Tea Party (Q&A: Collab Projects)

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Hi-hi! We’ve been working on JAAM together for a couple of years now, so we thought it might be fun to talk about collabs. Feel free to grab cozy drink, and let’s get started!

What are your thoughts on the on-going collab story, The Ways To… series?

Pineapple:

It’s a lot of fun! It’s difficult in its own way since we have to coordinate everything to fit together, but it’s cool to talk about how our different characters interact. It’s difficult for me because I wasn’t expecting the characters to be more than a one-off, and I’m not really a romance writer. Thankfully, I have the others to help me figure out what to do with Freddie and Maria.

Apple:

Pineapple and Raspberry write such amazing characters and have so many great ideas! I love seeing everyone’s styles come together, too. Plus, they’re both so talented! I always learn lots from working with them. It’s also super fun to see all the different outcomes from the same prompts and story events.

Raspberry:

Ways to…is one of my favorite things to work on!! I love being able to collaborate with my two favorite authors, and our planning sessions are so fun! We get to bounce ideas off of each other and write interactions together! What’s not to love?

Do you like collaborative projects?

Pineapple:

I like them a lot! I always wanted to be a person who did collabs like this.

It’s a lot of fun to work on it and hear everybody else’s ideas and takes on things.

Apple:

I do! Even just watching the special features for a movie or a show and seeing the creators talk about their writing rooms and processes is such a good time to me. Getting to be a part of collaborative projects feels like a huge honor.

Raspberry:

Sometimes but it honestly depends on who I’m collaborating with. It can either feel like a group project where one person is doing the most, or a party of our characters where we writers are invited to watch lol

What other kinds of collabs have you tried or done, if any? Anything you’d like to try?

Pineapple:

When I was much younger, I tried to write a comic while other people drew it. Unfortunately it never really got off the ground. I’ve done other art trades and art collab type things, but nothing like I’ve done for JAAM.

At the moment, I feel pretty satisfied with where I’m at. We have other writing collab ideas, but I think right now, I’m good with what I’ve done as a partner in something.

Apple:

Outside of school, most of the collabs I’ve done have been projects for different volunteer groups and clubs, so they haven’t all been related to writing. It’s given me the chance to gain a lot of new experiences and figure out the types of collabs I enjoy the most. There are a few other collab projects I’ve been interested in, but I’m trying to get better at setting a healthier pace for myself before I jump into more things. I’m really lucky to be surrounded by so many talented people, though! It’s super inspiring and motivating.

Raspberry:

I wrote some fanfic with Apple when we first met! And I’m starting a project with an artist friend at some point. I’d love to work collaboratively with illustrators, as I have graphic novel ideas but zero artistic talent lol

JAAM itself is a sort of collaboration. Do you prefer working on one thing altogether, or do you prefer being separate under the same name of JAAM?

Pineapple:

Ha. I like being separate. I value my alone time too much. I really like doing something different every once in a while, and JAAM has really allowed me to do a lot of things I haven’t been able to do in the past. I like being a part of something, being a part of a group with people I care about, but I do like showing off my own colors in my own way.

Apple:

I like that we get to do both. We have a schedule we try to stick to, but for the most part, we have a lot of freedom to do or not do different projects. I really appreciate being able to talk to the fam and switch things up when I find myself struggling.

Raspberry:

It depends! I love our collaborative project, but I also love our independent works. It depends on where the inspiration is. Sometimes we have similar vibes, so collaboration comes easier. But we have different genre preferences too, so it’s nice having the freedom to write on what sparks joy for us!

Thanks for stopping by!

We’re super glad you could join us, and we’d love to hear your thoughts on collabs, too! See you in the comments, on social media, or in the next episode!