Tag Archives: Game of Thrones

by admin | August 15, 2017 · 7:16 am

The Dog Days of Podcasting 2017: Who’s Name Is on the Cover?

Special thanks to Corbin J Drake for the photo.

Finishing the second week of the Dog Days of Podcasting, Tee was a little worried that he didn’t have a good writing topic for this morning. Turns out he did. Sometimes, in this game, things are going to happen that are not your fault, but it is expected that you fix it. Why? Look at the cover. Whose names are on there?

Exactly.

This one’s for Chuck Tomasi.

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Find Tee on Twitter here,
leave a voicemail or questions for the Dog Days of Podcasting at 703.791.1701,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.
I’ll talk about it!

And remember, you can find this show on iTunes or Stitcher!
Subscribe, listen, and review.

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Filed under Special Featurettes

Tagged as anger, battles, Cercei Lannister, Chuck Tomasi, cut, DDOP 2017, Dog Days of Podcasting, end results, endgame, energy, error, fault, feedback, forward, Game of Thrones, Operation: Endgame, Pip Ballantine, platform, professional, rant, repair, replace, struggles, Tee Morris, Twitter

by admin | May 26, 2016 · 3:12 am

Episode #57: The Value of Social Media (and Your Ability to Block Users)

Can you believe it? During CRUNCH WEEK, and we’re still on a bi-weekly target with shows…and from the looks of blog comments, questions from social media, and voicemail, it’s paying off! So welcome-welcome-welcome to another Shared Desk! Pull up a podcatcher and stay for a spell.

00:00 — Introduction

Tee finds his true feelings about his better half via The Punisher.
Pip is stumped. Where did this drop-in come from? (It’s iZombie, one of Tee’s new favorites.)
You know it’s a traumatic Game of Thrones when you watch Penny Dreadful to cheer yourself up!
And the work within The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences continues!
Backers and their eReaders are very happy this week!
Pip is ready for the arrival and shipping of books!
JAM PACKED SHOW ahead…especially the Loot Crate haul! (Still unopened, so she really does love me!)

04:33 — The Value of Social Media (and Your Ability to Block Users)

Chuck Wendig makes a post on Facebook that resonates with Tee & Pip.
Chuck’s post…really does make a lot of sense.
Do you UNFOLLOW someone, or do you BLOCK? That is the question.
Did you know we have a few opinions on social media?
- In print
- In audio
“Team Follow Back” = InstaBlock.
Grandma, lay off the booze!
Pip—and apparently, the entire nation of New Zealand—love the Unfollow and Block.
TD-0013 and I do not always agree…but we respect each other.
Why do you want jerks in your life? To build character?
“But you might block a fan!” Well, we just talked about that…
So far, we haven’t encountered any problems…on our pro Pages. Our personal feeds, however…
Some terrific advice: “You don’t owe them a damn thing.”
Both professional and personal feeds have value. Treat them as such.
There is nothing wrong with comment moderation, with blocking feeds, and with overall social media management.
The Hodor clip now serves as a way to keep Pip in line.

17:51 — The Loot Crate Lookie-Loo

It’s a Lookie-Loo Times Two!!!
From Loot Crate, we got our Subscription…and a Special Edition!
- May Theme: Power
- Special Commemorative Crate: Aliens 30th Anniversary
May Crate
- Avengers Infinity Gauntlet Grilling/Oven Mitt
- An Incredible Hulk Figurine from Q-Fig
- Plush keychain from Dragonball Z
- World of Warcraft tee shirt (very high quality)
- And a very cool Power guide!
Aliens Crate
- The box is the crew carrier!
- “Bug Stomper” tee-shirt
- Alien Titan vinyl filter
- 30th Anniversary hardbound Dark Horse graphic novel, Aliens
- Cage Free Alien Eggs
- Aliens metal print
- Booklet also looks
Name that tune from James Horner
NONE OF THE ALIENS STUFF IS GOING INTO THE GIVEAWAY BOX!

29:20 — Listener Mail!

Still feeling the Loot Crate afterglow.
We’ve got feedback from a LOT of people this go-round!
Voicemail
- Nobilis Reed presents a possible scenario for when you turn to family and friends for support.
- Nick Kelly wants to know how sold are we on our upcoming series finale.
  - Tee and Pip chat about best and worst finales from television.
  - How do we feel about the approaching end of the Ministry?
Maria Myrbeck asks for a cost-effective solution for organizing notes. We offer Evernote.
Michael Spence wants to sell books. Is that hard? With the Square, nope.
Wait—we have a Square upgrade?!
And comments from the blog!!!
- Susan drops some love for the RT 2016 Recap. We’re adorkable!
- And we heard from Alex Berger, the writer that inspired our previous show. (And the podosphere really is a small world.)
We’d better wrap this show up as the moonshine is kicking in with Tee!

46:32 — Wrapping up

We managed to get A LOT in this show!
What’s coming up for us?
- 10 June – 6 November — Steampunk U at the AACA Museum (in conjunction with
  the Smithsonian Institution) in Hershey, PA
  - We’re in a museum!
  - We’re doing something this summer. Not sure what…but it will involve tea.
- 1-3 July — Escape Velocity (in conjunction with
  the Museum of Science Fiction) at the National Harbor, MD
- 22-24 July, Motor City Steam Con in Detroit, MI
- 14-16 October — Steampunk unLimited in Strasburg, PA
- 22 October — The Maryland Renaissance Festival in Crownsville, MD
Got thoughts or comments on this show?
- We have voicemail — 703.791.1701
- I have email — tee@teemorris.com
- Pip’s got email — pip@pjballantine.com
- You can find us on social media…
- …and yeah, Tee is on Snapchat as TheTeeMonster
Pip’s going to stick her face into an egg now…

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Find us on Twitter at either Tee’s or Pip’s account,
on Tee, or the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences on Periscope
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.

2 Comments

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Tagged as #podcast, 30th Anniversary, Aliens, block, blog comments, book orders, Chuck Wendig, Daredevil, Escape Velocity, Facebook, feedback, Game of Thrones, Hodor, iZombie, Kevin O'Connor, Kickstarter, Loot Crate, Maryland Renaissance Festival, Motor City Steam Con, Penny Dreadful, Power, social media, social media for writers, Steampunk U, Steampunk unLimited, TD-0013, Team FollowBack, the ghost rebellion, The Punisher, trolls, Twitter, unfollow, voicemail

by admin | May 11, 2016 · 6:37 am

Episode 56: Your Friends & Family Are Not Your Fans (Nor Should You Plan for That)

Nope, no special guests. This time, you’re stuck with us. Fair warning about that — we may be a touch slaphappy, too….

00:00 — Introduction

Pip doesn’t want to wait for the dip in the music to start talking.
We got to crank out this show as Pip wants to get to Game of Thrones and Penny Dreadful…
So what have been up to? Simply put—The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences.
Killing two birds with one stone…
NO, WE ARE NOT GETTING THE EBOOK OUT TOMORROW!!!
The importance of a proof. Always get a proof before going to press!

04:55 — Killing Your Darlings

The inspiration behind this episode: A quaint (interpret that as a HEALTHY SIZED but WORTHWHILE) read from Virtual Wayfarer
Special note to Nobilis — The levels were off on account of me.
This platform has a lot of tie backs to the Podcasting Community and the platform of Giving It Away for Free
Even Wil Wheaton deals with the Free Model of the Interwebz.
Asking Piper J “Do you get the impression that authors cross promote other authors as they once did?”
Looking at that line between Fans and Friends
Keep your expectations low for your friends and family
Tee pulls up a memory of a bad book signing.
The Pity Buy — like the Pity Shag, just avoid it!
Your audience shouldn’t be your friends on Facebook or followers on Twitter. They should be outside those circles.
When Tee came to grips with looking at his social media platform more realistically.
You want to read books from authors you respect? Yeah, good luck with that…
As we mentioned on Geektitude, we have to be selective about when we consume content.
Giving negative feedback? No, we disagree.
Reach outside those bubbles.
Statistics? There are pluses and minuses there, too.
And social media is not what it once was.

24:28 — Seriously? Seriously.

Hey, a con invited us to attend…sorta….
This event is a BIG event. HUGE. MEGA-SIZED even…
Wait…when’s the event?
Hold on…you waited a month before your event, I can’t make it, and now you want me to what?
A BLAST FROM THE PAST!
Aaaaaaand here — we — go……..
THE RETURN OF PIP RAGE!
Hey there, Idiot P.R. Firm, meet our friend Chuck Wendig…

33:30 — Listener Mail!

No voicemail, but email! Cool!
Michael Spence asks us about formatting of Cover Letters, as mentioned in our previous show.
- Now, agents and editors are working digitally.
- Tee looks back on the Morevi presentation.
- Keep it professional. Short and sweet.
- What matters above all else — following the agent’s or editor’s submission guidelines.
Brian Webber wonders about the value and the publication of fanfic.
- What is your goal — friends online or publication?
- The value of Fan Fiction
- Filing off the serial numbers of your fan fic and getting it published—pros, cons, and challenges.
- Fandoms are hungry for new stories.
- Kindle Worlds — a viable option for semi-pro fiction. Tee’s done it. Twice.

43:42 — Wrapping up

Did what we say make sense?
Got thoughts or comments on this show?
- We have voicemail — 703.791.1701
- I have email — tee@teemorris.com
- Pip’s got email — pip@pjballantine.com
What’s coming up for us?
- 13-15 May — The 2016 Steampunk World’s Fair
  - Pip believes that Tee’s met K.W. Jeter. He hasn’t.
  - And Tee gets a little surprise on what’s coming up for the weekend…
  - A special preview of The Ghost Rebellion will be ready as well!
- 22-24 July, Motor City Steam Con in Detroit
- Throughout the Summer, Steampunk U in Hershey, PA
- Sadly….no Balticon. :^(
And now, off to the Tower of Joy….

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Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

3 Comments

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Tagged as #podcast, Chuck Wendig, content consumption, content creation, cover letter, eBooks, email, fan fiction, fans, friends, Game of Thrones, Geektitude, Nobilis Reed, Penny Dreadful, PIP RAGE, Piper J. Drake, podcasters, social media, The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, The Pity Buy, The Pity Shag, Virtual Wayfarer, Wil Wheaton, WTF Moment

by admin | April 23, 2014 · 3:20 pm

Episode #33: Game of Thrones, Hot Buttons, and Responsibility…from a Writer’s Point-of-View

SPOILER ALERT!

SENSITIVE TOPIC ALERT!

PIP RAGE ALERT!

Good. I think we have covered everything.

With Tee and Pip flying solo in studio, the original topic for The Shared Desk is set aside for the controversy and the (important) debate fans, geeks, and writers of Game of Thrones have been engaging in since Sunday night. Has everything that could have been said about what happened in Westeros been said already?

Tee and Pip don’t seem to think so…

00:00 — Introduction

Angry drop-ins set the tone for this episode
Where are our in-studio guests?
What has Tee been working on since the last show?
- Tee is still working on the new platform, but Logic Pro X is up and running in the studio!
- The Shared Desk is a 2014 Parsec Nominee. Submission made. Now, we wait….
- Ministry Protocol production for Audible rolls along.
- Have you heard the latest Tales from the Archives?
Pip refuses to slow down after the launching of Dawn’s Early Light.
- Pip’s Kickstarter story, Tangi A Te Ruru/The Cry of the Morepork featuring Aroha Murphy, is close to release.
- Her latest idea combining early Hollywood and Mesopetanian Gods has been submitted.
- Continuing development on Immortal Progeny, and Silver Pharaoh featuring Verity Fitrzroy and the Ministry Seven.
There’s another idea in the mix about a social media guide for writers…

6:20 — Game of Thrones, Hot Buttons, and Responsibility…from a Writer’s Point-of-View

Multiple Alarms for this Shared Desk…
- Spoilers Ahead.
- Hot Buttons Ahead.
- Trigger Warnings.
- If this kind of talk bothers you, please, JUMP AHEAD TO TIME MARKER 38:49
THAT scene from last Sunday’s Game of Thrones from both a fan’s point-of-view and a writer’s point-of-view.
Jamie rapes Circe.
- It was rape. Pure and simple. We’ve established this.
- Since Sunday, the Internet has lost its mind over this episode…
- …but a LOT has happened over three seasons, hasn’t it?
Comparing the book to the miniseries. Not much better.
Back on the project organization…
- Lauren does the longhand approach.
- Pip can’t read her own handwriting, but she still grabs random scraps of paper to get notes down.
- Tee prefers the digital approach to notes.
One issue (of many) that Tee has with the scene/episode: It’s being handled by George R.R. Martin and HBO terribly.
Westeros — not the safest place to be…
Tee and Pip agree — Circe did not ask for it.
Is anyone really “entertained” by rape?
- Citing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as an example.
- What about Theon? Any love for Theon? No? No.
- What about some of the other brutality in Westeros?
Tee (and Chuck Wendig) go on record about Jamie that few (if any) admits to with Jamie — people started to LIKE and TRUST Jamie Lannister.
Pip goes into the relationship of Jamie and Brianne.
Jamie Lannister. Not really a nice guy.
Jamie Lannister in the baths. Okay, we LIKE him.
Tee spells out Jamie’s rough and bumpy homecoming, and shows the build-up and the psychological snap that led to this moment.
Where did Tee get his degree in Psychology? The ID Channel, of course.
Comparing Jamie Lannister to Ted Bundy. (Yeah, we go there.)
Fans don’t understand why “good” characters make terrible choices.
Jamie doesn’t know what true honor is.
Should rape be addressed in fiction or in movies, television, and other mediums?
Tee really doesn’t like “entertainment” used in the same sentence as “rape.”
Pip echoes Chuck’s opinion while playing the Woman Card.
Rape as a character flaw…
….and how Vikings plays rape strictly as a character flaw, and offends both Tee and Pip
No kidding, Pip and Tee have been talking about this FOR DAYS!
The difference between the Angle-Saxon Princess and Jamie Lannister — we got to know him.
Does this episode of Game of Thrones mean we as writers should not write about these topics? Not at all.
Tee lays himself on the chopping block with Legacy of Morevi…which he wishes GRRM and HBO would do.
If you’re going to write about ugly issues, prepare to research things you won’t like to research.
Showing love for Hannibal…and recognizing the difference between serial killers and rapists.
Be aware of your audience.
We love Vikings…but we didn’t care for this particular moment.
Take responsibility for your writing and understand the impact of your words.

38:49 — The Wrap-Up

That bumper music feels a little inappropriate, doesn’t it?
YES! We want your feedback! On this topic…or others.
- 703.791.1701
- Leave us comment here!
This podcast needed to happen. Words have weight.
Where will we be in the next few weeks?
- RavenCon, April 25-27
- DemiCon 25, May 1-5 (where Tee is the Guest of Honor!)
  - P.C. Haring will be there.
  - We’re meeting Aly Grauer! Check out her new Kickstarter!
- Balticon, May 22-26
- The Frederick Book Festival, June 27-28
See you in two weeks!
And if you’re still listening to us after this show, thanks!!!

Featured People in this podcast:

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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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Tagged as bad, Balticon, characters, Chuck Wendig, Circe Lannister, dark territory, DemiCon, depravity, evil, fans, Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin, good, Hannibal, HBO, History Channel's Vikings, incest, Jamie Lannister, murder, outrage, rape, RavenCon, research, responsibility, serial killers, Ted Bundy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Shared Desk, Theon, Tyrion

by admin | August 6, 2013 · 3:39 am

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

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!!!

Tag Archives: Game of Thrones

The Dog Days of Podcasting 2017: Who’s Name Is on the Cover?

Episode #33: Game of Thrones, Hot Buttons, and Responsibility…from a Writer’s Point-of-View

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

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