On Episode 86 of the #LearningStories podcast we chat with Sukriti YJ. She is an author, screenwriter and webcomic producer based in Mumbai. Her indie production company is called Unibrow Stories. Sukriti's three novels include the, 'Gold Digger' (an action adventure set in Bihar), 'Beta Builder' (a sci-fi novella set in Mumbai) and 'The Lehenga Games' (a treasure hunt through India's fashion history). Her webcomic, 'Love on a Visa', a campus rom-com between an Indian girl and a Korean boy is ongoing on Webtoon and Tapas, earning 20,000 views. You can find her on Instagram @suki_unibrow.

Show Chapters

(00:05) - Podcast Introduction

(00:20) - Guest Background

(01:50) - Stories from your childhood

(02:00) - "I grew up in a family full of teachers"

(02:25) - "A lot of people loved reading at home"

(03:20) - What were the first books you loved reading?

(07:10) - What subjects did you love learning at school?

(08:05) - "I did not want to become a writer until I tried out other fields"

(09:50) - What were the first writing assignments you remember enjoying as a student?

(11:30) - What was your experience studying Literature in the IB Curriculum?

(13:50) - How did your high school teachers shape your thinking about reading and writing?

(16:00) - The Power of Stories

(17:50) - What was your experience as a student at London School of Economics?

(20:50) - Advice for anyone going abroad

(22:00) - Learning from other cultures and contexts

(25:40) - The co-curricular life of a university student

(27:50) - Why did you decide to pursue an MFA in Creative Non Fiction in New York?

(28:40) - "I took a year off after my first degree"

(28:50) - What is Creative Non-Fiction?

(30:30) - On peers in a writing program

(31:30) - What did you like about living in New York?

(33:30) - What kinds of writing assignments do you complete in an MFA program?

(33:40) - "There were lectures, seminars and workshops

(34:00) - What were your favourite courses in the MFA program?

(36:00) - What was special about learning how to write in a writing workshop?

(40:00) - Why 'Lehenga Games' took me seven years to complete?

(42:00) - How 'Gold Digger' took me three months to write

(45:00) - How did you navigate the early years of your career after your university years?

(45:10) - "The long term dream was to be a famous and popular writer"

(45:30) - "My ghostwriting job after university paid really well"

(46:00) - "I spent 2 years working and researching my novel when I moved to Denver, Colorado"

(48:10) - What are the S.P.I.C.E. trades?

(51:10) - How to introduce yourself as a creative professional?

(53:10) - How to talk about finances as a creative professional?

(55:55) - Why did you start, 'Unibrow Stories' (a creative studio for modern Indian novels, webcomics, and screenplays)?

(57:00) - Navigating legal rights and distribution as a creative professional

(59:00) - "Indian stories that are not very high brow or low brow"

(1:00:00) - Why all our stories have screenplay adaptations

(1:00:30) - "I would love to produce these for Youtube or Instagram"

(1:03:30) - The Economic Realities of Writing and Publishing in India

(1:05:00) - "Scrolling is now our Dickens"

(1:10:00) - What did you learn about Indian textiles while researching for, 'The Lehenga Games'?

(1:17:00) - Book Recommendations

(1:20:00) - Closing Notes

Show Links

1. Unibrow Stories Website - https://www.unibrowstories.com/

2. Unibrow Publications - https://www.unibrowstories.com/novels

3. Sukriti on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/suki_unibrow/

4. Sukriti on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sukriti-yj-1820201b/

5. 'The Lehenga Games' Book - https://amzn.in/d/dvXjqqX

6. 'Gold Digger: Treasure of Son Bhandar' Book - https://amzn.in/d/aXq8EOi

7. 'Beta Builder: Mumbai in the Metaverse' Book - https://amzn.in/d/88mhBEh

8. 'Love on a Visa' Webcomic - https://www.webtoons.com/en/canvas/love-on-a-visa/list?title_no=1001717

9. SPICE Trades Newsletter - https://spicetrades.substack.com/

On Episode 85 of the #LearningStories podcast we chat with Deepak Gopalakrishnan. He is a marketing consultant, strategy guy, entrepreneur, podcaster and writer. He runs a strategy studio called Rough Paper. He also co-founded 6% Club a creator coaching program for working professionals. He was the host of 3 podcasts and writes 2 newsletters. He writes the, 'Things of Internet' newsletter where he explores topics are the intersection of technology, culture and humanity. He also loves music. In this episode we spoke about his early years in Bahrain, transitioning from engineering to communications and the purpose of content projects. We also spoke about how you can discover parts of yourself through music.

Timestamps

(00:05) - Podcast Introduction

(00:20) - Guest Background

(01:45) - What was it like to grow up in Bahrain in the middle east?

(02:20) - "I spent a lot of time on my own in those early years"

(03:00) - "My love for music started in Bahrain because we did not have cable"

(03:50) - What were the first songs you loved listening to as a student?

(04:10) - What was your relationship to sports as a student?

(04:30) - The Story of Cable TV, Sachin Tendulkar and the Electronic Repair Shop

(06:30) - "Life had a slow pace in the Gulf"

(07:00) - What were your memories of reading comic books as a student?

(08:30) - How did you navigate the transition from Bahrain to Cochin?

(12:30) - What was your first content project?

(13:00) - "I used to love cartooning and drawing"

(16:30) - The purpose and importance of content projects

(19:30) - What is the acid test for content projects?

(21:00) - Why do people remember stories?

(23:00) - Why did you study engineering and communications in university?

(23:10) - "I got into engineering because of chemistry and a secure future job"

(23:45) - "Sometime during engineering I learned about advertising"

(25:00) - What was your experience as an engineering student?

(27:00) - What was your experience at MICA as a graduate student?

(27:40) - Why is happiness what you make of it?

(30:00) - How has your relationship to music changed over time?

(31:40) - "Music is helping me figure out everything else in life"

(32:10) - What was the impact of learning Carnatic Music for 8 years?

(33:00) - "My love for melody came from that early experience"

(34:00) - How did popular music enter your life?

(34:30) - "I started listening to English songs in college"

(34:45) - "When you play an instrument, you start listening to music differently"

(36:10) - Why was it magical to make music as a college student?

(36:30) - What was the role of live concerts and better audiophile gear?

(37:00) - How to think about the music you love?

(39:20) - "I felt this compulsion to keep up with a lot of music"

(42:00) - How letting go helped you rediscover a love for music?

(47:00) - How music changed your internal algorithm for life?

(56:00) - Watching 'Blackstrat Blues' play live

(58:50) - Why listen to music that moves you?

(1:01:10) - Music and Identity in your 20's, 30's and 40's

(1:04:00) - "I am deeply fascinated by how technology impacts culture"

(1:07:30) - What you love about, 'Opeth'?

(1:13:20) - What you love about, 'The Beatles'?

(1:16:00) - What is Rough Paper (brand consulting)?

(1:18:00) - What is The 6% Club (coaching for creators)?

(1:24:00) - Closing Notes

Links

Chuck's Website - https://www.chuckofalltrades.in/about-me

Rough Paper Website - https://www.roughpaper.in/

The 6% Club Website - https://www.thesixpercent.club/

Chuck on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chuckofalltrades

Chuck on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckofalltrades/

'Things of Internet' Newsletter Archives - https://thingsofinternet.substack.com/archive

'Simblified' Podcast - https://www.chuckofalltrades.in/simblified

'Getting Meta' Podcast - https://www.chuckofalltrades.in/getting-meta-podcast

'The Origin of Things' Podcast - https://www.chuckofalltrades.in/the-origin-of-things