How do you team up with co-creators to craft a story?

To lend a perspective from the collaborative melting pot that is working as a storyteller in the games industry: you typically don't get to choose your co-creators. Your team could be made up of people you've never crossed paths with before — and in order to collaborate effectively together, you have to take the time to get to know one another. Learn about each other's work styles and preferences. Some teammates might prefer meetings to Slack. Others might prefer information to be written down, while others need it delivered aloud. And don't underestimate the power of bonding — a board game night, karaoke, popping over to the food truck around the corner for lunch. Spend time together connecting as human beings.

Collaborations with the right people can get your talent to shine in the right places. Here are a few things to consider while choosing your co-creator: 1. What is the goal of this collaboration? 2. Is there a way your audience can benefit through this creator's knowledge, skills, or could you benefit through their audience? (More exposure does not always mean right exposure) 3. Do they have any complementary skills to aid your minuses? 4. Why this creator? 5. How are you planning to create - carousel, reel, podcast...?

Teaming up with co-creators to craft a story involves choosing partners wisely and collaborating effectively. Look for individuals who share a passion for the story's theme and have diverse skills that complement yours. Communication is key, so find people who are open to sharing ideas and can work well together. Establish clear roles and responsibilities to ensure a smooth collaboration. Regularly check in with your co-creators, listen to their input, and be open to feedback. By building a team with shared enthusiasm, diverse skills, and effective communication, you can create a story that benefits from the strengths of each co-creator, resulting in a richer and more cohesive narrative.

Having recently written and published a bestselling business book, I was careful in choosing who I would have as contributors to the book - this is very important. Make sure that who you target compliments your style, adds value to your topic - not duplicates it. Also when you incorporate their work, just make sure that you keep the flow of your work - if you have 2 different styles then for the audience it can seem disjointed if not managed correctly.

I usually work with 2 or 3 people I know really well. We pick a theme, then brainstorm a start point. then take it from there. We work it like a game and, when possible, we act it out. I'm away with 3 girlfriends in mid Nov. We're going to stay in a cottage, out in the wilds of Exmoor so we have a great landscape for our story to take shape in. We intend to write and live our story while we're there, and we've begun throwing ideas around already. When we come back we'll have a story. And not only that, we'll have it from 4 different perspectives. No spoilers yet! Maybe we'll publish it here on LinkedIn ???

Much like anything - when collaborating - just be super clear on who owns and does what. Be sure to remove any ambiguity. If you are working on a complete project, use tools to manage the work and timelines - it will help when you are both together and more so when you are apart.

Clear assignments sets everyone up for success, and there are a few ways to approach this. I have writer friends who trade off pages or chapters with their co-writers, with each person responsible for a certain page count. Collaboration can also looks like a children's book writer pairing up with an illustrator or a podcast host working with their sound engineer. Make sure you talk about who is doing what (and when) in order to avoid confusion about the process.

The clearer the work, the easier and better the collab would be. Talk to them about your ideas on this collaboration. Ask them if they want to add anything to it. Now, suggest how you think you can go about this. For ex, for a podcast, you can ask them to send you the questions before hand so you can ask them while on camera. This gives them time to prepare. Discuss with them at every step on how they would like it to be. 2 brains can create greater ideas than just 1. And most of all, make sure they feel comfortable and enjoy collaborating with you. Don't make it stiffling.

You can team up with co-creators to craft a story by brainstorming together, sharing ideas, and building on each other's contributions. Start by discussing the key elements of the story you want to tell and then collaborate on developing the plot, characters, and setting. Encourage everyone to contribute their unique perspectives and creativity to shape the narrative. By working together, you can blend different strengths and insights to create a compelling story.

Crafting a story in collaboration with someone is the same as any team project: Success requires project planning and management. Since storytelling is such an inherently creative process, start with the things you and your co-creator(s) are best at (which ideally should be different strenghts!), and make sure the tasks you each take on compliment each other and ultimately amplify the message of the finished story for your target audience.

The key to crafting compelling stories is a good feedback. Make sure to include their perspectives and ideas into making the story. You can try brainstorming, collaborative script writing, or simple well documented calls to look back, refer and build a good story together.

You can apply the exact same elements you'd use in creative feedback when workshopping a story for business/brand purposes: - Be open to the feedback - in fact, welcome it - Don't take it personally - NEVER take your eye off the reader (ie, your ideal audience) - Practice "why" over "what" feedback - "This isn't working because..." is a lot better than "This isn't working" - Dicuss the feedback point by point (again, always with the audience in mind)

As much as being part of a team may call for showcasing what you can bring to the table to make a difference, it is also essential to see it as a learning opportunity. By embracing the diversity that co-creation offers, you gain the opportunity new techniques for conceiving and crafting stories which can refine your personal style of creating stories.

Respect and empathy are crucial throughout the collaboration. Understanding and appreciating each co-creator's perspective enriches the story and creates a cohesive narrative. Celebrate milestones together and be open to evolving the story based on group feedback. Ultimately, crafting a story with co-creators is about blending diverse voices into a harmonious and compelling narrative. It's a journey that not only enhances the story but also builds stronger professional relationships and a deeper understanding of storytelling dynamics.

Once more from the games industry perspective, but this applies widely: authentic, diverse stories are built from authentic, diverse teams. One of the best writing teams in my career boasted writers from four different countries — and through our varied lived experiences, we were able to craft compelling stories that explored unique settings, perspectives, and scenarios. When all the voices seated at the writers' room table hail from the same background — looking at you, writers' rooms of the games industry filled with straight white guys — at best, you get generic dude-bro stories, and at worst, you get pandering inauthentic attempts at checking off items on a diversity list for virtue points.

I find it helpful to inform my co-collaborators what I'm looking for or where I need input. For example, I may tell them "this could use more jokes" or "there's a flashback here that doesn't make sense, can you edit or rewrite it?" This provides clear direction and also allows you to lean on your teammate's strengths.

If you start your co-creation process with choosing co-creators based on complementing strengths, the autonomy/collaboration dynamic becomes a whole lot easier. You've already established what you're best at versus what your co-creator(s) are best at - so ask for feedback in your weaker areas, and take charge of the creation in your strongest ones.

Co-creating a story means co-creating a story. It doesn't mean one person tells the story how they like with two names on it. My first experience with co-creating a story was when I was working on a grant project. An illustrator and I were co-creating a digital children's book. To ensure that we both maintained creative freedom, I wrote the book and then they separated it into page breaks and created the illustrations. This resulted in a beautiful final product we were both proud of. If you're struggling to find your balance between autonomy and collaboration, sit down with your co-creator and communicate challenges. This will allow both of you to find a pathway forward.

Brand bible, style guide, tone of voice sheet — call the materials what you want, but they're essential to unifying the voice of a collaborative storytelling effort. In the games industry, these materials are critical to onboarding new team members, outsourcing part-time help, keeping veteran team members aligned — and they're living, active documents, only as useful as they are up to date and continually consulted. With these documents at front of mind for the writing team, you can allow for autonomy in drafting the work — then come together for a table read to hone and refine the voice further as you iterate towards shipping.

I've worked with 100s of storytellers. Here are strategies for striking this balance: - While everyone should have a say in the overall direction, it's also important to divide specific tasks and responsibilities based on strengths and interests. - Build in designated time and space for co-creators to work independently. -Create opportunities for the team to regularly share progress, offer feedback, and ensure alignment. -Take time to acknowledge and appreciate both the individual accomplishments of each co-creator and the collective milestones of the team. -While it's important to have a plan and structure, also leave room for the magic of unexpected connections and ideas that can emerge from collaboration.

I've had leaders in the games industry who've only shared what I've done wrong — they find flaw, dig into the wound, focus on the "here's what not to do", make me feel small. So, when I became a leader, I chose the opposite approach. I chose to celebrate what my team did well and focus on the "here's what to keep doing". If issues required course-correction, we could always have an open dialogue — "Why did you approach it this way? What if we were to do a thought exercise and try this, instead?" — but there was no need to dwell on criticism and beat anyone down. You learn just as much from "what to do right", and you're happier for it. It's amazing what a little positive reinforcement will do for team morale.

Acknowledge and celebrate milestones, breakthroughs, and successes along the storytelling journey. Take time to reflect on challenges and setbacks as valuable learning experiences that contribute to the team's growth and resilience. Celebrating achievements fosters team morale, motivation, and a sense of accomplishment.

Focussed storytelling is not easy - so do find a moment to celebrate and recognise each other. Also don't be scared to ask the question - what would you change for next time. Leanings are there to help improve for next time - so don't be afraid of this!

Celebrations like a launch event, LIVE sessions, giveaways, are a great way to get the word out about your collaboration to both your audiences. This increases the reach of your collaborative story and makes the audience feel like they are a part of it too which is crucial to make any work a success. After collaboration is over make sure to ask them on what they thought about working with you and the project, to help you gain confidence and feedback to work on future collaborations with other creators.

Be specific in your compliments and praise. What does your co-creator excel at most? This makes them feel valued, helps them identify and hone their gifts, and opens them up for more opportunities when others hear about their wins.

Maintain regular communication and engagement to keep the momentum going throughout the storytelling process. Foster a sense of camaraderie and connection among team members by organizing team-building activities, social gatherings, and creative workshops. Keep the story alive by continuously refining and evolving it based on feedback and new insights.

I think collaborating with others can be such a powerful tool in storytelling. You learn to work together, you get to experience different points of view, and your story is that much richer as a result. But after your project is done, you can still support each other by engaging with each other's content, collaborating on a new topic, participating in a community. You can still keep that original story alive by continuing to collaborate in different ways.

I've collaborated with 100s of storytellers. Here are some ways to maintain momentum and connection with your team: -Set up quarterly or annual get-togethers (virtual or in-person) for your co-creators to reconnect, catch up, and reignite your creative spark. -Look for opportunities to continue collaborating with your team members on spin-off stories, adaptations, or entirely new projects that build on your shared creative chemistry. -Keep your team's communication channels active even after the main project is complete. -Continue the conversation with your audience through social media, email newsletters, or live events.

Personally while co-creating as a storyteller, I like to work with creators from different niches as it helps these different audiences of them to realise how my niche, storytelling, is relatable and useful to them. Also, I get to learn new things and implement in my own stories. It's my way of digitally travelling and meeting different creatives around the world.

In the hallowed halls of business storytelling, it's crucial to remember that every member of your collaborative crew brings a unique perspective to the table. And their communities can enhance this. This diversity of thought can significantly enrich the narrative you're crafting. Work with your collaborators to test ideas and gather insights from their respective communities. As a consultant, I've seen how a blend of different viewpoints can create a more authentic and relatable story. Furthermore, maintaining open channels of communication ensures that all voices are heard, fostering a sense of collaboration and mutual respect.

Just remember that all communication is an opportunity storytelling. The moment you view it through that lens you can really open yourself up to enhancing the impacts you can have every day through your life. Storytelling is not just for that big moment.... it is for the every moment. Stories. Change. Lives.