We talked a little bit about some of the perks of co-writing in our Co-writing part 1. Writing together with your sister and best friend is definitely a perk! We love our writing sessions. Like we mentioned in Part 1, when we get on the phone/computer, we don't just talk about our WIP or current blog post, we talk about EVERYTHING! And we love it. Any stay-at-home mom could attest to that feeling of joy when you get have conversation with another adult. Even if most of what we talk about is our kids!
Perk: Idea swapping.
Unlike solo writers, our brainstorming sessions bounce back and forth as we throw out ideas. It is really fun because then we not only have our own beginning ideas, but the other person's ideas, PLUS new ideas that we come up with based on our thoughts from our counterpart. It is great! So coming up with a list of possible solutions to a problem in our writing becomes easier and faster with many more options to chose from.
Perk: Writer's Block...Detours...Short Cuts!
Being able to have a co-writer to turn to when you get stuck is definitely a benefit to our writing! Often times, in our WIP, one of us will write on a section for a while, then when we get stuck or run out of ideas, we pass it on to the other to continue. Using each others ideas, once again, helps us to get passed our block, revise, or continue on with the story fresh and energized.
Perk: Editing.
As we pass the story back and forth, we need to read what the other has written before we can continue. As we read through, it gives us the opportunity to edit and revise. This not only helps minimize grammatical and punctuation errors, but it also allows us to catch inconsistencies in the story, plot, or characters.
Perk: Confidence!
It builds our confidence to hear from our writing partner, "Oh, I like that idea!" "You are brilliant!" "That works better, let's do that." And other similar comments as we toss around ideas. With confidence comes the courage to keep going and build our self esteem.
Perk: Staying on Track.
Having a partner to be accountable to helps to keep us from sidelining the project when life gets hectic. We know we have someone that is counting on us, and will keep reminding us to get in there and write.
Perk: It's uplifting.
When life can get you down, husbands are out of town, or life seems kind of bleak, its nice to know there is someone to turn to, an activity to share in and pull ourselves up from the blues.
Perk: Somehow we are always on the same page!
Our ideas mesh and flow and become one. It just works. We aren't writing two completely different stories with the same characters, it is one story coming together from two different minds.
We feel that the old saying "two heads are better than one" definitely applies to our situation. We feel that together we are whole, we make a complete writer. It is an amazing journey and we are enjoying every minute of it!
Okay, now I'm totally jealous. I kind of wish I had a twin so that I could do this! My sister and I are a little too different to do this (like, she doesn't believe in allowing anyone to edit her work- she looks it over and calls it done). If I ever find someone I could be compatible with as a co-writer, I would totally do it after reading this post! You've got me convinced. Thanks for the insight into your co-writing world!
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