Being on the Team

Abigail  says “I loved Choose Your Own Adventure novels when I was a kid but there were a few flaws. Firstly they were never written so I could successfully get through (others have since pointed out this is my flaw not the authors!) Secondly they almost always had male characters in the lead… it was as if 70’s and 80’s adventures belonged strictly in the male realm (watch me hack up a feminist hairball!) Thirdly, they were aimed at children, which means as an adult they are either so simply written you want to rip your eyes out to protect yourself or so cheesy you’d hold back vomit. And in the case of a brand new one I picked up… laced with guilt of having made the wrong decision (when the hell did the Catholics take to editing and publishing CYOAs?)

So the chance to take some female characters, for an adult ride, with deep feminist underpinnings, no cheese and hell-no simplicity… who could say no to that invitation.”

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Adam says “Collaborative writing is unique in that you have to get into the head space of a character that you have not created.  You share the character with the original creator.  Sharing a character is like trying on their underpants. At first it feels weird, but then you get comfortable in how it all feels.  You begin to think like the character. They take on a life of their own and you wonder how you can give the underpants, I mean character, back to the original owner. And you hope that you didn’t stretch the elastic too far.”

 Annie   says “Its no secret I am a passionate advocate for collaborative writing and the return of the short story as a form within publishing. I am driven to seek how far a collective can create and always thrilled with the intensity and honesty of the characters who shine through the process. There is no truer saying than the sum is greater than the individual.”

Catherine said ” Though I’d never worked on a collaborative project before, I was familiar with the Choose Your Own Adventure style of books through my son. The idea of an online adventure appealed to me as the logical next step in this type of literature, and I’ve enjoyed working closely with other writers. The experience has been more rewarding than I could have possibly imagined”.

 Emma  says “I was new to collaborative writing at the beginning of this project, for me writing was always a solitary pursuit, so as excited as I was about starting, I was also a little apprehensive.  I needn’t have been though, as I’ve loved every second.  I feel I’ve learned from the others in my hub (who are all great, by the way) and I feel more confident and ready to step outside of my safety net more often. It was tricky at times, with tight deadlines and the task of ‘taking over’ someone else’s story to write the ending, but that all adds to the fun.  I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and would love to repeat it.”

Icy  remembers the CYOA books from when she was younger so to be a part of one was really exciting. She thought it was also quite cool being able to work with writers all over the world. Icy says “I don’t think a project like this would have been possible before Skype or email! The style and format of CYOA perfectly suits collaborative writing.”

John says “This was my first collaborative effort and while I admit I had my doubts and even once considered pulling out of the project, I am glad I stayed on and finished it. It has been a very rewarding experience that has helped me gain a lot of insight on what it’s like working with other authors.”

Justyn says “Being part of this project has given [my writing] a new lease on life. I’m tempted to go back to writing full-time.” 

Kari  said she was honored to have been part of  CYOA History’s Keeper & Dust and Death and looks forward to future opportunities with CYOA as well as other writing projects..

Krista thinks it’s important for folks to understand that it’s a lot more complicated then writing the same word count by yourself. It’s a team effort. You might need to change your approach to match the team..

Laura  says that working with the other writers has been an exciting and innovative process. The collaborative nature of the project forced me to open my mind and writing style to the thoughts and styles of other writers. This was an amazing opportunity to expand my skills and hone my craft. I look forward to more collaboration with these inspiring writers.

 Susan  says that writing on the CYOA project presented a unique opportunity to work with other writers through the creative process.  Because of the project’s collaborative nature, the atmosphere was very open and conducive to sharing.  This allowed for a rich flow of ideas and enables the characters to grow, and the plot to develop, in a very organic way..

Tanya  believes that her experiences in collaborative writing was a rollercoaster ride through early morning and late night Skype chats; dark shadowy tunnels inside the  minds of unique contemporary writers; steep mountain climbs littered with breathtaking ideas and heartbreaking plunges; dizzying loop d’loop’s of editor feedback and finally, as the carriage slows to a stop, the exhilaration and thrill of at last finding out – whodunit!.

Tina  says “This type of collaborative writing is not something for the faint of heart. Tight time lines, close working relationships with the other writers in your group. That’s not to say it can’t be fun too, but you definitely need to find that right mix of people. I did enjoy the concept of working as a group to create a choose your own adventure book. With that many more people working on it, you get that many more ideas on how things could work out. There are still a few kinks to work out, as with an new adventure, but I’m confident that the people behind this project will keep working at it until it hums like a well oiled machine.”

Tomara  says “This is my first collaborative project, so it was really strange, at first, talking to the other writers about the characters in this story. I am used to being in my own little world, so I have a lot of internal dialogue when I start a project.  I also draw pictures and even interview my characters; it’s weird to some, but they don’t understand my creative process. It was really cool to sit in a real time chat with my hubmates and talk about these characters like they were sitting there with us.

As an outsider looking in, I think we, as writers, tread a very thin line between where you are—sitting comfortably in all your normalcy—and insanity. I’m so glad I’m not alone on this road to crazy.”