It's not that I don't want to share my toys with the other kids -- but I'd sooner let someone tell me what kind of food I like or what movie I enjoy. The idea of having someone else decide what should happen in MY story just makes me break out in hives. Brr. Pass the chocolate and the Doctor Who reruns - time to scuttle back to the comfort zone!
I think it's for the same reason that I'm a plotter: I need to know in advance exactly what's going to happen, and why. Throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks is not how my creativity works. Reacting to the influence of random outside forces is what real life does - not fiction.I know: sad face, right? I am the death of spontaneity! The enemy of impulse! The nemesis of wild abandon!
Sigh. Oh, well.
I do like themed anthologies, though. That's good fun. I was in one called MY BLOODY VALENTINE earlier this year, where the 'rule' was that the story had to begin with the words, 'Love hurts'. That was all. Any genre, any plot, anything we wanted. Cool, eh?
And what a selection we came up with! Eight authors = eight completely different stories. Mine was an historical vampire tale, but we also had sexy contemporary, suspense, sci-fi romance, paranormal romance, murder mystery... a little of everything.For me, that's the good side of collaboration: No one gets forced into anyone else's box. No one is just a cog in the machine. Everyone keeps their own voice and makes their own choices, and the result is eclectic and fascinating.
When I'm reading, though, I really don't mind. A single novel can be written by twenty authors, for all I care - so long as it works.
Which is the cool thing about publishing these days, right? Whether it works is becoming more important, and that can only be a good thing.
xx
Erica Hayes
www.ericahayes.net
P.S. You can check out MY BLOODY VALENTINE on Goodreads, or read the first bit of my historical vampire tale UNFORGIVEN at my website.
2 comments:
Love the photo,Erica! Collaboration comes in many forms. This blog is a collaboration - BUT we are free to go 'off topic' whenever we feel the need, which I love.
My Bloody Valentine has such an original premise for an anthology! AWESOME!
"Whether it works is becoming more important, and that can only be a good thing." Well said!
Sarah is totally correct. Love the photo; RTG is a collaboration but every post is different.
I'm very glad to see the changes in publishing and that if the story "works" the genre isn't as important.
"Love hurts" but in a romance either or both of the hero or heroine kiss the hurts and make them go away.
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