Tag Archives: Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences

by | June 2, 2020 · 9:13 am

Episode #102: Collaborators in life and art

The video stream
  • We’re still social distancing, but we can still be social!
  • We welcome Aly Grauer and Drew Mierzejewski—another collaborating couple!
Such an epic couple!
  • We’ve know each other… Aly and Drew are ‘like us but younger!’
  • Collaborators in life and art!
  • Aly produced two short stories for Tales from the Archives
  • Pip tries some new words from the youth! Vibe and dabbing are no allowed.

6:05 Tee asks the hard question of Aly and Drew; Where’d this all start?

  • Like many collaborators, editing and brainstorming often comes off
  • Aly and Drew started on a project from the Renaissance Faire
  • Starting off sharing creative projects can be fun… but the rewards are worth it
You can share it!
  • For a start, there are no rules
  • Writers are often imagined solitary- but they don’t have to be!
Sad writer contemplates writing all alone…
  • People tend to think ideas are precious, and can be easily lost… but the truth is there are a lot out there
  • Tee admits thinking never to write another podcasting book.
  • …and is currently working on 4th edition of Podcasting for Dummies
Pip and Tee fear becoming Taylor and Burton
  • Tee brings back the story of the Silver Pharaoh.
  • Aly and Drew share their own tense moment.
  • The truth of the matter is, everyone looks back at their first book critically.

21:00 How do you navigate criticism between partners?

  • Talk about specifics, good and bad
  • It can be bad when you take criticism too much to heart, and let it break your confidence
  • Aly and Drew poured energy into Warda, and it became a podcast and a tabletop game
  • Aly finally found a way back in with Drew’s support
  • Drew points out, building a collaboration takes years
  • Pip recounts the path of collaboration for the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences
  • The couples talk about the strengths that make their collaborations work

38:42 Let’s talk Skyjacks:Courier’s Call

  • Aly and Drew have a new podcast collaboration, Skyjacks: Courier’s Call
  • Skyjacks is a wider collaboration, but it wasn’t child friendly, hence the spinoff
  • Pip gets excited by large birds… especially large kiwis!
  • We touch on the advantages the Kickstarter campaign had
  • The nature of the podcast and the storytelling is very collaborative.
  • Tee waxes lyrical on the latest wave of roleplaying
  • Art is not created in a vacuum!
  • Pip and Tee call out some of the wonderful folks they’ve collaborated with in the past!
  • Pip talks about her own roleplaying fun with George the Dinosaur
Ashimei and George- art by Candy Cane Studios

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.

Show art by Candy Cane Studios
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 Spotify,  iTunes or Stitcher!
Subscribe, listen, and review.
Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

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by | October 29, 2015 · 8:34 pm

Episode #47 – Kicking with Kickstarter

The Shared Desk

 

This episode Pip and Tee talk about their experience so far with running a Kickstarter Campaign to fund the fifth Ministry Book, The Ghost Rebellion.

00:00 Introduction

03:42 Talking about Kickstarter at nearly two weeks in.

  • 162% funded!
  • Tee and Pip were involved in a Kickstarter with Galileo Games back in 2013
  • Now the Ghost Rebellion Kickstarter is live.
  • Pip lays down the situation that brought us to Kickstarting. It involves orphaning and sad violins.
  • Luckily we live in the new, shiny world of publishing, and we know people to help us.
  • We chose the barest minimum goal.
  • Don’t forget about taxes Kickstarters! Don’t forget!!
  • How social media bears repeating since it still misses people.
  • Good thing Kickstarter campaigns go a month or folks might miss them altogether.
  • Pip and Tee are excited and surprised to hit their goal so quickly.
  • Talking about stretch goals and add-ons. Oh my!
  • Plan for the basics, and then work from there.
  • Keep something in the tank for the mid-campaign slump.
  • As prepared as we were, we’re still a little caught out.
  • Do your math—especially for physical offerings—twice before announcing.
  • Our add-ons include hardbacks, signed prints from Verena Vosatz (including an exclusive Kickstarter only), key rings from Brute Force Studios.
  • Everyone loves exclusives!
  • Keep the graphics coming. People love images!
  • Kicktraq has some pretty great estimates, but we are keeping our feet on the ground.
  • Pip shares her plans for Operation Endgame.
  • Tee’s head is hurting, but Pip presents what she thinks they are doing right. Thanks for the education JR and Brennan.
  • Keep channels open, keep the updates coming for your backers, and listen to their suggestions.
  • Keep some fun in reserve.
  • Tee talks about failure, and Pip talks about leveraging New York.
  • Go in realistically.

23:58 Writers off the Clock.

  • John Cleese and Eric Idle Tour (which is wrapping up, which Pip and Tee didn’t know at the time of recording)
  • Tee hesitated, but lucky they added a new show.
  • Tee tells a story from Graham Chapman
  • Pip compares the stories of the early days of Monty Python to the early days of podcasting…
  • Pip suffers from wall to wall British.
  • If you haven’t seen Monty Python, go watch some…perhaps on Youtube.
  • We sang some fabulous songs…

37:11 Voicemail!

  • Nobilis calls in with information on the status of his innards
  • Violet calls in for Uncle Charlie
  • Uncle Charlie gets let out of the basement to Pip’s distrust.
  • Charlie listens to voicemail, and then says something we’ve never heard from him before.

42:50 Wrapping up

  • We love voicemail, so send us a question, comment for any of us.
  • We’ve booked another event for 2016—Steampunk Worlds Fair. Check out our appearances page to find out where you can see us.
  • Hoping the Tesla Science Center will be open then so we can see our Ministry Brick.
  • Concentrating on getting to $15,000 for the Ghost Rebellion
  • Pip has sent off Born in the Blood, their co-written project. Tee wrote the synopsis, while Pip drew a terrible map
  • Onwards to Christmas!
  • Pip tries to help, and there may be arguments…which Tee covers with music so Pip can’t edit it out.

 

TOTALLY EDITING THAT OUT….no she’s not…

So Tee is responsible for the lack of editing. Slacker.

[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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by | July 1, 2015 · 9:17 pm

Episode #43- The Cosplay with Christina episode

Cosplay with Christina

Last week, we were supposed to be at Capital Con, but at the very last minute the event was cancelled. This meant our cosplaying guest Christina Payton was coming from California to Virginia, with all her outfits, for nothing. Well, that wouldn’t stand with us, so in this episode we wander into the unfamilar to us world of cosplayers and authors.

00:00 Introduction and VirginiaCon

  • We begin with much head-bopping that doesn’t really work for podcast.
  • We welcome Christina Payton to the Shared Desk
  • Deadlines…but a 70k book that is Social Media for Authors! (Pre Order now if you like)
  • We discuss the demise of Capital Con
  • Hotels, knock off being mean to geeks
  • Tee talks about his past experience with cons and shenanigans
  • So Pip and Tee whip up VirginiaCon.
  • Luray Caverns, and eating at Pavemint. Also, beer sneaks in. Sweet Baby Jesus…and some other beer…
  • VirginiaCon then rolled onto Old Busthead Brewery and the Bone
  • Pip played Mom and dropped off Tee and Christina at the Northern Virginia Summer Brefest
  • Look for Tee on Untappd as Teemonster
  • Flying Dog and Hunter S Thompson
  • Everyone loves food trucks, but DC Slices is highly recommended by Tee
  • Finally some cider for Pip. Winchester Cider works.
  • Atlas Brewery in DC has a steampunk theme, so maybe we could do something there.
  • The Pip and Tee take Christina to Proper Pie, and Blue Bee Cider. All three of us lose our memory…
  • And we visit Agecroft Hall for a little history…
  • VirginiaCon ends in the Manassas area.

26:58 Christina shows her mad cosplay skills

 

  • Christina reveals her cosplay as Eliza D Braun from the Diamond Conspiracy, when she goes in disguise as a gentleman…
  • Shout out to Verena in Germany
  • Pip and Tee sum up our connection with Christina. It goes back to Emerald City and Demicon.
  • Christina’s cosplay includes; the Antarctica mission, the opera dress, and the suffragette.
  • Cosplay is all about finding the right fabrics.
  • Cosplay also evolves as you find more accessories
  • Christina surprises Pip with her cosplay of Sorcha!
  • Tee asks how authors can help out cosplayers. Christina says it’s like picking your favourite song.
  • So which was more complicated?
  • Apparently Christina is great at whacking
  • Pip loses her mind and asks the probing questions. Jason Chan is hopefully happy.
  • Pip and Tee think about Mysticon
  • V’s Cosplay
  • But where are the Wellingtons?
  • We’ve had a Ravyn Macallister
  • So what drives someone to cosplay?
  • Christina talks about what got her into it.
  • Pip waxes lyrical on her experience with satin…
  • Christina reads the first three chapters of book five, and already has ideas…
  • Christina and Verena get chatty

51:34 The Wrapup

  • Pip is surprised that time passes
  • Christina talks about where you can find her. Wizardworld Comic Con in LA. Maybe a visit to the lighthouse in California from Dawn’s Early Light.
  • A gender bent, steampunk Thranduil might be coming your way.
  • Look for Pip and Tee at the Writers Digest Convention
  • Pip and Tee had a fun time at the Rosemary House. There might be a return visit in the future, especially if we can sort things out with Mystery Books
  • Find Christina at ElizaDBraunismyguru
  • We’re looking out for teashops…

[display_podcast]

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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by | December 17, 2012 · 2:34 am

Episode #20 — Nothing Personal: Rejection Amongst Your Peers

TSD-back2back

We were a few days late on posting this, but we have posted — determined to stay on schedule! Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’re a few days late but we’ll be back in two weeks time with some more news and a new topic for you all in what will be a podcast-packed end-of-the-month. All this and more in this — the twentieth episode of The Shared Desk — where we are looking hard at the art of rejection from the toughest people to get it from — your peers.

00:00 — Introduction

  • Hey now…two in a row! Sort of…
  • Right now, the hosts of The Shared Desk are bit peckish.
  • Tee welcomes back the drop-in…
  •  On the upside, we’re working the Medifast hard!

03:00 — What’s going on in the Writing World

  • Working title: The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences — Declassified, and the first round of invitation have been sent
  • The Janus Affair places 7th in Goodreads 2012 Choice Awards
  • The Janus Affair is released in Germany (and Tee lets the inappropriate humor fly)
  • Pip revels in more incredible Cover Art Fu…
  • Ace’s Clockwork Fairy Tales coming in 2013…
  • …but Tee talks about the success of Aladdin and His Wonderfully Infernal Device just to get in a last word.
  • Tee and Pip also release Christmas Tales from the Archives on Amazon and other markets.
  • We’re planning a few consecutive episodes of Tales from the Archives as a holiday “Thank you” for the end of the month.
  •  Wouldn’t it be great to have a personal assistant? Looking at 2013, yeah, we would.

10:17 — Nothing Personal: Rejection Amongst Your Peers

  • A unique experience — sending out invitations to our anthology’s Dream Team
  • Having a chat with friend-of-the-show, P.J. Schnyder, about why she’s a friend but not on the A-List
  • Writing with friends is fun. When you’re working for an anthology, however, you need names.
  • Author Jeff Vandermeer turned us down…but come on — COME ON — I’m just thankful I can approach him.
  • Sometimes, you have to say “No.”
  • Tee’s prepping for rejection (and not taking it personally) with Darkwater based on a rejection for The Case of the Singing Sword.
  • Remember this about publishing — It’s a business.
  • Looking ahead with Kickstarter and advice from J.R. Blackwell.
  • Rejection is not a personal thing.

19:22 — Seriously?! Seriously.

  • A brewing issue in geek circles: Fake Fan Girls
  • Pip believes this whole debate began in high school.
  • What Tee’s noticed — the debate rages about Fake Fan Girls that cosplay, but never about Fake Fan Boys?
  • Pip takes umbrage with girls that are showing up as Lollypop Chainsaw, taking pictures of (or with) them, then complaining about how they are “fake.”
  • Tee wonders why did the rage about out-of-shape superheroes at Comic Con disappeared while this argument rolls on? (And yes, I found out it was Men’s Fitness, not Maxim magazine)
  • The Flawed Logic of a Fake Fan Girl
    • Tee’s obsession with the ID Channel creeps into this rant…
    • Do hotties REALLY WANT the attention of the average con?
  • Pip and Tee go into a little commentary on the source material and how tough it is for BOTH sexes, but ESPECIALLY for women…
  • When it comes to Fake Fan Girl: Who are you to judge?
  • Celebs that step up — Fake Fan Girls? We don’t think so.
  • Tee stumbles through awkward memories of high school…
  • Geeks and their territorial tendencies
  • What happens when Geekdom goes mainstream: People get upset and don’t want to cope.

34:12 — The Wrap-Up

  • Pip’s already a confirmed guest at Dragon*Con
  • New Archer is coming soon!!!
  • Looking forward to the holiday
    • We’ll be recording on Boxing Day!
    • Screw Medifast — we’re having Christmas Pudding!
  • Tee Morris: 2 for 2 with the Creative Commons tag…
RELATED LINKS
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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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