Writing Tips and Reviews

Collabortation: Suggestions

My series is built on the help of collaborators, but I'm not just the leader. In my chat I'm a participant just like everyone else. I have my ideas and they have theirs. It's important to have people helping, a series as big as mine cannot be done by one person alone. I've always needed help and I've always had help. Many can go without collaborators but progress either goes by slowly or the project ends when ideas are out.

Command vs Suggestion:

But here's one thing that I've never liked. It's when people command a writer to do something. Not a suggestion, a command. They tell the writer what to do with no room for argument. If this is a mistake or a misunderstanding in tone then that's completely different. If it's outright changing things within the story just because you want it to be your way not theirs, then we have a problem.

This is much like what people have done with Japanese game series as they're in production. If a Japanese series gains a west audience, then why does the JAPANESE series have to appeal more to the west now? It got its audience for its charm, not because it appeals to west audience. In the same sense, why would you go into a project, either being invited or able to see a sneak peak, and then change everything to make it the way you want it? That's unfair to the writer and people actually collaborating.

Some people go a step further and when making commands, aren't open to suggestion themselves. They ignore all explanation of why the story is that way along with everything that they don't want to hear. This, is being a special snowflake.

Rejecting:

It's okay to reject a suggestion, the story doesn't belong to some random person who came in and looked at a preview. It belongs to the writer. If someone makes a suggestion then it's okay to say "I like the way my story is laid out, but thank you". If you want to use the idea later then ask if that's okay. If they say "sure" then keep it in documentation somewhere in the back of your head. If they say "no" then don't push it.

Someone Else's Work:

You're the one suggesting in this situation. Either you're a collaborator or just a random person who sees a post from a friend online. As I've said, the one thing you don't want to do is control someone else's work. Don't tell them they can't do something because you personally don't like it. If it's a matter of what others will think, like if an idea is really stupid and needs improvement or the story is contradicting later down the line, then take it slowly. I've learned to do that as well. Don't push it, ask them if they want some help and say it in a nice manner if they want it. If they don't, then keep it in mind. If they're not online when you have an idea then make a comment or side note.

Do not ever go into the work and change it without letting them know. I've gotten permission to do such by friends, point out plot holes, comment on characters who seem to have no role, even make translations for the west audience. But I've gotten permission. If I don't have permission, I will message them about the subject or leave a comment.

I've had this happen to me. Someone who had no right to change my work and just wanted to see what I did, went into my story during its draft stage and changed an entire scene to go the way they wanted it to. A character was meant to die but, being the baby special snowflake they were, they changed it to focus around the antagonist escaping than the antagonist killing the character. A trap isn't just capture them and run away, it can be to kill the intruders.

Your Work:

What is the one thing you do when making a story? Plan it out. You take time out of your day to figure out everything and make the way you want it. Of course there will be parts where you can't do it alone. Sometimes you get stuck and need help or you're worried about contradictions so ask for help. Whatever the case, I'm sure you wouldn't want someone to go into your story and change it to their merit without asking, then give you an attitude. That's immature of them.

You want people to help, and while there are many groups online to do so. I personally (being the introvert with anxiety that I am) prefer a small group of people. Up to ten. Whatever group you choose, you need to tell them the specifics of what you want. Show them what you have or the part you need help on and wait for responses. Most likely you'll get someone who is mature and gives you exactly what you want. In rare cases, or with my terrible luck too many times, you'll get the people who are immature and try to make it what they want. You don't want that, so why would you do it to others?

Collaborators:

Collaborators are extremely helpful. They're the people who have been chosen to stay on the team and help out with suggestions, minor changes, like grammar, and in my case, I have a character design team (composing of two other people, shut up). If you are a solo artist then fine, do as you wish, but know it's not the best it can be without input. Why do you think teachers in school have students turn in essays and give feedback? To improve the work. Unless you're a special snowflake and never do homework with the expectation good grades should be handed to you. That's another story.

Collaborators are like friends who play the teacher role. They make suggestions and changes based off of what you've told them and the information they're given. You then have the choice to keep the suggestions or reject them.

Conclusion:

In all cases, a collaborator should be someone who helps and improves the work. They should make suggestions based off of what you already have and not what they want in place of your work. I've had this happen to me, when I let in someone who wanted to see my work they tried to turn it into their work, most likely to steal it later. They didn't take suggestions for their work and ignored all my explanations. A person like that is toxic and you don't need someone who just wants their way not yours in your own work.