I’m trying to Collaborate

 

So me and my friend are collaborating on a story together. This is the first time either of us are working with another person to produce art. I am writing it and she is illustrating it, but all of the ideas we use we talk about, so the finished product is what we both want, and so that the concepts are credited to us equally. I expected that writing this way would be tricky, but I did not expect how detailed and explicit my partner and I would have to be with each other so that the story is what we both expect it to be. I refuse to write anything she would not consent to, and the same goes for her and her illustrations. About half the book will be in graphic novel form, and the other half will be straight writing accompanied by larger illustrations and paintings.

We end up staying up all night when we get into brainstorm mode. Since we are producing the story this way, detail is key. Everything must be planned and accounted for. It doesn’t make it any easier for us that our story is about time travelers, so we have to anticipate the twists and turns that time travel will ensue. Briefly, here is what we have so far.

The Professor and his apprentice, The machinist build a time machine. The machinist understands the dangers of such a device, but the professor grows egotistical and escapes into the future alone. Throughout the time he travels in he grows to understand that with his time machine he cannot change the past, because when he ravels he is entering the specified time in a completely new dimension. The professor travels through time and space massing a cult of renegade time travelers with no remorse for the natural order of time, all with time machines.

The next scene takes place millions of years in the future. There is a gathering of many people who are afraid for their universe. This highly advanced race learns of the professor and his infernal machine that is ripping up holes into multiple dimensions very rapidly. Linear time is being torn apart. Two adolescent, yet super intelligent twins are sent on a mission to destroy the professor and his affilates as well as all of his time machines. This society, being highly advanced, has the ability to travel through time unhinged of technology and without ruining the time continuum. They must travel to and fro past and future to round up the trouble makers.

The final main character to be introduced is the involuntary time traveler. The first time traveler, he has no control of where and when he will teleport through time. His travels do not open up new dimensions, as the time machines do. On his first involuntary travel the machinist is waiting for him with a time machine. He explains to the young boy that the two of them will share countless adventures traveling through time, and the involuntary traveler is given some direction. The machinist leaves the encounter and the twins immediately show up afterwards. They just miss their chance to assassinate the machinist, being fledgling at traveling distant times. They meet the involuntary time traveler and believe his powers could be the solution to their plight, and the plight of all that exists within time.

I suppose this is the first two chapters, but I feel that there will be a lot more planning before we begin to really finalize anything. I think that to collaborate like this, with great attention to detail, the creators really have to get into each others heads. It’s an overall slower process, but so far the benefits of two minds to bounce ideas around are noticeable.