Collaborating Muses; Or...Switzerland!

Weekly-ish Update:

Collaborating Muses

I just got back from 10 days in Switzerland with a writing friend who I'd never met before.

Let me say, that is NOT like me. 

But I decided mixing up the patterns of my life–and my muse–might be in order.  And it wasn't as if it was totally a blind date.  We've been collaborating on a screenplay for DEFIANT for over a year now, exchanging extremely lo-o-o-ong emails where we plotted and re-plotted, scripted and re-scripted and generally argued collaborated, rewriting the storyline, honing it to make it work for film.

So, basically, we had an online marriage for a long time before we met in person.

I mean, if you can give up your story to someone, have them hack away and hand it back, bruised and battered, and listen to them say, “It's better now, see??” and you don't want to kill yourself, or them, you know you're onto something.

So, we took a  chance, and planned to spend 10 days together in a foreign land, no family around.

It was AWESOME. We wrote like manics, and plotted like fools, said “no, no, no, no,” to each other a hundred times, and “omg, YES!” two hundred.  It was invigorating and exciting and fun!

I'm working on the screenplay now that I'm back, and already losing the sharp edge of driving focus her contributions gave me.  But I'm committed to getting it back, and making this story work for film. 

Also, I know as soon as I send her my over-blather, she'll hack away at it, leaving it once again bloody and battered. #sorelieved

I feel like I have my own personal hatchetwoman.  It's nice to have a knife-wielder you can trust.

Full disclosure: I have a lot to learn.

Do you have any friendships where you know you make each other better, even when–maybe because–it's sometimes hard to handle?

Hope your summer is starting off with good things, and if you need it, your own personal hatchetwoman..or whatever you need!