My Writing Partner

Unconventional, yes; effective, you bet.

This summer, I teamed with another writer to help me restructure my novel into a limited series teleplay. It’s been pretty exciting.

I often found myself handing over the reins, and not unhappily, since this writer really knows her way around screenwriting. A few days ago, we finished the pilot episode. It’s good, really good, and I’m not bragging because she did most of the work. After band camp is over but before she goes back to high school, we will get together to finish the pitch.

That’s right. Band camp. High school. My writing partner is not only a student, just last year she was my student. Jordan is talented, droll, and keenly observant. When she comes over to write, we take a moment to eat snacks and catch up, then, we get to work. Jordan’s tight overachiever’s schedule forces me into doing something I literally never do, namely, park my tush on a chair for three hours at a stretch. I am naturally distractible and restless, but with Jordan, I am focused and largely inert, aside from shifting my weight from one butt cheek to the other. It’s nothing short of a miracle.

Is it weird that my writing partner is 49 years younger than me? I guess it could be perceived that way, on the face of it, but the way we’ve approached the work from different places- retrospectively and reflective, for me, technically and of the moment for her- synthesizes perfectly. I get to work with a fearless content creator who values process over outcome. We are both good listeners with not much in the way in the ego department. We trust and respect each other. Basically, Jordan and I are writing partners first, and friends, well, also first. I can’t think of a better place to start.