Supernatural Thriller - joint effort?

6th

Ok the story is I have what i consider to be a very good idea for a book. I know most people think their ideas are great but i really think this could work.

Thing is when it comes to writting i wouldnt do it justice. So has anyone any advice for going out and finding someone to work with? Ways to protect your idea if you do find someone.

I was thinking of finding someone interested and we'd discuss it make notes and then both sign an agreed copy of what we brought to the idea.

opinions, suggestions and advice appreciated

monkeyfudge

I recommend having a read of some Garth Merenghi for inspiration.

You can read some excerpts of his work here:

http://www.garthmarenghi.com/canon.htm

'The pain shot through her like a big bullet. She knew babies were meant to kick, but were they meant to scratch?'

6th

lol, interesting stuff.

As i said though my ability to write isnt the greatest and i think this idea is above me. If anyone is interested just say so here or pm me. As i said its a supernatural thriller with a nice kiss of horror

monkeyfudge

I'd love to help out myself... but it's a lot of work and I have too many of my own ideas that need developing.

It's also virtually impossible to get published in this country unless you're writing what I like to call 'Clit-lit'.... No one is interested in anything different.

I've started converting some of my stuff into audio dramas in the hopes of getting funding under the Sound & Vision project run by the BCI.

6th

Maybe approaching someone in another country? Anyone any experience with joint writing?

Briony Noh

I've collaborated with other artists on comics, storyboards and films. I don't think my experiences will mean squat to you, though cos every situation is different and depends on the relationship you develop with your collaborator (discuss). To your second point, Internet-wise, there's practically no such thing as 'another country', apart from that from whose bourne no man returns.

What you're after, though, first you wish to protect your idea, next you need to find someone of quality who isn't up to their eyes with their own projects and finally you have to like the result, otherwise it's start-all-over-again and by the way, you're in court on Thursday.

1: Okay, protecting your idea: Far too much is made of this, I think. However, if you feel you need to go that route, the simplest way is to publish now. Write the short story or post the notes here (inviting comment to validate the posting) or on your own website. The 'post it to yourself' trick I think has been exploded long ago (too easy to fake) and the bank deposit box or solicitor's safe are probably too expensive. All you need to prove is prior ownership of the fundamentals, the outline, major players, any specific story points you might have etc. Treat it like a proposal or a submission and I think you'll get the idea. As I say, too much time is spent by artists worrying how to protect their work, normally a collaborator will be only too happy to isolate his ideas from yours (his are always so much better, after all) and if you don't fall out, why shouldn't a handshake be enough. Secondly, I would hate to become successful off the back of anybody else's ideas, and I'd probably have a really hard time following it up - prolonged success rarely pertains to the first idea you come up with. And thirdly, how many Harry Potter lookalikes have there been before and since the original hit pay-dirt? Anybody really care?

2: Finding someone with talent and time: keep asking. Just don't give up looking. You know better than I do how magically things can fall into place when you need them to; when it's right for them to.

3: Liking the result. This is where any contract has to be carefully worked out. There has to be a clause that let's you out of paying (in the future, of course) for work you just aren't happy with. Equally, your collaborator should have their wishes represented, too, so that anything they bring to the table that you don't agree with can be exploited independently of your project without you saying "you'd never have thought of that if I hadn't said so-and-so or such-and-such". This relates to plot situations as much as character creations.

I know others will have more to say about property protection and I'm just as sure a lot of those will recommend far more expensive, and ultimately probably Fort-Knox-Safe methods, so you should absolutely do your own research in this area to make sure you are happy with the system you end up with.

Finally, once you're happy you're sorted with the preliminaries, I'd be delighted to have a look at any proposal and see if I can impress you enough to invite me to become involved. I'll also be happy (I had a happy day this year. Yeaaayy!) to email you some pages of my own (unpublished but no less copyright protected for all that) novel to see if you like my style.

The rest is your choice and your decision and I wish you best fortune with them.

6th

Cheers for that, some great advice Briony, I'll be following it up before i lose the flow again

Matt Holck

I imagine a team might build a plot together
perhaps each handling a different character
determine a situation and play the characters to the outcome

each member would than go back and draft the story
from their chacracter's point of view

put the stories together with the best parts of draft

-old school role player

6th

Ok i'm back on this and after looking around the net at other creative writing forums I cant seem to make my way through aqll the crap thats out there. I even looked at some GhostWriters but they charge a fortune.

If anyone has any ideas of places to look for someone to work with that would be great.