looking for a cowriter

I have a problem. Although I'm pretty good with characters/dialogue/voice, I'm lousy with plot. As in, most things I write don't even have one. So I was thinking, why not find a cowriter who is great with plot but having trouble with characters and dialogue?

I'm looking for someone to cowrite a novel with. Contemporary realistic, probably...possibly science fiction or low fantasy (high fantasy might be okay...just as long as it's not the cliched warrior-with-a-bow/sword/whatever-fighting-alongside-elves type thing). A thriller or something might be fun, or maybe just something about kids in school (but it needs an interesting plot).

I want it to be about kids between age twelve and age nineteen. I don't really care what age my cowriter is, though. I'd prefer someone who isn't easily offended (so there can be swearing and stuff). I'd also prefer someone who's really funny. And somebody who recognizes stuff that's corny and doesn't write it.

As for the type of writing I like: I like some Fitzgerald, S.E. Hinton, Harper Lee, The Caves of Steel by Asimov, The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman, The Giver by Lois Lowry, The Stranger by Camus, Holes by Louis Sachar, A Moveable Feast by Hemmingway and a few of his short stories but not most of his stuff I don't think...I like Salinger's style in The Catcher in the Rye (and a couple other things about it)...and stuff that's really funny, like most of Gordon Korman's stuff and Avi's S.O.R. books. I hate Lord of the Flies by William Golding and Shakespeare and stuff like that. I also don't like really poetic styles like Tolkein's.

To get an idea of my style you can read Unreasonable Progress, posted in the "Other Fiction" section. I think I might want this one to be more serious than that, though. (By serious I don't mean less funny. You know what I mean?)

6/22 Edit: also read This is the Best It Gets, same section

Anyone interested?

i am interested, but i am probably not your best bet(choice, bet whatever same difference), if nobody else replies i'll try.

I would love to, but the way people act towards me helps me think wether or not I'm a good plot person. I think I am, but what does my thought count? :like in voting:

i hink I'm funny. Although EMMA says my humor ruins EVERYTHING. If you read my like blog, you can tell i lead a funny life, if you read my signature, they are all things I have though, said or written down. So I guess I'm funny. But that depends on you.

Hey Jess! I haven't seen you on here in a while. Hey it's me Kayla! Remember me? Sure I'm interested. Lately I've been having some major writers block and need some inspiration. Maybe doing a co-write will help me.

That's very brave of you to want to work with someone. I know I couldn't do that. But if you want someone to help work out a plot, but you do everything else, that I'd be interested in doing.

I'm pretty good with plots (if I may say so myself), can do a number of genres, I usually write at that same age group, I'm definatly not easily offended (my stories tend to have a bit of swearing in), I can very easily see corny stuff (hey, can't all guys though?) and I guess you could say I'm funny...


But I'm buisy at the moment, and I don't really fancy co writing a story anyways (especially not a novel, which are generally loooong).

So yah. I just wasted about minute of your life.

Sucks to be you.





P.S. On a more positive note, I have little doubt that you'll find a better candidate then me anyways .

The Black Rose wrote:I would love to, but the way people act towards me helps me think wether or not I'm a good plot person. I think I am, but what does my thought count? :like in voting:

i hink I'm funny. Although EMMA says my humor ruins EVERYTHING. If you read my like blog, you can tell i lead a funny life, if you read my signature, they are all things I have though, said or written down. So I guess I'm funny. But that depends on you.

No I dont... xP

Um...I'd like to voulenteer for the job. *pounds chest* I'm a good bet for co-writing stories. Please pick me....I love you...j/k. Well anyway, I'm good at writing most genres and I can be quite funny at times. So if you like what you read then dial 1-800-PLEASE-PICK-ME.....yes...pick me.

i would be willing to try

-Raises hand-

I don't want to make this a shameless self-promotion post, so I won't. But I'd definately be interested in your (brave, as Reichieru pointed out) offer because:

1) I could stand to work on my characterization skills. (Understatement of the year.)
2) I do the comedy thing well.
3) Creating innovative plots--I do that too. Finishing the long plot I have planned out, however? That's a completely different matter.

Gah, that definately turned into a self-promotion post. -Is tempted to hit the backspace button- Ahh, nevermind.[/i]

I would love to 'cause I love cowriting with people, but I have nearly the same problem as you... kind of. I get off the plotline and get too involved with emotional statuses and counterplots, but not always. I'm willing to give it a try depending on what kind of story you're thinking of, but I probably wouldn't be your first choice

If you want to find someone who is really good with plot, look up my friend Lenthe here on YWS

Cool, I'm glad to see there are so many responses. Maybe we could do a cowrite with even more than two people. I have to warn you guys, though, I'm pretty unreliable when it comes to stuff like this. So basically, there's a good chance I'll end up quitting near the beginning of the project without any real explanation. (For example, I lasted under one day at NaNoWriMo...) So, knowing that, feel free to withdraw any of your offers.

I'm going to read some of your guys's stuff now...

I would definately be interested in enering into a co-writng project at the mo. I've read your 'unresonable progess peice' and was reather impressed, so as an admirer of your style I would definately be willing to work with you. I've go some spare plots to dump as i am firmly trying to resist the temptation to write fan fiction. I love planning things but like you my stick-to-it-ive-ness leaves something to be desired. I'm a fan of urban fantasy/charles delint/ sunshine by robin mckKinley, the normal with and edge and an air of the unreal/magical. I also like inventive sci-fi (farscape type stuff) and contemporary realistic fiction, though in those sorts of stories i usually like adult protagonists. My specialty is coming up with immense and complex worlds and settings/background info, all that stuff, and I'm okay at characterazation but in my opinion i am crap at dialogue. but then again I have rediculously high standards, so who knows

Its been a while but I love 'the giver' and the his dark materials books, though I though the golden compass had a slow start. I happen to like Shakespear actually, for he was the king of convoluted plots- which i seem to have an absurd amount of patience for. But i am *not* a LOTR fan by any means, and the swords-and-elves genre IMO is overdone and definately not my cup of tea.

The main reason I'm volenteering to work with you (besides admiring your story and always being on the lookout for new writing endeavors) is that I am at this point bored out of my skull with most of my current projects. the best thing for that usually is to try collaboration. sometimes you need to work with other authors and get out of your own head. fresh eyes and all that.

So, yeah, this response is longer than i intended...

I like maincharacters who are int he 14/20 range and I am 17 myself. If you don't mind my asking, how old are you? (not that it matters really, its just curiousity). and the only things i find offenceive are rcial/sexist/homophobic slurrs, which i'm sure everyone here agrees is off limits, since i like to believe that YWS are mostly reasonable people. Normal? no. Reasonable? Yes.

Oh, and as for comedy, I like/do dry wit, irony, british humor(also british swearing when it comes to it), shaggy dog stories, bad puns and absurd nonsequitors. I was raised on MASH and Monty Python, James thurber, and my uncles bad jokes at christmas. Am currently reading the Thursday Next books by Jasper Fforde, which have a douglas adams feel, and I have a sertain fondness for vonagut. comic timeing is a bit of a trick in narrative/stories, but it's doable with proper spacing, and well, comic timing. but this could be a subject of some debate, and perhaps i better left to a different topic.

Anyhoo, this post was perhaps overkill. let me know if you are intersted in working with me at all, on this or future ventures (be warned though, i nit-pick grammar and people who use the phrase 'very unique' will be mocked...). I'm sorry if this posting is little odd (just a little?) i've been haning out with the people over at this Dr.Who shippers at this lj comm... they seem to be having a strang influence over me.

hope to hear from you,
Sabz

Cool. I don't know which person/people I'm going to work with yet, but how about throwing around some plot ideas, everybody?

I am, certainly, interested. However, my applicability to your situation is your decision, so I suggest you read, or at the very least peruse, "Girls" in Romantic Fiction and some other works of mine. (i.e. Nat, or Naught: A Family History also in the Romantic Fiction).