Collaborating with someone on a writing project can be a lot of fun. There is no end to the wackiness and hilarity that can ensue when two children's writers get together to share ideas. Made-up words, colorful characters, comical situations, outrageous action--as fun as all these are, they are twice the fun when bouncing back and forth between two brains!
It's interesting to brainstorm with Corey and see how the sparks of her creativity can feed my own. One phrase or one play on words could be all that's needed to give sudden life to a brand spankin' new character or book idea.
But collaborating doesn't come without frustrations. We may both love a certain concept, but have a hard time agreeing on the direction. We may breeze through a first draft, but have disagreements about what needs to change in revisions. One of us may fall completely in love with a story, and the other just not see it the same way. Sometimes we can debate for an hour or more about a single line, or even a single word!
But the same things that cause frustration are the things that help us write our best together. All the debates and disagreements force us to look at our stories from different angles, to consider every possible option, and to learn to bend a little to make room for the other person's point of view. And that makes our stories even better. Because one thing we always agree on is that we won't settle. We will keep working on a story until we are both happy with every word.
Very well-put!
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