Tag Archives: GuardianCon 2018

Episode #88: Writing in the Midst of Bad News, Bad Luck, and Grief

Hey there, remember us?

Yeah, we know. We thought we were done with the hiccups in the schedule, but this thing called February happened. Things didn’t get better in March. And April was not shaping up to be any kind of improvement. Sure, we had content in the hopper, we had stuff we wanted to talk about, and we wanted to talk to you all. Problem is, we had a full plate of ADULTING to cope with, and that is what this comeback episode of The Shared Desk is all about — when Life refuses to cut you a break.

We have some thoughts on what to do about it.

00:00 —  Introduction

  • Remember us?
  • So that’s why Tee is so interesting to people…
  • Are you feeling defeatist? BETTER NOT!
  • It’s been some time, not that we are light on content…

01:04 —  Episode #88: Writing in the Midst of Bad News, Bad Luck, and Grief

  • We’ve got some really cool stuff in the backlog…
    • Chatting with K.T. Bryski about the 2018 Smoky Writers
    • An interview with Chris Lester
    • A reunion of Verena & Christina on the show
  • …but we were sidetracked. Or maybe we were derailed.
  • A bit of a bomb was dropped in Tee’s lap two weeks after the last show.
    • Sure, Tee would love to go full time with his writing. But there’s this thing called health insurance.
    • Attention was dedicated to finding Tee a job.
    • Not all bad news. Despite our efforts, our daughter is taking first steps into a writer’s life.
  • Coming off of Smoky, Tee was riding a wave. This is probably why Tee’s “short story” for Tales from the Archives is…not so short.
  • Tried accessing TeeMorris.com or HappyHourFromTheTower.com last month? Well, yeah, black (ass)hat hackers made that a little difficult.
  • So…job is in trouble, the hunt is on for a new gig, two of Tee’s sites get hacked. Could things get any worse?
    • Whenever your mom calls you at 6 a.m., it cannot be good.
    • Tee’s mom, Tee’s brother, and Tee sat down…and decisions were made.
    • Saturday, March 24.
  • Nope. Life is still not done with Tee as he returns to his Day Job to discover…
  • How do you get back on your feet?
  • Hold up, Fam —Tee’s good.
    • My Twitch streams have been helping him cope. It’s like the early days of podcasting, but with video games.
    • Tee kept the Day Job situation close to the vest for a reason.
    • The new Day Job coming has got Tee grooving to this song…
    • How having the new job already lined up helped Tee through his Dad’s Memorial.
  • There may be good intentions behind “Get back on the horse…” but sometimes, you need to keep your pie-hole shut. Tee knows this. Sadly. Concerning his friend, Kim Headlee.
  • Writers react to death, grief, and stress differently. That is a truth.
  • To the people who think Tee and Pip should be full time in writing by now…
  • Interviewing for Day Jobs — especially ones that are just for show — are exhausting.
  • There are different ways to cope with death, grief, and stress. It’s okay to ask for help.
  • What writers need to do: set a date for a return.
  • Escapes are good. Escapes are essential.
  •  Tee’s Dad may never appear in a novel of his, but there will be influences and reflections a-plenty.
    • The Case of the Pitcher’s Pendant will always be that story for his father.
    • Too bad his dad liked the first one more.
  • Allow yourself to grieve.
  • And remember, you are not alone in the world. You are not.
    • Tee shares his breaking point.
    • Cheesy as it may sound, there is something good about hitting rock bottom.
    • Through all this, Pip discovers a super power.
    • Embrace your Tribe.
  • When you are ready, turn your grief, your darkness, your pain, into characters that resonate with readers. When you are ready.

29:02 —  Writers Off the Clock

  • Holy shit, this soundtrack is AWESOME!!!
  • Spoilers, Will Robinson! We are going to riff a bit about…
  • To really understand this reboot, you have to travel back in time to the original Lost in Space
    …which doesn’t quite age well. At all. Let’s discuss.
  • Decades later, Hollywood decided to take Lost in Space into a darker corner…
    …and no, things didn’t really fall apart with Matt LeBlanc. It started with the script.
  • “But early Doctor Who is pretty chintzy,” you say? About that…
  • GENERAL FANDOM: Lost in Space is a sacred cow. No need to remake it, reboot it, or retool it for a modern audience.
    NETFLIX: Hold my beer.
  • What Tee and Pip did not like about Lost in Space
  • What did Tee and Pip like about Netflix’s Lost in Space? Where do we begin?
    • Acting — on point and incredible
    • Women were taking the lead without emasculating the men,
    • The management of huge cast — everyone had their moment!
    • Everyone felt real.
  • Let’s talk about Parker Posey, Dr. Smith, and how she polished this turd-of-a-character and redefines this science fiction villain.
  • The creative crew of this new Lost in Space slip in a lot of nods to both the original television and film.
  • Opinions on the Robot
  • Already planning a re-watch.
  • Kid-Friendly…but there are some tense moments…

54:19 — The Wrap-Up

  • Tee and Pip had a lot to share with the class.
  • What will Tee do on his off-week before the new day job?
    • Play video games.
    • Mulch the garden…if weather permits.
    • Read up on Open Source.
    • Write. Write. Write.
  • Where will Pip and Tee be, you might wonder?
  • Other news you should know about…
  • If you have an event and want The Shared Desk to appear there, or if you just want to share an opinion about the show, here’s where to find us…
    • 703.791.1701
    • pip@pjballantine.com
    • tee@teemorris.com
    • …and social media, of course.
  • Watch for those shows from our audio vault! They are en route!

[display_podcast]

Find us on Twitter at either Tee’s or Pip’s account,
leave us a voicemail or questions for the show at 703.791.1701,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.
We’ll talk about it!
And remember, you can find the show on iTunes or Stitcher!
Subscribe, listen, and review.

Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

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Episode #86: Looking Ahead to 2018

This is a super-sized episode featuring the Geek Wolfpack Podcast crew in studio and recording a 2018 episode for their own feed, so have fun as two podcasts join forces to kick off 2018 with style!

00:00 —  Introduction

  • Wait a minute…this isn’t your podcast!
  • We have a lot of people in studio!
  • Big Love to Doctor Who’s Christmas Special!
    • And here’s where the show falls off the rails.
    • Hey, let’s start a rumor…
    • You need to watch the Christmas Special with perhaps the most epic “Previously on…” introduction.
    • Nice end to 2017!
  • Hold back your enthusiasm on being here!
  • Best way to start 2018 — killing Christmas trees!
  • What is Battlefield: Earth doing on the Hallmark Channel?

07:00 —  Episode #86: Looking Ahead to 2018

  • Looking back to Christmas…
    • Brandon refuses to let up on the snark for the New Year.
    • Teenagers love socks.
    • Serena’s rocking electronics while Brandon has got hockey skates for the ice!
    • The Canadian shakes her head at the oddities of Americans.
    • Penguin Trivia
    • Katie reflects on her Canadian Christmas
    • Butt Jokes
  • What are we planning for 2018?
  • Serena and Brandon, the youngsters, are making plans…
    • Serena now decides to clam up.
    • Brandon can control celebrity deaths? What?!
    • Serena is planning to study “creative stuff.“
    • TALKING SHOULD NOT BE THIS HARD.
    • Holy cow, we’re talking a dark turn!
    • Brandon looks into Colgan, as well, for their Music Tech program.
  • Pip plans for the upcoming year!
    • Lots and lots and lots of audio production.
    • FOUR. BOOKS.
    • And four books may not be
  • Nick’s 2018 Plans
  • Looking ahead to the conventions we want to attend…
  • What about our Canuck? What is she planning and plotting for 2018?
  • The return of the novella
  • Curling is a thing in Virginia, eh?
  • Tee’s turn. What is waiting for him in 2018?
    • A solo novel, but he’s torn between two projects…
    • You can do both, sure, but focus is somewhat split. Pip’s got an idea…
    • Twitch for Dummies…and Brandon calls Tee out.
    • Tee answers Brandon’s callout.
    • Katie now calls out Tee on a completely different issue, and it’s a good call out.
    • Tee’s hesitancy with the Twitch for Dummies pitch
  • The Adpocalypse on YouTube. This is a thing!
  • Our Personal Focus point for 2018
    • Brandon: Landing a spot in Colgan High School’s Music Tech Program
    • Nick: Writing more. Meeting people.
    • Katie: Writing with joy and kindness.
    • Serena:  Landing a spot in Colgan High School’s Creative Writing Program
    • Pip: (amidst the heckling) Her word for the year — “Build”
    • Tee: His word for the year — “Complete”

45:13 — The Loot Crate Lookie-Loo

  • The last box of 2017 — the December Loot Crate: EXPLORE!
  • Tee speculates very little from this Loot Crate will make it to the Giveaway Box.
  • Welcome to the EXPLORE Loot Crate! 

    • A miniature from Mobile Suit Gundam! Classic anime FTW!
    • A Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2 calendar
    • From IDW Comics — Star Wars: Destroyer Down, a prequel story concerning our girl, Rei
    • A sweet Destiny 2 tee-shirt, featuring the Wanderwing, your first in-game ship
    • The Loot Crate pin — a classic rocket ship
  • Loot Crate is holding back on a booklet this go round. Nothing wrong with that.
  • Tee, are you ever going to make that Ghost?
  • Serena calls dibs on the comic book!

49:38 — The Wrap-Up

  • Shout-out to Rob Aldrich who also attended MAGFest!
  • Katie is heading back to Canada, but she will be planning to hit…
  • Tee and Pip will be heading to RavenCon…and that is when the madness begins for them!
  • Writing Advice for 2018
    • Nick: Invest into an “Accountability Partner.”
    • Katie: It’s okay to do your own thing. (Echoing something Tee said here.)
    • Pip: Keep flying.
    • Tee: Avoid excuses. (Another huge shout-out to Piper J Drake for this.)
  • Serena’s listening…we think.
  • More butt jokes.
  • If you have an event and want The Shared Desk to appear there, or if you just want to share an opinion about the show, here’s where to find us…
    • 703.791.1701
    • pip@pjballantine.com
    • tee@teemorris.com
    • …and social media, of course.
  • Pip’s Patreon will feature the first episode of her ALL-NEW PODCAST!
  • Here we come, 2018!

[display_podcast]

Find us on Twitter at either Tee’s or Pip’s account,
leave us a voicemail or questions for the show at 703.791.1701,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.
We’ll talk about it!
And remember, you can find the show on iTunes or Stitcher!
Subscribe, listen, and review.

Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

Comments Off on Episode #86: Looking Ahead to 2018

Filed under Episodes