As long as each writer remains consistent with the outline, all rewriting is fair. However, if either writer wants to do something that represents a significant departure from what has already been mutually agreed upon, then a conversation needs to take place before any blood can be drawn.
As you can imagine, this process can definitely get a little trying at times. Each partner can have a very different take on the nuances of how each character behaves, how each character sounds, and how a particular scene should go (even when you’ve agreed upon its placement and its content).
Regardless of the arrangement, one thing remains absolutely true:
You’ve got to be willing to compromise when you work with a writing partner.
You also have to be able to exercise a great deal of tolerance and patience—which means completely buying into we at the expense of me.
SURVIVAL GUIDE SUMMARY
10. Writing Partners
Things to Remember:
•Being in a writing partnership is like being in a marriage. It’s an intimate relationship that needs to be based on trust, mutual respect, and commitment.
•The partner process takes time to evolve. You have to work at it.
•It’s usually best to be in the same room with one another through the brainstorming, concept, and structuring phases.
•Once you begin outlining, it’s easier to be in separate spaces, passing documents back and forth.
•Remain passionate about your ideas, but always be willing to compromise with your partner.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
•Are you willing to give up creative ownership of the work and be a 50-50 partner in it?
•Are you prepared to negotiate every creative decision with your partner if necessary?
•Are you willing to sacrifice your own voice as a writer for the sake of the voice that emerges as a product of the partnership?
•What creative ground rules have you set for your process? Under what circumstances is it okay to rewrite your partner and vice versa?
•Are you dividing the workload equally? Try not to cross the 50-yard line too often.
11. Pitching Stories
Pitching a story really isn’t all that different from pitching any other kind of product. Sure, it’s a creative idea you’re talking about, so it’s a lot more glamorous than pitching a vacuum cleaner or a bottle of shampoo, but at the end of the day it’s still a sales pitch and you, as the writer, are the salesman—which, frankly, has always made me a bit uncomfortable.
“I’m not a salesman, damn it! I’m a writer!” I want to scream to the heavens every time I have to work on a pitch (and sometimes do). But like it or not, pitching is part of the job. At some point, it’s not enough to just lock yourself up in a dark room and crank out pages. You have to be able to verbally express your ideas to people, to give them confidence that you can go off and write that great script. So you might as well find a way to get good at this little dog-and-pony show or, at the very least, figure out an impressive way to fake it. (Just kidding. There is no way to fake it, really. So you better get good at it!)
Pitch Your Personality
When you walk into that room to pitch a story, the most important thing you’re selling is yourself. Like any other business meeting or job interview, your would-be buyers/employers are looking for talented people with exciting ideas, but first and foremost they’re looking for a person that they can work with, a person that they don’t mind talking to on the phone a couple times a day or whose name doesn’t make them shudder every time it appears in their e-mail. The only way to be that person is to be authentic. In other words:
You have to pitch in a way that’s consistent with your personality.
Here’s a perfect example. I have two very successful writer friends, one in film and the other in television. The film guy is very soft-spoken. He pitches like a fisherman with a secret. He starts off very quietly, then slowly reels his audience in as he carefully unspools his story, giving them one bite-size piece of information after the other, until he finally reveals all. The TV guy is the complete opposite. He pitches like a three-ring circus rolling into town: big, gregarious, colorful, and bursting at the seams with enthusiasm. Not that he’s blustery and loud. He’s not. It’s just a very energetic, get-your-popcorn-ready type of approach. Both styles are extremely effective, but not necessarily because they’re technically proficient (which they are). They’re effective because they’re authentic and they’re consistent with each writer’s personality.
My personality is much closer to my TV pal’s. I get very animated when I’m passionate about something, and nothing gets me more amped up than talking about a story, so I pretty much allow that excitement to come through when I pitch. Again, it’s all about being comfortable in your own skin. Beyond that, the key is to be really well prepared and have a good, solid framework through which you can both deliver the content and focus your energy, regardless of your style or approach.
A Pitch Is a Performance
Pitching is very much like acting. It’s a performance, a little piece of theater in which the character that you’re playing is you. So when I say you need to be well prepared and have a framework, what I really mean is you need to know what you’re going to say, and like an actor, you need to rehearse and deliver your lines as if they’re coming out of your mouth for the very first time.
Does this mean you should write yourself an actual script just for the pitch? If you feel it will help you, absolutely. It all depends on what you’re comfortable with and
