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[Nijntje]

Do you like writing with others?
If so, what do you like about it most? And are there any problems you encounter? Or maybe any tips & tricks to prevent others from running into some of the collab-problems.

Is there a maximum amount of writers writing together that works? Or doesn't it really matter? (And I'm not talking about 300 writers or something rofl)

If you don't like it, tell us why. Did you have a bad experience with it? What went wrong?

Have you written any at all? If so, which ones (with link maybe?)? And tell us something about the fun you had while writing it. (Funny anecdotes or something).

[RokofAges75]

I do like writing with other people, in general.  It just depends.  If everyone writing is equally motivated and on the same page with where the story is going, then it usually works out great!  I find that I am more creative when I'm writing with someone else, maybe because we kinda bounce off each other, and we both end up writing better than usual.  Plus, it's fun to share that experience with someone else!

I've done collaborations with one other person, two other people, or big groups (say, 7-9 writers).  Oddly enough, I've had the most success with the big groups!  Duos only work if both people are motivated; once one person slacks off, the whole thing can easily fall apart.  Also, it's hard when you don't see eye to eye on things because there's only two of you to talk things over, and if you each want something a different way and can't find a way to compromise, that's a problem.  I've never had success with groups of three - it's too easy for one person to feel ganged up on by the other two when they get overruled on something.

My first BIG collaboration that wasn't just a round robin was Code Blue, and it was my idea to try it with a "writing team," the way TV shows are written, after writing it in twos and threes didn't work - it was basically a last ditch effort on my part to keep the story going.  I just threw it out there that I was looking for people to help me write the story, and I basically took on everyone who volunteered and could string a coherent sentence together, and I ended up with a group of 7 people, some of which I didn't even really know.  I thought it would be a disaster LOL, but it actually worked out really well!  We plan the story through group chats, and when we all get together and discuss, we come up with the best ideas!  The only problem is getting everyone to get their parts written in a reasonable amount of time... we've been bad about that lately.  We need to be stricter about setting and enforcing deadlines for ourselves, or we'll never get episodes done.

00Carter has worked out much the same way, only even better!  That group is amazing!!  We can take the most random, stupid idea and turn it into something coherent and BRILLIANT!  I feel I can say this without sounding arrogant, because only a small fraction of the story is actually something I've written, but 00Carter is awesome so far!  Everyone should check it out!  http://www.dreamers-sanctuary.com/00carter

Okay, I think I covered most of the questions in that rambling blurb LOL.  Code Blue is posted under my name on AbsoluteChaos if anyone wants to read that.  My other collaborations are on my site.

[mare]

I am one of those people who does not like working with other people. It's not something that's totally out of the question for me but I really really REALLY have to know you to write with you lol

The 3 Ms collaboration was one of those rare moments when we decided we'd give it a try and even at times that was a little hairy and we are three best friends. I just think when you write in smaller groups of two or three it's so important for you all to be on the same page. My biggest fear is always having the person i'm paired up with deciding not to pull their weight with the story. That's why if you ask me to write with you and I see you have a ton of unfinished stories I will decline. lol

I have worked on one huge group story and that was my idea believe it or not lmao I was relatively new to fanfic at the time and decided to be kind of aggresive and email all of my favorite authors and ask them to write on it. I was so excited when most of them said yes. Some never wrote back and some were already long gone from writing which I wasn't aware of lol

For that one, we all just did our own chapters. We didn't really chat about it in detail we just kind of had to pick up where the last person left off. The only time that a chat was necessary was the very last chapter because Eboni and I wrote that one together so through IM's we managed to work that through. I wouldn't mind collaborating on a story like that. I think it's actually energizing and a challenge to be able to pick up where someone else leaves off.

As to why I'm not a fan of collaborating, it's my obsessive need to be in control of the situation. I am one of those people who needs to have a deadline lmao once again ask Maria and Mersey about that! I don't like to leave things hanging for too long so if someone is especially lax it drives me all kinds of crazy.

I'm not even really that fond or reading collabs for that same reason. You never know if suddenly one of them is just going to up and quit! I do think it takes a special talent to be able to write as a team fluently and so many people have been able to pull it off. It's awesome but for me, i'm a solo girl lol

[RokofAges75]

I always hated group work in school LOL, so I'm surprised that I would like collaborating.  I think for me, it just depends on the story.  If it's a story I can write myself, then I would rather write it myself because then I only have to depend on me and don't have to worry about getting bailed on.  Plus, I get my own way about everything LOL.  But for something like Code Blue or 00Carter, there's just NO WAY that one person could write it all, so it's fun to see the ideas materialize when written by a group.  Each person only has to write a little, but the story is so complex.  It's like putting together a puzzle.

[mare]

^ I think school is where my hatred of collaborating comes from. I was the girl in the group that always ended up telling everyone what needed to be done and finishing it because other people didn't do what they were supposed to do. lol

[RokofAges75]

YES!  Exactly!  I always ended up doing everything because I knew I could do it better than the rest of them, and they knew that if they slacked off, I would do all the work becuase I wanted a good grade, so that's what would happen.

[mare]

lmao exactly! even in college!

[RokofAges75]

Especially in college!  Ugh.  Someone wrote an editorial on that in our college paper last year, and it was so true.

[honey]

I am pretty much a solo girl. I think it's because I'm usually pretty shy and extremely self conscious of my writing. I have one friend outside of this board that I will always bounce my ideas off of before I write, but then I like it to be all up to me. I like to have control because a lot of times I'll have a vision for something that isn't revealed all at once and can't get that point across until it's on the page. Like I'm always saying... "just trust me on this one..."   

The only colab I've ever worked on is 00Carter and I was really REALLY nervous for a while. I still always sweat when I post my part, but they are a great bunch of talented people and I have had a very positive experience with it. (without all those brilliant minds working together how else could you make minion penguins work? lol) The only thing I don't like is having to wait on the other people. I'm sort of impatient and tend to have a lot more time on my hands than most people so I get anxious to finish. But when there are so many it just goes without saying that people are going to have busy schedules and so far 00Carter has been worth the wait.
 

[RokofAges75]

Aww Kelly, you have no reason to be nervous; your parts are always awesome!!  I know what you mean, though; I get kinda impatient too.  I love 00Carter; it's so fun to write!!  I can always dig up the inspiration for that one.

[MellzBellz]

I prefer to work alone, but I can collaborate with the right people. We just have to be really close and pretty equal in ability. I've never collaborated before until Sexcapades and honestly its getting difficult, but that could be due to the fact that I'm on my 2nd cowriter. Right now the biggest problem is setting up time aside for us to work on it. I've just been really busy and Teri has had a lot of crap going on and of course our main focus is our own individual stories, so thats taking front seat right now.

How we cowrite is we kind of assign sections. Like I know I want to write a certain part and Teri wants to write another part. So we wrtite our individual parts and sed them back and forth adding lil things, taking things out etc... Until it comes together and flows as if it was just one author writing the whole thing.

[Nijntje]

Alright, I figured I might as well answer my own questions lol

I definitely like to write with others, for different reasons.
Their work helps me to get better at writing, because I wanna be half as good as they are, so it isn't that obvious that a non-English writer worked on it as well. Whenever I get stuck, I have someone to think with me and sometimes even write a paragraph after which I can pick things up again.
And last, it's just fun!

Ofcourse there are sometimes problems.. as for myself, the time difference can be a challenge. While working on PF, there have been numerous nights that I worked til 3am my time. So it can be hard to talk to my co-writer when needed. E-mail just doesn't always do the trick.

I agree with Kelly, it can be kinda nerve-wrecking. I too get very very very nervous when I post my part for 00Carter and tend to work on it for way too long, trying to get it just right. And the waiting on others or 'having' to write because others are waiting for me, can at times be a problem. But I manage lol.

Maximum amount.. dunno.. I think the group that works on 00Carter works.. over 15 might become a problem..

I'm working on 00Carter (as I said before several times lol) and Prevailing Fate.
I've had so much fun on both, but have been working on PF way longer and more intensely, since Chelsea and me took turns writing chapters/scenes. I remember the time we discussed the fate of Nick.. it was so funny, but only if you were there lol..

[LenniluvsBrian]

I enjoy co-writing - you just hafta find the right person to do it with. I help ForeverRebel out sometimes with 'No Matter What' and Daydream & I co-wrote 'A Forgotten Nightmare' which I'm biased about - lol. I mostly co-write TMNT fics with Daydream, though it really started with her writing the first chapter or a fic for my one TMNT series, & it evolved from there - well, more like sky-rocketed! Lol. We've SO many unfinished fics & SO many new ones! The only one we ever finished was 'A Forgotten Nightmare' - haha! But it is great fun! I let her write most of the fic - lol. I usually get stuck & so enjoy reading what she wrote - especially the scenes where Raphael gets mad at my character - hehe. 

~Lenni~

[A-RokzStalker]

I'd LIKE to write a story with someone. I tried once with a friend of mine and I'd come up with the story idea about 2 years back and had been wanting to write it, so I figured that maybe with someone else co-writing it, I'd stick with it a little better. It didn't work out though, because I already had my idea of what was supposed to happen, you know? And my friend was throwing out ideas that I liked, but didn't really fit in with the rest of the story. So... that kinda ended, lol. But we're going to try and write a story with an idea that her and I both came up with together. Hopefully that'll work out better.

I typically don't like group work, because something goes wrong every time. But I'd really like to try and see if I can actually even get through writing a story with someone.

[nicksgal]

I like co-writing I suppose.....

Back in the heyday of fanfiction my twinners and I wrote a bunch of stories on BSBBLVD... They're all gone now, what with the board changes... And I haven't heard from her in years...

Other than that, I guess it has to be the right story.... A lot of other collaborations I've tried have died, so... The story is what's important then.

Anything Rose comes up with is basically gold. Which is why I love 00Carter so much. Everyone together is really ingenious... even if it takes a while... Which I ought to write my parts up, but... Eh, I should probably post this in the group, actually.

Anyway, 00Carter=super special awesome!