I was delighted when Pip and Tee asked me to stop by here at The Shared Desk:  not least because when I read the rambunctious, rollicking opening to their Phoenix Rising, the first in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series, I thought, ah—now here are a pair of storytellers who share my own love of an adventurous tale!

This of course got me thinking, because although the Wall series is epic fantasy, steampunk is a genre I have loved since first reading Tim Powers’ The Anubis Gates—and I have been a keen follower of Phil and Kaja Foglio’s Girl Genius Online for quite some time now… “Adventure, romance, mad science”—what could be better? Unless, of course, it is “adventure, romance, and ‘strange magic’”

Adventure is definitely one of the key ingredients I enjoy in my storytelling. Yes, I like the deeper questions around who we are and why we are here, and what makes for the good and true between protagonists or within a society. But if that comes in a wrapping of rooftop chases and duels, border skirmishes and glorious charges, bands of brothers—and/or sisters—standing shoulder to shoulder against the odds, then I know I shall more than likely enjoy the read. And the two most adventurous classes of fantasy, in my humble opinion, are steampunk and epic fantasy.

Another similarity between the two is that both tend to draw heavily on particular historical periods. With epic it is usually the medieval period, although David Gemmell’s Lion of Macedon and Dark Prince duology uses alternate classical history. Steampunk’s era is the mechanical age of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, although tales such as Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan series also bring in “Darwinist” ideas of genetic engineering.

The ethos of each genre is not only the culture of weapons and clothes, technologies and social mores, but also the sense of adventure inherent in the age. This can mean the tournaments and heavily armored knights that feature in “The Gathering of the Lost”, or the Victorian notion of the “gentleman adventurer” that pervades both Phoenix Rising and The Anubis Gates. Full-blown war characterized both historical eras and can be seen not only in The Lord of the Rings, but also in tales such as Girl Genius and Leviathan. In “The Gathering of the Lost” too, one feels that war is coming…

I have also been debating whether there is a substantive difference between the two styles of fantasy, beyond the trappings of culture and historical era. On balance, I think there may be—but it is not a toss up between “mad science” and magic. Instead I feel that conflict in epic fantasy is more often centered around a “twilight of the gods”, the notion that everything will fail if the great war is lost. (And there is almost always a “great war.”) I pick up on this theme in The Wall of Night series with the epithet, “If Night falls, all fall.”

In steampunk, I find that the conflict is usually less “final”—a society or regime may be at stake, but not life and the universe as we know it. Within these respective frameworks though, the style of storytelling remains very similar. These are tales of quests and chases and mysteries to be resolved, with plenty of swashbuckling fun and edge of the precipice adventure to keep the reader entertained.

And on that note, here is a little rooftop adventure from “The Gathering of the Lost”:

“… Kalan was moving as he spoke and Malian sprang to catch up, feeling a rush of exhilaration, so darkly fierce it was almost joy, as they cleared the first narrow street, cobbles flashing beneath them. To fall would be to die—but they were not going to fall. Her blood sang as they ran on, keeping to the narrow lanes and close-packed houses of the poorer quarters where there were plenty of sharp angles and deep shadows to hide in.
Soon they were running as one, each knowing intuitively how the other would move, racing up roof slopes without hesitation and plunging down the far side, floating effortlessly across the gaps between buildings until Malian felt as though she were flying above Caer Argent. The pale gold moon kept pace alongside, so close it seemed she might touch it, or gather the white stars for a crown … if only she stretched out her hand at the right moment.
They dropped down to street level again several times, but the old parts of the city were a maze, the streets little more than alleys with many dead ends. The roofs offered a clearer path, and they could orient themselves by the towers of the palace complex, and the basilica’s dark crown. Malian was unsure when the mindsweeps stopped, but it was a long time after that when she noticed the stars growing pale, a reminder that the midsummer dawn came early. She knew they must have crossed half the city and by rights she should feel tired, but instead she felt wonderfully and gloriously alive.”

Helen Lowe is a novelist, poet, and interviewer. She has won the Sir Julius Vogel Award for achievement in SFF for both Thornspell (Knopf) in 2009, and The Heir of Night (The Wall of Night Book One) in 2011. The Heir of Night has also just been shortlisted for the Gemmell Morningstar Award and Helen is currently the Ursula Bethell writer-in-residence at the University of Canterbury. She posts every day on her Helen Lowe on Anything, Really blog, on the 1st of every month on the Supernatural Underground, and occasionally on SF Signal. You can also follow her on Twitter: @helenl0we.

WOW! We collected enough comments, questions, and overall opinions from you, the listeners, to make this show our second Listener Appreciation Show! We got some questions on Kindle, Scrivener, and Book Reviews, but we also got questions on topics we have never tackled before on mic.

And Pip gets not one but TWO drop-in’s of her own…

00:00 — Introduction

04:30 —  Your Voicemail and Email

• Guy Barber from Cornwall, UK, sends us kudos for the audio version of HarperAudio’s Phoenix Rising and The Shared Desk, and puts in his vote for an audio version of Geist.
• Ben from Florida asks close on the same question as emails from Valkyrie Page and Chris Forshner on how we collaborate and the creative process between the two of us.
• Tee talks about Pip’s strengths and then discusses his own.
• How other authors collaborate against what Pip and Tee do.
• Melissa Hay surprises us with a call, and brings up the topic of book bloggers and how authors and publishers are keeping the peace, at least for now…
• Terry Arman asks us what we thought of the promo he cut for us…but has us at a loss.
• Nobilis Reed wants to know how we collaborate using Scrivener.
• P.C. Haring Calls “Shenanigans!” on our Scrivener…and we call him to the mat with some help from Phil Rossi!
• David from the Scrivener Crew writes us a killer “thank you” note.
• A discussion on the differences between Mac and Windows Scrivener
• A video on how to use Scrivener to create eBooks
• A video (or two) on tracking changes in Scrivener without “Track Changes”
• Our Anonymous NYT Bestseller gives inside dirt on Amazon and their own titles…
• Pip finds herself derailed by her bumper and a lack of breakfast.
• Is there anyone “big enough” to stand toe-to-toe with Amazon? Well, yes…
• More discussion about Amazon, and a shameless plug for The Janus Affair
• Rick Asplund calls in to give us BVL (big Viking love) from Chicago.
• Dan Dan the Artman drops a voicemail that calls forth the humbled (and slightly vaklempt) Crazy Uncle Charlie.
• Michael Spence mainlines The Shared Desk and gives his own opinions on shared universes.
• Tony Mast takes Tee to task for releasing Aladdin and His Wonderfully Infernal Device for the Kindle exclusively.
• Gail Carrigerwants to know what the “Shared Desk” really looks like……so here it is:

  

• And from the Great White North comes Steve Saylor, asking of working with video to promote your writing.

Yes we wound up being a day late on this show, but as you will hear in the end we have been anything but idle. This episode is all about Scrivener, that popular software authors swear by. Tee and Pip share their likes, dislikes, and future possibilities for the application, and then Tee shares a rant about Seth Godin and a liberal use of the C-word.

UPDATE: With special thanks to Steve Saylor, we have discovered that YES, you can export your Scrivener works in digital publishing formats. Under the “File” menu, scroll down to “Compile” (keyboard shortcut is Option + Command for the Mac) and select from the sub-menu of “Compile for:” the “Kindle” option. (Click on the image for a larger version.)

Well played, Scrivener. Well played.

UPDATE: And with extra special thanks to Nobilis Reed, we have discovered that Scrivener has a Linux version, currently in Beta.

00:00 — Introduction

• And the show kicks off with Tee giving the wrong URL for Literature and Latte.
• Scrivener makes TechRadar’s Top Ten Most Loved Programs
• Scrivener ranks #9 between Lotus 1-2-3 and Solitaire.
• Tee reads off the other Top Ten
• Tee’s Metallica impersonations still hold up apparently.
• Also on the list — Fotoshop (for fashion models everywhere!)
• When did we find Scrivener?
• What Pip Likes: Keeping all your notes, thoughts, and research in one file
• The price of Scrivener — $45USD
• What Tee Likes: The Research Mode and the ability to import web pages
• What Tee & Pip Like: The Corkboard
• What Pip Likes: Rearranging chapters with a click-and-drag ease
• Pip calls for the put-down of the Courier font.
• What Tee Likes: Comments
• What Pip Likes: Customizing your workspace
• What Tee Would Like to See: A “Track Changes” Feature
• What Pip Would Like to See: More “Export Options”
• What Tee Likes: Project and Text Statistics
• What Tee Would Like to See: More people in the industry using Scrivener
• What Tee Would Like to See: An easy transition between Mac, Windows, and Linux platforms
• Getting schooled by Scrivener: A history that Tee and Pip didn’t know….
• What Tee Can’t Wait to See: Scrivener for the iPad

31:22 — Seriously, Seriously: Going for the Godin

41:15 — The Wrap-Up

No Crazy Uncle Charlie.

No Writers Off the Clock.

No drop-ins.

This is a raw and candid conversation with our agent, Laurie McLean, on Amazon and their February power plays against the Big Six publishers. How will these shenanigans affect authors, and what can we do to avoid becoming cannon fodder in the war between Amazon and New York’s Six Sisters?

00:00 — Introduction

• WTF AMAZON?!?!
• What happened last week
• A LiveJournal post (and plea) from NYT Bestseller Seanan McGuire
• On Facebook, Gail Carriger voiced her own displeasure about some Amazon strong-arming
• Nothing new, but this is one more stunt from Amazon that leaves its mark on a writer.
• Why is Amazon doing this?
• What happens when a book seller gets too big to control, even by the publishing powers-that-be
• A history (in brief) of Amazon.com and the pro’s and con’s of their success from selling books to turning eBooks and digital publishing into a viable market
• Tee steps back to his independent publishing past, sharing memories of Dragon Moon Press and her struggles with Amazon.
• MacMillan and Amazon square off in a pricing war — the beginning of Amazon’s pushback against New York.
• Another glimpse of Amazon’s Dark Side: The “App Testers”
• Reviewing the numbers on Amazon sales compared to other eBook venues
• Can the NYT Bestseller title still matter in a world of digital authors dominating Amazon’s charts?
• What matters more to an author — a full-time career in writing or the “New York Times Bestseller” title?
• Completely Off-Topic…. ARCHER FARMS ROCKS!!!
• Laurie speculates on when the honeymoon with Amazon ends…
• What can the Big Six or other booksellers do against Amazon?
• Amazon answers the challenge of brick-and-mortar stores…by opening their own?
• Authors are finding themselves in a war between Amazon and New York.
• Authors need to understand the business just as much as the art of their craft.
• Could Amazon be the next Apple Store success? Or could they be the next Gateway?
• Where can Amazon open their brick-and-mortar stores? (Where is your closest Borders?)
• Challenges to Amazon’s brick-and-mortar stores
• Will it be books…or books and other stuff
• Customer service in real time
• Pip draws a parallel between authors and Les Miserables…and Tee reminds Pip that things didn’t end well for the folks at the barricade…
• The fate of authors in this future with Amazon
• The dangers of putting all your eggs in one basket
• Relying solely on Google
• Podcasters get a reality check (and the boot) from Mevio
• Diversification: What authors (and agents) need to do

53:09 — The Wrap-Up

We want to do a Scrivener show — we really do — but what a Valentine’s Day week we had. It was a week of politics and heated discussions on Facebook that ended up inspiring this week’s episode topic. With special guest Lisa-Anne Moore, authors take a look at those soapboxes we all have in a corner and ask the tough question — when do we as authors (of any standing in a career) voice our opinions, and when do we walk away from heated debates?

00:00 — Introduction

• Why we brought Lisa on board this episode
• What happened last week
• Virginia wants to make vaginal probing in abortion cases a law.
• Lawmakers debate new contraception health coverage. No women are present. (Washington Post)
• Now that you know the background, here’s what happened to Pip…
• …and here was Lisa’s reaction to what was going on in the news and in the State and Federal forums.
• Lisa’s (heart-felt and honest) blogpost from Life in a Nutshell. (This is a raw and honest reaction to the Virginia bill, so be ready for this.)
• How did the ladies feel not about the issues, but in voicing opinions and emotions that might be “unpopular” (in a broad sense) with readers, agents, and publishers?
• Tee draws a line in the sand on where authors damage their careers
• Tee breaks the Prime Directive and drops a few names of authors that go deep in their non-writing rants
• Harlan Ellison, the grumpy old man of Science Fiction
• Ringo, Drake, Flint, and Weber — The Baen Books Mafia
• When should authors step up and when should they let the argument go?
• And while authors face the issues, the cats make their own opinions know. (Tee recommends Bissell.)
• When Tee made the “delete a comment” call…all very personal.
• Can one comment or a single blogpost completely destroy a carrer or reputation?
• Lisa’s manages another heated debate (thank you, Indiana) concerning the Girl Scouts.
• Pip reflects on starting the following morning picking up where she left off.
• Tee calls Pip on the lost writing time over politics.
• Beware the Perfect Storm of PIP RAGE!!!
• Tee, Pip, and Lisa talk about the authors whose politics and philosophies affect their works.
• The three go deeper into the topic…
• When authors (and other artists) use their notoriety to push an agenda
• When artists and commentators use their notoriety to step into a different arena
• The big questions authors should ask before taking a stand on current events

48:45 — The Wrap-Up

Bleah! Between the Power Bug that Sonic Boom brought home from school and final reviews of The Janus Affair, Tee and Pip are finally back behind the mic, bringing a perspective on book bloggers, book reviews, and keeping it classy in light of a bad review.

00:00 — Introduction

08:01 — Concerning Reviews

• We’d love to do a show on Scrivener, but writers (and now agents) keep doing some really stupid things!  
• Elder Cat says “Oh hai!” again…
• Goodreads — an online network that loves Phoenix Rising.
• It all started with a review…or two….
• …and it ended with agents getting into the scrap.
• Rule #1 of Reviews: Not everyone will love you.
• How bad behavior affects your book
• Tee still hasn’t read The Night Circus on account of spam.
• The Tom Cruise Effect
• How bad reviews reflect positively on authors’ works
• An Authors’ WTH Moment: When Agents Attack
• Respecting the Book Bloggers
• How Book Bloggers Stand Taller than Amazon/Goodreads Reviewers
• If you don’t want an honest review, don’t approach Book Bloggers.
• Taking the fight to other networks like Twitter, Facebook, et. al.
• When is it a good time to question a bad review?
• Looking for common threads in good and bad reviews
• Why you must love Book Bloggers…like our girl, Mel!

33:58  — Writers Off the Clock

• Hold on — Tee’s got a WotC for Pip?
• The name of the game is Skylanders…and we bought it for Sonic Boom. (No. Really. We did!)
• A friend of Starla’s. A friend of ours. And her (bad) influence on the Boom…
• Sonic Boom was fighting back, so we were looking for and advantage. (In comes Skylanders.)
• And at 38:02, this happens…

• What Skylanders is all about
• How Sonic Boom plays into this new obsession
• Feline distractions
• Laying down the Law (and enjoying the results)

44:39 — The Wrap-Up

As promised — kicking off a new year of podcasting — is comments, questions, and overall opinions all from you the listeners. Tee & Pip present the first (hopefully of many) Shared Desk Listener Appreciation show where they get questions on worldbuilding, character choices, and requests for more drop-in’s.

There’s a even a quick “hello” from Crazy Uncle Charlie….

00:00 — Introduction

02:27 —  Your Voicemail and Email

• Doc Coleman berates us a bit for finally getting The Shared Desk going, for the lack of a promo, and for handling deadlines.
• Laura Nicole mainlines the first two Shared Desks, and reminisces about Podcasts of Balticons Past.
• Tee’s still having a blast with Soundboard, just so you know…
• Indiana Jim calls in with an EPIC voicemails…and Tee professes his man-love for the intrepid geekologist. He also touches on…
• Writing in shared universes (where Jim forgets the title of his book, and brings about the wrath of the Sarge…)
• Tales from the Archives
• Gaming and it’s place in the Writers’ World.
• “Cousin George” calls in…and asks Crazy Uncle Charlie about writing for homosexual characters.
• Nobilis Reed, raps our knuckles for his own reasons…
• Dan Shaurette asks about Scrivener and inspires the topic of our next show!
• Ben from Florida calls in and gets a pep talk from Crazy Uncle Charlie and the Mason Jar of Winning.
• Indiana Jim provides validation for Tee’s love of the drop-in’s.
• Logan Waterman sends in an email and gives Tee & Pip a question about worldbuilding and how deep to go.
• Pip gives her own work as an example. Is it a horse, or something else?
  
• Tee remembers Joe Murphy and Legacy of Morevi.
• Odin, still new to podcasting, asks about the pros and cons of being your own podcast host.

Welcome to the end of 2011, and with a busy Christmas behind them, Tee and Pip are releasing an onslaught of podcasts (starting actually back on Christmas eve with a Tales from the Archives Christmas Special), and The Shared Desk is part of that aural assault. Ending one heck of a year, Tee and Pip not only look back on 2011 but share a few ideas for what they are planning for the new year…

00:00 — Introduction

01:11 — A Look Back at 2011

• Tee and Pip take a look at 2011, and Tee gives a hint of things to come for future show production…
• Tee makes a hollow promise concerning the frequent drop-in’s
• We’re a bit surprised about how this show is being received.
• Enough about the podcast — what about writing accomplishments?
• A quick mention about The 99¢ Special for Phoenix Rising.
• Tee feels as if he has finally conquered short stories.
• A good year for writing, both fiction and non-fiction…
• Tee’s ghost-written article for the day job — Part 1
• Tee’s ghost-written article for the day job — Part 2
• Tee’s ghost-written article for the day job — Part 3
• Looking back on the cons from 2011
• Finally, a moment to catch our breath from an eventful year…

• Pre-production on The Janus Affair book trailer
• Lessons learned from the Phoenix Rising book trailer
• Parts are being cast, and ideas are flying…
• What we’re planning for this book trailer, and any additional footage.
• Tales from the Archives: Volume 2, coming in April
• The 2012 Convention Tour
• How Tee and Pip narrow down their con schedule
• What are the “definities” of the 2012 con schedule?
• Pip’s upcoming releases — it’s a busy, busy year for the kiwi!
• Pip’s quick rant on cover art theft
• Some quality talk about Hunter & Fox, the new series Pip launches with Pyr Books in 2012
• Other ideas kicking around in our heads for the new year
• As writers, plans are important. Take some time and map out a realistic plan.

28:38 — Seriously? Seriously.

37:51  — Writers Off the Clock

• False start…complete with background noise…
• Catching a movie over the holiday — Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
• An off-the-cuff review…complete with spoilers. Fast forward to The Wrap-Up if you want to avoid our chatter.
• What we liked about the movie
• The original stories from a variety of Conan Arthur Doyle’s classics
• The bromances throughout the film
• More steampunk elements introduced
• Breathing a sigh of relief at the timing of our book against this movie…
• Highly recommended for people who want to have a fun time at the movies….and not accurate adaptations of Sherlock Holmes stories.

43:59 — The Wrap-Up

00:00 — Introduction

01:55 — Deadlines

• What is it about being sick around deadlines?! (It’s something Pip and Tee do well.)
• The importance of deadlines — why they are needed
• Defining a deadline
• Congrats to all the participants of NaNoWriMo
• How we love buffers in podcasting…and with deadlines.
• What happens during deadlines — Life.
• Deadlines are not a terror, but a motivator for the writer
• Good catches during the editing process
• From an editor’s point-of-view, how do you gauge time to give contributors for deadlines?
• Understanding benefits and consequences when fiddling with a deadlines
• Acceptable “Life Happens” siutations
• When the deadline is kept — promotion and touring
• Managing multiple deadlines
• Reviewing the future deadlines we  have on our chalkboard (Personally, I like Barn & Mule…)
• After you reach your deadline and send things off, celebrate!
• What did we do?
• Tee is the g–damn Batman!
• Pip does something she hasn’t done in a while — started a recreational read!
• Getting caught up after a deadline, and looking ahead to what we need to do…
• And while Tee takes a drink…Pip goes quiet.

21:03 — Seriously? Seriously.

29:32  — Writers Off the Clock

• Taking a breath…
• With Pip being sick, Tee and Pip curl up with Bridesmaids.
• A review…complete with spoilers
• What we liked about the movie
• Not afraid to go there
• Meeting the various bridesmaids
• Rock solid funny…up to a point.
• The fourth act…what the hell happened?
• Chris O’Dowd — kept Tee’s attention
• Two of the Bridesmaids disappear for the remaining of the film
• The movie stops being an ensemble piece and becomes a formula rom-com-buddy-chick-flick
• And what the hell was the end sketch with Melissa McCarthy?!
• This movie was marketed like The Hangover…but it felt more like The Hangover of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

43:22 — The Wrap-Up

With the 2011 Con Season behind them and friends jumping into the writerly madness of November, Pip and Tee spend the show looking at NaNoWriMo or the National Novel Writing Month. They got rants, they got opinions, and they got their own bits of advice for those brave enough to jump into the competition.

To all those taking the NaNoWriMo challenge — good luck!

00:00 — Introduction

00:51 — NaNoWriMo

• What exactly is NaNoWriMo?
• 1:53 — FIRST MENTION OF NATHAN LOWELL
• The Two Camps of NaNoWriMo…and the camp that Evo Terra rules over.
• Drawing a line between a Writer and an Author
• Why November?!
• 5:41 — SECOND MENTION OF NATHAN LOWELL
• Just because you win NaNoWriMo doesn’t mean you’re ready for publishing. (Shame on you, Smashwords!)
• A few words of love (both tender and tough) for NaNoEdMo.
• February? The shortest month of the year?! Seriously?!
• Tee & Pip find out why NaNoWriMo is in November…and Tee goes on a rant…
• Why NaNoEdMo is so important
• What we truly love about NaNoWriMo
• It’s a fantastic way to get into the regiment of writing.
• 13:22 — THIRD MENTION OF NATHAN LOWELL
• An inside look at putting together a novel, from soup to nuts
• If you’re going to do NaNoWriMo, you should commit to NaNoEdMo.
• 15:01 — FOURTH MENTION OF NATHAN LOWELL (and some pining from Tee…)
• Pip is derailed by Tee…
• Advice in approaching NaNoWriMo…before, during, and after November…

19:50  — Writers Off the Clock

• Unplugging in Autumn…a beautiful time to do so
• Pip is digging the change of seasons.
• A quick photo break…

• Showing some love to the vineyards, especially to Corcoran’s Vineyard and Brewery
• Take the Doctor’s advice: “A straight line may be the shortest distance between two points, but it is by no means the most interesting.”

26:21 — Seriously? Seriously.