Debbie Harpham
by Susan Meissner, Kristina McMorris, and Ariel Lawhon
originally posted to Writer’s Digest 10.17.22
When authors choose to work together to write a single story, the process goes from a solitary act to one of collaboration and compromise. Here, authors Susan Meissner, Kristina McMorris, and Ariel Lawhon share six things to keep in mind about the collaborative writing process.
One of the things you learn from the very beginning of the writing life is what a solitary pursuit it can be. Most of the novelists we know, including the three of us, do the majority of our writing in isolation–even if we’re tapping away inside a busy coffee house. We are alone in the workroom of our minds, despite perhaps a hive of peripheral activity all around us. To write a novel is often a solo endeavor.
But not always.
(Infusing Your Fiction With Real Culture the Reader Can Feel)
In the last few years especially, it seems more and more collaborative novels are finding their way to bookshelves. A collaborative novel is different from an anthology—which also boasts multiple writers—and it’s different in a huge way. The collaborative novel is a work that if you took away the bylines from the front cover, you wouldn’t know the book had more than one creator. The collaborative novel is not a compilation of multiple stories all uniformly themed; it is one story, seamlessly produced by separate creative minds working in concert with each other.
The writing teams of James Patterson and Dolly Parton; Louise Penny and Hilary Clinton; Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White; Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks; Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murphy are just a handful of authors with recent collaborative novels out in the wild. Bestselling novelists Kate Quinn and Janie Chang will be joining this list in 2023 with their first joint work of historical fiction.
We can’t say definitively why this kind of novel has its own special place in the book world right now nor what all the challenges are to pulling one off, but after having written our own first collab, When We Had Wings, we can tell you what we learned about the process along the way. These tips for a successful joint writing venture are surely not the only things to keep in mind when writing this kind of book, nor will your experience as a collaborative author be exactly like ours, but if you are considering joining forces with another novelist, here are some insights to help you navigate the journey.
1. The story is king.
This is true even if you’re writing a solo work. Every decision needs to be made with the good of the story paramount. This is doubly true when you have three gifted, experienced writers working together to produce a singular work. Only the story matters in the end, because in the end, your reader won’t know who wrote what or which of you made the big choices or which of you had to defer over and over again.
Every time you come up against a hurdle about where to go next or which character must meet an untimely death or which writer needs to have one of her scenes cut in half lengthwise or excised altogether, steel yourself not to ask what do you want, but what does the story want? The other writer or writers need to be asking that question too, of course. The story is everything. Your personal preferences are a distant secondary.
2. There is more than one way.
The three of us each have a tried-and-true way of writing a novel. We’ve done it on our own many times before our collaboration. Our ways are not the same. One of us loves Scrivener. One of us definitely does not. One of us writes in the wee hours, the other two don’t. One of us makes a detailed outline, one of us does just fine with a one-page list of bullet points.
All of that goes to show that there is and always has been more than one way to write a book. Your way that you love is not the only way. If you’re going to collaborate on a book, you need to repeat that to yourself as often as you want to say, “But that’s not how I do it.”
And if you tangle with each other over this point, we refer you to Tip #1 to find your way out of the deadlock. The story is king, friend. Can the story stay preeminent if you bend away from your usual routine? If it can and does, you will be okay.
3. Choose your battles.
Just like in parenting, not every battle is one where you should grab your sword to ensure you get the win. If you bring a big, shiny weapon to every disagreement, you will end up hating the story and maybe even each other. As you learn to be flexible with your collaborator’s writing style (see again Tip #2)—and she or he or they with yours—you will have fewer battles to be sure, but when they do pop up, decide if the issue at hand is crucial.
Because if we really believe the story is king, then it’s only when the story is threatened to be dethroned (not you) that you will want to stand your ground. And when you do so, do it with care and respect. You don’t even need the sword.
4. Plan for setbacks.
With two or three people working on a project like this but also juggling life and often solo projects at the same time, there are going to be glitches. Something will come up. An illness in the family, an issue with a child or spouse, trouble with a solo work that’s not going well. No one likes it when the unexpected happens, but we all know unforeseen circumstances are famous for messing with the best of plans. Build some margin into your timeframe. You and your collaborator may not need it. Hooray for you if you don’t!
But chances are high that you will. No one regrets finishing early because they built in more time than they needed. If you think it will take eight months to write the work together, plan for 10. You can thank us later.
5. Listen, listen, listen.
All three of us could have tackled the storyline of When We Had Wings on our own. It’s not that this novel could only have been written by a team of three; we three wrote it together because we wanted to, not because it had to be written this way. Which is why it was so important that we listened to each other during the process. We didn’t technically need each other to write our respective chapters, but the Story absolutely needed us to need each other.
When one of us had thoughts for the other to consider, it was time to shut up and listen, even if those thoughts were about a scene we had already written and felt really good about. When you listen, instead of merely just hear, you are able to consider that perhaps the other person is right. He or she might not be. But only by listening will you know. And only by listening will you be able to explain why maybe they aren’t.
6. Adapting and adjusting is easier than you think.
All these tips are really about honing your ability to adapt to change. Not a bad skill to master in this day and age. Adapting the way you write to pair well with someone else’s writing style, and vice versa, definitely means letting go of some control, arguably one of the harder things to do if you’ve never practiced loosening your grip.
But the more you relax your hold on the way you’ve always done things, the easier it gets to partner with another writer. (You might even find other types of your relationships improving by heeding this bit of advice!) When you keep your eyes on your end goal—the completed, amazing, stellar novel—adjustments are exponentially easier to make.
There are no doubt additional insights other authors could give, but even if you implement just these tips, the collaborative writing process is destined, at minimum, to be more enjoyable. You will learn different ways to approach the art of storytelling. Your writing will improve. As will your communication skills. All of which will positively influence your solo work and career. And if all goes well, at the end of this shared experience, you’ll have a novel that makes you proud.
ABOUT WHEN WE HAD WINGS:
The Philippines, 1941. When US Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, US Army nurse Penny Franklin, and Filipina nurse Lita Capel forge a friendship at the Army Navy Club in Manila, they believe they’re living a paradise assignment. All three are seeking a way to escape their past, but soon the beauty and promise of their surroundings give way to the heavy mantle of war.
Caught in the crosshairs of a fight between the US military and the Japanese Imperial Army for control of the Philippine islands, the nurses are forced to serve under combat conditions and, ultimately, endure captivity as the first female prisoners of the Second World War. As their resiliency is tested in the face of squalid living arrangements, food shortages, and the enemy’s blatant disregard for the articles of the Geneva Convention, they strive to keep their hope—and fellow inmates—alive, though not without great cost.
In this sweeping story based on the true experiences of nurses dubbed the “Angels of Bataan,” three women shift in and out of each other’s lives through the darkest days of the war, buoyed by their unwavering friendship and distant dreams of liberation.
Purchase your copy here.
PRAISE AND RECOGNITION FOR WHEN WE HAD WINGS:
“Three superstars of historical fiction…have crafted a novel rich in historical detail that immerses readers in the dangers and deprivation WWII nurses suffered in the Pacific, wrapped up with a hopeful ending.” Booklist
“The authors pull off a gripping and seamless narrative. With this fine tale, the authors succeed at bringing to readers’ minds the courage and sacrifice of those who inspired it.” Publishers Weekly
“With gorgeous language and stunning historic detail, Lawhon, McMorris, and Meissner plunge readers into the Philippines and the epic struggles of the Pacific. Filled with heart and pathos, this is a story of hope, faith, and the power of friendship in the face of indescribable hardship.” Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post
“Three of the biggest powerhouses in historical fiction come together to pen this breathtaking novel. Combining the lush setting of the South Pacific with the unfathomable hardships of the combat theater, this book shines a light on a little-known aspect of history with a tale of unlikely friendship and the unshakable strength of the human spirit.” Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman with the Blue Star
“Lawhon, McMorris and Meissner seamlessly blend three nurse’s stories and secrets with one deft and immersive storytelling voice… Based on the true story of the three women who were the first female prisoners of WWII, When We Had Wings is thrilling, riveting and deeply felt; a do-not-miss historical fiction masterwork.” Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savannah
“A riveting novel by a trio of powerhouse authors that offers a fresh take on World War II fiction, one that is uncannily resonant today. Set in the lush tropics, When We Had Wings is an utterly original tale about courage, duty, and endurance.” Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace
AUTHOR VISITS:
Author visits with Susan Meissner and Kristina McMorris are available via NovelNetwork.com.