I was planning on posting a fabulous commentary today on the differences between novels and short stories, but the news that I am finally going to be an aunt has totally blown my concentration, so you'll get that post tomorrow.

Today, you get an excerpt from Jude Tulli's article "Writer Wanted: Partner Beware: Five Famous Teams Talk About Co-Authoring." Tulli starts by discussing different types of pairings before getting into his examples. The teams featured are: Julianna Baggott and Steve Almond; Jennifer Cruise and Bob Mayer; Jennifer Cruise, Anne Stuart and Eileen Dreyer; Hallie Ephron and Donald Davidoff; Lori and Tony Karayanni.

Here's a bit from Baggott and Almond:

These co-authors of Which Brings Me to You: A Novel in Confessions
(Algonquin Books, 2006) didn't know each other personally when they agreed to conspire to bring Baggott's novel idea to fruition. "We knew one another's work and had seen each other read," says Almond. Despite having rubbed elbows, they remained but literary acquaintances. Baggott deems it for the best. "We didn't have a friendship to burn," she explains.

The book is about a love affair that begins with a rendezvous in the coatroom of a wedding, and continues through an old-fashioned medium: letters. You know, the kind you write by hand. "We each wrote from the point of view of one character, alternating chapters," Almond explains, "We did offer comments on one another's sections, but steered away from interfering with each other any more than that."

But as with any partnership, there are sacrifices. When asked about the benefits of writing alone, both writers remain on the same page in perpetuity. "I like being God. The one all-powerful God, as opposed to the Greek god who has to share power," Baggott admits without a shred of apology. Likewise, Almond confesses, "As a control freak, I get to call all the shots." 

Indeed there were times when the pair considered packing up their characters' baggage and going their separate ways. Almond explains, "We did a lot of yelling at each other, mostly around revising the initial draft. We basically just battled things out. We considered quitting the project, but the book seemed too good to allow our bickering to bring it down." 

Baggott asserts that ultimately the conflict made the book better. Furthermore, she believes the characters are better off together than they would have been apart. Still, she found it "difficult . . . to let go of my character for the ending," as Almond wrote the end of the book. His greatest frustrations? "The second draft. And the third."

For wanna-be co-writers Baggott cautions, "You have to be willing to fight, and pretty loudly," while Almond admonishes, "Check your ego at the door." They both recognize the work as a life-long bond, and suggest taking that likelihood into account from the beginning. "It's not just writing the book, but revising it, selling it, marketing it, including potentially trying to adapt it for the screen," says Almond. Baggott concurs, "These books, they don't go away."

The following is an excerpt from romance writer Roxanne St. Clair's article entitled "Blockbusters and Breakouts."  St. Clair discusses what makes a novel a BIG book, and which of those elements writers have control over.

At the root of many big books, there is a struggle between good and evil, whether it is on a grand, international scale pitting country against country or planet against planet, or simply one good guy trying to take down one bad guy. However, many thriller writers will tell you: the bigger the evil, the bigger the book.

There are other factors at play, too. The depth of research and realism will add to the scope of the book, as will the wow factor of the pacing and structure of the story. Even the genre can impact the perception of a book--thrillers and suspense novels generally have a better shot at being labeled as "big" than most romances or mysteries, however there are numerous exceptions to that rule.

In general, an author can simply "think big" while writing, and the best way to do this is not to limit the work. Editors repeatedly say they are looking for the "really" factor: the books that push the envelope, regardless of the genre. Really sexy, really scary, really dark, really funny, really thrilling. A big book doesn't hold back.

This is true in nonfiction as well, whether it is a memoir, a biography, a cookbook, self-help or essays of a bemused dog owner. Even in nonfiction, the "really" factor will help a book to be perceived as one that tackles a subject matter more thoroughly than the competition, one that entertains as it educates, and inspires as it informs.

Check out the full-length article for more insight and advice.

And now for a bit of fun. The Hugos were awarded over the weekend, and you may have heard about the extemely entertaining award ceremony. It featured different incarnations of Ultraman fighting monsters. Imagine my glee when SF Signal directed me to Bowing to the Future for the video (he got it via Chris Roberson via Gavin Grant and Kelly Link). Don’t you wish all literary awards ceremonies were such fun? I am impressed the guys in the monster suits could move so much.

Quick-and brief-note: Writer’s Unboxed is running a contest. Make up a word, win the 2008 Market Books. Opened yesterday, closes Friday, Sept. 14th.

I thought I would do two posts today since I didn't post yesterday because of the holiday.

Tor and Forge books have kicked off their new podcast series with interviews from Worldcan in Japan. While they are primarily sci-fi/fantasy publishers, some of these podcasts are of interest to writers of any genre.

In the first podcast, Tom Doherty and Patrick Nielsen Hayden (Tor editor and winner of the Hugo for Best Editor) discuss the nature of publishing, the real value of publishing and the effect of "free" information on publishing. Hayden makes an excellent point that editors are still needed, and will be needed for a long time because "Publishing isn't printing. Publishing is the act of finding cool stuff and making it public, of bringing it to the attention of the people who are most going to want it."

Cory Doctorow and Hayden discuss "Facing Digital Reality" in the Aug 31st podcast. They discuss how science fiction has set up an expectation of free information and the ability to access it, and how that expectation is effecting the market. They also touch on copyright (is it for writers or investors?) issues and the use of e-books.

Later podcasts include interviews and coverage of events at Worldcon. I believe the plan is to have weekly podcasts once Worldcon is over, but I'm not sure what the topics will be, or if Hayden will continue to host them. I think author interviews are a safe thing to expect, but I'm hoping to get more podcasts like these first two in which larger areas of concern are covered.

What do you think of Tor's decision to do podcasts? What kinds of things would you like to see them do with this new venture?

Oh, and congrats to the winners of the Hugos! Winner's list here.