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06/07/2007: Duo-ver


Robin in Kansas writes to ask about my opinion on writing with a partner. She points out that I recently had a shared writing credit on Battlestar Galactica (with the delightful Anne Cofell Saunders), which suggests that I have experience in this regard. I have shared writing credits at other times in the past, as well, with Alex Herschlag on Andy Barker, PI, and with Doug Petrie on Buffy, as well as others.

But here is the secret truth. If you are a solo writer, (which is to say you aren't employed with a partner as a single writing entity), you will probably never be asked to collaborate with another writer in the sense of actually sitting down to tackle the writing of a scene together. All the times in which I've shared a credit have either involved a splitting of the script ("you take acts one and two, I'll take three and four"), or they've been a case of either taking over a script after a draft has been completed or having your own script taken over, because of other demands on the time of the initial writer.

This means, of course, that the decision as to whether or not you are a solo writer, or a part of duo, is an important one. It defines how your writing days are spent, probably for the entirely of your career. So think hard about which kind of day you enjoy: a day of fighting and compromise or a day of lonely responsibility. They're both very satisfying, of course.

So, if you've just acquired a partner, and you find yourself dreading your sessions -- even if you're liking the product you produce... think long and hard about whether this is how you want to spend your career. Similarly, if the long hours of solitude as a solo writer make you want to scream... well, there is an alternative.

Lunch: left-over edamame and cucumber salad from a Japanese dinner