Writing is collaborative, even if you’re working alone
That’s a lesson that I learned at a presentation that I attended recently. Doesn’t seem to make sense, does it? You have to work with someone to collaborate. If you’re working alone … well, you’re doing it by yourself.
Take a moment to think about it. If you’re writing for publication, you’re probably working with an editor and maybe a copyeditor. If you’re working with a client, you’re working with the client or one or more of the client’s team. You’re getting and giving suggestions and feedback. You’re exchanging ideas. It’s not quite as hands-on as slaving over a manuscript or some copy with another writer. If that’s not collaboration, I don’t know what is.
And what about readers? Believe it or not, you’re collaborating with them too. Reading seems like a one-way path — you to your readers. But what you write can influence the opinions and ideas of your readers, whether they agree or disagree with you. And if you publish on the Web, that collaboration comes through increased interaction. They can leave comments that express their opinions about what you’ve written. They might even point out errors in facts or typos. That kind of interaction definitely goes beyond the letter to the editor that I was used to when I first started writing professionally.
Thoughts? Feel free to leave a comment.
Photo credit: bjwebbiz from morguefile.com
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