Home
Bookshelves
Theater & Film
Devising (Garcia)
Chapters
1.10: The Collaborative Writing Process

1.10: The Collaborative Writing Process

Last updated
Save as PDF

Page ID: 73442

\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

Collaboration can be one of the most rewarding and also frustrating processes you will ever undertake. Make sure that everyone is on board with the ideas and try to make sure that each person has a voice in the process. The times when friction happens the most is when a member of the group overpowers other members and forces their ideas into the process rather than collaborating. This is where improv training will help you, the number one rule of improv is to say yes to other’s contributions. Work on the scene together, if you wanted to write a play by yourself you could easily do that, you are working with people you like so you can create something together. Make sure to keep your ego in check and help each other to be better than you are on your own.

When you collaborate, break the group into teams and go over the structure of your story. Clearly outline the progression of events from Inciting Incident to Climax and then break up each event into its own scene. Assign members to a scene and go over which characters should be in the scene and what events need to happen within the scene before it is completed. You want the scene to be able to stand on its own and build to a climax.