For me, writing is a powerful thing. I am the creator of a
world and people that until that point had never existed. I rule over this
world with a mighty pen and control the fate of the creations within the pages.
But, along with great power comes great responsibility. It’s not enough to play
god. I have to develop a story that is not only worthy of being read, but also
able to be read (published). That often feels like a daunting task. Roadblocks
of writer’s block and time constraints often have me feeling frantic that a
story will never see itself to completion.
Even with the stress involved, the power of being “the
creator” is nice little perk. I often find myself falling in love with the
world I’ve created and using it as my escape from the everyday stresses in real
life.
That escape element makes writing an intensely personal
endeavor. The world I create is my world. It belongs to no one else. I spend a
lot of time and energy into develop that vision as I work my world into a
readable and enjoyable story. In that world, I grow my characters from seeds of
inspiration, and watch them develop into actual entities. Their thoughts and
feelings, their lives, their interactions, they all become real within the
confines of that world.
Because of this intensely personal nature, Writing is not a
craft that often lends itself to collaboration. Collaboration means giving up
control, it means letting someone into my world and trusting that they will not
abuse their power while in it.
In that respect, choosing to work with a partner is a lesson
in Submission.
It’s not always an easy lesson. This world I’ve created is personal. It’s an extension of myself.
Letting someone in is a deeply intimate act. Once inside, they will have the ability to
manage and manipulate my characters. They can do so much damage.
Just as the Dom/Sub relationship relies on trust and faith,
so too does the co-authoring partnership. You have to trust that the partner
you are working with has a vision and goals that match your own. That both of
you, no matter how you might differ on opinions, are working toward the best
story possible.
It’s never easy. If it was, everyone would be doing it.
I’ve never been one to relinquish control of anything. I’m
more than OCD in my writing. I don’t like having to listen to others opinions.
I don’t like people telling me what I should and shouldn’t do with my
characters.
Much like our character, Natasha, I like to control it all.
And much like Natasha, I find myself feeling heartburn and stressed out over stories
that I can’t seem to see to fruition.
But, as I have
learned, there are some benefits to letting go of some control.
Writer’s block, being one of the biggest road blocks becomes
much smaller an obstacle when there are two writers battling against it. When
stalled on a story and I simply cannot find the solution, I’ve learned that if
I let go of that control, that need to make this story 100% mine, and to trust
in my writing partner, the answers become clear. Sometimes he might have the
answer and next step in the vision, and sometimes, just through chatting about
the story, the solution presents itself.
Does it always work smoothly, no, but having a partner I can trust, and letting go and trusting him has proven itself to be very beneficial.
Do you think co-authoring stories would work for you? I'd love to hear your thoughts.