Tag Archives: collaborations

Episode #103: Savan Gupta on Collaboration

We welcome Savan Gupta to the show, but Tee is audio only… and it had nothing to do with Pip!

  • Savan kicks it off, and the party begins.
  • Having a company is apparently just as stressful as kids
We welcome Savan and all his universes

3:07 Savan begins to unravel all his creative endeavors

  • Steam-funk Studios– a multi-media and marketing firm
  • From that came the Living Multiverse, a cross-media fiction project… and World Domination
  • The Unconventional champions journalist and academic excellence in fandom—The Rolling Stone of Fandom. Fanthropolgy
  • Sepia Riot, a project in development, championing Indian, Arab and Asian representation in fandom
  • The Unconventional will be coming this year!

8:03 Tee asks Savan how he manages all these amazing projects

  • Savan keeps a regular schedule, military like
  • Manage expectations with those that are working with you
  • Savan vets everyone and gives them an orientation so that people are ramped up
  • Communicate any problems that crop up in life
  • Tee throws himself under the bus, but also owns his problems
  • Savan points out that when you act like a professional everything is simpler
We call it that too!

12:29 Pip asks Savan just how many people he’s collaborated with over the years

  • Savan remembers another collaboration, Geeks Gone Wild
  • Collaborating means having standards and processes to encourage others who want to work with you
  • Savan comes to this from a financial market
  • Pip gets jealous of Savan’s organization
  • Tee points out the collaboration with Galileo Games was very well organized
  • Savan mentions that he’s spent years all over the country, finding talent
  • Savan says past and present he’s worked with hundreds of people

17:41 Tee asks, so what do they all do?

  • Everything began as a performance troupe
  • In 2014 critical mass happened. Slick-brass and the Crew of the A.S.S. Titilus was joined by Rohan and the Dogs of War. Then more… and more… and consulting for others
  • It got so big, that they needed residuals to support the performance, so Savan changed tack.
  • Rebooting the brand, they turned inward to evaluate what goods and services work best, to make money
  • The Unconventional is free, because its aim is to make a community- but it gives plenty of attribution, and a bio
  • Attribution is something we need more of
  • Savan answers the question about how many people who work in the company
  • Shout out to Savan’s teams!
  • Pip’s mind is blown

27:01 Tee asks Savan how he handles when collaboration goes bad

  • Savan makes clear what expectations are, and how much time it will take to his collaborators
  • His exceptions clauses are; your health (you don’t have to disclose what those are, legally as well), day job/school (hell weeks do happen in both), and finally your family.
  • Everyone needs paperwork!
  • Tee, Savan and Pip discuss about deadlines
  • Savan describes his ‘break glass’ situation
No one wants to do this, but sometimes it is necessary…
  • Now the Hobbit comes up… we have all been forged by fire
  • Savan calls back to his father, for his fortitude and persistence

51:14 Tee makes sure when the pandemic is over, Savan will break bread with he and Pip once again

  • Tee reveals his love for Trejos Tacos cook book
  • Culinary arts series coming from the Unconventional!
Savan, often compared to Tony Stark

53:17 Where can we find Savan Gupta?

If you have an event in 2021 and want The Shared Desk to appear there, or if you just want to share an opinion about the show, here’s where to find us… 703.791.1701
pip@pjballantine.com
tee@teemorris.com
…and social media, of course.

Show art by Candy Cane Studios
Find us on Twitter at either Tee’s or Pip’s account,
leave us a voicemail or questions for the show at 703.791.1701,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.
We’ll talk about it!
And remember, you can find the show on Spotify,  iTunes or Stitcher!
Subscribe, listen, and review.
Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

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Episode #102: Collaborators in life and art

The video stream
  • We’re still social distancing, but we can still be social!
  • We welcome Aly Grauer and Drew Mierzejewski—another collaborating couple!
Such an epic couple!
  • We’ve know each other… Aly and Drew are ‘like us but younger!’
  • Collaborators in life and art!
  • Aly produced two short stories for Tales from the Archives
  • Pip tries some new words from the youth! Vibe and dabbing are no allowed.

6:05 Tee asks the hard question of Aly and Drew; Where’d this all start?

  • Like many collaborators, editing and brainstorming often comes off
  • Aly and Drew started on a project from the Renaissance Faire
  • Starting off sharing creative projects can be fun… but the rewards are worth it
You can share it!
  • For a start, there are no rules
  • Writers are often imagined solitary- but they don’t have to be!
Sad writer contemplates writing all alone…
  • People tend to think ideas are precious, and can be easily lost… but the truth is there are a lot out there
  • Tee admits thinking never to write another podcasting book.
  • …and is currently working on 4th edition of Podcasting for Dummies
Pip and Tee fear becoming Taylor and Burton
  • Tee brings back the story of the Silver Pharaoh.
  • Aly and Drew share their own tense moment.
  • The truth of the matter is, everyone looks back at their first book critically.

21:00 How do you navigate criticism between partners?

  • Talk about specifics, good and bad
  • It can be bad when you take criticism too much to heart, and let it break your confidence
  • Aly and Drew poured energy into Warda, and it became a podcast and a tabletop game
  • Aly finally found a way back in with Drew’s support
  • Drew points out, building a collaboration takes years
  • Pip recounts the path of collaboration for the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences
  • The couples talk about the strengths that make their collaborations work

38:42 Let’s talk Skyjacks:Courier’s Call

  • Aly and Drew have a new podcast collaboration, Skyjacks: Courier’s Call
  • Skyjacks is a wider collaboration, but it wasn’t child friendly, hence the spinoff
  • Pip gets excited by large birds… especially large kiwis!
  • We touch on the advantages the Kickstarter campaign had
  • The nature of the podcast and the storytelling is very collaborative.
  • Tee waxes lyrical on the latest wave of roleplaying
  • Art is not created in a vacuum!
  • Pip and Tee call out some of the wonderful folks they’ve collaborated with in the past!
  • Pip talks about her own roleplaying fun with George the Dinosaur
Ashimei and George- art by Candy Cane Studios

If you have an event and want The Shared Desk to appear there, or if you just want to share an opinion about the show, here’s where to find us… 703.791.1701
pip@pjballantine.com
tee@teemorris.com
…and social media, of course.

Show art by Candy Cane Studios
Find us on Twitter at either Tee’s or Pip’s account,
leave us a voicemail or questions for the show at 703.791.1701,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.
We’ll talk about it!
And remember, you can find the show on Spotify,  iTunes or Stitcher!
Subscribe, listen, and review.
Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

Comments Off on Episode #102: Collaborators in life and art

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Episode #25: An Audience with Alex White, Master Collaborator

TSD-back2back_White

Tee and Pip pull off the miracle podcast and reach NUMBER 25, but they don’t do it alone. From the headquarters of The Gearheart comes Renaissance Man Alex White. He’s an artist. He’s a writer. He’s a musician. He’s brought so much of his talent to the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, and now he comes on mic with The Shared Desk to talk about how he got his black belt in collaboration fu.

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00:00 — Introduction

  • Tee goes with a HBO theme on the opening drop-in’s…
  • Welcoming a special guest, Alex White, who is in town…because he wants to be!
  • What’s going on with the three of us?
    • Pip’s turning in new pitches. (Titles need a bit of work…)
    • Tee’s closing in on his Kindle Worlds’ deadline.
    • Alex has a new work-in-progress that delves into the paranormal.
  • Paying authors: We think it’s fun!
7:29 — An Audience with Alex White, Master Collaborator
  • Apart from Jack Mangan, Alex White has contributed and collaborated with us the most concerning the Ministry.
  • Alex and the crew of Disasterpiece Theatre
    • What’s the pitch? (Not the show, but that is the show.)
    • It was a great show…until Shia LaBouff was brought into the Ministry.
    • What’s the fun in prepping your guests?
    • Be careful, Alex. Hollywood, SyFy, and Michael Bay is listening…
    • …and Tee goes there. “Inappropriate.”
  • The recent collaboration(s) between Alex and the Makers of the Ministry
  • On working with Tee Morris and Pip Ballantine, the editors
    • The importance of editing
    • Making editors into the “bad guys”
  • On working with Tee Morris and Pip Ballantine, cover art clients
    • We got a beautiful cover….
    • ….but it was a tough journey getting there.
    • RELEASE THE DROP-IN’S!!!
    • Revealing what’s behind the curtain when cover artists and clients work together…and when things are not what are expected.
    • Beware the “sternly-worded nut-slap” from Pip Ballantine.
    • And then came the back pedal…
  • Working with Friends: the Pros, the Cons, and the LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY EXCHANGING HANDS… 
  • Again, beware Pip’s sternly slap-to-the-nuts.
  • Alex gives some advice for the author when working together to create the cover you want.

39:18 — Seriously? Seriously.

  • Alex reveals a cold, hard truth about The Shared Desk.
  • Talking about trust — how about that Cuckoo’s Calling book?
  • Hold on…who’s writing this book again?!
  • QUICK LOO BREAK!
  • Should J.K. Rowling be pissed?
  • A look at the insecurity of a successful problem…and how we wish we had it…
  • You hire a lawyer with a degree of privacy in mind.
  • The dangers of when besties get together, whippin’ out their secrets….
  • …and Tee goes there. Again.

47:24 — The Wrap-Up

  • Big props to Alex White for joining us on the 25th show!
  • Alex made us love him all over again.
  • Alex White and Harvey Keitel — worth every penny!
  • What’s coming soon…
    • For Alex
      • Dragon*Con appearing, including a LIVE Disaterpiece Theatre
      • A possible BIG reveal for DTP fans
      • Catch him at the Parsecs as Fire in the Snow by Starla Hutchton is in the running….
    • For Pip & Tee
      • Authors After Dark
      • Baltimore Book Festival
      • Strasburg Steam Festival
      • Cover Reveal of Ministry Protocol — August 8!
      • And an unexpected sale that is coming to bookshelves for the holidays!
  • And how about this for an ending — hitting it on all cylinders!!!

RELATED LINKS

 
Find us on Twitter at either Tee’s or Pip’s account,
leave us a voicemail or question for the show at 703.791.1701,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.
Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

 

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