Two Heads Can be Better than One: Advice for Screenwriting Duos

Screenwriting teams are the dynamic duos of Hollywood. The Duffer Brothers (Stranger Things), The Coen Brothers (Fargo, The Big Lebowski), David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (Game of Thrones) are just a few examples of writers who found success working together. 

Yes, writing as a duo means you get half the money, but you also get twice the inspiration and a constant teammate; someone who elevates your writing, who has your back in pitch meetings if you fumble or forget something, who’s there to help celebrate every win and help you get back in the game after every rejection.

Here are 3 pitfalls to avoid and 3 tips for success for writing duos (as well as any solo writers considering teaming up): 

Pitfalls to Avoid:

1. Letting Pride Get in the Way

Disagreements are an inevitable part of working as a team, but if you don’t find productive ways to handle them, you’ll end up killing each other. If you have competing ideas, try both out and see how they look on the page; find compromise (for example, if you’re writing a comedy, make it a rule that you get to keep one joke your partner doesn’t like and vice versa); or if you just can’t work out your issue on your own bring in a third party (like your manager, or a friend you both trust) to break the tie. Whatever you do, don’t get so caught up in being right that you lose sight of why you’re doing this in the first place: to create the best STORY. This doesn’t mean you can’t get upset or frustrated, but it does mean there are times when you have to put your pride aside for the good of the story you both want to tell. 

2. Judgment: The Killer of Creativity

When first breaking a story, most writers throw out a lot of bad ideas before they hit on the right one. When you work as a team you have to navigate that creative (and highly vulnerable) process together. If you have a partner you trust this can be a dream, but if your writing partner (or you) are too quick to judge ‘early ideas’, growing and shaping a story can be a nightmare. Working together means you have to create a ‘judgment free’ environment for both of you to have equal input. This doesn’t mean you have to pretend you love everything they come up with, but it does mean you need to find a way to brainstorm ideas with kindness and respect for each other’s hard work and talent.

“We’re as synced up as you can possibly be. That doesn’t mean we don’t have major disagreements.” -Matt Duffer (The Duffer Brothers)

3. Using Your Partner as an Excuse

“Why meet new creative partners when I already have a great one?!” Sometimes having a writing partner can give you the illusion that you don’t have to network (especially if you’re a born introvert). Seeing your writing partner every day does not count as networking, you still need to put yourself out there. But the good news is, networking as a pair can make your life a whole lot easier. Chances are you’ll have more confidence because there’s at least ONE person at the party you know. You’ll always have someone there to pick up the conversation if you drop the ball, and if you ‘divide and conquer’ you have the opportunity to meet twice as many people.

Tips for Success:

1. Choose the Right Partner

Choosing a writing partner is a lot like choosing a romantic partner - if you settle for someone who’s not the right fit, you’ll regret it later. Choose someone with ambition and drive that push you, standards that challenge you, and someone who inspires you to be more creative than you ever thought possible. If you don’t feel like you’re in a truly ‘dynamic duo’, chances are the partnership is not worth your time. Also, try to find someone who has a different skillset than you: maybe you’re great at structure but weaker at dialogue - find someone who can write dialogue in their sleep! Just make sure you have the SAME taste and sensibilities. For example, if you’re writing comedy but you both have a totally different sense of humor, you’ve got a problem.

2. Always have a Game Plan

Every writing team has their own way of working. Some sit side-by-side and bang it out on one laptop; others come up with an overall outline as a team and then work individually, passing the script back and forth; many people work separately on the first draft and then come back together to do rewrites. There is no “right way”. But whatever method you choose, make sure your plan of attack ensures you’re working as efficiently as possible and that you’re both doing your fair share. If you say you’re both going to write 5 pages a day, write 5 pages. Each person needs to know what to expect from the other, and trust it’s going to get done.

“We don't outline, so we don't have prospective tasks to divide up. It's just, we start at the beginning and talk the first scene through, write it up, proceed to the next.” - Ethan Coen (The Coen Brothers)

3. Communication is KEY

Whether starting your first draft, or walking into your tenth pitch meeting - you need to be on the same page. Which means a LOT of communication. It can take hours and hours of discussion to be 100% of the same mind about a script or series outline; take the time to have that discussion. Same goes for heading into a pitch meeting (or a general). Talk beforehand about who’s going to say what, how you’re going to tell your “becoming a team” origin story, and what questions might come up/how you might answer them. There’s nothing worse than discovering mid-pitch that you both have differing opinions: you want executives to view you as a united front with a clear vision, not two individuals who butt heads. 

What are your best tips for working as a team? Let me know @CaroleKirsch!