Collaboration

As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people's ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.
—Amy Poehler

David

At the end of the 2020, I finally waved the white flag and surrendered.

Almost two years ago, Angie handed me the first half of Shepherd’s Call to me. The second half was up to me.

However, as I worked, I kept finding story problems, ones that we never noticed when we planned the story. This meant I had to go back and rework the first half, cutting sections, extending parts, and adding chapters.

I would reach out to Angie and work through the problems, but I held on to the manuscript, trying to rewrite it myself. She offered to help, but I was stubborn. My ego got the best of me and I had it in my head that I had to get it done.

Then time passed and the book kept getting pushed later and later and exhaustion was setting in and eventually by December, I was burned out. I went for a walk and knew that I was the one getting in the way of the book being completed.

I texted Ang and asked for her help. Now, we meet every day, working on it together, solving story problems, and finishing. Although we still have a lot ahead of us, it feels good to be working with my writing partner again.

Angie

January brought a new/old change for me. David and I started collaborating again. I mean we’ve always been collaborating, but it changed. I think we shifted things to be more efficient and get more done. Our plan worked effectively for most of our writing, but, well, with Shepherd’s Call it didn’t. So, hello 2021! We are back at daily meetings. And I love it.

This consistent collaboration has brought back a few things for me. First, I’m really enjoying the banter and the daily reporting with David. I live alone, so this midday check-in is lovely.  

The story now stays fresh and relevant as we don’t give it time to rest. We are doing daily training, so to speak, with writing every day, stretching our writing muscles, which lose their flexibility if unused over time. There is a thrill that creation is in the forefront.  

And when we hit a roadblock, we have each other to work out the problem and never have to struggle alone with story dilemmas.  

Finally, there is a clear and certain path in Shepherd’s Call—which to me is the most exciting of all the reasons.

The first month of 2021 is looking pretty good.