The Focus and The Freak, Concentrate
I’ve been working for some time with the eminent Vancouver-based writer and sibling of mine, Darren Groth on a series of short young adult novels. The first of these is now available on the Kindle platform.
I’m often asked how we go about collaborating on a work of fiction. While all books are collaborative to some extent, shared authorship duties are relatively rare in our game. To be honest, it took us quite a while to figure out a collaborative approach that worked for us. We tried a few approaches unsuccessfully. Although our styles of writing are not that different from each other, the trick is finding a way to make them flow together. What we realised is that every project needs a champion and, while sharing text is relatively easy, a story’s vision can’t be doled out in a 50/50 split. Concentrate, a young adult novel, marked the first time we worked as a writing team, each of us taking on roles as necessary to serve the story. Here’s how I described the process three years ago:
Read MoreWe have tried collaboration before a few times. We tried taking alternate chapters. We tried taking on different characters. Nothing really worked and I consigned the whole endeavour to the ‘revisit one of these days’ file. Little did I know Darren was hatching his own variation on the concept.
What we eventually hit on was taking alternate drafts. The result was similar to writer-editor only with the editor taking a far more active role adding character layers and additional narrative. Our model was less ’50 per cent text each’ and something more like what Joel and Ethan Cohen do: share the writing credits where one or the other might take the lead on any individual project. Seems to work well for them. Why not us? We are already brothers after all.
Shortlisted for the Text Prize
Concentrate, the first novel for younger readers co-written with my brother Darren has been shortlisted for the 2009 Text Prize. You can check out a short blurb and strange bio for the Brothers Groth at the Text web site.
Read MoreThe aftermath
One of the more endearing qualities of my son: he believes a collage consists of cut up pieces of paper (or any other stuff hanging around) strewn over the floor or, at best, collected into a small box. Sultana boxes work best.
Collage pieces
The actions of others
Brochure for the 2009 Vogel Award, turned into collage.
This is what happens when a four-year old is let loose in your study. It may also be his reaction to my lack of success in this competition over the last ten years.
Read MoreNew work, old work
The last months of 2008 passed by in a blur. My second novel, None Of The Other Flies Follow My Crooked Lines, was selected for an intensive editing and workshop programme: a process that cast new light on a story I was starting to consider a little silly. Turns out it wasn’t so bad after all and I ploughed through the manuscript with a scalpel, judiciously adding and subtracting text to tighten the formula and sharpen the piece ready for submission to the relevant authorities.
Read MoreThe Books
