So I have tried various forums, discords, sub reddits in a attempt to find a writing partner but to no avail, the people I knew where unavailable and hey people I didn’t know and had reached out to my requests displayed lack luster writing skills. There were 10 pepople so far who it hasn’t worked out with. Though I’m being generous with the amount of people I’ve included with that number. Someone on this forum gave me the idea to approach previously established writers. Which seems like a good idea now that I’ve grown to understand the idea behind it. I find some rando who wants to write with me there’s a low chance we’ll have compatibility. As I’ve discovered from my fruitless venture If I find someone who has written something that I feel is both good and would imply compatibility with me, it will result in a higher likely hood of them accepting than of the latter outcome bearing fruit. But the problem with the former is that it would be hard to find some random writer online who would be compatible with me on the basis of there works. Like I couldn’t go up to someone who was a successful web serial author because then they would be busy doing there own thing. I would try to find smaller ponds such as wattpat, a site I am unfamiliar with. And even then it would be like trying to find a needle in a hay stack. And there’s the question of distilling my instincts,habits, interests, style, finding someone with a similar profile. Not only would I have to convey that through various search tags on various writing websites I would also have to identify that with in myself and there’s also much naunce that would be lost through the search tags, like say I like to write things that are edgy but the people I find like to write stuff that’s edgy in a way I don’t like. I can also try various fan fiction of properties I like but in again that might imply they wouldn’t be open to writing something orginal or that they might have a completely different interpretation of it or like It for reasons antithetical to why I might like it. And be if I did find someone writing profile that was both good and compatible and they said no I would be inviting genuine disappointment, sense it would’ve taken me a long time to find the “right guy” whereas if I just just make a post on R/writewithme there’s a very low investment beyond simply writing the post. But I would’ve gotten a uncurated selection of applicants. So is there any advice or guidance I can be giving in this conundrum ?
Writing is one of the true solo pastimes that exist, kind of on par with knitting. It sends off warning bells to me that somehow you think you need someone to share with you on a project. This is not some term paper that's due in a couple of weeks that you're going to be graded on to see if you pass the class. Writing in many respects really is the mirror into a person's soul and their values, fears, hopes and experiences in life. What you may need is a mentor and those are all provided here on the site through the workshops. Do you have an outline of what you are trying to write? Do you already know the beginning, middle and end of your story? Are you looking for someone who has experienced the things your characters have done? Are you just looking for a short cut instead of putting in the hours of research? It sounds more like you need someone who in into the same type of writing you're doing, not a collaborator. There are hundreds of active writers here, who I am sure would help but not want to make anything a joint effort. My first thought after reading your tag line, what would Hemmingway make of your request? The second is of your 30 posts, none of which offer any critique of any of the stories written here. You failed the first part of human relations 101 That is invest in someone else before asking for something in return. You have never posted a story, offered anyone a sample of your work, but just asked questions on how to get it done with no sign of any effort on your part. If you want to be part of a writing community and draw on the vast experience and knowledge that is here. Start by getting involved with the other members and their work. Offer your opinions, your experiences and take on things in life, you might find someone willing to reciprocate.
i tend to agree - why would an established writer want to collaborate with you? Whats in it for them? What do you bring to the party that they don't already have? Most collaborations come about because the two parties have complimentary skills... like writing a non fiction guide to say stone masonry, one collaborator is a writer the other a stone mason, or as with Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees she beings a woman's perspective he brings a man's and thus the come together, come again etc series of rom coms has both. it seems to me that you need more like an accountability partner and alpha reader, someone who's going to read and advise as you go along... but in that case unless you are looking for a mentor, you don't want an established writer but rather someone at your own level
No I have nothing "set in stone" for this venture, i think developing to much stuff before any partner got here would imbalance the relationship, i have a few premises. I tried looking into a mentor most of those you either need to pay for, be connected or jump through hoops in some sorta contest. I had a alpha reader who i was showing my stuff to before my computer crashed and i sent my hard drive to a data recovery place. This is me setting up the "game plan" conceptualizing parts of my strategy that this forum may or may not be a part of . So far i would check to see if me and someone eles where on the same page and then exchanged "segments of story's this is usually where things feel apart. Frist off when i say "Established writer" i don't mean someone whose published there own books, I'm talking about someone with a modest career on a site like wattpat. Because the pepople i keep running into with my strategy are often i find BELLOW my skill level, people who want to get started writing while I've been at it for years . And sometimes don't have any writing samples to showcase for various reasons. Well I would make a "pitch" to them show them some of my work Ask them. Like i said before i already found a alpha reader, I don't have the connections or financial recourses to find a mentor, though maybe if i tried i could find the latter in my college. Though I remember already trying with that.
Writers Write. This starts out with what you know. If you want to write boring shit, pretend the most important thing you can do is put words on a page. If you want to read exciting stuff go out and poke the bear, take a big risk, go do something nice for someone else. Go interview someone who has done something. The bottom line is you really have nothing to say, or you would be on fire, to try and figure out how to put it into the written word. Writers Block is a blessing for the reader, it saves reading a whole bunch of meaningless crap. You don't need a writing collaborator you need a buddy to go and raise some hell with or do something exciting with. Get away from the computer.
This seems like a red flag..... If you've been writing for years, as you say, you'd have something to show for it. Im not saying published works.... But projects. Snippits. Musing. Any sort of writing be it good or bad. Something that shows (at least part) of who you are as a writer. Something that will show your future writing partner that you havent just been doing nothing while you search for a partner. You say you are very selective and view this whole thing as a strategy (i have mixed feelings about that but to each their own), have you thought maybe You are repelling the very person/people you are looking for by your sticking to your rigid criteria, lack of understanding, and aversion to socializing as a writer on here. Im not saying "dont have standards" but.... You have to give a little to get a little....
Come now, that’s a bit out of order. You don’t know anything about the OPs life and it’s considerably outside the scope of what he asked
I would disagree. Take a homeless guy lunch. Go visit someone in the hospital or nursing home. There is not shortage of those in true despair. Find someone who has just succeeded at something, won an award or are, passionate about something. Go do something and experience life. Pardon me for being a jaded old guy but when you have nothing to write about, it means you're going through life with your eyes closed. I see no work, no stories that the OP has shared. This is still a community that is based on based on give and take. If you just take, offer nothing in return don't be surprised if you get called on it. While others might remain silent I chose not to, sometimes people need to understand what is expected of them if they are to do well in this type of forum. That same question asked by a member who had at least shared a critique or any of their work would not have received the same response.
You seem to be operating from the mistaken belief that you are in charge...so let me put that straight. The staff here make the rules, not you. The staff also enforce the rules, not you. If people need to 'understand what is expected of them' then ..yeah you guessed it, that's for the staff to decide and act on.. not you... On the wider point, this here is a community of writers of all levels of experience (both of life and of writing) and of all ages and backgrounds.. there is no rule at all that says someone has to have shared their work before asking for help of this type.. none, nada, rien, никто, kiener, なし. Also since this is the internet where anyone might be a dog, no one is particularly impressed by heroic tales about how exciting a given members life is, and again there is no compulsion on any member to share any detail that they don't wish to. On point the OP asked for advice on finding a collaborative partner... he did not say he has nothing to write about, or that he needed our advice on how he should be living his life. Now lets make like good little trains and get back on track
With my hat off my suggestion to the op would be three fold a) Make a clear definition of why you want a collaborator and what it is you are looking for in said writing partner ( E.g do you want them to hold you accountable , or do actually want to write a book as a pair, and if so why ? if you need them to have specialist skills workout what those are, and why you need them (this will tell you where to look...ie if you want to write a book about keeping sheep, with someone with specialist shepherding skills you might want to look on a sheepkeepers forum) b) Also make a list of what it is you bring to the party and why someone should collaborate with you, e.g your skills or areas of knowledge c)with those two things in hand you can start your search...if you just want another writer to work with you we have a collaboration forum here (you should be able to see it but if not let me know) https://www.writingforums.org/collaboration/, if you want a specialist go where the specialists in that subject are and so on
Maybe try joining a writing course somewhere. A local group, college or university. Something formal and structured. Then you can meet many people who may want the same thing.
In my college there was a class, it was nice but i wasn't on the same wave length with them, There's also a club where i feel the disconnect is stronger.
I'm going to echo J.T. Woody a bit by saying... it doesn't seem like you're willing to make many concessions. With collaboration comes sacrifice. It becomes two or more visions, not one, and even people that grew up exposed to the same culture and behavioural memes end up with totally different creative goals. Hell, look at rock bands: there's a brief period where they sort of get along, but even when they do work together a number of them are already champing at bits for the opportunity to do their own thing. That's why authors don't typically seek out collaboration. When the heavyweights do (think Straub/King or Pratchett/Gaiman) it's for one project, and after each one has by and far proven himself.
Thing is, it's not just about the skill level and whether you like their writing, though these things are important. It's about personality - whether you're compatible or not while working together is not something you can foresee unless you already know the person. With that said, your best bet is really to start making some writer friends, and then in time, broach the subject with a few you would find a genuine joy to work with and see if they're receptive. The problem I see in your original post is the incessant "what if they do XYZ that I don't like". Well, mate, you wanted a partner, a collaboration, and inherent in the nature of a collaboration is necessarily the idea of compromise. You won't like everything, and you won't agree with every interpretation your partner has on something. That's the whole point of it. Someone to bring ideas you would never explore on your own. If you only want to write what you alone want to write, and you have no interest in accommodating another writer's ideas and inteprretations, then, pray tell, why on earth are you looking for a partner? You don't want a partner. You just want a cheerleader. You want someone to go on the journey with you and motivate you, bounce ideas - but that's not the same thing as a writing partner, who will be your co-author. It's as much their story as it would be yours if they're a partner. What you need to do, if you want a partner, is find someone on a similar wavelength, someone whose ideas you find inspiring. That doesn't come with just reaching out to randos or even to established writers. That comes from making friends. Networking. Stay on this forum, see whose thoughts you appreciate and respect, start to check out their writing, and if you enjoy their outlook, start a conversation, see where it goes. It might lead to a writing partner, it might not, but that's pretty much the only way about it unless this is a paid venture, which it is not. Those with any experience in writing is unlikely to want to collaborate with a rando - you. You are the rando to them lol. They probably have a backlist of their own stories they want to write, or with paid projects to think of. What do you bring in terms of experience and quality that anyone with skill should want to work with? What about your ideas might inspire them? Like, WHY would they want to work with you, someone they don't know and whose work they haven't seen? Think of it like dating. Right now you're swiping through Tinder going no, no, no, no, with all the things you want from them, but the question you should ask is, why would they want you?
