How to Co-Write a Novel

6. Biggest Rule of Co-Writing

Plan. It. Out.

You may be able to just sit down to write, and somehow spit out an unplanned ending to your story, but when you co-write, this is almost impossible. So don’t disappoint your readers when your unplanned story falls to pieces near the ending. To avoid this, you must have your novel planned out from the start. This involves well-known steps such as brainstorming, character development, and story outline.

When you begin writing your novel, you should already know the beginning, middle, and most importantly, the end. In fact, you should each be able to sit down and write the story by yourself if you had to.

You should be strengthening, not depending on your partner. Writing together should make your writing stronger, not possible. If you find you are relying entirely on your partner, maybe you need to switch genre, style, or your co-writing technique.