Tag Archives: Matthew J. Drake

Episode #79: Writing in the Zone

With all these podcasts coming through this feed (and yes, welcome to the Dog Days of Podcasting, ya’ll!), would you believe we lost track of when we needed to post a Shared Desk?

My bad.

With inspiration from Germany, Tee and Pip are talking about writing in the zone, those wonderful times when the ideas and words show no signs of stopping. How do you manage — you know — the outside world? Well, here are  a few tips for you to consider.

00:00 —  Introduction

  • Mmmmm…Blue Apron.
  • How about those drop-in’s from The Defenders?
  • Kreg Steppe, this is all your fault!
    • Closing in on the end of Dog Days of Podcasting
    • Pip liked Tee’s theme so much, she stole it for her Patreon podcast!
    • Shout out to Corbin J Drake, the four-legged addition to Piper J and Matthew J Drake, for being the face of Tee’s DDOP 2017.
    • Tee got so into this that he lost track of The Shared Desk posting’s schedule.
    • What a ride this challenge has been!
  • Tucking in with Operation: Endgame…finally.
  • Pip’s been having a long week along with Jessica Jones.
    • Also working on Operation: Endgame
    • Also working on Immortal Sisters
    • AND ALSO…working on a BRAND NEW novel!

05:45 —  Episode #79: Writing in the Zone

  • Got a note from a friend and fellow Guardian from Germany asking a question that inspired this show topic.
  • What happens when writers find themselves in “The Zone” and Real Life is still happening?
  • A quick look at The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers
  • Pip feels less impulsive, more disciplined into her writing,
  • Multitasking happens with adulting, apparently.
  • When it comes to non-fiction, Tee does need to take a break. Fiction? Tee can still lose himself.
  • “The Smoky Effect”
  • It sucks when Habitica reminds Tee and Pip of what needs to be done.
  • A truly Kiwi Approach to Writing
  • It’s tough to stop when you get on a roll, but there’s an advantage to leaving words in the tank.
  • Quick shout-out’s to…
  • Tee’s a little obsessive about having a clean kitchen.
  • What about the opposite of the Zone — what happens when the desire is there but the focus and the energy is not.
  • Good times in Mechanicsburg, PA and the Mystery As You Like It Conference!
  • A tease of what our next episode may be…
  • Pip calls it meditation. Tee calls it a nap.
  • The pros and cons of slipping deep into “The Smoky Effect” in the real world.
  • Cats are great listeners, but lousy conversationalists. This is why it can be tough for Tee when he gets home.

23:47 —  Writers Off the Clock

  • Pip had to get in the last word.
  • Taking the scenic route home from Mechanicsburg, PA…
  • The other world along Blue Ridge Mountain Drive
  • So, Pip wanted to watch the highway fight scene from Episode 3 of The Defenders on the flat screen…
  • Luke Cage said everything we wanted to say to Danny Rand,
  • Iron Fist needed more crossovers with the headliners the way Jessica Jones and Luke Cage did.
  • In light of Jones’ ill-chosen words, he makes up for with this performance.
  • Evil Sigourney Weaver.
    • Awesome.
    • You had me at Sigourney Weaver.
  • Marvel Studios, rocking diversity
  • Again, The Defenders shows how rushed Iron Fist was.
  • Final thoughts.
  • Props to Mike Coulter and Finn Jones for creating some serious chemistry.

41:27 — The Wrap-Up

  • How are we ending of the summer?
    • Tee’s challenge of The Dog Days of Podcasting is still happening. AND WE’RE ALMOST DONE! 
    • 1-4 September, Escape Velocity in Washington, D.C.
    • October, The Maryland Renaissance Festival’s “Day of Wrong” is coming. Stay tuned for details.
    • 28 October, Tee will be alongside Chuck Tomasi, hosting the P.I.Y. Workshop, a launch event for Podcasting for Dummies, 3rd Edition
    • If you have an event and want The Shared Desk to appear there, here’s where to find us…
      • 703.791.1701
      • pip@pjballantine.com
      • tee@teemorris.com
      • …and social media, of course.
  • And did you know that Pip has a Patreon? SHE DOES, YOU KNOW!!!
  • It would be great if Pip knew where our newsletter is. It’s here, by the way, and you get a free book when you sign up!
  • Announcements coming up concerning Operation: Endgame

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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 #55: While My Guitar Gently Leaks (RT 2016 Retrospective)

 

TSD-rockingVegas

Two writers.

One convention.

Madness in Vegas!

The plane had barely time to get properly cleaned by the ground crew before Pip and Tee started what was to be a week in Sin City. Sure they brought busy work in case there were any slow points…but thanks to Piper J. and Matthew J. Drake, that didn’t happen. Strap yourself in—it’s a retrospective of RT 2016 on The Shared Desk!

00:00 —  Introduction

02:15 — While My Guitar Gently Leaks… (An RT 2016 Retrospective)

  • RT Booklovers Convention in 2016 — a brand, new experience!
  • Arriving in Vegas early…
    • Tee rallies against the jetlag, and he and Matthew hit the Strip
    • Piper J Drake invites us to her “Rocker-Stripper Hangout” at the Elara.
    • We were teaching alongside Linnea Sinclair, Damon Suede, and Stacey Kade at the RT Pre-Boot Camp
    • Workshops a plenty for two days straight!
    • Even Tee picked up a few new things during the workshop!
    • A nice way to ease into the 2016 RT Convention…
  • Pip compares convention centers between 2015 and 2016.
  • Day One…and thanks to a purchase from the Miracle Mile, Pip and Tee enter the convention LIKE MOTHERF–ING ROCKSTARS!!!
  • “Vegas, baby!” — a phrase we used often.
  • Our first panel — “Steampunk: The Diverse Punk”
    • Addressing the 800-pound gorilla about diversity
    • How Tee felt being the “odd man out”
    • A quick tangent on peels and Nalini Singh
    • And we were off and running…
  • Pip Ballantine, always making new friends from Oz.
  • How an update to an app turned our “007 in a Corset: Spies & Steampunk” into The Tee & Pip Show.
  • Readers Entertainment Magazine loved us. I mean, they loved us!
  • We hooked up with  Starla Huchton eventually and it became a mini-Smoky Writers Reunion!
  • Later in the day, we hit the Social Media Fair…and we identify as the O.P.s (Original Podcasters) still rolling out the audio!
  • Jumping back to Damon Suede’s Cinema Craptastique and a treatment of Abduction. The horror, the horror……
  • Cirque du Punk
    • Pip meets Hope McCurdy, the embodiment of the Iron Lily.
    • Amazing circus performers!
    • Cyberpunked deejay FTW!
    • And here’s Pip, Starla, and PJ as the punked up RGB Scale…
      IMG_6934
  • So why was Tee getting attention during the day?
    IMG_6918
  • The Intergalactic Bar & Grille, hosted by Linnea and PJ. So — much — fun!
  • This was a healthy-sized collection…and an exclusive!
  • What an awesome experience! Really felt welcome!
  • Linnea must have liked me as she trusted me with her Mad Libs…
  • The RT Book Fair of 2016 — 600 authors, and a WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE!!!
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  • Ended the RT experience with a trip to Mandalay Bay’s Red Square.
    IMG_6983
  • The difference between infused vodka and straight vodka: delight versus rubbing alcohol.
  • The hard lesson of Vegas: EVERYONE IS TRYING TO UPSELL YOU!!!
  • And everyone is an enabler in Vegas. (Oooooh, Steve!!!)
  • But seriously, we loved Hash House a Go-Go!
  • Catching up with Rachel!
    • She’s working the Jersey Boys.
    • Off-the-Strip sushi…nom.
    • A really good beer place…that we can’t remember. (Help, Rachel!)
    • The Return to Frankie’s Tiki’s Room!!!
      IMG_6889
  • Was it worth it? Oh hell yes!

45:54 — The Loot Crate Lookie-loo! 

  • A new segment for the show…
  • We are newbies to LootCrate, and we LOVE it! So far…
    • February — The Dead Box
    • March — Versus
    • And now, April….
  • April’s LootCrate
    • The Labyrinth tee shirt
    • A drinking horn from Vikings
    • Harry Potter Horcrux socks
    • A d20 ice mold
    • A d20 lapel pin
    • Uncharted 4 poster
  • What’s in your box?
  • What should you do with the stuff you don’t like? (Free giveaways!)

51:48 — Listener Mailbox

  • Two shows in a row! Keep it up, everyone!!!
    • A quick update from Hugh O’Donnell and his “Warboy” drive from Tennessee to New York.
    • Doc Coleman asks about the decision process when picking and choosing conventions.
  • Keep the voicemail coming in at 703.791.1701 or drop us an email, Subject line — FOR THE SHARED DESK!

1:01:48 — Wrapping up

[display_podcast]

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.

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Episode 54: The Post-Retreat (with Special Guests Piper J Drake, Matthew Drake, and KT Bryski)

 

TSD-back2back_PJ-Matt-KT

In our previous episode of The Shared Desk, Pip, Tee, Matt, and PJ all looked ahead to a week at the Smoky Writers’ Retreat. Now we jump ahead to the end of the week, and this time we are joined by KT Bryski. Cracking over an hour of word count goals, reflections on the fun, and serious talk about moonshine, The Shared Desk presents the Post-Retreat podcast.

Be warned — This way lies shenanigans!

00:00 —  Introduction

  • The drop-in’s reflect the week, pretty much…
  • It’s a NEW drop-in, just for Foo!
  • What is the name of this event?
  • Matt and Tee are ending the week as they started it — with Ole Smoky Moonshine’s Apple Pie!

03:54 — The Post-Retreat Podcast (with Piper, Matt, and KT!)

  • Only one hit of the shine, and Tee’s off the rails already.
  • What we accomplished at the Retreat…
    • Pip finishes The Silver Pharaoh, begins The Iron Lily, and continues into the Broken Galaxy; and she hit a Lowell! Just over 30,000 words accomplished.
    • Piper J Drake rocks her deadline with the True Hero series. 40,000 words in the can.
    • K.T. Bryski was a short story machine. BE AFRAID OF THE AWESOME!
    • Tee finally wrote Little Red Flying Hood, got handouts sorted for an upcoming RT workshop, and kicked off Blackstar Rising. Over 30,000 words in the week.
    • And now, Matthew J Drake, our accidental author…landing in over 20,000 words in a week!
  • A quick tangent on the Apple Pie Moonshine…and then, back to Matt….
  • Matt’s ascension into a full-fledged writer’s life.
  • Just avoid the dreaded note from KT Bryski, editor…
    grumpy-cat-no-1
  • KT Bryski does NOT care for the new drop-in.
  • The story behind Piper’s new drop-in. (We love you, Foo!)
  • That drop-in and Penny Dreadful…KT’s kryptonite.
  • And now—what happened after hours….
    • KT’s favorite time — the presence of Lauren, and composing music with Starla!
    • Matt’s favorite time — the first group reading
    • Jumping back to KT’s off-hours visit to the Titanic Museum…a surprising find in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and what an experience!
    • Piper J Drake’s favorite time — visiting Ripley’s Aquarium and the somewhat-lubricated, off-hours chatter between authors.
    • Pip’s favorite time — chilling with Alex White
  • The Moonshine of Gatlinburg
  • All the neat touches of our cabin…
    IMG_6608
  • Hugh O’Donnell goes WAR BOY on us all!!! WITNESS HIM!!!
  • What a great experience!
  • Bryan Lincoln almost lost his work on account of a cleaning fit from Tee.
  • Let’s talk about the food of Smoky Writers Retreat!
    • Katie’s favorite meal — the Sticky Toffee Pudding
    • Matt’s favorite meal — the handmade Gnocchi
    • Piper’s favorite meal — the Ribs and GROWN-UP Mac-n-Cheese
    • PIPER CHEATS! STEALS TEE’S TASTY-TASTY REUBENS!!!!
    • Pip’s favorite meal — the Beef Wellington
    • Tee’s favorite meal — the Crepes and the Scrambled Egg Sweet Poatoes
    • Scotch Eggs, Chicken and Waffles, Brisket….cue Deadpool.
  • Tee returns to Piper and Matt about the comparison between Smoky Writers Retreat, Writing Excuses Retreat, and other writing retreats.

1:02:0o — Wrapping up

[display_podcast]

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.

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Episode 53: The Pre-Retreat (with Piper J & Matthew Drake)

TSD-back2back_PJ-Matt

This Shared Desk is a look into the past where authors look to the future. If you didn’t follow any of us online during the week of the Smoky Writers’ Retreat, then all this will be new to you! It’s the night before we set off for the mountains of Tennessee, and after a terrible day-that-stretched-into-the-night at the Day Job, Tee downs a bottle of high test beer and leads the podcast. It’s an episode of goal setting and profanity dropping. Hang on to something….

00:00 —  Introduction

  • Tee is one beer in…and yes, he is feeling it.
  • We need to come up with a new drop-in for Pip.
  • Matt recalls his delightful visit to The Man Cave of Old Town Manassas…and Tee simmers like a fine beef stew….
  • Aren’t you a little old for Snapchat, HattsOfMatt?
  • There’s a J-bomb, an F-bomb, and people talking over drop-in’s to add to the insanity of the day…but now, the countdown is on.

03:44 — The Pre-Retreat Podcast (with Piper and Matt!)

  • This is all Matt’s idea…both the podcast and Tee’s condition!
  • Smoky Mountain Writers 2016 — TOMORROW!!!
  • Matt and Piper are worried about Initiation Night.
  • The whole retreat is happening on account of Alex White. This is where it all began, and now….
  • Dogfish Head’s Higher Math — Anger in a Bottle.
  • Want to know what a bottle can do?
  • Alex White discovered by accident this retreat would be a thing.
  • Pip takes you through Smoky Mountain Writers 2015, sans Tee.
  • PIP BALLANTINE! PODCASTER EXTRAORDINAIRE!!!!!! (Are you serious, Ballantine?!)
  • And now Tee is a mess because of Pip’s damn mic…
  • What did Tee do during last year’s retreat? Well, alongside PJ and Matt….
  • What went WRONG last year.
  • Even drunk, Tee can still handle the drop-in’s.
  • Now keep in mind, Pip’s sober…and she’s doing odd things with her accent!
  • So PJ, Matt…what’s on your mind about this upcoming retreat?
  • Deadpool’s back.
  • Tales of Drinkin’ Lincoln, greetings from Lauren “Scribe” Harris, and all kinds of shenanigans from Year One.
  • Tee puts the Drakes on the spot about the Smoky Writers Retreat from the Writing Excuses Retreat that the Drakes attended…
  • You can goof off at Smoky Mountain Writers, but when the Accountability Hour comes around, you’re screwed.
  • Beware of Laser Dick.
  • Piper J Drake goes into the details about Extreme Honor and the ass she is currently kicking!
  • Tee is dropping the F-bomb liberally. He blames the beer.
  • Making plans for the hot tub.
  • Daredevil: Season 2 is out…and Matt just figured out that it’s out!

37:1o — Writers Off the Clock

  • Right now, Piper and Matt are trying to figure out how to watch the new Daredevil in less than 12 hours.
  • We’ve only watched the first episode…at this point.
  • We broaden Matt’s culture with the stuff we talk about.
  • The Expanse. Best science fiction in the past decade. (Yes, Tee went there.)
  • Do your Man Cave a favor. Set yourself up with the Hue.
  • Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and what Marvel brings to Netflix.
  • Remember Charlie Cox in Stardust? Tee loves him in that movie.
  • Piper J Drake does have an advantage with spinning kicks. Well, okay, two advantages…
  • How True Detective made an impression on Daredevil
  • A terrific YouTube for movie fans—Every Frame Is a Painting
  • Another show Tee’s really enjoying—iZombie. What—FUN!
  • Pip is still sober…and getting MIGHTY CRASS!

50:33 — Wrapping up

  • Pip’s enjoying a fantasy with Deadpool and Daredevil.
  • What are our goals for the Retreat?
  • The next time we sit down, we’re looking back to what we did when in the Smokies!
  • Tee stumbles through credits.
  • Got thoughts or comments on this show? We have voicemail — 703.791.1701
  • And the anger consumes Tee…but he still gets in the plugs.
  • And hey, Matt and Tee are making a podcast! COMING SOON!

[display_podcast]

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.

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Episode 50: A Look Ahead to 2016

The Shared Desk episode 49

We are back. ALL OF US! We had such a blast talking about 2015, we decided to keep the mics hot and talk a bit about 2016, so let’s not keep you waiting!

And hey— this is Episode 50!!!
TSD-NewYear2016

00:00 — Introduction

  • The Mid-Life Crisis Episode….well, no not really…
  • Did we just drop a teaser for Episode #51?
  • Guests—SOUND OFF!!!
  • A liver joke…that K.T. doesn’t get?
  • So we were planning to talk about 2015 and 2016 all in  one show, but we all talk a lot….
  • When you have houseguests, get some mileage out of them.
  • Sonic Boom’s epic mic drop during her bedtime prayer. More like an audition for Trinity Episcopal.
  • What we’ve been doing during this wild weekend with houseguests…which includes getting in word count…
  • Drawing a parallel between Ex Machina and The Force Awakens

07:17 — Looking Ahead to 2016

  • To hear about what we accomplished last year, listen to this show.
  • K.T. Bryski is graduating from Stonecoast!
    • While waiting for her graduation, K.T.’s starting a novel
    • Tee blacks out on a really cool show done back in September where K.T. is working on a one-act play.
    • K.T. wants to work on other ideas germinating and gestating in her head.
  • Lauren “Scribe” Harris, has a multi-pronged plan for 2016
    • Obtaining her license
    • Completing second drafts on two novels
    • Completing audiobook projects
    • Writing a musical with K.T.
  • K.T. and Lauren share a moment of cuteness with just a touch of Jack Bauer
  • Lauren also has a cover shoot coming up
  • Matthew J. Drake
    • Piper is having a happy anime girl moment.
    • Matt is grasping the hard reality about the best laid plans.
    • Matt Drake, the Unexpected Author
    • Still pursuing advanced degrees and opportunities
    • Matt is still in video games, but not so much with Twitch.
    • Audio is drawing Matt into the flame….
  • Piper J. Drake kicks off 2016 with a BRAND NEW BOOK! 
    • Big step for PJD who is coming out of a box swinging HARD.
    • Hardcore promotion lies ahead.
    • With five books coming in 2016, she’s already lining up future projects!
    • Piper cracks the whip on Tee, and conspires with Pip…
  • Tee and Pip are also hitting 2016’s ground running
    • Complete The Ghost Rebellion
    • Complete Countless Hues of Crimson
    • Begin work on Operation: Endgame
    • Pip looks to complete The Silver Pharoh
    • Tee looks at Wolf in the Fold…again.
    • The Kickstarter has committed Tee to writing and recording Little Red Flying Hood
    • And with lessons learned in all our Kickstarter, Tee wants to pitch Crowdfunding for Writers to Writers’ Digest
  • …provided there are no surprise home D.I.Y. Projects.

27:41 — How do we make all this happen in 2016?

  • Piper J. prioritizes the projects by contracts, money value, and Any.do, day planners with neat-o re-stickable stickers, and Scrivener as a series bible!
  • A few thoughts about Evernote, something Tee needs to explore.
  • Matt just needs to narrow down his goals, and he’s planing a new website.
  • Technology is Matt’s jam, particularly a smartphone that does what it wants you to to do and has a LOT of space.
  • Lauren loves paper, by the way. That, and Angry Canadians.
  • An analog girl, Lauren works with old school day planners that are associated with their own unique projects.
  • Lauren’s secret for beautiful skin? A sound booth.
  • Lauren needs to get that license…then the creative endeavors take off.
  • How will K.T. make her 2016 happen? COFFEE. 
  • K.T. also has to schedule her creativity around Black Creek Brewery.
  • The struggle is real between creativity and exhaustion.
  •  How do you fit in time (and energy) for writing?
  • A discussion on Write or Die.
  • Another discussion on writing with music in the background.

56:13 Wrapping up

[display_podcast]

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.

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