Screenwriting : Collaborating with other writers by Phillip E. Hardy, Prolifique

You're the best conversation starter. :)

I co-wrote a web series with a writing partner, but after we finished drafting the first 10 episodes I decided I didn't want to move forward with the project. We even invested in and produced a 4 minute proof-of-concept for a Kickstarter campaign.

Why did I decide to move away from it? I felt I was doing the Lion's share. He definitely wrote half of it, but he was pretty consistent on having to cancel and reschedule our meetings. I also organized and produced the proof-of-concept shoot, and he did very little. Having said that, that wasn't his problem, it was mine. I'ma go getter and I work hard. If you decide to work with me, I do exactly that. I think he didn't expect me to go full force.

I also wasn't fully married to the concept. so after having conversations with several other producers, I made the decision to hand the project over to him. I moved forward with my own, and just finished a 5 day shoot of an original television pilot I wrote.

As far as I know, he's done nothing with those 10 episodes.

I’ve been in partnerships where the other person/people came up with the idea, then expected me to do the grunt work of actually writing the story. They were so surprised—and sometimes irritated—when I asked for clarification on different points, because they thought their idea was already clear enough and, if I could not extrapolate the story from that, I was the one with the problem. Conversely, I once started a novel with a friend and we took turns writing chapters. It was working because we were on the same wavelength creatively, but he lost interest after four chapters and gave me permission to finish the project, which remains just six chapters today. So I’d say collaboration had been a mixed bag for me, with overall unproductive results.

wrote a tv comedy pilot for someone who had an idea (good idea too). I think they liked my work but it didn't really go anywhere. But I learned a lot about myself in process. I learned I am probably in the "Michael Doresy" category of people to work with. - "you were a tomato!" So I'll stick to flying solo.

Joleene:

Great share!

And everyone else too.

I co-wrote two screenplays with Judy Norton that she will star in. It was a great experience because we got along so well and besides being a good actress she is also a good screenwriter. I also co-wrote the sequel for Narc staring Ray Liotta with Michael Z Gordon on assignment but it died in development.

Haven't collaborated on anything as yet, but when and if that times comes for me to do so, it would have to be with someone that I can click and reason with. I tend to -- especially with my writing -- like going at it alone so I can be as creative as I'd like. But, I normally get along with others, so hopefully that doesn't change if ever I co-write.

I love to collaborate with other writers in a sense that it widens the range of creativity on the same story. It's all about balance, listening to one another, sharing tasks, trust...Never encountered a bad collab yet.

the negative side is the $ doesn't double. The pay is split. I wrote this gritty low budget screenplay and the director wanted to co-wrote. I said no, told him to let me do a solo 1st draft and fire me after. We were both freelancers on the project. Didn't make financial sense to split the screenplay pay.

If you have good chemistry with a person, there will be testy moments along the way about words, plot points, how a character would act. If you don't have good chemistry, it's not fun.

Is it worth it to have a contrasting point of view to your own as you write? Most of the time yes.

No matter what... before commencing any collaboration write up an agreement of terms... did I mention no matter what?

Personally, my view of ideal collaboration is to talk out beats, plot, characters. Then I return to the keyboard and write solo. Infinitely less frustrating to me. However, that's not the kind of collab everyone wants.

Dan M. Did he pay you for writing the first draft?

Dan Guardino Yep, the company did. One draft and I was out. The director rewrote with another writer on set.

Then you should still get a screenwriting credit if you wrote the first draft.

Dan M - that's the way to handle it for sure - hope the check don't bounce. I'm not sure you can claim a screenwriting credit but you sure can have a 'based on' story credit and maybe some residuals if there are any.

The common thread I've heard here that I've experienced myself is that the times I partnered to "co-write," I did most of the work. They like "the idea" of writing a script but balk at the reality that it means ya gotta sit down and write.

Brian Shell hit the nail on the head. I've done over twenty projects with a collaborator, the back and forth brainstorming was great, but when the real work starts they got to take a holiday and when something gets going they want a piece of everything you do, even the ones you did alone, because they deserve it just for being a partner.

Obviously, it's all about the right chemistry. A writing collaboration can be very demanding due to mutual sense of ownership. The ground rules MUST be written in stone. Do a mutually binding WRITTEN CONTRACT, drafted by a bona fide attorney, if at all possible. Yeah, it costs a bit of dough, but hey, you'll be thanking yourself afterwards, if the whole thing goes south. I was involved in a partnership with a pretty famous writer and an illustrator a few years ago. For me, it was far from an ideal experience. I'm not going to elaborate, I wish I could be more positive. So please think twice before you collaborate with anyone, because it can either be bliss or a bloody nightmare. Most of all, do you your due diligence on your collaborator as far and as deeply as possible. Writing and making movies is difficult enough as it is. You DON'T want to be paying your dues ... even if you sometimes inevitably HAVE TO.