Writing is often thought of as a solitary activity; something that happens in isolation. But that's not always the case. Sometimes creativity happens best when you collaborate.

This week on The Portfolio Life I have the privilege of interviewing Frank Viola and Mary DeMuth. Frank and Mary are both successful writers who have each written dozens of books. I've admired them both for a long time — I followed them even before I was a writer myself.

Listen in as we talk about the cowriting process and their new book The Day I Met Jesus.

Listen to the podcast

To listen to the show, click the player below. (If you’re reading this via email, click here).

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

You can also listen at iTunes or on Stitcher.

About the book

Together, Frank and Mary have cowritten a new book titled The Day I Met Jesus. This biblical narrative is a blend of autobiographical fiction combined with nonfiction to tie in practical application. As far as I know, there are no other books out there like this.

Cowriting comes with many potential challenges as well as benefits. And in this podcast we talk about both the upside and downside. Cowriting allows an author to partner with another writer who has a different platform. This involves teamwork and clear communication.

The cowriting approach can work well for those who share a writing chemistry. But what if the authors have a completely different writing pace? That's one challenge we discuss in this episode.

Show highlights

In this episode we discuss:

• The benefits and challenges of cowriting.
• The strategy behind their book launch.
• The value of partnering with an author who has a different platform.
• Bingers and chippers — the two types of writing paces.

Resources

Go to TheDayIMetJesus.com to find out how you can order the book at a discounted rate and get in on some exclusives bonuses. The bonuses are available this week only.

What are some of the benefits you find in collaborating on a project? Share in the comments.