Wednesday, 15 January 2014

The Artist Unleashed: BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL CO-AUTHOR RELATIONSHIP, by Angela Ackerman

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21 comments:

  1. You and Becca make a fantastic team and were so lucky to have found eachother. I agree with all of the above. If you're missing one or more element, the partnership would come crashing down. Great post!

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    1. Thanks! I agree, we were SO LUCKY, especially considering we live so far apart. Becca is my female other half. She fills all the gaps--strong where I am still developing, and I am so grateful to have found her. I have learned a lot from her!

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  2. I would love to collaborate with another writer, at some point. I think it would challenge me in areas I've yet to hone. I'll end by seconding CQG's comment - you two are such an amazing duo!

    Thanks to Jess for having you here.

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    1. Even before we entered a business and writing partnership, Becca and I co mentored. We studied the same craft books, discussed writing issues and helped each other grow. It is worth the time and energy to find a critique partner who is on the same page as far as goals and growth, and then take the journey together. I hope you find your fit!

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  3. You two give so much to writers. Keep the partnership going.

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    1. Aw, thanks. We feel like get so much back, so we're trying to do our best to help others the way we ourselves have been helped. :)

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  4. I've been curious about collaboration for years now. Thanks so much for sharing these wonderful insights!

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    1. Happy to share our path, Laurel. I think if you can find a good team, it is so much easier. But finding that right person is tough. There's a lot of trust that needs to be in place, and both people have to be able to make decisions together. Learning to compromise is important. :)

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  5. Balance seems so important. But like a marriage, each person brings unique strengths.

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    1. Definitely. I think that's what allows us to work so well together. Occasionally we find a gap, where neither of us is ideal for a job, but then we tackle it together. :)

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  7. Sorry! Signed in under the wrong name. See how organized I am, lol. This is a great breakdown of why our collaboration works. I thank God frequently for bringing Angela into my life. Thanks for hosting her, Jessica!

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    1. Haha, oh the irony, Becca! I think humor and outlook is also a big part of making a relationship work--when we do something boneheaded we can laugh about it! :)

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  8. A big thank you to Jessica for having me hear today! I was wanting to blog about this, so when she asked for this topic, it was Kismet! :)

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    1. Ugh, here not hear. See, I had to make Becca feel better about her mistake so I made one of my own! #thatsmystoryandIamstickingtoit

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  9. Hey Angela (and Becca!) Sorry it's taken me so long to comment here. It's been one of those days! Thank you SO much for being my guest today. I am thrilled to have you! I have been following the success of these books from day one, and I am so proud and happy for you both. Inspiration at its best! <3

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    1. Aw, thank you--that is such a nice thing to say. We have so many goals and milestones to go before we feel we're hitting our personal success goals, but the support of others has helped us get this far and we are so grateful. :)

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  10. I'm so glad the two of you found each other! It's enabled the rest of us with your books as tools to use in our own writing. :)

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    1. LOL, we're happy to hear that, and always happy to share. We learn from everyone else and are happy to pay that forward if we can :)

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  11. I have just finishing editing a novel with my collaborative writing partner, Jodi Cleghorn (@JodiCleghorn). We had worked together previously when Jodi was my publisher/editor for the first (and second) of my published short stories.
    It was her invitation to collaborate after we were able to meet in person in 2011. In January of 2012 she pitched an idea for a collaborative epistolary novel and over the last two years we have worked brilliantly together.
    The online version and the IRL version were one and the same, and we shared a great sense of humour and found in each other's writing a good balance of old and new skills. We learned from each other, coming from different preferred genres (Jodi leans to spec fic while I write contemporary fic) and learning new ways of writing for example dialogue or description. And I have learned the fine art of editing from Jodi, whose skill with a red pen is remarkable.
    It is something I would do again, but choose your collaborative partner very very carefully. They are a rare find. Cherish them.
    Adam B @revhappiness

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  12. Sounds like you have found a great match, Adam! You make a great point about coming from different writing genres and this encouraging some great learning opportunities. I think there is something to be said for bringing different genre backgrounds together because the perspective can be slightly different for the writers, encouraging new insight and ideas. Thanks for sharing your experience!

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“I'm using my art to comment on what I see. You don't have to agree with it.” ~John Mellencamp

“Allowing an unimportant mistake to pass without comment is a wonderful social grace” ~Judith S. Marin

“I don't ever try to make a serious social comment.” ~Paul McCartney

“I'd make a comment at a meeting and nobody would even acknowledge me. Then some man would say the same thing and they'd all nod.” ~Charlotte Bunch

“Probably what my comment meant was that I don't care about the circumstances if I can tell the truth.” ~Sally Kirkland

“We're not going to pay attention to the silliness and the petty comments. And quite frankly, women have joined me in this effort, and so it's not about appearances. It's about effectiveness.” ~Katherine Harris