Collaboration is one of the most fun ways for me to write. I like the sharing of ideas, and story. It’s a good way to make characters unique, as your writing partners each have a unique style and voice to bring to the project.

The down side is if there’s a delay, you’re either stuck waiting, or stuck feeling like you’ve let your partner down.

I’ve tried two styles of collaborative writing, and each has pluses and minuses.

The first style is where you trade writing chapters. This works well for plot and storyline, as doing a complete chapter, including shared characters, allows you complete control of the scene and action. The downside is losing the identity of the individual characters, as while you can share the character, writing styles are still different.

Writing for individual characters preserves the uniqueness of each one, but in this instance, there is a lot of waiting back and forth as each section has to be passed back and forth to finish it. The story could become choppy and harder to follow for readers.

The troubles aren’t insurmountable, but the thing you need most is the focus and communication between you and your writing partners. Simply being consistent and communicative helps immeasurably with whichever way you decide to share the writing.

In short, I recommend giving collaboration a go. It’s a really fun way to write and a great way to share your imaginiation.