How Common is Collaboration?

[Baztrachian]

I collaborated with my non-Lit friend Candace ONCE and the story was rejected as AI. I published the story over on Tumblr instead.

 

[anthrodisiac]

I endorse what ElectricBlue told you.

You are not at all alone or unusual in reaching out in this forum and inquiring about collaborations. Many others have done the same. But the way it usually works is that you write and publish your own stories and then get to know other writers in this forum, and once you have a bit of a track record you can connect with someone who is compatible and then collaborate. "Cold calls" don't usually work.

So, my recommendation is: first, write and publish your own stuff. Don't worry about the quality. We've all been there. Just do it, get your feet wet, see how it goes. Read other authors' stories, and figure out whom you like and with whom you might like to collaborate.

I'll doubly endorse. And then Xtuple down on what everyone else has said re: absolute fidelity isn't as important as plausibility.

@usable001, If she's just masturbating to the idea, it's not that dangerous, and it might even be that the danger of ruining her career over it is a big driver of why it's so hot, the danger, the taboo nature, the risk, etc.

I often advise people to sit with their characters for a bit to get to know them. You have at least some sense of her if you've written 3k already, but figure out her likes, dislikes, fears, ambitions, biggest moments in her life, formative experiences, favorite food, favorite movie, secret desires, indulgences, all that stuff. You don't need all of it, but it can help shape who she is by giving you a better sense of what she's like, what she wants, and what drives her (that last one is crucial for good characters that are self-driven rather than puppets just doing what the author tells them to).

I know it can be intimidating to write experiences that aren't our own, especially when we want to do it well. But the only way to get better at these things is to practice and try them yourselves. Take a risk, take the leap. Maybe it doesn't land as well as you hope, but at least you gave it a shot, and you'll learn things from that. Most of us came across similar roadblocks at one point or another, and did it anyway, with varying degrees of success (I have a lot of early failures, trust me), but each one is something you can learn from and use as a stepping stone for your next work. If this one is so intimidating, maybe find a different story that is less so and write that. Or you can write another scene with her that isn't the sexual one, not to publish, but to get to know her like I mentioned in my previous paragraph. I've done this from time to time when I really need to hash someone out, just have them go about their life, dealing with a minor obstacle or talking to someone, just to suss them out some more. Kick the tires, so to speak.

The most important thing is to try not to judge yourself too harshly on your first go round. Rough drafts are called such for a reason. It's usually fixable, and you might not get it on the first pass, but maybe you'll see what isn't working for you once you write it, and that can help identify how you need to course correct. But that means you need to write it first, so give that a shot, see how it goes. Good luck!

 

[Actingup]

Eww.

Ask her who she enjoys writing with more, go on.

 

[Djmac1031]

is anyone actually visiting this forum with the goal of bringing someone else's beginning to completion?

Short answer? No. Authors here are usually more than happy to discuss ideas and potential ideas for how a story might go forward especially if someone is looking for help. But we're not here to finish writing someone else's story for them.

If I were to hand this over to someone else and let them take the wheel completely

My question is, why would you even consider that? Even if you found someone willing.

@EmilyMiller and i have collaborated several times, as she's mentioned. But it's never been a case of "Here, I started this, you finish it for me, I'm done."

Our first official collaboration, Traffic did start out with Emily writing a chunk of story, sending it to me and suggesting I write the next part. Which is in a way similar to what you're talking about.

Except Emily didn't just walk away from it. Yes, I wrote the next section. Then had her review it and we discussed what worked and what didn't. Then Emily wrote the final third act and again we discussed and reviewed until we were both happy with the final product.

But that wasn't entirely out of the blue. We'd been proofreading and editing each other's work for quite some time before that collaboration.

Until Traffic, any suggestions we made to each other about how a story might go were simply that: suggestions. Sometimes we would agree, sometimes not.

Being honest I probably tend to incorporate more of Emily's suggestions into my stories than she does mine.

But that's because Emily almost always has a clear vision of her story going forward. And so whether she uses my suggestions depends on whether or not they fit in with her overall goals.

I, on the other hand, often find myself stuck on a story and ask Emily for her thoughts. And invariably she sees a way forward that I missed, didn't think of.

But back to your question - again, I don't think you're going to find an author willing to just take your unfinished story and run with it. And even if you did, why would you want that?

My suggestion is look for like minded writers here, writers who's stories and styles you like, maybe writers who write how you want to write, and get to know them, pick their brains, ask advice.

Then take all that and finish your story yourself.

 

[PennyThompson]

Ask her who she enjoys writing with more, go on.

Ohhh no, I'm not falling for that trick... You and Emily will start fighting for my affections and sending me intensely personal messages and buying me cute little gifts and...

and...

what was the question?

 

[EmilyMiller]

Emily will start fighting for my affections and sending me intensely personal messages and buying me cute little gifts and...

You sure you used the right name in that? Asking for a friend .

 

[EmilyMiller]

But that's because Emily almost always has a clear vision of her story going forward. And so whether she uses my suggestions depends on whether or not they fit in with her overall goals.

TL-DNR: she’s Miss Bossy Pants and likes getting her own way

 

[Actingup]

TL-DNR: she’s Miss Bossy Pants and likes getting her own way

She is open to being challenged although she may not enjoy it as such…

And in terms of the original post, yes people collaborate, but the chemistry has to work. Your best friend may not be your best writing partner (and that’s okay!). Writing about intimacy is also in itself a very intimate process in its own way and requires a high degree of mutual trust and also some solid respect for boundaries.

A good way into this is to be an active beta reader. Having a beta-read turn into a collaboration is a natural process if the chemistry is there. If it’s not, it’s not worth forcing it.

 

[WhiteTailDarkTip]

The collaborations that get mentioned here are always, I think, between very well-established, skilled writers. I'm a big fan of the aforementioned WhiteTailDarkTip. I can see how two such people could negotiate with their strengths.

Officially flattered

 

[WhiteTailDarkTip]

I’ve had unsuccessful attempts at collaboration where the other writer’s style or ideas just didn’t mesh with mine. There was no rancour, we amicably went our separate ways.
And in answer to an earlier comment, I totally agree with the replies that said that the best way forward is to try (or, as the great master Oogway said, “Do, don’t do, there is no try.”)
One of the great benefits of collaboration is that your partner acts as a goad to mitigate your own procrastination. My work with @Erozetta was my most productive period ever. 30-40k words in about three months!

 

[usable001]

... It's your story idea, so the best person to give it a crack is you.

Not the wrong place, but the wrong mind set. Seriously, have a crack at writing it yourself.

...

Start writing, would be my advice.

Primed by this encouragement and that of many others, the missing chapter 3 from my example was added to the pending list today.

 

[Bramblethorn]

For what it's worth, human ghost-writers on sites like Fiverr are really hit-or-miss (mostly miss) too.

And at this point you'll be exceedingly lucky to get an actual human.

 

[usable001]

Primed by this encouragement and that of many others, the missing chapter 3 from my example was added to the pending list today.

It will post for the public to read tomorrow (Sunday, 6/21/26).

https://www.literotica.com/series/se/personal-assistant

 

[SmilingLez]

I’m currently collaborating with someone I met here.