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Podcast: Collaboration Between Characters

podcast no-i-in-writing characters collaboration

Here’s a weird question: does it count as collaboration when your fictional characters start working things out amongst themselves? Christy and I explore the idea that collaboration isn’t just something that happens between real people — it’s a mindset that can exist within the story itself. We talk about how letting characters bounce off each other leads to better fiction, how a real-life Scheuer family Thanksgiving changed the direction of Host, and why I have accepted that I will never be famous.

Topics Covered

  • Collaboration as a mindset, not just a process
  • Characters collaborating within stories — and why it works
  • How the Scheuer family Thanksgiving changed Host
  • Why Chris will never be famous (and has made peace with it)

Shout Outs

  • Stephen Colbert — for a great example of creative generosity
  • George Saunders — whose approach to fiction we admire
  • Matthew Maillette — for his contributions to the conversation

Listen