The Amazing Benefits Of "Tag-Team" Co-Writing! (Part 5)

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4

(Larry) Sounds good to me. So, what benefits do you personally find yourself experiencing when co-writing in a "tag-team" effort and what specific benefits and values to you find that the reader gets and enjoys from the process?

(David) For me, the "tag-team" way of doing things helps me focus by branching out with different ideas. I know that may or may not make sense, but that's what it feels like to me.
In this article alone, I have written about things I had not necessarily written about before, or at least in a way that has been presented. I don't ever remember writing about W.C. Fields, but there he is in letters and words.

(Larry) Exactly! The other person is quite comfortably, naturally and automatically utilized as a springboard for new and originally undiscovered pathways, concepts, avenues and perspectives that never would have ever occurred to the single, individual, independent mind alone, limited to whatever is already available inside a closed system of conceptual consciousness.

It's like suddenly having the ability to see what's out there to the left, right and behind, as well as an nearly endless number of "degreed" variables in between, instead of always simply, single-mindedly and methodically pushing endlessly forward with a pre-set and dialed in stream of consciousness. I love it! Two writers working in "tag-team" tandem increase the possibilities creative awareness to an infinite degree.

(David) Plus it also helps to clean things up in one's mind, as well and helps narrow down the focus (or search for just the right word). Finally, it provides a feeling that yes, I am on the right track. The ideas I type tend to get a vote of approval or maybe a thought that something needs to be altered a little bit.

(Larry) You are precisely 100% right on that point David, but isn't it nice to know that if you were only a mere 97% right, I would be here by your side to help find that missing 3%! I know that I am so very appreciative of the fact that you are there to prod me on to look deeper, write clearer, think wider or narrower, as the case and need may be.

(David) For the reader, I'd like to believe the co-written version, while longer than just a single article, gives a bit more of an entertaining way. It gives life to a given article. It adds excitement, conflict, and a lot of other words which normally wouldn't be there had it been just 1 person.

(Larry) Bingo! That's really whole gist of the matter, right there. While a relaxed, comfortable blog post might end up LONGER than usual, as we both discuss the multiple variable involved from two very distinctly different perspectives, length is not always the natural, guaranteed outcome.

When it comes to actually doing REAL paid "WORK," be it web copy, articles, press releases, sales letters, marketing promotions, newsletters or books / e-books, whether about business, the internet or life in general, there is a combined, laser like commitment to crystal clear and concisely clean focus!

(David) So yes, while it certainly provides perspective from a 2nd point of view of sorts, a 2nd opinion, a 2nd pair of eyes, a 2nd helping of potatoes and that bacon you had mentioned earlier, it also helps us to keep it clean and simple, directly to the point and right on target. That is the benefit of having two experienced editors on our two man writing staff. Two heads are better than one kind of thing. Finally, I think it shows that we are just "people," much like those reading what we write.

(Larry) I completely concur. It is a very valuable, dual role, simultaneous processing tool to naturally:

(1) expand on the possibilities of an idea or concept, while at the exact same time, it helps improve the content by effectively

(2) "double filter" editing, limiting and focusing in on exactly where the message is now, and where it is intended to arrive at when the process is over.

This means the great and significant advantage to the reader is, there is constantly an editor, a second brain and set of eyes to catch a vital point that might be inadvertently over-looked by one writer who is so busy making sure he gets 1 , 2 or 3 major premises down on the page before they disappear into the ether, that 2 or 3 equally interesting ideas might accidentally be completely forgotten about in the process of desperately trying to "get it all down."

Plus the second person, who knows the first person well enough to have a pretty good idea where their mind is probably going with a concept, is right there on the spot to instantly ask an important question or request an example or two in order to ensure further, specific clarification of what is being conveyed to the reader.

I'm most definitely happy and very satisfied with the benefits provided by writing with the tag-team tandem approach. I thank you Sir, for your much appreciated participation.

With that, I momentarily step away from the coffee table to go watch the birds goofing around and eating stray french fries out on the deck for a while.

Hey ..... my coffee's COLD!