Collaboration Fiction?

Motsu

REROCK: Change The World
Joined
Jun 24, 2020
Messages
1,108
Points
153
What is Collaboration Fiction?

Collaborative fiction is a form of writing by a group of authors who share creative control of a story. Collaborative fiction can occur for commercial gain, as part of education, or recreationally – many collaboratively written works have been the subject of a large degree of academic research.

While writers for TV shows, movies, comics, and graphic novels get to share the job of storytelling, novelists are mostly expected to make their narrative journeys alone. Trekking through the landscapes of their stories like lone warriors, novelists must find a path—or more often, forge a path—with no back-up and no safety net. Solving every problem and coming up with every creative solution single-handedly.

It doesn't have to be that way.

What if novelists agree to share the load? It turns out novels can still be unique and bold and engaging even with multiple voices, approaches, priorities, and ideas. In fact, collaborative novels can be even greater than the sum of their parts—a result of all that extra storytelling muscle.

However, if you think that having too many authors working would lighten the load. Then, you may be in a tight spot. I've often observed two writers with long-time friendships blow up because they thought collaborating would be "fun." Struggles over creative vision often erupt. The outline changes as the writing progress. And it might not even be good.

Writing truly is an intensely personal, and lonely experience. Sometimes, a writer eagers for camaraderie, and he thinks that team-collaboration is the solution. (What works with tennis players doesn't necessarily work with writers, folks!) But whatever.

Anyway, when I've first realized that Jojo's Bizarre Adventure's light novel was created by different authors. I then realized that what if we, authors, in Scribble Hub would individually create a story for a single novel. I mean, wouldn't that be amazing? Come on, haven't that appeared on your mind? Well, there are upsides and downsides to collaborating and I sure won't like the downside myself.

However, what if we hold a competition on whoever gets to make the best chapter? Of course, the host gets to make the plot outline on what happens in chapter blah-blah and we are considered to follow through with it. The words would then be tightly locked to 10k or whatever. Hell, it might even look like we are going to create the best collaboration novel!

...Or so, I think we might if it happens.

But then again, it's not impossible to do it but it's difficult. What are your thoughts on these? Are there things you want to point out to make collaborations more exciting? Is there something you could add that I am missing?

I am gonna sleep so that I stop posting too many threads.
 
D

Deleted member 45782

Guest
However, if you think that having too many authors working would lighten the load. Then, you may be in a tight spot. I've often observed two writers with long-time friendships blow up because they thought collaborating would be "fun." Struggles over creative vision often erupt. The outline changes as the writing progress. And it might not even be good.
That is a very valid point. Personally, I bounced off ideas with another friend who likes to think of stories too. However the versions we think of is different. One is more into writing a bit darker and the other more light-hearted. Also, me stubbornness XD. So we decided eventually to go best separate ways for writing, although we are still open to providing feedback to each other on our own separate writing ideas.
Writing truly is an intensely personal, and lonely experience. Sometimes, a writer eagers for camaraderie, and he thinks that team-collaboration is the solution. (What works with tennis players doesn't necessarily work with writers, folks!) But whatever.
Yup. Sometimes its great to have a peace of mind to ourselves and think more freely with how we want to write and what we want to write. Sometimes forced collaboration on where people see two different creative visions may make the story go nowhere, or if it does, maybe some plot inconsistencies here and there because its written in multiple places by more than one author and then pieced together.
Collaborative fiction is a form of writing by a group of authors who share creative control of a story. Collaborative fiction can occur for commercial gain, as part of education, or recreationally – many collaboratively written works have been the subject of a large degree of academic research.

What if novelists agree to share the load? It turns out novels can still be unique and bold and engaging even with multiple voices, approaches, priorities, and ideas. In fact, collaborative novels can be even greater than the sum of their parts—a result of all that extra storytelling muscle.
True, collaborative fiction can be exceptionally and uniquely well done. It all depends how well collaboration process works; it can be different for everyone, and different depending on the people they interact with. So its still interesting for those who wish to try it out.

Nice writing threads by the way. Lot more deeper conversation on the subjects of writing.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

CadmarLegend

@Agentt found a key in the skeletons.
Joined
Jan 3, 2021
Messages
1,956
Points
153
What is Collaboration Fiction?

Collaborative fiction is a form of writing by a group of authors who share creative control of a story. Collaborative fiction can occur for commercial gain, as part of education, or recreationally – many collaboratively written works have been the subject of a large degree of academic research.

While writers for TV shows, movies, comics, and graphic novels get to share the job of storytelling, novelists are mostly expected to make their narrative journeys alone. Trekking through the landscapes of their stories like lone warriors, novelists must find a path—or more often, forge a path—with no back-up and no safety net. Solving every problem and coming up with every creative solution single-handedly.

It doesn't have to be that way.

What if novelists agree to share the load? It turns out novels can still be unique and bold and engaging even with multiple voices, approaches, priorities, and ideas. In fact, collaborative novels can be even greater than the sum of their parts—a result of all that extra storytelling muscle.

However, if you think that having too many authors working would lighten the load. Then, you may be in a tight spot. I've often observed two writers with long-time friendships blow up because they thought collaborating would be "fun." Struggles over creative vision often erupt. The outline changes as the writing progress. And it might not even be good.

Writing truly is an intensely personal, and lonely experience. Sometimes, a writer eagers for camaraderie, and he thinks that team-collaboration is the solution. (What works with tennis players doesn't necessarily work with writers, folks!) But whatever.

Anyway, when I've first realized that Jojo's Bizarre Adventure's light novel was created by different authors. I then realized that what if we, authors, in Scribble Hub would individually create a story for a single novel. I mean, wouldn't that be amazing? Come on, haven't that appeared on your mind? Well, there are upsides and downsides to collaborating and I sure won't like the downside myself.

However, what if we hold a competition on whoever gets to make the best chapter? Of course, the host gets to make the plot outline on what happens in chapter blah-blah and we are considered to follow through with it. The words would then be tightly locked to 10k or whatever. Hell, it might even look like we are going to create the best collaboration novel!

...Or so, I think we might if it happens.

But then again, it's not impossible to do it but it's difficult. What are your thoughts on these? Are there things you want to point out to make collaborations more exciting? Is there something you could add that I am missing?

I am gonna sleep so that I stop posting too many threads.
So an example would be the 39 Clues series?
 

Agentt

Thighs
Joined
Oct 8, 2020
Messages
3,533
Points
183
I tried to perform one as well, and had gathered a few writers. But not only am I lazy, I also don't know how to use google doc
 

LinXueLian

Always Handsome
Joined
Feb 19, 2021
Messages
522
Points
133
Idk man, won't we like get into a big internet fight or something? Like I can see it now:

The Handsome Novel
by @HandsomeProtagonist and @LinXueLian


And I'll be like, "Ayyyy brother! Why do you get to write the handsome protagonist while I gotta write the handsome villain!?"

And you'll be like, "It's because it's in my name!"

And I'll be like, "But why does YOUR character get to slap MY character's face and steal his girl?"

And then you'll be like, "Okay, okay, the heroine dies around chapter 63 after falling prey to both the protagonist's and villain's handsomeness."

And then the readers be like, "Wtf are these two on???"

And then one camp be like, "I'm on team @LinXueLian, the villain's the more well-rounded handsome one."

And then you'll get jealous of my villain and kill him at around chapter 80.

And then I'll be like "REVENGE MOTHERFUKKA" where the heroine is resurrected as a gay zombie and kills your protagonist by strangling him to death with her girlfriend's elongated tonsils.

And then the readers all leave.... and the story flops.... and we're enemies forever.....




Yeah, Idk. Collabs can go south really fast, even in fantasy scenarios.......
 

Motsu

REROCK: Change The World
Joined
Jun 24, 2020
Messages
1,108
Points
153
Idk man, won't we like get into a big internet fight or something? Like I can see it now:

The Handsome Novel
by @HandsomeProtagonist and @LinXueLian


And I'll be like, "Ayyyy brother! Why do you get to write the handsome protagonist while I gotta write the handsome villain!?"

And you'll be like, "It's because it's in my name!"

And I'll be like, "But why does YOUR character get to slap MY character's face and steal his girl?"

And then you'll be like, "Okay, okay, the heroine dies around chapter 63 after falling prey to both the protagonist's and villain's handsomeness."

And then the readers be like, "Wtf are these two on???"

And then one camp be like, "I'm on team @LinXueLian, the villain's the more well-rounded handsome one."

And then you'll get jealous of my villain and kill him at around chapter 80.

And then I'll be like "REVENGE MOTHERFUKKA" where the heroine is resurrected as a gay zombie and kills your protagonist by strangling him to death with her girlfriend's elongated tonsils.

And then the readers all leave.... and the story flops.... and we're enemies forever.....




Yeah, Idk. Collabs can go south really fast, even in fantasy scenarios.......
I can already imagine the story going haywire but hey, I don't mind the randomness and plot twist here-and-there.

Let me continue, after the gay zombie heroine kills my protagonist by strangling him to death with her elongated tonsils. My protagonist then becomes reincarnated into a handsome nobody and tries to become a hero but not long after my protagonist's girlfriend appears as the demon king. After chapter 100, my protagonist finds a way to turn that gay zombie heroine back to normal by kissing her, but then again, it won't be that easy. The villain appears and stops the protagonist! And well, the rest goes on...

A lot of things can happen for sure. As I've said, "I've often observed two writers with long-time friendships blow up because they thought collaborating would be "fun." Struggles over creative vision often erupt. The outline changes as the writing progress. And it might not even be good."
 
Last edited:

ArcadiaBlade

I'm a Lazy Writer, So What?
Joined
Dec 23, 2018
Messages
967
Points
133
I can blend into any story so collaboration with me will either give a new perspective into ideas, make a far more interesting story, might even start a manga/anime or pretty much might comparable to famous books.

I once collab with some guy who shared his ideas to me and we talk about his story while adding my own twist and turns such that he doesn't go off the rails, hell, I even helped him create a far more interesting character.

I remember we made a novel about a man who was in prision and it was space age thing. He was a wanted criminal who went out into the universe to look for his wife after he was told she was preggers. We tried to talk about either making him OP and stuff but I relented to him as he brainstorm new ideas as I wrote it down and edit some of his mistakes with my own twist and turns. Unfortunately, he didn't realize one aspect of me. I'm Lazy AF.

So, while it was gonna be a great story, I kinda disconnected to him and even forgotten my site because I was too lazy to manage it and RL took much more time that I forgone my story.

So what I'm saying here is that while having collaboration is a plus-minus thing, it will always turn out good if you have someone who knows how how impact of a story is and a man with big imaginations.
 

Sylvie

Those days are gone, now the memory's on the wall
Joined
Nov 2, 2020
Messages
91
Points
73
So an example would be the 39 Clues series?
39 clues series is one of the best works that came from a collaboration but I remember reading that the general outline of the story was laid out only by Rick Riordan and another author whose name I can't recall. Apparently the individual books were left up to their respective authors without much interference. It would be really cool if a bunch of authors on scribblehub can get together and attempt something like that, regardless of whether it works out.
 
Last edited:

Discount_Blade

Sent Here To Piss You All Off
Joined
Jul 2, 2019
Messages
1,347
Points
153
That is a very valid point. Personally, I bounced off ideas with another friend who likes to think of stories too. However the versions we think of is different. One is more into writing a bit darker and the other more light-hearted. Also, me stubbornness XD. So we decided eventually to go best separate ways for writing, although we are still open to providing feedback to each other on our own separate writing idea.
It is amazing how rare it is to meet people where I'm at who share an interest in arts of ANY kind so I've never had anyone to bounce ideas off of. It's kinda annoying for me. I'd love to have someone like this, alas woe is me I don't.
 

Sylvie

Those days are gone, now the memory's on the wall
Joined
Nov 2, 2020
Messages
91
Points
73
I can already imagine the story going haywire but hey, I don't mind the randomness and plot twist here-and-there.

Let me continue, after the gay zombie heroine kills my protagonist by strangling him to death with her elongated tonsils. My protagonist then becomes reincarnated into a handsome nobody and tries to become a hero but not long after my protagonist's girlfriend appears as the demon king. After chapter 100, my protagonist finds a way to turn that gay zombie heroine back to normal by kissing her, but then again, it won't be that easy. The villain appears and stops the protagonist! And well, the rest goes on...

A lot of things can happen for sure. As I've said, "I've often observed two writers with long-time friendships blow up because they thought collaborating would be "fun." Struggles over creative vision often erupt. The outline changes as the writing progress. And it might not even be good."
It actually might be possible with a few ground rules set before starting the colab. The most obvious requirement is that the authors all accept the base plot setting. If they put down the tone of the story like dark or light-hearted and the most basic of characteristics for the main characters, at the very least ideas would not diverge enough that they wouldn't be able to decide what is better for the plot progression.
 

ForestDweller

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Messages
838
Points
133
The closest I've ever gotten to doing something like this was when I had a private RP with another person about an isekai series. We were pretty much in sync with each other, with me liking his ideas and him liking my ideas. Got to 80k words before it got abandoned, due to him being busy with his studies.

I feel it'd be hard to do the same with more than that. Any group RPs I've ever participated with never really went anywhere as a writing.
 

LinXueLian

Always Handsome
Joined
Feb 19, 2021
Messages
522
Points
133
I can already imagine the story going haywire but hey, I don't mind the randomness and plot twist here-and-there.

Let me continue, after the gay zombie heroine kills my protagonist by strangling him to death with her elongated tonsils. My protagonist then becomes reincarnated into a handsome nobody and tries to become a hero but not long after my protagonist's girlfriend appears as the demon king. After chapter 100, my protagonist finds a way to turn that gay zombie heroine back to normal by kissing her, but then again, it won't be that easy. The villain appears and stops the protagonist! And well, the rest goes on...

A lot of things can happen for sure. As I've said, "I've often observed two writers with long-time friendships blow up because they thought collaborating would be "fun." Struggles over creative vision often erupt. The outline changes as the writing progress. And it might not even be good."
It's nice that you've continued it, but I can't believe my villain appears only after chapter 100.... :blob_teary: Why are you so evil? I thought we handsome people had to stick together.... wuwuwu...

But ahahaha usually creative minds with strong personalities like having their own vision. Especially if we're not getting paid for it....
 

Motsu

REROCK: Change The World
Joined
Jun 24, 2020
Messages
1,108
Points
153
It's nice that you've continued it, but I can't believe my villain appears only after chapter 100.... :blob_teary: Why are you so evil? I thought we handsome people had to stick together.... wuwuwu...
I forgot! :blobrofl:
I've always had in the back of my mind that the gay zombie heroine was the first villain so it had to take long for the second but REAL villain to make his debut.

But ahahaha usually creative minds with strong personalities like having their own vision. Especially if we're not getting paid for it....
That's the good stuff for people like that!
 
Top