Working with a Co-Author

The idea of working with a co-author may be a little scary for some. Having to work so closely and intimately with someone is not an easy task. I am working with the beautiful and talented Christine Eller. The great thing about working with Christine is that she and I grew up together. That's right! We actually met when we were preschoolers (~30 years ago).

I will admit, working so closely with someone hasn't been all unicorns and rainbows. It's a good thing

we're such good friends, because we have annoyed each other a few times. However, for the majority of the time, it has been AMAZING! It has been so awesome having someone to bounce ideas off of and to be able to tell me when something is a stupid idea. LOL! Okay, Christine says it a lot nicer than that, but once in a while, this has caused some issues. An author just doesn't always want to hear that he or she needs to change something. Hearing it from a friend helps to soften the blow even if it sometimes takes a day or two to realize it really was a soft blow and easily fixed.

She and I are both strongest in different aspects of writing so we've been able to complement each other well. She is amazing at getting a dialogue going that really helps the reader get to know the characters. I love it! Working with her, I have seen characters develop to new depths that I wouldn't have been able to accomplish on my own. This has provided me with a great learning opportunity so I can accomplish this in my other writings. While my characters grow and develop throughout their stories, Christine's characters reach an entirely new intensity which can be felt by the reader. Just wait. You'll see. I look forward to going back and tweaking my characters so my readers can fall in love with them like I have.

Bottom line -- I think it's been amazing working with a co-author. It has helped me learn so much about writing and provided me someone to act as a sounding board. I'm glad we are doing a series so I'll be able to work with her on more projects. However, I think it'd be a lot easier if we didn't live on different ends of the country.

Thank you, Christine, for being my co-author and friend!!! You rock!

Childhood, teens, and adults

#author #coauthor