6 Essentials for Co-authoring a Book

Tonight, I launch my third book!

Over the past couple months, I've written about a collaborative project--what I've learned from co-writing a novel with author, Christine Steendam. I'm very pleased to say we finished The High-Maintenance Ladies of the Zombie Apocalypse. Think The Walking Dead meets Sex and the City. We had it published and ready to go by our goal--Central Canada Comic Con weekend. We did some pre-launch sales at the con, so there are a few people out there who already have the book in their hands. But, tonight is the official launch. I can now look back on this completed project and tell you what I've learned.

Essentials for co-authoring a book:

1. Communication. The ability to convey ideas, especially during the outlining process is essential. No one can read minds, so if communication is poor there are bound to be upsets.
   
2. Flexibility. As with any novel, sometimes the story can go in a direction you did not anticipate, and this is compounded by more than one creative brain on the project. You must be able to roll with changes and adapt. 
3. Openness. This runs alongside communication. If you're afraid to be open about how you feel about story ideas, especially talking to your partner about an area of the book that needs to change, this would be a tough process. You must be open to sharing your thoughts and hearing your partner's thoughts in return.
   
4. Drive. We had a goal and were both driven to meet that goal. Because our drive to finish the book matched, we were able to work well together. Had one of us been more driven than the other, it might have caused problems.
5. Trust. I trusted that when I sent a piece off to my partner, she was working on her piece without prompting from me. I trusted my partner completely, which minimized stress.
6. A good editor. With two different people writing, we found there were multiple continuity errors. Thank goodness for editors! He caught those errors and brought them to our attention, while at the same time allowing us each our voices.
   

Now, on to collaborative marketing, but that's a blog post for another day.

Get your copy here: THE HIGH-MAINTENANCE LADIES OF THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE

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Melinda Friesen writes novels for teens, but her alter-ego, Melinda Marshall, writes zombie fiction for grown-ups who still like to have fun.

Collaborations: Unique Pros and Cons

I've had the fun of working on a project with my sister who writes mainly fantasy. Together we're writing a Young Adult Sci-fi novel, working title TEMPOR.

Here's the just-for-fun cover I made for it (clearly I'm no cover artist):

Our last work on it was in 2013. My lovely sister then got preoccupied with something else awesome... my nephew! As life settled in and settled down, she recently contacted me with some new material for our book and I was elated! Except that I just had a baby myself and we're not quite settled in and settled down yet. (I like to give it six months until the new family dynamic feels comfortable for everyone.) 

So here's my pros and cons list for collaborations:

Pros:

Exciting brainstorming sessions

Two heads for solving difficult plot and character problems

Built-in secondary editor

Two distinct wordprints to aid in different character voices

Cons:

Difficulty coordinating schedules

Disagreements in vision (plot, character, setting, etc.)

Disagreements in editing (commas, LOL)

Though it's a challenge, overall I'd have to say that collaborating on a writing project is enjoyable, rewarding, and a fresh way to look at your own craft. It's helped me to understand elements of story and characterization from someone else's point of view. Since my sister and I read in different genres, overlapping in the fantasy/paranormal genre, we come at plot problems in slightly different ways. It's been an education so far and I'm excited to continue... in a few months when my newborn isn't so newbornish. :)

Have you ever collaborated on a novel or book of poetry or comic book? What's the best lesson you've learned out of your collaborations?