When Terri and Bill began writing their books together, they weren't sure they could do it. No one had ever written a novel using two first person voices by two authors. Novels have been written by multiple authors, but the work had been synthesized so that the reader was aware of only a single voice. Single writers have also written fiction using multiple points of view. To date, no agent, publisher, or reader they have talked to could recall the approach that Terri and Bill use.
Others authors smile when they consider the quick sand possibilities of a too-large author ego, editing a partner's fictional work, creating dialogue for your co-author's characters and making the story flow. Must you create a detailed outline to keep on track? What happens to creativity when outlining is used? What in the world do you do when there is a creative difference of opinion?
By writing a short (ten line) synopsis which identified the two main characters, Terri and Bill agreed to begin to write. The event which launched the work was a chance meeting of two homeless people in a park in Washinton, D.C. The result is a character-driven story where each author is forced to deal with the surprises of life--in this case the imagination of the other author.
During the early going, there were issues of dialogue. Would Terri's character say those words? If not, she had the right to change the dialogue regardless of which author was writing that chapter. It worked the same way for both authors. A magical thing happened. Bill and Terri soon captured the essence of each other's character in dialogue.
Was if difficult? Yes. Having to write a chapter and then send it by e-mail to your partner made the work more challenging. Then there was the first edit done on line by the other writer. But it was fun in the broadest and best sense of the word.
Was it worth it? Publisher and agents think so. The result is a first of its kind novel in American writing with two authors blending their two first person voices to create a character-driven work of fiction that flows across chapters and surprises the reader with a devilishly turned plot.
Is Immoral Symphony a seminal work in American writing? Will authors around the country band together to form writing partnerships? Are universities lining up to hear Terri and Bill lecture about a new approach to creative writing? Being modest authors, who have found a niche that may be comfortable only for them, they don't really know. Such predictions would reveal an ego that some authors might understand, but which neither Terri nor Bill possess.
What has happened is two people who are atuned have written a work that will appeal to women and men. Enjoy a new approach to reading and writing.
Being co-authors also means sharing the work, and fun, of building a website to communicate with our readers. Recently, we began this website while attending a writer's conference. Sitting in uncomfortable chairs in a hotel business office, we purchased our domain and began to construct our message. Using the cover text that will appear on our book, we began typing. Before the day was over, we had written and modified our biographies. With that start, the rest was easy over the telephone and Internet. Being writers is a great vocation.