Writer's Journey - Co-writing a Story

So, here’s what I’ve been up to… I’ve been working on a short story for an anthology in memory of David Wolverton Farland, which will create a scholarship to the Superstars Writing Seminar. Now, I normally don’t talk about a short story I’m working on. (I’m also continuing to make progress on Changeling Knight, Book 2 of the Knights Tower.)

The idea for the short story came about on my way home from Superstars in February. The day before I’d gone to lunch with friends I’d made during the conference. One new friend lives in Colorado Springs, where Superstars has been held since 2012. His love of the town extends to knowing just about everything about it.

He shared a bit of that history — the history of Nikola Tesla’s experiments over a hundred years ago in Colorado Springs and that hit me as a key part of the story I wanted to work on for the anthology. But, it also meant I wasn’t going to write it alone.

I’ve never co-written a story before. I’ve more than twenty books in print and I’ve never co-written any of them. But the arc I could see like an epiphany, meant I would this time. So, I’m writing with an unpublished writer. We’ve done seven drafts in a month and have had five beta readers I’ve never had before, all alum of Superstars. My partner in this story recruited them. My editor has looked over the story, understanding it’s not going to earn us a penny, for free.

Working with someone is stretching myself. The process is much more intense for me as I’m discussing the plot and the beta reader comments with someone who is my co-writer on the project, not my editor.

I know the competition to get a story accepted in this memorial anthology is going to be stiff. I’ve submitted stories for years for their alum scholarship anthologies, but I haven’t written a story from scratch. The theme is Wizard or Wolf with a transformation — which is who David Wolverton Farland, co-founder of Superstars, mentor to writers (no few who have become household names), and lead judge of the Writers of the Future Contest, which he won decades ago, really was.

That the story arc for this short story hit me like a bolt of lightning — and has been so effortless feeling to write — and, rewrite, hone, and hone further. Wish me luck. we’re submitting the story in the next few days.

In other news, Highmage’s Plight, the first novel of the complete seven book series, is featured in the promo Epic & High Fantasy - In Kindle Unlimited.

My novel, Dare 2 Believe, is on sale in Portal to Fantasy Presents… April FREE, 99 cents, and Full Price Book Fair.

And, to top it all off, Terran Catalyst (Book 1) and Nowhere to Go But Mars are on sale in April Book Sale: All Genre Book Fair.

Dare to Believe,

D.H.