How to Co-Write a Novel and Remain Friends

One day while walking with an author friend we had an idea for a story with dual protagonists. Why not write it together? Kristy Tate, a USA Today bestselling romance author and I decided to co-write a women’s fiction novel a year ago. This was our logic: 

She writes romance. I write suspense. That’s the junction of many women’s fiction novels. Our voices are distinctly different, but we would each write all the point of view scenes of one of our dual protagonists. Character’s voices should be different. Finally, on the business side of the equation, I trust Kristy implicitly. She’s hard-working, level-headed, and as honest as they come.  

We started with enthusiasm on a retreat to a beach condo. We binge-wrote on Tuesdays after that, so we could keep up with our personal projects and make headway on the joint story simultaneously and finished the first draft in record time.

This is where things began to get sticky. The editor Kristy uses primarily makes copy edit suggestions. I am used to doing extensive work with a developmental editor. As a romance writer, Kristy was pickier about the husband and wife relationships in the story. As a mystery, suspense writer, I was pickier about motivations and plot turns. As an independently published writer, Kristy has learned speed to market is synonymous with success. As a traditionally published writer, my vision of success includes pleasing my fastidious editor whose voice was always whispering in my mind. 

We worked out most of our production differences by hiring a developmental editor, but when it came time to pitch the novel, we ran into another snag. One week after we sent out our first query letter, the world was overwhelmed by a pandemic. Again, our perspectives collided. I wanted to wait it out. Kristy wanted to independently publish. We compromised, but realized it would have been better if we’d thought through the process more thoroughly in advance. 

The good news is, even with all the surprises, Kristy and I remain good friends. How have we managed it? I’ll tell you at the end of the article, but first here is a checklist of things I wished we’d have tackled before we decided to write a book together.

1. Read at least one of each others’ books all the way through. Loving someone’s prose isn’t enough to build a partnership on. You need to look at their arcs, their twists, the way they transition from act to act. Storytelling is an art and as such, it is unique to the teller. Make sure their methods and yours, while they can’t be the same, are compatible. 
2. Enjoying another writer’s voice doesn’t necessarily mean it will blend with yours. I am a musician, and I sing in a duo. My music partner and I were trained in similar vocal methods, thus our musical styles are complementary. A jazz singer and an opera singer, while both may be talented, probably aren’t going to blend well. 
3. Discuss strengths and weaknesses and who will do what in advance. Kristy loves first drafts and dislikes revision. I love revision and suffer through first drafts. We could have used that to our advantage. Instead, she got frustrated with the way I second-guessed things during our first draft. I got frustrated with what I perceived as her lack of attention to detail in the revision process. 
4. Evaluate what you hope this project will do for your career before you start. Can you shift at least some of your current audience to this new project? Or, will you alienate them?
5. Hire an editor neither one of you has used before. As well as exposing the weaknesses in the story, this editor becomes the tiebreaker if you disagree. He or she can save both your book and your friendship. 
6. Put your publishing plan in writing. Early on we’d decided we would pitch this book to literary agents. By the time we were done writing it, we’d forgotten our initial plans. Add to that a global lockdown, and we were adrift for a month or two. Having our plan on paper would have kept us on track. 
7. Have a plan B in writing as well. As much as you may hope for an agent and a publishing contract, it might not materialize. If it doesn’t, recognize that independent publishing means you’re starting a business together.

Now how did we remain friends? The same way you stay friends with anyone, with kindness, consideration, integrity, and affection. If you don’t trust and enjoy the person you’re thinking about co-authoring with, I’d rethink it. 

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Greta Boris is the author of The Seven Deadly Sins. A series of taut psychological suspense novels that expose the dark side of sunny Southern California. Visit her at http://gretaboris.com/ for a taste of Southern California Gothic with Escape Room a community exclusive novella. 

Her newest sin, A Pinch of Gluttony, releases on June 2. 

A PINCH OF GLUTTONY

Getting healthy can be deadly.

Honey Wells, chef, shop owner, and cooking instructor, is a glutton for punishment. Her doctor warned her that overwork, a poor diet, and no exercise is a recipe for disaster. But her brother-in-law has disappeared with her savings, and Honey won’t rest until she replenishes the account.

When Honey’s husband, Booker, convinces her to hike Black Star Canyon for her health, her conviction that exercise is dangerous is confirmed. The dead body they find is the straw that breaks her. Fear, stress, and an unhealthy lifestyle collide in an eye-opening panic attack.

Every step Honey takes to regain control results in danger and mystery. Her wayward brother-in-law wants more money, and his emails hint about past crimes. Her new employee may be the victim of an abusive cult. And, the panic attacks keep coming. She’s convinced the answers she seeks are in the one place she dreads going–Black Star Canyon.

If I Know Who You Are by Alice Feeney and The Last Time I Saw You by Liv Constantine made your heart race, Greta Boris’s A Pinch of Gluttony will raise your blood pressure.

Enter the world of The Seven Deadly Sins with any book in this series of standalone psychological suspense novels.

A deliciously clever twist on a deadly sin! Honey’s encounter with murder and skilled deception lures readers into a fascinatingly dark and dangerous world. This book is a keeper. – Anne Hillerman, author of New York Times bestselling mysteries

Fans of psychological suspense will enjoy this tale filled with believable and relatable characters. – Robin Burcell — NYT Bestselling author and co-author with Clive Cussler of the Sam and Remi Fargo series.

BUY THE BOOK HERE

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