Interview on Collaboration with K Roberts and Annette Gagliardi

Sometimes the hardest part of collaborating is getting started. Here are some tips from creators that have collaborated—sometimes with an absolute stranger—and made something wonderful!

Did you know your partner in collaboration beforehand? Explain how you got together. 

We were matched by Icebreakers Lit by applying through the “Spin the Bottle” feature. We didn’t know each other beforehand.

How did you collaborate? What was your process?

We wrote two poems using two methods. The first method was like writing letters to a pen-pal. Annette Gagliardi created the first stanza, then we took turns creating the next stanza until we had four total. Each section elaborated on themes determined in the first verse. 

For the second poem we used a dialogue method. K Roberts suggested some sentence fragments, and asked Annette to respond by continuing the sentences. There were many surprises as the sentences evolved. The details  were built up slowly and we were not sure where the poem was going at the beginning. We interacted often as we made changes, adding here, subtracting there.

Revisions on both poems were collaborative, with many back-and-forth discussions by email.

What were some challenges you faced during the collaborative process, and what did you learn?

We were fortunate in that we are both experienced writers and we already knew our own individual strengths and what we had to contribute. Challenges weren't out of the ordinary, but we had the usual stop-and-go moments all writers have. Some days the right words were easy to find and other days we struggled. The plus side of collaboration is the dialogue -- both writers are contributing fresh ideas and watching for mistakes like typos. 

Any final words of advice for future collaborators?

As far as advice, collaboration does require as much commitment as working alone. Don't expect the writing will go faster because there are two people. With any project, you will get results to the extent you put in the effort, so be persistent. 

Read K Roberts & Annette Gagliardi’s piece, “Rabbit’s Journey”

K Roberts is a professional non-fiction writer, a published artist, and a first reader in fiction for two literary magazines. Recent publications include The Journal of Undiscovered Poets, Panorama, and the Australian journal Meniscus.

Annette Gagliardi has looked at the dimly tinted shadows and morphed illusions that become life and finds the illumination. She sees what others do not and grasps the fruit hiding there. She squeezes all the juice that life has to offer and serves it up as poetry – or jelly, depending on the time of day. Her work has appeared in literary journals in Canada, England and the USA. Visit her author website at: https://annette-gagliardi.com