One and One Makes Two: The Art of Co-writing, by Ashley Holloway
A craft article
The mental image of a lone writer sitting hunched at their desk in a darkened room, toiling away underneath a small pool of light emitted from the single banker’s lamp is an easy one to conjure. Writing is, after all, a rather solitary activity. It’s you putting your ideas to paper according to your schedule. Likewise, finding your own voice as a writer takes a great deal of time, practice, and consistent, focused feedback. And really, as a culture we are conditioned to think of writing as a solitary act. How might co-writing a story change that?
Co-writing offers readers two sets of experiences, which can result in multifaceted stories that resonate on a deeper level. And let’s face it: co-writing reaches more audiences. Further, co-writing can also be great for motivation; not wanting to let your writing partner down, staying on track becomes a priority. However, like an only child learning how to share, co-writing is an intentional process that has its challenges.