What happens when friends and business partners of 20 years -- one male, one female -- decide to collaborate on a novel? Marshall Bruney, author of the unpublished novel, "Plotz," is Elbert Marshall and Sandy Bruney.



Elbert: As members of the Anson County Writers' Club we always wanted to write a book together, but I didn't like her genre (contemporary women's fiction) ...



Sandy: ... and I wasn't into Sci-Fi/Fantasy.



Elbert: We were driving to a work assignment when I shared a basic mystery plot that I had been toying with for some time.



Sandy: I'd been thinking of trying a mystery, also.



Elbert: When I outlined the main character Emerson Chadwick and his encounter with two lesbians at a campsite, she almost lost control of the car from laughing so hard.



Sandy: On second thought, though, the idea took hold. What was he doing there -- what were they doing there?



Elbert: We talked and got the storyline roughly laid out, each of us elaborating on the basic premise.



Sandy: After several more trips and conversations, we had the whole storyline, complete with additional characters, in our collective minds.



Elbert: And it was time to start writing.



Next: How we collaborated on Plotz from two separate homes and computer desks.

Website: www.plotz-thenovel.com