It will come as no surprise to regular readers of this blog that Bob and I argued today. This one was over whether there were zombies at Viking funerals. (Yes, we’re writing a contemporary romance, but I’m writing it with Bob Mayer.) My position was no:
I based my answer on the fact that I’d actually researched Vikings. Not for this book. We also disagreed about mayo:
This is a man I have seen asking for sprinkles on ice cream, but no condiments? Ha.
And then he tried to restrict my use of language:
If anybody asks how the collaboration is going, tell them we’re being professional and adult. That is, lie for us.
This makes me giddy. It’s how I wanted to start the day!
It put a smile on my face, too! 😀
Gosh, Jenny — you and Bob should seriously publish these conversations! In fact, a book about the lessons you’ve both learned about collaboration would be useful to so many people who have thought about writing books together.
We’re thinking this is what we’ll do for the first level of the Patreon. Only with the serious stuff in there, too. It might be worth two bucks.
Yes, and could you do bits inserted from whatever books the collaboration was on? That would be some salesmanship built in, although connecting with the publishers to do that…I know NOTHING about that kind of thing.
I knew zombies would come into it eventually…
They are Bob’s trademark.
And yet you manage to achieve awesomeness! The sighing is worth it!
Reading these exchanges feels like watching two genius toddlers try to build something, where the boy likes to destroy things, and the girl is trying to hold it together, but eventually, there’s a beautiful dollhouse with a large pile of broken and crushed toys next to it. Thanks for sharing.
Classic Jenny and Bob. Also, when do I get these books? I have made a special spot on my TBR bookcase. 😀 😀 😀
Lol-these books will never make it to TBR for me; they’ll be read immediately. I will try to make them last, but I am not good at delayed gratification.
I was wondering that, too. Are the Liz Danger books coming our way soon?
Stay tuned. We’re still trying to decide. Phone call with agent next week. Argh.
It is well. They are all successful.
Okay when thinking about your meeting with publisher & how I hope it is successful – I decided to open Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing for luck and advice for you.
It went to this:
Rule 5 – keep your exclamation points under control.
I think that sounds like you have the late Mr. Leonard’s blessing.
My favorite of his is something like “I try not to write the parts people skip.”
That is my favorite, too. That and never use anything but “said” to tag dialogue.
For what it’s worth, when I searched for Liz Danger to see if a publication date had been set, I got lots of references to Liz Truss…
Do you think that you could have devised any plot quite like her 45 days at the top of British politics???
Anyway, when will we get the new stories????
I need a new world to inhabit. Mine is just too dull.
I think we’re finally getting close to knowing one way or another. Yeah, I want to know, too.
The Liz Truss is hubris in spades. Although Boris stayed a lot longer with bigger mistakes.