# Co-Writers, and how they work? **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Created:** [December 30, 2016, 1:33am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/co-writers-and-how-they-work/22896 "2016-12-30T01:33:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fitsel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/fitsel/32/149929_2.png) [@Fitsel](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Fitsel)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 1:33am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/co-writers-and-how-they-work/22896/1 "2016-12-30T01:33:03Z")
While I understand the general use of working with someone, what are the absolute advantages? Also, is there a place on this website to find one (making a “help wanted” topic?) Or is it purely by chance should you find someone in real life to work with? I had a partner who created an idea with me but left after the intro brainstorming began. I would love a co-writer to work with but no one around me seems interested. ---
**Author:** ![iris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/iris/32/20498_2.png) [@iris](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/iris)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 3:24am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/co-writers-and-how-they-work/22896/2 "2016-12-30T03:24:00Z")
I always thought that games do well when they’re created by teams. From what I understand, finding a co-writer is something you’ll have to do on your own. Asking on the forums for ‘writers’ or ‘coders’ is generally looked down upon because a lot of the time these people seem to be looking for someone to do the gruntwork for them. Still, I think it would be nice if we had a dedicated space to look for partners, or just people to bounce your ideas off of. I’d like to work with someone myself, but the only person I’ve ever discussed it with is Fawkes. 😺 ---
**Author:** ![Fitsel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/fitsel/32/149929_2.png) [@Fitsel](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Fitsel)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 3:28am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/co-writers-and-how-they-work/22896/3 "2016-12-30T03:28:43Z")
I might put up a help wanted soon. Solo killing this thing is far mire emotionally taxing without someone to bounce a ton of stuff on. Also, if you need any input, I’d be glad to chime in! ---
**Author:** ![adrao](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/adrao/32/9289_2.png) [@adrao](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/adrao)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 5:20am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/co-writers-and-how-they-work/22896/4 "2016-12-30T05:20:39Z")
I have already worked on a couple of joint games, and I have to say it was a great learning experience! It is strange to say as this is an online forum, and obviously I haven’t met these people in real life, but I feel that the people I have collaborated with so far have become great friends. We often have discussions by PM on issues related to game development, help each other with our “solo” stories, etc. I really like the stories that have come out of it, though I guess not all readers have understood Starship adventures (essentially a satirical take on 50s sci-fi). A second joint WIP is in the forum > [@Lost In The Pages (Formerly Uncle Irwin's Bookshop) - Last public version is up now](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/uncle-irwins-bookshop-or-forum-community-game-beta/20907): > > Hello forum folks. Some of the people who’ve been around for a bit longer might remember (It’s unlikely, but who knows…) that @addicted had the idea to create a game with the forum community somewhere around June 2015. The good news is that though the project deviated from the original idea quite a bit through its execution that project did not bleed to death. That is of course followed by the even better news that it’s now ready for Beta-testing. About the game: In its current incarnation… so you can see what can be achieved (and I realise that my co-authors will probably be dropping pins into a voodoo doll of me, as I am writing emails instead of putting the final touches on one of my chapters, sorry @Cecilia_Rosewood, I will get onto that once my hangover gets better later this afternoon…) I find that working with people helps pulls things forward as knowing you are letting the rest of the team down helps motivate me to finish things. Of course the downside is that things don’t always go the way that you want, and in the end many decisions are compromises on the views of many people (which is probably a good thing actually, as I have made a number of poor decisions on my own stories, and I am still being criticised by forcing the MC to break up with their RO in Tokyo Wizard, clearly a very poor story choice of mine). Anyway, I would recommend working with others, though it is clearly important to find the right people to do so with. I’ve been very fortunate in this respect with the people I’ve met, but I can also see the potential for disaster… ---
**Author:** ![MizArtist33](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/mizartist33/32/2281_2.png) [@MizArtist33](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/MizArtist33)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 7:40pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/co-writers-and-how-they-work/22896/5 "2016-12-30T19:40:41Z")
_So, You’re Possessed!_ is coauthored. We actually met as teenagers through mutual friends who were also into reading, writing, art, and gaming. It was only later we realized we had similar tastes, goals, and that our working styles just meshed. It’s possible you could find a similar group at a college, library, or other local hangout to meet more people who share similar interests. Or if you end up hitting it off with someone here on the forums, as has happened. I would say the biggest pro is that our combined efforts have been greater than the sum of our individual contributions IMHO. For us, we think completely differently, but in a way that is complementary and helps us see another interpretation or set of scenarios that we wouldn’t on our own. And, as you rightly pointed out, you have an automatic sounding board for ideas, as well as someone to help you carry the intellectual weight of the plot, dialogue, etc., especially when you feel stuck. I guess a con would be that you might end up frustrating each other more than you make progress, but worst case is the project fizzles out and you’re free to do another one, right? I haven’t had that happen, thankfully, but I’m sure it does all the time. Even Lennon and McCartney couldn’t stand to work together forever! 😏 Other than that, I kinda sorta talked about this on another thread, so if you’re curious about more nitty gritty details, I’ll post that link here and avoid repeating myself. Hope something in my rambling response has helped! 😅 > [@Writing Interactive Fiction - Code or Narrative first?](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-interactive-fiction-first-drafts-code-or-prose/22584/3): > > Welcome! Glad you’re gelling with CS, I think it’s pretty intuitive to pick up, as well. Personally, I do a bit of everything (along with my cowriter). I think once you get going, you figure out pretty quick if a process feels helpful or not. Can’t speak for anyone else, but this method has worked well for us… First draft, we try to have a general outline with a list of milestones or goals, so we can anticipate major branches and tone for the rest. Rough draft is usually done in narrative style…