Libby Drew

It's been a lot of fun. And a lot of work! More than we bargained for in the beginning, but rewarding all the same. We keep a "bible" of sorts. It lists a brief summary of the metaplot, details of the setting/geography, the cast of characters to date, etc. Each person, upon completion of a new short story, is responsible for updating the "bible" with any relevant details. The world could be anything! We thought about using a small town for quite a while before settling on low-fantasy, pre-industrial. I got to create the map for our "world". Challenging, since I can't draw my way out of a paper bag. I used a graphics program to help. Anyway, it's whatever you want it to be, Rose. Sky's the limit.

Congratulations, Krista!

Collaborating is not something to be taken lightly. I can't even imagine trying to write a story with a virtual stranger, or even an acquaintance. It's too intimate. I've collaborated a couple of times with one person who has been a good friend and beta-reader for years. We know each other's styles, strengths, weaknesses, etc. He knows I like plot, he prefers to focus on character development. Even as in tune as we are, keeping a story moving forward seamlessly is very difficult. We don't collab often. As for our process, we usually use a shared online document -- usually Google docs. Stories are oulined in advance, and any deviation is discussed at length via online chat. (Something neither of us would bother with if writing individually.) We've collaborated by writing alternating scenes, and also by alternating POV. It's just plain hard. But it does get easier with time, as most things do. Another option which I've always enjoyed, and which I'm participating in right now, is a "Shared World" anthology. Basically, a group of writers get together and create a "universe" (of any genre). The universe normally has a metaplot, but not always; sometimes the setting is the only thing that's shared. Then the authors write short stories using characters and storylines of their own choosing. What's fun about this is discussing how to slightly interconnect the stories, if we so choose. For example, having a character from one story pop up in another. And now I've babbled long enough. Great topic.

Feedback for fandom works, in my experience, is always more plentiful than it is for original fic. That's always mystified me a bit, but there's no denying it's a fact. I don't think it can be attributed completely to the cohesiveness of those communities, and the demograhpic is wide and varied, so that's not the answer either. *shrug* When it comes to feedback, the most important thing to me isn't necessarily the amount, but more that I've touched someone -- made them think and feel. Those kind of comments keep me going. Those are my rewards. If I miss the mark with one story, I try to do better on the next.

Anonymous fests like this are very popular in fandom communities. I've participated in many, and it's always a blast trying to figure out who wrote what.

Thanks! This is definitely turning into a feel-good day.

Thanks! Although I think it might be the saddest part of the whole story. Glad you enjoyed it.

What a joy to read this! I really needed it today. Thanks so much for the encouraging comments. It's especially gratifying to get them for a story that means so much to me. Thanks again, Steve.

Thank you! I experimented a bit with a stripped down narrative for this story, and one of my fears was that I left too much out. It's impossible, of course, to be objective about something you spend hours pouring over, so I'm thrilled whenever I get feedback on the emotional flow of RFA. Especially when it's such a glowing compliment. Thanks again. I

Thank you! I'm so happy you enjoyed it. Writing it exorcized quite a few personal demons. I'm thrilled I found GA, and I can't wait until I have the time to get to know everyone better. And I'm not sure how "snatchable" I am, but it's a lovely compliment.

It does! I'm a sucker for happy endings. Thanks so much. I'm glad you enjoyed the story. It's close to my heart for many reasons.

Thanks for such wonderful compliments. I've had nothing but encouragement and support since I joined GA. Now if only I could have another ten hours in the day, you'd probably see a lot more of me. Life is particularly crazy right now, but I've been popping in when I have a few minutes. As I told C James, due to a host of other commitments over the next few months, both writing and in general, my time's limited, but I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone better as soon as I can, believe me. Your comments put a huge smile on my face. Thank you.