The Adobe Gate

Summer 2008 / Volume #18 / Corrales, New Mexico by Aimée and David Thurlo

A lot of you have written asking us how we work together, and if that puts a strain on our marriage, so we thought we'd cover that subject in this edition of the Adobe Gate.

The working-together part really isn't as difficult as a lot of you might imagine. We brainstorm about the big issue or hook for the story. Once we come up with an idea, David develops a rough synopsis. Then Aimée adds to the idea, edits and modifies until we settle on the basic plot and character development. Once we get to that part, we're usually a few vases short. Fortunately, for David, Aimée's got rotten aim. Nah, just kidding folks. We throw furniture.

David takes the story and expands that into a per chapter format, then Aimée begins the first draft. We go back and forth, doing more drafts, until we've both happy with the results.

Another question that, for some strange, unexplainable reason Aimée always seems to get is, who has the final say? Well, that depends. We each have our own strengths. David excels at action scenes. Aimée is better describing feelings and emotions. So the final say depends on what it's on. But that's why our collaboration works so well. We have separate strengths, and by combining them, the readers get a better book.

What puts pressure on the marriage isn't our writing, it's the demands on our time. The PR part of an authors job is usually hard on anyone who thrives on spending twelve hours a day in front of a computer. Book signings, talks, etc., can be fun, but these necessary tasks take you away from your primary job - writing. When you get behind, and have to rush to deadline, it stops being fun. So you have to be super organized.

David fits the bill - he's a former science teacher and can apportion everything just right. Aimée, well, she's more by the seat-of-your-pants type of person. This is why the collaboration works so well. We each have to do a certain number of pages a day so that our partner can go in behind on the subsequent draft. If Aimée doesn't get her number of pages done per day, she can kiss her mocha frapuccino good-bye - a tragedy of major proportions as far as she's concerned. So the page count gets done, and our editors stay happy.

For those of you out there who are considering becoming writers, remember that an authors' life is filled with ups and downs. It helps if you know how to bounce.

Photo courtesty of M&B Photography

To read the previous issues of Adobe Gate, click here, here, or here

This page copyright 2008 by Aimée and David Thurlo.