The concept of collaborative writing as a method both for developing writing skills and for accomplishing professional writing tasks is not new (e.g., see citations below). Those advocated for this approach suggest both strategies for composition and for working collaboratively to accomplish a common task. The approach ends up resembling a combination of the writing process approach and some of the skills we describe in our description of cooperative learning (Projects for learning: Authoring and tutoring to learn). For example, suggestions from the Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin suggest the writing process be conceptualized as the stages of planning, drafting, and editing and the Center offers ideas for how individual and small teams might function to accomplish each stage. An individual approach to the editing stage is described as person A writes a section, the team meets to offer suggestions for improvements, and person B uses these suggestions to improve the draft. The same source suggests multiple interpersonal strategies for working collaboratively. For example, arguments are suggested to be useful because they bring strong beliefs into the open. When you believe strongly about a point, offer it respectfully and encourage others to share in a similar manner.
I have become interested in the role of collaboration in professional writing after discussions with our friend Stanley Trollip who writes crime novels set in southern Africa with a partner (see Michael Stanley). The way they have organized their collaboration improves the quality of their writing, but also the creativity they generate by the way they work together.
Like several educational strategies that have been developed and not really caught on, collaborative writing seems much more practical when reconsidered as based in an online writing environment. Online writing tools allow simultaneous construction or storage for asynchronous comment and editing.
Lunsford, A. A., & Ede, L. S. (2012). Writing together: Collaboration in theory and practice, a critical sourcebook. Bedford/St. Martins.
Dale, H. (1996). The influence of coauthoring on the writing process. Journal of Teaching Writing, 15(1), 65-80. (work with 9th graders)
