Good morning screenwriters,
How are you today? How's your projects going? Have any of you collaborated on a screenplay recently?
I'm about to step into two collaborative projects and it's been long enough since I've co-written that I'm realizing how much I've forgotten about what it's like.
For those who've done it, I have questions! What worked well? What surprised you? What do you wish you'd discussed at the beginning? Any sinkholes to look out for?
I'm looking forward to bouncing ideas around with other writers again and would love to hear experiences from some who've been there more recently than I have.
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Hey Elle Bolan - great question! I'm kind of in the middle of one right now. I think it all boils down to how much people respect each other. The more mutual respect there is, the easier things flow. I've been a part of writers groups where one person was insecure and needed to lord over everyone else - not a collaborative thing but you get the type. I tend to look for how much ego is involved in any collaboration.
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Hi everyone,
Great question... I’ve been thinking about collaboration a lot recently as well.
In my case, I’ve been developing a transmedia sci-fi universe (The Light of Sunless) mostly solo so far, but I’ve started structuring it in a way that could eventually open up to collaboration (different writers for spin-offs, character perspectives, etc.).
One thing I’ve learned early is that even in solo development, you start building “internal collaboration” between structure, worldbuilding, and character arcs... so when real co-writing enters the process, clarity of roles and creative boundaries becomes essential.
From what I’ve seen and read, the biggest sinkholes usually come from:
unclear ownership of specific story elements
differences in writing voice consistency
and lack of upfront agreement on revision authority
What I’m curious about from your experience is how you usually divide creative control vs. execution freedom in co-writing situations especially when both writers are equally invested in the story direction.
Looking forward to hearing your insights this is a topic I find increasingly relevant as projects scale beyond a single creator.
- Seventy
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Hey Leonardo! Yes, absolutely, respect has to have a seat at the table. I'm very lucky in having both collaborators be people I have the utmost respect for.
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@Seventy, division of labor is one of the first things I try to discuss. I'm very, very, veeeery easy going about notes, revisions, changes. I am in no way precious or protective over my written work and I'm very open to the concept of being wrong.
At the end of the day, I want what best serves the story. And that might be something I haven't thought of.
What one partner and I have done so far is a kind of serve and volley. Everything we have agreed upon has been bounced between us. I've expanded on his ideas. Offered alternatives. He's done the exact same. And the crime thriller we are developing together gets all the benefit of my need for answers to every question imaginable and my writing partner's brilliantly structured mind. We are both equally invested. We have an advantage here. Our partnership has developed over months of swapping, reading, giving critiques of each other's pages. Given that we know each other's work pretty well, it's probably one of the most comfortable partnerships I've encountered professionally. It's so easy. That ease comes directly from how much respect we have for each other and how well we know each other's work and minds.
The other project is a bit different as I'm coming into someone else's project, but has so far been much the same. I have tons of respect for the producer and he's been great to work with so far. It's a slightly newer project and I'm not as far into it yet, however, I feel at my ease to give input on his vision. He's made a point of making sure I feel that ease and was very clear about our roles up front, which I'm grateful for. That division of labor being predetermined before even a page is written makes it a lot smoother.
So far, I haven't had to divide my creativity with another or go to bat for a point I really felt the need to stand on. I think if you find the right partners, it tends to fall into place. They're strong where I'm weaker in spots. I'm strong in areas they might not be. We are building together as a team. Lifting each other up as we build.
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Beautiful insight, Elle.
The more I write, the more I feel that stories don't belong to us... we simply help them take shape. The best collaborations seem to happen when ego steps aside and everyone serves the story itself.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
- Seventy
Creator & IP Holder
“The Light of Sunless”
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I think aligning communication and expectation are so important - as is having a simple collaboration agreement.