Co-authoring for Stories to Share by Jan Foster
- authorvalpenny
- 13 hours ago
- 3 min read
I'm delighted to introduce Jan Foster to the blog today to discuss writing with another author. The intricacies of co-authoring are explained in her article. Thanks for visiting and for your time today, Jan.
Thank you for inviting me to your site, Val. I'm keen to tell your readers about my new co-authoring project because recently, I teamed up with a middle grade author to write the second in a series of books exploring the French Resistance in Occupied Paris, but aimed at showing a child’s perspective.
The intention was to create a pair of stories which an adult could share and discuss with a child, but each could read a story written in a style which would appeal to them. A way to share a love of reading but also offer parents a mechanism to talk with their children about WW2 – a key part of the UK curriculum. The stories both detail the experiences of wartime, but also how to stand up for what is right, and to resist oppression, in an exciting tale of espionage and adventure.
Writing a single compelling narrative is a feat in itself, but crafting two interconnected books that tell the same story from distinct points of view presented me with a unique set of challenges and opportunities, which I felt I couldn’t do just on my own, so I approached a middle grade author illustrator to help and co-author with me. Thus, J.H. Foster (a new pen name for me to write historical fiction with) and my friend and co-author James Warwood tackled “Boy, Resisting” together, to offer readers a rich, multi-layered experience of wartime Paris. “Sewing Resistance” delves into the perspective of Hannah, while “Boy, Resisting” provides the narrative through the eyes of her young son, Freddie.
One of the primary challenges was managing information asymmetry between the two protagonists. Hannah, as an adult Resistance operative working a day job under the noses of Nazis, is privy to classified information, adult conversations, and the harsh realities of their Jewish identity and illegal immigration status. Her understanding of events, such as assassination plots or the specifics of intelligence gathering, is detailed and strategic.
Conversely, Freddie (aged 8-11 during the period) experiences the war through a child’s lens, often interpreting fragmented adult remarks or simply playing dumb to avoid suspicion. His narrative frequently highlights what he doesn’t understand, or how he misinterprets situations based on limited information. This contrast meant we had to carefully pace revelations, ensuring key plot points unfolded naturally within each character’s knowledge sphere without undermining the other’s narrative.
Furthermore, the differing emotional and psychological responses to shared traumatic events demanded sensitive handling. For example, a convent attack was experienced by Hannah with frantic urgency to protect Freddie and a clear understanding of the murders. Freddie, however, recalled it through the trauma of seeing dead bodies and the specific fear of the Nazi soldier’s voice, which haunted him and led to his self-imposed silence.
The practicalities of narration also differed significantly. Hannah’s story is told through her internal thoughts and interactions, including her secret work as a chambermaid gathering intelligence at the Ritz. Freddie’s account, particularly given his silence and reliance on drawing, necessitates conveying much through observation, internal monologue, and his “spy club” notes and maps. ‘Boy, Resisting’ is written in a diary style, which was a choice we made early on in the process to appeal to younger readers who like ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ type of narrative. James also provided light-hearted illustrations to emphasise Freddie’s abilities, and break up the narrative with humour.
Ultimately, crafting such a duology was akin to viewing a complex mosaic through two different, yet complementary, peepholes. Each perspective reveals unique details and emotional textures, but only by engaging with both books does the reader gain the full, intricate picture of resistance and survival in Occupied Paris.
Because the idea of ‘sharing stories’ in this way is unique, we decided to launch them on Kickstarter first (September 2025), then they will be live in all good booksellers in the winter of 2025. Launching on Kickstarter will also enable us to offer bonus goodies to reward backers for taking a chance on us!
You can find out more, and follow the project and support us here:
The Author
By day, Jan juggles consultancy work with her family, but by night she sneaks off, into the past. Her penchant for sprinkling history with magic is fueled by coffee and Cadburys. When not writing, Jan takes her dogs and small monsters into the countryside, especially if there is a castle or historic building there with a cosy coffee shop in which to escape the rain of Manchester, England. You can follow what Jan is up to on social media @janfosterauthor or check out her website for more details on publications and other articles or short stories she’s written www.escapeintoatale.com