Hard to believe that May got by us so quickly but there you have it. This June, we are working to get back on track with things because, let’s be honest — we’re not podcasting as much because we are launching new projects. So you might want to take notes as we have a LOT to talk about.
00:00 — Introduction
Closing in to that 100th episode…
Calling you out, Nobilis!
Playing an old favorite plug-in
It’s been some time, not that we are light on content…
01:39 — Episode #89: What We’re Up to and Back to Balticon
Feels good to be back!
First free weekend in June as May was booked SOLID.
Tee’s new day job
His new title. #CodeOn, mai peeps.
Join Tee here, on Fridays, for #RoofTalks
Welcome to Code.gov where #AmericasCode is our mantra.
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 #89: New Projects & Balticon
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?
20-22 April — RavenCon in Williamsburg, VA
Shout out to the Steampunk Symposium…which, if you were wondering why they were not there, now you know.
25-28 May — Balticon 52 in Baltimore, MD
13-14 July — GuardianCon in Tampa Bay, FL (just Tee with the Kelly family)
Other news you should know about…
Operation: Endgame coming to print in February. Audio soon to follow. (Do leave us a review!)
Other irons in the fire for Pip and Tee…
Tales from the Archives, Season V is underway.
Happy Hour from the Tower is still going strong, including new fiction from Tee!
Pip’s Patreon is still rocking and rolling!
Yep, she’s got a website for that new podcast of hers, We Don’t Talk About That
And you can hear it first….if you become a subscriber.
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…
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.
Comments Off on Episode #88: Writing in the Midst of Bad News, Bad Luck, and Grief
Following a super-sized Shared Desk, Pip and Tee fly on their own in this fast-paced, jammed-packed episode that we put together based on some current events happening both online and close to home. First, your hosts comment on the 800-pound gorilla of social media, Facebook. Changes have taken place and authors are freaking out. But should day? Do you have options? Well, of course you do; and after breaking down the Facebook situation, Tee and Pip talk about the good in diversifying your social media platforms.
The next current event is a rant. Tee lets loose on shenanigans happening in his hometown, and these shenanigans involve a con-artist The Shared Desk is more-than-familiar with.
00:00 — Introduction
This is a suitcase we need to unpack seriously…
it was a good day today in Tee’s Twitch stream.
Always remember where you park your TARDIS.
How nice — a backlog for Smoky 2018!
01:25 — Episode #87: Part One - Facebook Changes
Pushing back a chat with K.T. Bryski in light of Facebook changes that may affect authors.
Additional thoughts on this big change from social media rockstar Erika Napoletano on Facebook.
And The Oatmeal has some commentary on this as well.
So here we are — at a crossroads with Facebook.
Can authors still cope with Facebook?
The challenge of handling ads and handling boosted posts
The decision to launch an Author Page and just keeping a Facebook Page doubling for Personal Use
Blurring Lines
Diversifying Social Media Platforms for yourself
Where is your audience?
Resurrecting old platforms
Have you fired up that Twitter account again? Tee has, thanks to Twitch.
Instagram Tips and Tricks: Part One
Why active boosts with Instagram is great for Likes…but the Conversion Rate is crap. Here’s why.
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 #87: Facebook Changes & WTF RVA?!?
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
He’s already got a new book out!
What is the Catwalk series?
And Stacia is also cranking out the words!
Looking ahead to the conventions we want to attend…
GuardianCon 2018
MAGFest…which has come and gone, but you can hear all about it here!
What about our Canuck? What is she planning and plotting for 2018?
There’s enjoying her own successes from 2017!
What is the Six Stories Told at Night podcast?
Adaptation ain’t easy!
Wait—there’s a Beer Magic novel coming from K.T. Bryski?!
Whenever you make a bet about writing a story, chances are…
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…
ReaderCon
Ad Astra
CanCon
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…
Pip’s Patreon will feature the first episode of her ALL-NEW PODCAST!
Yep, she’s got a website (with a teaser) — We Don’t Talk About That
And you can hear it first….if you become a subscriber.
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
We are horrendously late getting this episode out (but don’t sweat it as we’re going to be recording another one next week!) but let’s call it like it is: November was a cray-cray month! After a wild ride between the end of October and the beginning of November, The Shared Desk is reflecting on their week of solid creativity, and also share their thoughts about a creative Kiwi and his recent motion picture that you may have heard of.
So, yeah, it took us a few weeks to getting around to posting this episode. We blame jetlag, the holidays, and smoking meats…
00:00 — Introduction
Pip kind of punches up the Kiwi in the introduction, and she blames Taika Waititi for that.
This episode’s “Writers Off the Clock” segment isn’t happening, but let’s spend a few minutes talking about Marvel’s The Punisher.
What have we been working on?
Pip has got stuff happening on her Patreon!
A new Christmas story is taking shape for Tales from the Archives.
Both Pip and Tee are working on the edits for Operation: Endgame. Order your copy now!!!
Tee’s also got two projects happening at Happy Hour from the Tower
A new challenge: The Dog Days of Advent, in association with the Aventword.org
Tee’s giving “Fiction Friday” a go.
So, lots to do….around Christmas.
08:05 — Episode #84: What’s Going On at Goodreads?
A development over at the social network for authors and readers worldwide: Goodreads
This is how Goodreads describes this new and exciting direction.
This is how writers describe it.
Tee thinks this Goodreads situation is actually a good thing, making authors stop and look at the value of a “giveaway” be it on Good Reads or book blogs.
What is the real R.O.I. on working with book bloggers and blog tours?
So now, what are independent publishers expected to do?
Publishers, from our own experience, do not throw money at authors and rarely throw money into promotion.
With the free giveaway gone, why stick around with Goodreads?
Disagree with us? Then sound off…
…on the voicemail at 703-791-1701
tee (at) teemorris (dot) com
pip (at) pjballantine (dot) com
What are the options remaining for authors?
Your email list is your email list. Always.
Social media platforms like Goodreads, Facebook, and the like? No, they are not there for you.
A content creator’s relationship with Facebook
Instagram and advertising — nice idea, but…
Speaking of Instagram, here’s the new schtick…
Tee has been returning to Twitter, thanks to Twitch.
Cover Reveals: Pro’s and Con’s
The great debate on writers blogging
Pip and Tee start planning for 2018…
29:08 — The Loot Crate Lookie-Loo
Pip is cutting the show short in order to get to this month’s Loot Crate!
Neither Tee nor Pip can remember this month’s theme. Tee guesses…and gets it wrong.
November’s Loot Crate: UNIFY
From Funko Pop, a Loot Crate exclusive of Overwatch’s Widowmaker
The mini Q-Fig celebrates the Power Rangers. (And if you blink, you might miss a Red Ranger sighting in Stranger Things 2)
The Tee-Shirt: Voltron…in elegant 8-bit renderings! (Maybe Serena could wear it as a nightshirt.)
Wait a minute, Loot Crate, you think your cat is looking rough-and-tumble in the Punisher hat? Hold on…from 2016, thank you……
Pin: Superheroes assembled!
Comic Book Reprint: Justice League of America (their first appearance), presented by Brave and the Bold
Divvying up the Loot
Pip sometimes misses those details that matter.
Tee is counting down to December’s Loot Crate: EXPLORE.
Star Wars
Destiny 2
Guardians of the Galaxy
….and a mystery franchise.
Since we mentioned Guardians of the Galaxy, how about DAT TRAILER!
Total nerdgasm at the Morris household!
Mantis: “Hey, Hemsworth!”
36:25 — The Wrap-Up
A few thoughts on Star Wars Day in Woodbridge, VA. You might want to not compare the U.S. Boy Scouts with…
Quick shout-out to TD-0013, the only Imperial Stormtrooper I love!
December 16, 10a - 7p — Jirani’s Christmas Con in Manassas, VA
Thanks, Nick Kelly!
Come on out! Details on Facebook!
Good coffee and even better geekery!
Sadly, no MAGFest this year, but…
Happy Hour from the Tower is heading to GuardianCon 2018 in July!!!
Other events confirmed for 2018:
RavenCon (April)
Steampunk Symposium (April)
Steampunk World’s Fair (May)
Eyeing up Balticon for 2018.
Two weeks of Shared Desk, I know, right?
When did Old town Manassas get cool?
Pip’s Patreon will feature the first episode of her ALL-NEW PODCAST!
Yep, she’s got a website (with a teaser) — We Don’t Talk About That
And you can hear it first….if you become a subscriber.
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…
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 #84: What’s Going On at Goodreads?
And now the conclusion of the Dog Days of Podcasting…
…where Tee answers that one last question.
[display_podcast]
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.
Comments Off on The Dog Days of Podcasting 2017: What’s the Takeaway?
The Dog Days of Podcasting has its first crossover with Tee’s other passion project, Happy Hour from the Tower. An interview with Twitch streamer 3vil_Aura has Tee thinking about guy instincts and how important they are to follow.
Listen close that feeling, and have a great weekend!
[display_podcast]
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.
Comments Off on The Dog Days of Podcasting 2017: Follow That Gut Instinct
18 - 21 May, The Nebula Awards Conference in Pittsburgh, PA (It will be Katie, Tee, and Pip…along with others from the Smoky Retreat!)
Tee and Pip will be visiting Balticon…
Events in the works…
A steampunk tea in Ellicott City, Maryland…
Guest speakers at a Mystery conference…
…and a return to Revel Grove in October!
And Tee isn’t busy enough so he’s launch a new podcast all about the video game, Destiny!
[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 #73: Something Old, Something New
…which doesn’t quite age well. At all. Let’s discuss.
