6 Writing Insights I Learned From My 9-Year-Old Writing Partner

Many authors think of writing as a solitary activity. But sometimes, it can be fun to collaborate with a partner! Today, author and editor Jarie Bolander shares how he dove into children’s fiction by collaborating with Reeva, his young co-writer (pictured above):

I was never an avid reader as a kid. My usual reading material consisted of Popular Science, old textbooks, and the occasional Mack Bolan series. Even to this day, I mostly read and write nonfiction.

My interest in fiction grew out of NaNoWriMo and StoryGrid. It’s been a fantastic adventure to do a deep dive into the fiction pool to see how story shapes our lives. The motivation to actually write a chapter book came from my girlfriend’s daughter, Reeva, who one day said “You write. Why not write a book for kids like me?” Thus started our adventure into writing The Magical Mystical Mirror.

For most of us, writing is a solo activity. We labor away at our keyboards spinning worlds and crafting tales that are interesting to us. It’s only when we’re done with the first draft that we might hand it off to an editor.

The process of writing with Reeva has given me some valuable insights that have made me a better writer. I would have never learned them if I had not opened my mind to different perspectives. 

1. Agree on the genre.

Genre can be tricky for a chapter book. Most of the ones Reeva reads are mysteries so we decided to go that route.

2. Decide on the theme.

Once we figured out we wanted to write a mystery, we had to figure out the theme. Reeva likes visiting aquariums because she loves animals. We wanted her love of animals to be part of the theme, which is:

The repercussions of the past come to life as a single mother of two seeks to save an endangered species by traveling back in time—The Magical Mystical Mirror.

3. Use a common language.

One of the challenges we faced was how to communicate about what we wanted to write. We needed to come up with a common language—which for us, was via examples of stories she was reading.

4. Get agreement, then stay focused.

Several times through our writing process, we would get distracted. This usually manifested itself in creating more characters or completely different plot lines. Thankfully, we would resolve this by simply committing to focusing on writing the idea we had. We could always change it later.

5. Write for your target audience.

I normally don’t write fiction, and the nonfiction I do write is usually targeted to the entrepreneur crowd. The Magical Mystical Mirror is a different audience that’s not going to understand subtly or nuance. What might seem obvious to me won’t for a 9-year-old. This was important since my job was to do most of the writing, and without Reeva telling me what she thought, the book would not hit the mark.

6. Bring the story to life.

As writers, it’s sometimes hard to picture a place or a scene in our heads, especially if you’re writing outside your comfort zone. That’s why we took two field trips to Monterey (where our story is set) to feel what it likes to walk the streets. This was not only inspiring but also made the experience fun for all of us.

Outside My Comfort Zone

Part of the reason that NaNoWriMo is such an enjoyable experience for me is the community that it creates. I would never have thought to write a chapter book, let alone with a writing partner. This experience has made me a better writer and made me want to write more stories outside my comfort zone—something we should all try and do.

Jarie Bolander is an engineer by training and an entrepreneur by nature. He has over 20 years of experience bring innovative products to market. He is a Certified Story Grid Editor who uses his training to help his companies tell better stories. He has published six books—8 Startup Dilemmas All Founders Will Face, The Entrepreneur Ethos, 7 PR Secrets All Founders Should Know, #Endurance Tweet, Frustration Free Technical Management, and Business Basics for Entrepreneurs. He’s on Twitter @TheDailyMBA.