We want to do a Scrivener show — we really do — but what a Valentine’s Day week we had. It was a week of politics and heated discussions on Facebook that ended up inspiring this week’s episode topic. With special guest Lisa-Anne Moore, authors take a look at those soapboxes we all have in a corner and ask the tough question — when do we as authors (of any standing in a career) voice our opinions, and when do we walk away from heated debates?
00:00 — Introduction
- Pip is trying to sing the lyrics to our theme song. One problem….
- Special guest via Skype — our Skylanders pimp, Lisa-Anne Moore
- What have we accomplished since the last Shared Desk?
- Lisa nears completion of the first draft of her novel.
- Tee released for the Kindle (and only for the Kindle) his first novella.
- Pip finishes Mechanical Wings and is asked to give a nip-tuck on it which she did…in between her deep dives into Ancestry.com.
- A quick thank you here in the show notes to Logan Waterman for the Big Bang Theory drop-in’s.
05:35 — Authors and Opinions: When to Sound Off and When to STFU
- Why we brought Lisa on board this episode
- What happened last week
- Virginia wants to make vaginal probing in abortion cases a law.
- Lawmakers debate new contraception health coverage. No women are present. (Washington Post)
- Now that you know the background, here’s what happened to Pip…
- …and here was Lisa’s reaction to what was going on in the news and in the State and Federal forums.
- Lisa’s (heart-felt and honest) blogpost from Life in a Nutshell. (This is a raw and honest reaction to the Virginia bill, so be ready for this.)
- How did the ladies feel not about the issues, but in voicing opinions and emotions that might be “unpopular” (in a broad sense) with readers, agents, and publishers?
- Tee draws a line in the sand on where authors damage their careers
- Tee breaks the Prime Directive and drops a few names of authors that go deep in their non-writing rants
- Harlan Ellison, the grumpy old man of Science Fiction
- Ringo, Drake, Flint, and Weber — The Baen Books Mafia
- When should authors step up and when should they let the argument go?
- And while authors face the issues, the cats make their own opinions know. (Tee recommends Bissell.)
- When Tee made the “delete a comment” call…all very personal.
- Can one comment or a single blogpost completely destroy a carrer or reputation?
- Lisa’s manages another heated debate (thank you, Indiana) concerning the Girl Scouts.
- Pip reflects on starting the following morning picking up where she left off.
- Tee calls Pip on the lost writing time over politics.
- Beware the Perfect Storm of PIP RAGE!!!
- Tee, Pip, and Lisa talk about the authors whose politics and philosophies affect their works.
- The three go deeper into the topic…
- When authors (and other artists) use their notoriety to push an agenda
- When artists and commentators use their notoriety to step into a different arena
- The big questions authors should ask before taking a stand on current events
48:45 — The Wrap-Up
- Pip comes up with a GREAT description of our special guest…
- Places where we are going to be this year:
- Lisa-Anne’s Tuesday Special — The Fox Mill Writing Group at the Fox Mill’s Starbucks
- A writing group of 14 where we pwn a Starbucks in Herndon
- Some spontaneous comedy from the FMWG
- Join us on Tuesday mornings between 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
- Where to find all three of us online…
- …and Tee nails the Creative Commons tag! (He celebrates by cleaning up cat pee.)
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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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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.
Hello, you two wonderful people (and guest host!). I’ve not listened to this ep yet, but just had to hop in and congratulate Tee on FINALLY getting the Creative Commons tag done! He’s been SOOOO close of late…now he’s probably saying it in his sleep (much to Pip’s chagrin, I’m sure)!
Anyway, congrats Tee! Now it’s off to downloadsville!!!
Wonderful show *applauds* this episode right here is why the out cry for Tee Morris in podcasting is so strong. Also this shows that when teamed up with Lady Pip I don’t see a duo out there better.
The balance you exhibit between being authors, parents, human beings, and husband and wife is something not many people can do. You keep it professional, yet honest. Showing how such things can effect life, work, and family shows just how versatile this podcast really is.
Love the Guest spot, Lisa-Anne Moore was a fantastic voice on the subject of standing up and sounding off, and how it can impact a person’s life and career.
To finish up LOVIN’ this podcast absolutely LOVIN’ this podcast keep it coming
Congratulations on a well-done podcast and handling this topic like adults!
Also, congratulations, Tee – you made me laugh so hard I snorted when you yelled “SUCK IT!” at the end of the podcast.
Part of what makes The Shared Desk so much fun…flying by the seat of your pants.
Good times. 🙂
This was an interesting episode. A question that at first blush, seemed to me a no-brainer. But the question of self/career preservation was a good one. First off, you have to eat. If you are going to do something that might seriously, adversely affect your career, think it through very carefully. Make an informed decision, talk to Those Who Sign The Checks if possible. Then either soapbox up or not.
Second, if your livelihood is secure, you should speak out. I don’t mean spout off on every debate and hot-button topic that come across the web, but if an issue is important to you then, yeah, give an opinion. If you have some level of fame, a public forum, a fan base, then you also have a moral responsibility to use it to better society. But, in the immortal words of Wil Wheaton, “Don’t be a dick.” Study up on it. Look at both sides. Generate an informed, factually correct position that you can back up with evidence, and then use your public position to inform those who listen to you. Some will agree, some won’t. You may lose some followers, but those who agree, or are able to separate your work from your opinions, will talk about you and generate more fans. But ultimately it isn’t about getting new readers, it’s about making people aware of the problems and what they can do about it. You have a great tool at your disposal. It should be used for good.
Spoon!
I must have missed all the drama over this (not the issue, but Pip posting about it) because it was Pip’s post that alerted me to what’s going on in VA. This attack that has been going on against women lately I can’t help but wonder if it is a smoke screen to get us to not pay attention to something more major, because who could really support this stuff? Then I hear about people who agree with it. As a person who has experienced “the probe” for a real medical reason, I can say no one needs that experience without reason, especially in a moment in their life when they have made one of the hardest decisions ever. Then I hear people who actually believe contraception is evil and I TRY to see it from their point of view but the horse blinders just don’t fit me well.
I think, that there is a fine line between becoming a “loud mouth” who people want to shut up about their causes, and being morally obligated to speak out. I applaude you all for speaking out against this, because violating anyone’s personal rights is plain wrong. I can only hope it wouldn’t block you from publishers though, but from what I am seeing in the political climate, it could. That in itself is wrong too. It was a hard topic you addressed here, when do you shut up? I have deleted many posts before hitting the “post” button myself, but when I do post I am under a false name. My clients don’t know my political views, they don’t know where I stand on things and I think I would find it very hard if my opinion on something like this could affect my income. It’s easy for me to say “you go” and “forget what people think, this needs to be voiced”, because I’m not going to make up for any earnings you lose over it. Still, glad you brought it up.
Ahhh, thanks for sharing why Aladdin was on Kindle only. I was curious.
And that bill was one crazy thing! Just unreal. I think everyone should have your opinions, so I was not affended at all Pip. I thought you were strong to go out and say it.
Way to go!