Collaborative writing is a way to make a document better than if it were written by one person. Things can get better through uncertainty and seeming disorder. In his book, Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, Nassim Nicholas Taleb looks at human activity from this unique perspective: Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to…
Law 3. Identify the writing mandate and agree on a process
When there is writing to be done, most people expect some magic to happen. The mystique surrounding the creative process is powerful. There is no magic, though. Setting words on the page is a process and having a plan is key. Very early on in the development process, your team must capture the expectations for the project….
Law 2. Respect thy collaborators as thyself
Collaboration is about working with other people. Many hands make write work! And cupcakes have been known to make projects hum along nicely. Collaborative writing involves many different kinds of expertise, since contributions are collected from various people and sources. Often that can be a lot of fun. When things don’t go well, though, nothing will smooth the…
The 10 laws of collaborative writing
How do you make sure you are collaborating effectively with your writing colleagues? Here are 10 laws to guide you: All writing in organizations is collaborative. Respect thy collaborators as thyself. Identify the writing mandate and agree on a process. Assess the requirements for the project (even when there’s no time). Agree on practices and tools, and…
Collaborative writing in history: The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a great example of collaborative writing. All the elements are there: a writing mandate, plenty of source material, consultation with experts, a tight timeline, committees, key writers of great skill, various drafts, and a three-day meeting, during which the text is edited by many players. The writing team is even told to take…
The Write Stuff
Yikes, the report is due Monday and it’s Thursday already! Does your organization have a plan to meet tight deadlines? How would your team pull together the information and resources to meet your organization’s goals? First reactions to a situation like this would say a lot about how the team understands its mandate. What people say reflects…