We are kicking off 2019 the only way we know how at The Shared Desk. We’re bringing in a special guest who has never been on the show, but is practically art of the family. Welcome to The Shred Desk author Tim Dodge.
Tim Dodge is a regular fixture at the Smoke Writers Retreat, and is taking first steps into professionally writing fiction, but he is no stranger to writing professionally as he writes technical documents on a freelance basis.
The Shared Desk, now recorded LIVE on Twitch at Tee’s Twitch Channel, after looking back on a year that was very 2018, turns its attention to what is coming this year, as well as looks at the not-so-simple life of a writer when writing is a 9-to-5 occupation.
00:00 — Introduction
Oh yeah, we’re kicking off the new year right…with a show recorded last year. (See what I did there?)
It is a night of firsts!
A mild spoiler from Bandersnatch
It’s a night of adult beverages and seamless plugs.
From one of the authors behind Podcasting for Dummies, Twitch for Dummies (advance copies) has arrived!
02:56 — Episode #93: Looking Ahead to 2019 (with Tim Dodge)
Meet Tim Dodge
He was passing through and decided to spend some time with us.
Did you know that there is more to New York than just a big city?
Head north for some beautiful country
Tim is a writer of many backgrounds.
The Life of a Working Writer
How does writing “day job” content affect productivity with fiction projects?
Tim’s initiation into The Shared Desk.
Tee’s own work with Code.gov and writing for them while working with other projects.
How does working on “day job” stuff affect your creativity?
The lure (and dangers) of a day job writing gig
….and juggling projects.
Tim’s got both indie and professional publishing credits under his belt. Take a look at what he’s got available.
Tim Dodge goes back home in his steampunk tale for Tee & Pip.
Looking ahead to 2019
We already looked back to 2018.
So, what’s next? Well, we’re doing something special for Writers Digest.
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.
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!
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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.
Comments Off on Episode #88: Writing in the Midst of Bad News, Bad Luck, and Grief
Did you hear? We have a new book on the shelves! (The digital ones anyway.) With Operation: Endgame out and waiting for you to read, The Shared Desk is looking back on the ministry of Peculiar Occurrences and talks about everything a writer thinks, feels, and fears when wrapping up a series and dropping the curtain on familiar grounds.
And really, are they done with the Ministry? Well……
00:00 — Introduction
Whew! It’s been a week…
If you want to relax, Dunkirk is NOT the movie to help you with that.
Okay, if you didn’t hear about it today…
Operation: Endgame is coming out today in all digital formats.
And did you know a new Christmas story is out for Tales from the Archives?
Audio and print books are coming in January/February 2018.
There’s also a special offer on 12/26 and 12/27 so download your copy now!
04:08 — Episode #85: Ending a Series
You are having so much fun with this series, but now comes a time to wrap it up.
Nothing new for Pip with the Books of the Order.
For Tee, reaching the end has been proving elusive.
There’s a lot of time invested into a series, its characters, its world…and you wonder if you have one more book in you.
Is the drive and the desire there?
Pip was sad to see Sorcha and Raed go…but she got over it.
Tee’s issue with getting Operation: Endgame done — REAL LIFE.
Tee’s failed attempts at writing a series
MOREVI (which has fans on PSN and Twitch apparently)
The Billibub Baddings Mysteries
Tee may not have wanted to say goodbye to Books & Braun just yet…
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences is not going anywhere. The podcast and this series, however, are done.
Ending on your own terms feels pretty damn good.
Kickstarter made it clear: A demand was there.
Tee finished Operation: Endgame…and fell apart.
Achievement Unlocked: We reached the end we had planned.
Verity Fitzroy is making the sting of ending a series less painful.
Change of all kinds take place in Operation: Endgame.
We do resolve things in the book…mostly.
BIG SHOUT-OUT to our editor, K.T. Bryski who will be here next week!
Humble beginnings to the series and the wild ride that ensued…
And we’re still married…but there was that one time during Curse of the Silver Pharaoh….
Taking a break from now until the summer because we got stuff to do on our own!
How can we forget Countless Hues of Crimson? Rivaled only by this amazing work of literature…
Taking a bittersweet Victory Lap
26:40 — Writers Off the Clock
We just finished a book. LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES!!!
Let’s talk about some of the movies we saw over the weekend….
Dunkirk
Hans Zimmer decides to actually give us a really amazing score for this cinematic triumph.
Wait? you mean, things happened in World War II before Americans got involved?
Just brace yourself for those first ten minutes.
Hands down, Nolan’s best film.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Spoiler Alert — JUMP TO TIMECODE 42:09 TO AVOID SPOILERS
LAST CHANCE —42:09 TO AVOID SPOILERS
Tee liked it more than Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, but did not like it as much as Rogue One
Thoughts on the middle section
Thoughts on Rose
Thoughts on humor in Star Wars
Thoughts on Mary Poppins
Thoughts on Fan Rage
Thoughts from someone else about how we’ve been here before…
Bright
Bright is, according to Pip, Shadowrun.
It was more like Training Day: Shadowrun, but here’s the rundown of this (pretty damn clever) plot.
This is not high art, but it does not pretend to be anything else than what it is. AND IT WORKS!
Definitely rocking a Men in Black or Alien Nation vibe.
We talked about Suicide Squad, but this is a better film.
Critics are hatingBright…but Netflix is listening to the audience.
Why Alien Nation was a better television show than it was a movie.
Is race an issue in this movie? Yes. Because LOOK AT OUR FREAKIN’ HEADLINES!
50:42 — The Wrap-Up
The Adventures of Centaur Cop, coming soon from Pip Ballantine.
We’re done for the year. So, go out, use that Amazon.com gift card, and buy our new book!
K.T. Bryski is coming!
2017 was better than 2016, that’s for damn sure.
Foreshadowing for the next show — Your Author Word for 2018!
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.
See you in 2018!
54:15 — The Last Word
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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.
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
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 72: The 2017 Smoky Writers Retreat Wrap-Up (featuring K.T. Bryski…and even MORE Hamilton!!!)
We managed to post on our bi-weekly schedule without fail from the beginning of this year to August 24, but as our break was on account of the upcoming Curse of the Silver Pharaoh, we thought you would be okay wth that. Our next two shows we have pre-recorded and are timeshifting the crap out of them, but we are back on track after a month of hardcore editing!
On this episode of The Shared Desk, we’re following-up with frequent guest and adoptive-Canadian-daughter, author K.T. Bryski, talking about her podcast Six Stories Told at Night. If you recall on Episode #46, we talked about the grant she submitted for this project. Now hear about the end result!
00:00 — Introduction
Tee flies solo in the introduction
So ends the streak.
Getting back on track with author K.T. Bryski.
01:55 — Episode #64: Follwing Up with K.T. Bryski
We like running video with Skype because we like the eye contact.
What brings K.T. back to the Shared Desk?
Back in October 2015, we talked about Grants onIf you recall on Episode #46.
Now, welcome to Episode #64.
A good chunk went to the vocal talent, Blythe Haynes. (And yes, she earned it!)
What is Six Stories Told at Night…apart from awesome?
What a breathtaking score! WHAT TALENTED MOFO DID YOU HIRE?!
And now, Tee works through his insecurity with Alex. (No, no, no….I love you, Alex…)
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 #64: Following up with K.T. Bryski and Her Writing Grant
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!!!
00:00 — Introduction
The Mid-Life Crisis Episode….well, no not really…
Did we just drop a teaser for Episode #51?
Guests—SOUND OFF!!!
Piper J. Drake (a/k/a P.J. Schnyder)
Matthew J. Drake
Lauren “Scribe” Harris
K.T. Byski
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
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
Just in case you missed the links at the beginning of the cast…
K.T. Byski and Black Creek Brewery
Lauren “Scribe” Harris
Matthew J. Drake and the Mango Rice podcast
Piper J. Drake (a/k/a P.J. Schnyder)
And we are all over the social medias
I think Pip is a little tired, needs a nap…
Closing out with Sebastian reading the end credits.
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leave us a voicemail or question for the show at 703.791.1701,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.
Alex White has a great series of blogposts on how you can do this kind of writing retreat. Part One. Part Two. Part Three. Part Four.
Uh…ohhh problems with the cabin, but Alex is still awesome…
Outlets, alcohol, food, friends, hot-tub(s)
25:09 What Tee got up to while we were away
PJ Schnyder and Matt Ord worked with Tee on a book trailer, and shot in Richmond, Virginia.
Tee waxes melancholy on previous book trailers, but admits some faults
Thanks to James River Writers and Bill Blume
Pip let’s Tee give his deep South story
Once again the Proper Pie Company pops up again. Why are they not sponsoring this podcast too??!
Pip tries to make a slogan for them.
34:46 Writers Off the Clock- Vampires and Gothic
Pip and Tee introduce Katie to What We Do in the Shadows
It is now available in the US, on itunes and other outlets
So vampires flatting together
Everyone does the accent, even the mayor of Wellington (Vellington)
Everyone loves Stu!
Even the Smoky Writers loved this movie!
Katie is now hooked to Penny Dreadful
Timothy Dalton reads Keats, and we all get it.
Dave Robison reads for Katie’s work at Black Creek Pioneer Village
Great cast, and great writing- but also lots of nakedness…
Oh dancing so close to steampunk!
46:46 Time to wrap up
Apparently they broke their stein
Because of time shifting you’ve already missed us in Rotorua, Ravecon, and even Balticon
Some Australians did actually come over!
Katie hit AdAstra with Eric Buchanan
Katie plugs her diabolical plot, but timeshifting means…whoops it has already happened!
Katie hates to leave, and Viola doesn’t want her to go. Neither do we…
The team heads out to watch Penny Dreadful with a bunch of apologies
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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,
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Recorded LIVE at Balticon on the final day of the event, Tee and Pip are joined by a lively audience, all of whom take pains to keep Tee in line and muster up the courage to ask Crazy Uncle Charlie a few questions on writing…
….and Crazy Uncle charlie has a few surprises in store for them! It’s a wild ride with the Parsec-nominated podcast, The Shared Desk, at Balticon 48.
00:00 — Introduction
Shutting it down like a boss!
Reflection on a Balticon Cookout. (Thank God we made it out alive!)
We’re keeping this episode on a tight(ish) schedule because we got stuff to sell!
3:35 — Perspectives (or the “I Love You, Man!” Show)
Lessons learned at Balticon
Pip was enjoying many an “I love you, man!” moments last night with the grown-up Gummi Bears.
Sonic Boom in the House!!!!
P.C. Haring…put back in his box by Nick (MOTHER F-ING) Fury.
Leading into a quick shout-out to our Intern of Awesome, K.T. Bryski.
And if you’re wondering what people were laughing at…
A Perspective on Success
There was something about Balticon this year…
People were really excited for the Ministry, and yet Pip and I still feel like were the rookies of steampunk.
When J.R. Blackwell and Jared Axelrod pull you aside to have a heart-to-heart, you know it’s about to get serious.
The audience looks at Tee and thinks “Wow, that’s Tee Morris! What an ass.”
And a few thoughts from Sonic Boom…
A slip of the tongue…and people pile-on correcting Tee. (But he comes back for more. Always.)
The thoughts of Jared and J.R. and Jon Stallard of the 501st: It’s not the same. Can we go back there?
But is that a bad thing? Don’t we want to spread the geek love? (Phrasing.)
In the middle of Balticon, Pip wanted to tell friends how it is…and that’s a good thing.
Pip even said something sweet and endearing to her husband. Kind of.
Tee looks back on his first Balticon as P.C. Haring brings Cybrosis in print to the event.
Our kid can do math! Huzzah!
From Rockstar Treatment…to the Real World.
The dangers of losing perspective.
Remember — there’s always someone in the playground bigger (and in some cases, meaner) than you.
Considering the Up’s and Down’s of 2014
Pip’s found her zen.
Tee’s winding up and going on mic with his “I love you, man!” moment.
OMG! We have to mention TEH KITTEHS of New Zealand!!!
When it comes to friends, we are in the 1% tier.
What else is going on with us?
Our agent is pitching new properties from Tee & Pip
Deadly Hollywood, a new property from Pip Ballantine
Immortal Progeny, Pip’s Epic Fantasy currently in the works
Darkwater, a spinoff title from the world of The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences featuring Rafe Rafton (100% Elf-Free!)
Wolf in the Fold, Tee’s first step into Urban Fantasy
The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh, Pip’s Y.A. spinoff from the Ministry universe
Tee gives a quick shout-out for a steampunk Y.A. film The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box, the best-kept secret of steampunk films.
Yes, we have enjoyed success, but we’re ready to level up.
The audience wants to start up a new hashtag — #MoPOForever
Pie-in-the-Sky dreams for who would produce the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series
Shout-out for Hiddlebooks and Jenna Louise-Coleman with Brian Cox and Nathan Fillion on deck….
32:40 — Writing Advice from Crazy Uncle Charlie
And the room goes rather silent as Charlie enters the room…
Sonic Boom is not fooled.
Crazy Uncle Charlie is having a tough time knowing where he is…
Question #1: Writer has a short story, popular with his peer readers, but he’s having a tough time selling it. What should he do?
Charlie is momentarily distracted by Lauren “Scribe” Harris. (Could Charlie have a potential stalker on his hands?)
And Charlie comes out of box, swinging…
Hold on….is Charlie making sense?
And then, we come back to the Charlie we know and love.
Question #2: Writer wants to know the sweet spot between “creative inebriation” and “rat-faced hammered” for consuming alcohol.
Charlie reveals the line between inebriation and genius. It is cotton balls.
Writing drunk is like drunk tweeting. Think before you plot.
Be responsible for the words you herd. (Holy cow — Charlie is working a new strategy in writing advice!)
Question #3: Writer wants to skip the laborious process f writing and editing and just get to sharing the story. How do you develop the discipline?
The Concept is the Process, and the Process is the Concept
What kind of writer are you? A Pantser or a Plotter. (Charlie doesn’t believe in pants.)
Find your routine and stick with it.
Question #4: Why do first-time writers balk at the end of projects? Is it a fear of failure? how do we get past that stumbling block?
That fear never goes away.
Every new title is a challenge, a new place for the bar to be set.
Let the fear fuel you.
Charlie blanks out for a moment, then pulls it together for a giveaway.
And there is jubilation over the Shared Desk’s Mega-Prize Pack and Super-Prize Pack…
…hold on — what’s this third prize pack Charlie is giving away?!
47:36 — The Wrap-Up
THAT. WAS. CLOSE.
Giving The Shared Desk sign-off very quickly…
Now — let’s sell some books!
YES! We want your feedback — 703.791.1701
48:26 — Warm, Fizzy, Sign-Off
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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.
When you have house guests, you make sure you show them a good time. When you have house guests who happen to be writers, you get them on the mic which is exactly what Pip and Tee did when writer and podcaster Lauren “Scribe” Harris came up for a visit, enjoyed a visit to the Madison Tea Room, and quality time with the Boom. Today on this episode of The Shared Desk, these three multitaskers sit down and talk about what they do to stay organized.
00:00 — Introduction
Wow, get a guest in the studio and she comes out of the box swinging!
Welcome for the first time in-studio our special guest (and recent house guest) Lauren “Scribe” Harris!
Lauren — Working between the lines between Starbucks, Audible.com, and her High Fantasy novel, Song of the Heretic
Tee — Using the Ministry Protocol to cut my teeth on Logic Pro X.
10:21 — Getting a Writer’s Life Organized
So many plates spinning for all three of us…
Tee attempts to rattle off all the ideas we have working right now…
Pip reveals her new idea concerning Hollywood and accent gods and demons.
Tee is torn between where to focus his own attention between writing projects and contracting.
Most writers are terrible at organizing their projects. True or false?
Lauren gets scared of über-organized people
…but she herself is wicked-organized!
Lauren: “That’s called worldbuilding.”
Scribe shows what a bad influence she is.
Pip completely derails the show with a drop-in request…and then it delves into wacky fan fiction…
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.
Lauren uses checklists to keep on track with her day.
Tee and Pip meltdown in front of PJ Schnyder, not in a nasty way, but just in a self-imploding sort of way.
PJ was thinking [cue Archer drop-in]
We were terrified by what we were facing on our To Do List.
Tee remembers the first thing erased off the list.
Colored “thumbtack” magnets help prioritize ideas and things to do.
Scribe gets bored with the conversation and starts playing with Tee’s magnets.
Pip wonders how having two writers in the same house affects our productivity.
Before you get organized, find where your “hub space” is and hang your white board there.
Scribe reveals the Covey Quadrant…and Tee gets an ice cream headache.
And Tee uses that Archer drop-in again for the social media addicted ladies in studio.
Downtime/Self-time for yourself needs to be a priority.
33:56 — Writing Advice from Crazy Uncle Charlie
Scribe and Crazy Uncle Charlie are reunited…and it feels so good.
Scribe has a fangirl moment. We’re not sure why.
Pip doesn’t want to admit it…but she has missed Crazy Uncle Charlie.
Charlie gives his own approach to organizing projects…which resembles something of a jumbles mess.
37:46 — The Wrap-Up
And once again, the studio smells of cheese.
Got some organization tips? A question for Crazy Uncle Charlie?
703.791.1701
pip (at) pjballantine (dot) com
tee (at) teemorris (dot) com
Later on in April…
Pip Ballantine will be speaking at the Library of Congress in 2 days!
RavenCon, April 25-27
DemiCon 25, May 1-5
Balticon, May 22-26
Lauren describes Balticon for anyone who may be coming to the con.
Pip, even with her power as the Dark Goddess, can’t get fast service at the Hunt Valley bar…
The Podcaster Cookout. It’s coming!
And…..
The Ministry of Peculiar Pajamas: The Pajama Initiative
How did this idea come around?
People want this to be a thing.
Maybe Sunday night, starting early.
This is an idea in progress. Bear with us.
Pip’s glad March is done, but April is coming in hard…
Lauren’s got another mini-writing/mini-podcasting stretch coming soon!
The power of a Phil Rossi drop-in.
Go out and get Dawn’s Early Light! NOW!!!
51:22 — The Outtake
Featured People in this podcast:
Gail Carriger
Thomas Willeford
Alex White
Tiffany Trent
K.T Bryski
cover art by J.R. Blackwell
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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.
Our intern from the Great White North, ForeWord-nominated author, Katie Bryski, has reached the end of her February internship. The mics are hot and we ask our intern the tough questions
00:00 — Introduction
Show #30 — we have been good this year with our regular posting, and Tee’s got some new drop-in’s!!!
This is the end of February, and Katie Bryski is hanging in there with her internship at Casa de Morris!
Foreshadowing what’s coming up with this episode…
Pip channels her inner-Chole and goes into what she’s been working on…
Weather Child — the layout continues with the recent proof
Immortal Progeny — After checking with the Book of George (R.R. Martin), the novel is taking shape.
We’re looking overseas with our indie books and our agent of awesome.
“Research” for her day job…which means she’s drinking beer.
Apparently, when it comes to giving us a bit of feedback on how hard Tee & Pip work her, silence is golden.
What has Tee been up to?
Reworking Wolf in the Fold
The Billibub Kickstarter is starting to make some headway after one week. 31%. Not bad.
The blog machine rolls on with the Endless Possibilities Blog Tour and on TeeMorris.com!
Tee’s drinking beer with Katie. Good times!!!
And the job hunt rolls on, but Tee’s considering options…
10:15 — What’s a Writer’s Internship?
How did this whole idea of Katie becoming our intern actually happen?
What does an intern for a writer do?
There’s a fine line between intern and stalker.
Pip takes a guess as to what you’re supposed to do during an internship?
What Katie wanted to learn right off the bat: Survival Techniques for Indie Authors
Working with Adobe Photoshop
It’s all about the image.
Mac Boy Vs. PC Girl
Getting our digital hands dirty with layers.
DepositPhoto.com — Pip’s new friend. And now, Katie’s
Working with InDesign
Katie LOVES this program…and templates are her friend!
There’s still some terms she needs to get familiar with.
Giving books personality with InDesign.
Pip and Katie share the story behind Weather Child and how Katie went on a journey with the podcast…and now she’s laying out the book in print.
K.T. Bryski, editor
Taking the red pen in hand.
It’s a big step in editing another person’s work, but Stonecoast’s lessons were applied.
Katie was learning stuff from how Pip and Tee were dealing with writers in everyday life. (Yikes!)
Pip has a pupil in her School of Love and & Despair.
But Mighty Mur comes to save the day! (Love ya, Mur!!!)
How our intern helped us out
Networking us with other podcasts and blogs like 3 Geeks in a Pod
Katie drops her contact info — contact (at) ministry of peculiar occurrences (dot) com
Katie wants to come back for eBook layout classes
A constantly changing technology
Barnes & Noble Nook #FAIL
Other stuff we did with Katie
Bad Wolf Brewing Company
Lost Rhino Brewery
Mount Vernon
Agecroft Hall
Proper Pie Company (Facebook)
Katie is leaving….but she’s not leaving.
What did the Intern teach the Mentors?
Katie is an impressive student, picking up new tools in audio and video.
We learned that our Intern is very possessive.
Writers don’t have set hours.
Just having assistance in setting up the calendar — awesome!
The Intern’s First Assignment when she gets home: The Most Canadian Steampunk EVAR!
Jack Mangan, the gauntlet has been thrown!
36:21 — Writers Off the Clock: Talking True Detective
#DropInFAIL with both of the girls talking over the bumper…
Setting the tone for this segment with “Far From Any Road” from The Handsome Family…
THE. BEST. TELEVISION. SHOW. EVAR. True Detective, on HBO.
What is it about True Detective and the appeal of Southern Gothic to geeks?
Tee brings on a geekgasm on John Mireau’s Serving Worlds.
Mood
Characterization.
The method of storytelling between 1995, 2002, and 2012.
Some critics thought the show was slow, but that’s because they were watching it on Thursday…
You have to pay attention with this show.
Matthew McConaughey is stepping up as an actor.
The characters of this show is like Louisiana — broken.
True Detective from a film buff’s perspective.
Katie’s perspective from a show “she would never watch.”
The gothic science fiction touches throughout True Detective
The good news for Katie: She found a source for the last two episodes!
Talking about the writing of Nic Pizzolatto, the Executive Producer, Writer, and Creator of True Detective
The relationship between Chole and Hart….played seamlessly by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson
A comparison between True Detective and Homicide: Life on the Street
53:47 — The Wrap-Up
Pip Ballantine just ignores the music cue. Shocker that.
The rise of the anthology? Is it happening?
Katie learned stuff with us…but we still have stuff to be teaching her!
Pip and Tee turn to the Intern one last time for what’s coming up…
Dawn’s Early Light, coming soon!
Appearance on The Writing Show in Richmond, VA
The final day of The Billibub Kickstarter is March 15
Weather Child, coming on March 1.
With the wonders of time-shifting, we talk about tomorrow’s launch of Tales from the Archives which went live yesterday!
Where to contact everybody…
Podcasters, bloggers, and media folks, if you want to book Tee & Pip, send a line to contact (at) ministryofpeculiaroccurrences (dot) com
Drop Tee and Pip a voicemail at 703.791.1701, or drop us a comment here or in email.
SHOW #35 ANNOUNCED AS OUR NEXT VOICEMAIL SHOW!!!
How do you say goodbye? Giant freaking robots beating up monsters!
Drop-in by request…
…and Katie breaks out in to spontaneous song.
Tee stumbles though the Creative Commons tag on account of teh feelz.
1:01:07 — The Outtake
cover art by J.R. Blackwell
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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.
…which doesn’t quite age well. At all. Let’s discuss.
