James S. A. Corey is the author of The Expanse series and the pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. Abraham and Franck are writing a new novel. And they’re opening up the entire process to a Patreon audience. Membership allows you to watch the entire process, from figuring out what they’re going to write, through the outlining, drafting, revising, and other phases of the project. Or at least that’s the plan.
The first episode dropped yesterday, with Abraham and Franck batting around ideas on what the novel is going to be about. The discussion ranges over the attractions and pitfalls of various science fiction sub-genres. There’s also some discussion on which story types might work for a book, and which wouldn’t, even if they do for a 90 minute movie. And some discussion about what fits with Corey’s voice.
For anyone interested in fiction writing, watching these guys think throughout the entire process seems like an amazing opportunity. You do need to be willing to plop down $5 a month, which I realize will be a barrier for some. For me, it was an easy call, a lot cheaper than many of the online write classes out there, although more expensive (over time) than a book or two on writing.
They have made it clear that they’re seeing this as a one time gig, not a new permanent thing. When they’re done, they plan to take down everything and move on. So this is something of a limited time opportunity.
If you’re a writer, or aspiring writer, you might want to check it out.
SelfAwarePatterns 
I’ll be interested to hear your reflections on their process.
James SA Corey is 2 guys — I wonder when they speak of him, like he’s real, if that helps to distance themselves from both the author-speak they might introduce, or if by talking about yourselves in the 3rd person through an avatar, you can get better insights into the writerly process?
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I know from interviews over the years that they’re pretty heavy planners. The Expanse books were reportedly each written from something like 20 page synopses, very similar to the kind of things the Star Wars franchise is rumored to make writers turn in before authorizing a canon novel. Of course, that’s when they’re writing together. I don’t know what Abraham does when he writes his standalone fantasy novels.
That’s in contrast to what Charlie Stross and Cory Doctorow did when they collaborated on Rapture of the Nerds, where they pantsed the whole thing, alternating chapters as they tag teamed their way through it.
I’m interested in just watching Franck and Abraham work, how they handle the details of the process. I know it won’t be exactly the same, since they’ll know they’re being watched, but hopefully it’ll be in the ballpark.
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Good to know.
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