Collaboration has never been my strong suite, at least not in the writing category. In my professional life (as a marketing communications consultant), collaboration is essential and I am known for being a good team player. But writing has always been a solitary pursuit.
When it comes to writing, you will find me sitting alone, frequently in the dead of night, focused intently on my computer, transcribing whatever is circulating around in my brain into words on a printed page. Sometimes, I dream what I want to write and have to rush to the computer to load it before my dream state ends. I keep a notepad by my bed for nights that are too cold to venture downstairs to my office.
What that means is that collaborating on this book is a real challenge.
In collaborating, one has to take into consideration the thoughts, words and habits of another person. Even though they are tuned into the same subject matter, one’s writing partner comes at it from a different angle… a different sensibility…. a different modus operandi.
What I am finding so far is that, even though collaboration is a mighty challenge for me, it is a rewarding one.
It is much more fun to Gather at the Table with friends than to eat dinner alone 🙂
Sharon, your comment about waking up with an idea and running to your computer reminds of when we visited the artist DeGrazia's studio in Tucson. There were all kinds of etchings painted on the walls, which were thoughts he would get in the middle of the night for a new painting and he would get up and draw them with pencil on the walls of his studio. I hope you are familiar with his work. He used to draw pictures of little Indian children and they always had just little black spots for their eyes. We have several of his paintings. I am really looking forward to reading yours and Tom's new book next year!