Twin authors. How to write novels in tandem

Abstract

Classical aesthetics cherishes the image of a self-contained author who expresses himself by creating a work of art. This definition is markedly challenged by authors who create their work in cooperation with a congenial partner. A close relationship appears to be vital, in the sense that the partners complement each other in their skills and views. Twin authors are a rare phenomenon, but they show that it is practically possible to split up a literary project and to write novels in tandem. In 1997, I approached some joint authors. The twin authors listed in my account are convinced that they profit more from composing novels in tandem than from writing individually. All authors processed reported that writing in tandem required a pervasive internal harmony and mutual calculability. However, a decisive disadvantage of literary cooperation lies in the fact it predominantly applies to a genre literature which is governed by fixed standards.