Screenwriting : Collaborate or fly solo by Kris Polson

Personally I find a partner slows down the process. Of course when one finds a compatible partner it's wonderful. No matter what you choose it's still going to go slow. If you are both equally previously committed (a regular day job and family commitments) then neither of you can speed up the process. If you have less time than your partner that can create tension; i.e., the partner waiting on you. But if you can find a partner willing to work while you cannot (do to your a regular day job and family commitments) I can see it being a great thing for you. What about you collaborating with someone on their scripts rather than someone collaborating with you on your scripts?

I'm a big pusher for writing it yourself. That way you get a story that is what you want not what you compromise over. its YOUR vision. Accept changes from a director that wants to film it naturally but it needs to start out YOU

I understand how frustrating it is not to spend as much time on writing as you would like, but a lot of us are in the same boat. Somehow we have to find a way to make it work. I think of writing as my second job. Every free minute is spent on writing, if not actually writing, then thinking about writing. I think I even dream about writing :) Collaboration is a tricky thing. It's like a marriage - you have to find that perfect person with whom you're willing to spend a lot of time. If it's the wrong mix, it usually ends up in a bitter divorce. If you're really new to screenwriting, I would suggest concentrating on learning and honing the craft - read a lot of scripts, focus on finishing one script before moving to the other - and less on pitching. My guess is you're probably not ready for a pitchfest just yet.

Thank you all for your great advice. I was already planning on finishing at least one of these screenplays before taking part in a pitchfest, but was just wondering if collaboration would get me there faster. Seems like what I was feeling inside is the same thing you all advised me to do, that is, keep working on it myself. Monique, I agree with you wholeheartedly that it is like a second job. I have written a few stage plays, and those took almost every waking hour outside of my "day job" to complete in the time frame I had. But sooo rewarding when it was produced and I got to see the audience reaction. It was during those projects that the seeds of these screenplays started to sprout. I put them aside thinking that I did not have the "chops" to write, but after seeing the fruits of my writing for the stage it gave me new confidence in pushing through on a couple of these screenplay ideas. Thanks again for the advice!

Here's a different take on collaboration. My friend and I are both screenwriters and when we start a screenplay, we owe each other an email by Saturday midnight with five pages. That way we form a writing habit and have someone to be accountable to. And some weeks, I've emailed the five pages and said "Please don't read... awful pages but got them done." Amazing how 5 pages a week add up!

Kathyrn Rushent gave you some really good advice. She has six completed written projects and pitchers like an all-star!