Regardless of your career choice, mastering collaborative skills is essential for success. Whether you’re working with clients, editors or other writers, collaboration is a necessary feature of professional writing. While it can be one of the more challenging aspects of the job, it is often the most rewarding part of the creative process.
In virtually every professional scenario, a writer will find themselves without full creative control. Business clients will have guidelines that serve as the blueprint from which the writer bases their work. The writer must learn how to implement these ideas effectively without losing their own unique edge. They must make the ideas their own.
Even freelance writers will report to an editor or publisher, who ultimately has the final say on subject, content and style. The professional writer who is able to collaborate within the administrative hierarchy is going to be more valuable. After all, one role cannot exist without the other. There isn’t a successful writer today who will tell you their work has not improved with advice and input from an editor.
Collaboration is often most difficult when working laterally with peers. Though a healthy competition can bring out the writer’s best work, it can also cause stalemates, ultimately derailing a project timeline. It is imperative for the professional writer to express their ideas but remain open to the feedback and constructive criticism. They must always remember that everyone is on the same team.
“This isn’t going to work” are the words every professional writer dreads to hear. Sometimes, even after a successful collaboration, the client will change their mind or realize they actually don’t like what was mutually agreed upon. This can be frustrating for the writer, who now has to modify the project’s design or edit content they feel does not need revision. To the writer, these new ideas might even feel like a regressive step backward. Yet the seasoned professional will dig deep for patience and dive back into the creative collaboration process for their client’s benefit.
One of the most difficult collaborative challenges is working across age or experience gaps. In the professional world, coworkers tend to be in different stages of their careers. For example, a writer may work with a professional who has over 20 years of experience with the organization, or they could be a new hire who just graduated.
The veteran professional may feel intimidated by a younger writer with expertise in programs and software they have never used or have yet to master. If your technical skills are lacking, i is important to set pride aside and consider collaboration with a tech-savvy writer as an opportunity to learn.
At times, you might have to fight the instinct to dismiss a novice writer due to their inexperience. Writers who have worked in the field for many years may be set in their ways with a “been there, done that” mindset. This attitude is a hindrance to effective collaboration.
New writers have a lot more to offer than is often realized. They have fresh eyes and innovative approaches to their work. Conversely, recent graduates should pay attention to writers with more experience and listen to their advice. Veterans can also steer beginners clear of mistakes and potential setbacks before they occur.
When all parties involved donate their personal expertise, collaboration can create a masterpiece. It is important to come into a collective creative process with an open mind and a positive attitude.
Regardless of previous failures, each new collaborative effort is an opportunity to start again. The most amazing ideas often blossom from the distinctive strengths of each contributor.
A professional writer’s talent can be attributed to the fact that they themselves are a product of collaboration. All writers have been influenced by others’ ideas. Professors, editors, publishers, clients and other writers have all contributed to your personal style in some way. It’s likely that you have also learned from a failed collaboration and come out stronger.
Professional writers know their weaknesses and are willing to lean on the strengths of their collaborative partners. By implementing and expanding on these influences, the writer doesn’t lose their voice—in fact, that is how it’s found. That is the art of collaboration.
