Thank you for agreeing to be a guest on The Thirteenth Hour podcast! What follows is a little orientation based on some questions that past guests have had. Since some people internalize information better in an auditory format rather than reading text, there is also an audio version of this that is presented in the same conversational tone of the podcast itself: https://bit.ly/3AP0zp2
-Speaking of which … about the name: The Thirteenth Hour is the first in a series of books that I wrote as an ode to the sci-fi and fantasy movies I loved as a kid as well as a number of other (mostly 80s) influences found in music and other arts. While I initially started the show in 2014 as a way of exploring these influences, the show’s scope has since broadened to the creative process in general and the role that imagination plays in bringing a sense of wonder to one’s life (especially for us adults who may not have as many avenues to explore creative pursuits anymore). I will sometimes have guests on that are involved in various creative ventures, so if you are reading this, chances are, you are one of those people.
-That said, while a lot of podcasts rely on having a constant flow of guests, this is not one of them. I do many episodes solo. That means that if I do decide to have a guest on, it’s likely someone that I think would be not only a good fit for the show but someone I’m betting I’d enjoy talking to.
-Many of the folks that I ask to come on the show are quite busy. I don’t take for granted that if they choose to devote the time to come on the show, that may very well come at the expense of something else. So, by the time we hit record, just know that I’m on your side. Though some shows aim to gain traction by dredging up dirt and/or controversy, I have zero interest in that. My goal is for guests to leave also thinking they had a great time and that they knocked the interview out of the park.
-Sometimes, if it fits what we are going for, I’ve done things like play short quizzes or role playing games with guests to break the ice or just to change things up, and if you are game, we can certainly do those things when recording. These are all very low stakes and meant to be fun. However, prizes have been involved before …
-Before recording, I try to ask if there are things you would like to cover as well as things you would prefer not to discuss. You are also welcome to get an advance copy of the edited show before it goes live. If there is something you wish to edit out after the fact, that’s easy to do. While shows drop weekly on Monday mornings EST, we can time the release closer to a date that fits something specific on your schedule (an upcoming completed project, for example).
-Just so you are aware – this is not a live show. That means that we have the opportunity to press pause and for you to do things like get a drink of water, go to the bathroom, answer an emergent phone call, etc, without it disrupting the flow of the conversation on the finished product. We can always fix up things in post production!
-While there been a few exceptions (e.g. if we watch a video clip and having both video and audio would be helpful for the audience), most of the time, the shows come out only as audio. I use a video platform (usually Zoom) for recording because it often helps the conversation to associate faces with voices. In some cases, due to personal preference or bandwidth, people opt to turn their camera off. This is up to you, though, I personally find that being able to see someone’s face and body language helps improve the flow of conversation. Please wear whatever is comfortable to you. And, yes, expletives are fine. Fire away!
-Another related question that I often get is if there is anything guests need to bring or prepare. Not much. Just yourself, a sense of humor, a room where you can have a conversation without a lot of extraneous noise, and a device with a functioning microphone. A broadband connection is nice, but if your connection is slow, keep in mind that wired connections (e.g. via Ethernet) tend to be faster than wireless ones. If you’ve not used Zoom before or need a refresher, here is a quick tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAMDxH_H_Cs
-You will notice when you sign in for the session, Zoom should direct you to an online waiting area where I will then find you. Sometimes, things come up last minute. Should you need to reschedule, please let me know, preferably prior to the scheduled time, on whatever platform we were using to communicate, and we can reschedule for a different day or time.
-Lastly, if you’d like to listen to old shows to see what they are like, you should be able to find past episodes on most of the major podcasting platforms under The Thirteenth Hour Podcast or at https://13thhr.wordpress.com/welcome/
I look forward to speaking with you!
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