initiate such a process is through the mating of the minds that spawns a super child the world must acknowledge as superior. Just make sure to pick a partner that can compensate for your weaknesses, bringing humor to sadness, anger to joy, and tears to laughter. Your writing will be better for it, which means you can ditch the partner afterwards.
Striking out to make a name for himself in the brutal desert land of Tucson, Arizona, Daniel Stiles chose the profession of security by which to build renown. The process of vocational evolution brought sarcasm from exuberance, irritation from helpfulness and most importantly, apathy from vigilance. Through the natural selection of a shopping mall, he learned the path for survival could be arrived at by way of detachment from care. It exists as a lesson others might comprehend through the pages of his stories, testimony put forth as the ladder of salvation from the balcony perch of chaos. You can be saved but if not, that’s your own problem. Learn more about Daniel from his website and his Amazon author page.
Possibly true, but I doubt there is anyone who would put up with me – other than my spouse and kids, and sometimes they wish they didn’t have to. On the other hand, maybe I’d actually develop a sense of humour someone else could understand. Hmmmm. lol
Good post, Daniel. I tried collaborating; it drove me crazy. But hey, if it works for you and Pedro, go for it. 🙂
Hm. I was hoping for something a touch more enlightening as I’ve just been invited to co-write a novel but am a bit dubious about it. Guess I’ll have to learn my own lessons! A fun and entertaining post though – must go check out Daniel’s writing ’cause it sounds great!
I do a lot of co-writing. As a member of “Team 2012” I was all the way through on Mayan Calendar Girls — a weekly serial now in print.
http://mayancalendargirls.com
I continue to work with most of those lunatics, and co-wrote a novel, “Sky Seeds” with Grayson Moran and a bunch of short stuff with Cammy Hunnicutt and Crow.
I’m looking for a a collaborator now and have a grand dream of a series of books written by a couple of people with reasearch by one or two more.
This is very common with scripts–TV shows are mostly written by teams with a “showrunner” in charge, and is not as bizarre as many writers tend to think.
I can imagine that with the right mix of personalities co-writing could be fun, and even greater than the sum of its parts. But…I’m not sure I could do it. I guess I’ll have to hope for parthenogenisis. 😉
You just have to make sure your co-author is someone who can offer useful input, but is also someone you can bully.
I like to think of a co-author as an energy drink for writing. Sometimes it can get boring in your own head and you need to borrow someone else’s for a little while, drink out all the useful nutrients, and throw away the can.