Tag Archives: Escape Velocity

by | September 15, 2017 · 2:56 am

Episode #80: Promotion Across Audiences

Guess who’s spending some time with us here at Casa de Morris? Piper J Drake is in studio, and we are bringing her on the mic for a brand new episode of The Shared Desk. Our eightieth show gets its topic of discussion from Twitter, and with Piper in studio you can be guaranteed of shenanigans happening!

 

00:00 —  Introduction

  • A little bit of pre-show silliness
  • Stand back, everyone! We know what we’re doing!
  • Piper J Drake is in the house. And has she been busy…
  • Pip sneaks in an Operation: Endgame burn while also kicking off a new series called the Broken Dead, set in Southern Virginia.
  • Quick plug for the Proper Pie Company.
  • Do you name drop in your works-in-progress? Topic for another time.
  • How about Tee? What’s he been up to?
    • The third Edition of Podcasting for Dummies is done…and it is for sale! (Pre-order, of course.)
    • Chuck Tomasi and I are celebrating the Podcasting for Dummies release with a special workshop!
    • Quick aside: Matt’s running again, but he still has to keep up with Tee as he’s got the Dogfish Dash and The Woodrow Wilson Half-Marathon coming up!
    • Spent Labor Day weekend at Escape Velocity 2017
    • Tee completes The Dog Days of Podcasting 2017 Challenge! (Enjoy the extra shows, everyone?)

10:11 —  Episode #80: Promotion Across Audiences

  • Today’s show topic comes from Twitter, where…
    • …Tee can be found.
    • …Pip can be found.
    • …Piper can be found.
  • Colin Coyle asks us on Twitter about the challenges we face in promoting our works across audiences.
  • Piper’s cross-genre journey as a writer, and how she found herself in the Romantic Suspense genre.
    • The Safeguard series (which was reflective of Piper’s science fiction Triton Experiment series)
    • The True Heroes series (which features in Ultimate Courage a very familiar someone…)
  • Does an audience follow you or do they follow the genre? How do you bring readers into new territory?
  • What about when you straddle both non-fiction and fiction? Can you successfully market across that divide?
  • Speaking of podcasting, Piper is spreading her wings into the podosphere with Writing Excuses!
  • Non-fiction works can be regarded in writing as audition pieces for fiction.
  • How does your voice change from work to work, genre to genre? And will audiences follow you?
  • Tee’s heard both of Peej’s voices, and he likes them both!
  • There are different genres we all write in, but there are common traits in what stories we tell and what characters we create.
  • How do you look at your works-in-progress and upcoming releases from a promotional perspective?
  • Pip tends to hear whispers from Nick as she’s working on her works!
  • Thanks again, Colin, for the show topic!

33:41 — What’s Cookin’, Writers? 

  • Things Piper would never here in her kitchen…
  • Pip indulges ina Jeff Goldblum moment.
  • We dared the impossible: The Ramen Burrito

  • What Pip, Piper, and Tee put into their Ramen Burrito
    • Ramen noodles (quality be damned!)
    • Fried egg (runny)
    • Grilled Chicken Strips (including tips on how to make the most of frozen chicken strips)
    • Seasoning includes butter, Sesame Oil, chicken spice packets, and Chinese five-spice
    • Cucumber for crunch and for greenage in your Ramen Burrito (but we offer options)
  • The Ramen Burrito may be coming to Smoky Writers…
  • Our experience inspired others to create variations on this disturbing theme!
  • Would we do the Ramen Burrito aga—YES!!!

45:29 — The Wrap-Up

  • This “In the Kitchen” segment will probably happen again when Peej is in town!
  • 2017 is coming to a close…
    • October 21, 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
    • And we have two events already booked for 2018…
    • MAD LOVE FOR JOHN STRANGEWAY!
  • Piper was taking a break from appearances, but we did have some fun with her at the 2017 Nebula Awards in Pittsburgh. She’s kicking off her 2018 Appearances with Coastal City Magic in Florida!
  • Tee and Nick are planning to take Happy Hour from the Tower on the road.
  • The Steampunk World’s Fair will be a full-circle moment for Tee, Pip, Peej, and the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences.
  • And did you know that Pip has a Patreon? SHE DOES, YOU KNOW!!! 
  • 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.

52:20 — The 2017 Podcast It Yourself Workshop and Book Launch

[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.

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by | August 25, 2017 · 11:30 am

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

[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.

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by | August 3, 2017 · 7:57 am

Episode #78: Authors Behaving Badly

We’re back. Miss us?

00:00 —  Introduction

  • Sorry for the break, everybody.
  • Anyone else stoked for The Defenders?
  • What are we up to?
    • How about that Motor City Steam Con?

    • So nice to get some time in with Chris Lester.
    • Talking a lot about the shenanigans in Detroit! What a great event!
    • Finishing up Podcasting for Dummies…finally.
    • 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!

06:57 —  Episode #78: Authors Behaving Badly

  • If you have seen authors really hopping off the rails, share your stories with us at…
    • 703-791-1701
    • tee@teemorris.com or pip@pjballantine.com
  • First up: When Storytelling Goes Awry
    • We’re not naming names.
    • The problem isn’t the writing. It was the storytelling.
    • When the books ends abruptly — is that good storytelling?
    • How we stuck with a good story while keeping another story ongoing — yes, it can be done.
    • When you sudden;y discover YOUR CHARACTER IS ACTUALLY BOSS-POWERED!!! Wait, what? 
    • When a twist goes bad for Tee…and never gets better even with three books.
    • Is this a legitimate style, or is this just bad storytelling?
    • Oh…look….the gifted orphans.
  • Next on Our List: Authors Investing into Click-Farms
    • Yeah, you want to make an impact in the publishing industry, but come on…
    • Authors are no longer playing the game so much as authors are playing the system in the worst way possible.
    • Welcome to the wonderful world of Click Farms for Amazon KU. Ugh!
    • This was Tee’s biggest hangup with the KU Program from Day One.
    • These services are cheap. Are they ethical? OH HELL NO.
    • Where are these smart devices coming from, you think?
    • No, KU is a crappy system. Period.
  • Last Item: The Importance of a Workflow
    • Less about writers, more about the support staff you are working with.
    • New technology is cool, but you really should know about a new gadget before incorporating it into a project’s workflow.
    • Even Tee has new tech toys he wants t learn, but he understands limitations and learning curves.
    • Paper trails matter!
    • File Management matters, too! 
  • Pip is Tee’s Landshark of Love.

30:00 —  The Loot Crate Lookie-Loo!

  • This Loot Crate has been gathering dust…
  • July’s Theme: ANIMATION
    • Rick & Morty: A “Rick” statue that carries explicit content
    • A Bob’s Burgers Recipe Collection (Very cool, LootCrate!)
    • Tee-shirt: Classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
    • A “SLURM” koozie from the world of Futurama
    • Nice Loot Crate pin, also from Bob’s Burgers
  • Tee grabs for the booklet as there really isn’t anything from our fandoms. We need help trying to figure out what this Bob’s Burgers item is all about…
  • This Loot Crate is a first for us, and that will make attendees of our panels VERY happy!

35:08 — The Wrap-Up

  • The things they say in New Zealand…
  • Oooooh, Coconut!
  • Where are we going to be?
    • Starting 1 August, The Dog Days of Podcasting is happening here! HAPPENING NOW!  (And here’s why Tee’s doing this here!)
    • 19 August, Murder As You Like It in Mechanicsburg, PA
    • 1-4 September, Escape Velocity in Washington, D.C.
    • October, The Maryland Renaissance Festival is
    • 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 with all this, we want Operation: Endgame to happen by Halloween
  • And did you know that Pip has a Patreon? SHE DOES, YOU KNOW!!!
  • We got lots to do, so see you in two weeks!

[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.

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by | June 29, 2017 · 8:19 am

Episode #77: Pip Is Learning New Things

We’ve been busy lately with wrapping up one project and starting a brand new one. However, we are never too busy to learn new things, and Pip is doing that presently with Nick Stephenson and his course, How to Find Your First 10,000 Readers. This may sound like we’re drinking the marketing guru’s Kool-Aid (mmmmm…fruity) but we are asking hard questions. Nick’s got answers.

00:00 —  Introduction

  • All the SEVENS!
  • Shameless plug for Happy Hour from the Tower…
  • Sonic Boom is encouraging bad behavior at home.
  • What are we up to?
    • Podcasting for Dummies, the Third Edition
    • Operation: Endgame
  • Listening to Geo again, and still loving that skeptical goofball!
  • Where is Tee going to be ON HIS BIRTHDAY? Well, he’s launching Podcasting for Dummies in Phoenix, Arizona!
  • Jack Mangan needs to get back into podcasting.

04:50 —  Episode #77: Pip Is Learning New Things

  • You can be marketing books for years (like us) and still miss steps.
  • When marketing goes bad…
  • Pip decided to take a deep dive course in marketing with Nick Stephenson of Your First 10,000 Readers
  • Who is Nick Stephenson?
  • Who is endorsing nick? Well, Joanna is, for one…
  • You can see some of these changes happening here.
  • Pip begins to share her newfound knowledge…and channels a Beatnik instead.
  • Your website should be doing this. (I didn’t know that!)
  • Free really isn’t “free” when you look at it.
  • Tee wants to buy Nick a pint based on his sense of humor.
  • Nick practices what he preaches.
  • A look at how to value your work.
  • Pip is learning a HECK of a lot!
  • When covers go bad, it’s EPIC.
  • Authors can really be cheap.
  • With lessons learned and learning from the lessons of others, it’s time to a To-Do List.
  • Launching a book? Tee’s got that covered.

23:45 —  The Loot Crate Lookie-Loo!

  • Who’s opening THE BOOOOOOXXX?!?!?
  • June’s Theme: Alter-Ego (Something Pip and Tee are familiar with.)
    • Tee-shirt: A Classic Transformers shout-out.
    • A Spider-Man Q-fig
    • An Incredible Hulk bowl, perfect for a raging teenage barbarian!
    • A poster book of DC Comics’ New 52 comic book covers
    • Nice Loot Crate pin nod to Spider-Man’s nemesis, the Green Goblin
  • We made a dent in our Geeky Prize Giveaway Stash at AwesomeCon, but we’re filling it up again…

28:52 — Writers Off the Clock

  • It was a VERY special weekend at the Morris household….
    • Introducing our daughter to ALIENS…
    • She handled The Matrix really well, but it wasn’t the R rating that bothered us.
    • Do you have to show someone Alien before you introduce them to Aliens?
    • Pip will not be writing freehand anytime soon.
    • There is only ONE — DEFINITIVE — VERSION — of Aliens…
    • What the Director’s Cut adds to the Aliens experience.
  • Aliens have inspired successful games. One of them scared Phil Rossi!
  • After 30 years, the movie is still solid. Masterful storytelling in film.
  • Character development in Aliens
  • Even the music plays a part.
  • The writing question: Why do the sequels and prequels fall so short? Where do you go after Aliens?
  • Tee’s one question for Alien: Covenant…

43:51 — The Wrap-Up

  • Well, AwesomeCon lived up to the hype!
  • Where are we going to be?
    • 30 June-July 2, BlerDCon in Washington D.C. (Sunday only! BRIGHT AND EARLY!!!)
    • 14-16 July, Motor City Steam Con in Detroit, MI (Break out your PJ’s!)
    • 19-20 August, Mechanicsburg Mystery Weekend in Mechanicsburg, PA (Lots to do during this Mystery conference…)
    • 1-4 September, Escape Velocity in Washington, D.C. (A weekend of hardcore geekery with Nick Kelly!)
    • 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.
  • Ah, the glamorous life of writers…

[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.

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by | July 6, 2016 · 4:51 am

Episode #60: Starting from Scratch…Again (with Special Guest Lauren “Scribe” Harris)

 

Hold on — Lauren “Scribe” Harris is back in studio?

Why, yes, yes, she is! With the Drakes out west, we need to fill the vacancy left behind; and Lauren is up for the challenge. Speaking of challenges, this week we’re facing that dreaded moment in a writer’s life when we look at a work-in-progress, realize that it is a ship sinking fast, and only one thing is left to do with it…

00:00 —  Introduction

  • Yay! Lauren’s back!
  • Tonight’s cocktail comes courtesy of MurLarkey’s Distilled Spirits, a Virginia Distillery and Bristow’s first!
    • Cinnamon Irish Coffee made with Cincerity
    • Tee prefers Smoke on the Mountain
    • This drink has a practical application, Lauren discovers
  • What brings Lauren back to the studio…

03:54 — Starting from Scratch…Again (with Lauren “Scribe” Harris) 

  • What happens when the story isn’t clicking?
    • For Pip, it was Hollywood Sentinels. A great idea…but just not a pleasant experience.
    • The story is broken, and Pip can’t discover the disconnect.
    • For Lauren, her own“Tackle & Grapple” happened not once but twice.
  • And here’s a new writer’s term: Ol’ Yellering a Novel. (I am so, so sorry.)
  • Lauren’s two Ol’ Yellers: The Mark of Flight and Hellhound
  • Is Ol’ Yellering a novel worth it?
  • If something feels wrong in a work-in-progress, chances are there is. Trust the instincts and start again.
  • Happy Fourth of July from our subdivision!
  • When two ideas struggle for attention, and one of the ideas isn’t falling into place, another idea might be worth pursuing.
  • Do you scrap an idea when you’re under contract? Sadly, yes.
  • How do you snap back psychologically from making the call of trashing a novel?
  • Before investing the energy and time into a broken story, consider what you are putting into it and the return from that investment.
  • What can be more crippling than scrapping a novel? Never finishing a novel.
  • Tee faces all these demons with Blackstar Rising.
  • This is the “Man Crush” moment of the show, featuring Chuck and Phil…
  • No rapping! No rapping!
  • Tee’s reboot of Morevi. Not. Happening.
  • Lauren is a walking musical. You just randomly break out into song…
  • Sometimes, it’s better to walk forward than look back.
  • Scrapping an idea is not a reflection on you as a writer. It is a reflection on you as a professional.

31:42 — Writers Off the Clock

  • Still a favorite of Pip’s.
  • First stop for the weekend — Cobbler Mountain Cellars
    • We popped a “Bear Cherry” together.
    • Lauren’s favorite of the tasting: The Ginger Peach.
    • The Jeffersonian — Tastes Like Slavery
    • Cider Talk
  • Next stop: MurLarkey Distillery
    • This distillery is far too close to us!
    • Tee recalls his Vodka Vault experience…and how terrible it was.
    • However, the Divine Clarity was amazing!
    • Another surprise—the Imagination.
    • What we brought back— Clemoncy and Cincerity.
    • And we’ve been mixing drinks…
    • The winner of the weekend: Smoke on the Mountain
    • Good times at MurLarkey!
  • Clocking in time in the Man Cave with…
  • Escape Velocity, the first convention hosted by the Museum of Science Fiction
    • Where is everyone?
      IMG_7584
    • We looked good…but we were the only ones in costume.
      IMG_7590
    • Fantastic programming, and apparently that was where all the people were.
    • Steampunk in Anime, Film, and Print—the panel that almost wasn’t.
    • The convention crew was spot-on amazing!
    • Charles Dunbar and Doomtastic were on the panel…and we had a great time.
    • Then came The Big Score…and communication was proving a bit of a challenge.
    • Escape Velocity still came through, and I was able to give the presentation.
    • Always nice when you do a giveaway and your winners get excited over the free stuff!
    • Some advice to the con organizers for 2017…
    • We need folks like Pamela Gay, Stephen Grenade, John Cmar, and others on account of the STEM focus.
  • Keep listening to see if Tee, Pip, and others return for Escape Velocity 2017…

58:34 — Wrapping up

  • What do you know? We went long.
  • Where Lauren will be?
    • 16 July — Congregate in High Point, North Carolina
    • Sometime in August — LaurenCon 2016 in Raleigh, North Carolina
  • What’s coming up for us?
  • Got thoughts or comments on this show or what we are rambling about at the end of the show?
    • We have voicemail — 703.791.1701
    • I have email — tee@teemorris.com
    • Pip’s got email — pip@pjballantine.com
    • …and on various corners of social media!
  • Listen up — here’s where you can find all of us online!
  • Whoops! Tee swiped Pip’s closing line.

[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 | June 24, 2016 · 6:00 am

Episode #59: Calling “Shenanigans” on Penny Dreadful (SPOILERS, AHEAD!!!)

 

If you have not seen the season SERIES finale of Penny Dreadful, turn back now.

As fond the Victorian Gothic (with just a dash of steampunk) series is at quoting literature, let us give a quick quote of our own:

Do you hear, let them be well used; for
they are the abstract and brief chronicles of the
time: after your death you were better have a bad
epitaph than their ill report while you live.

While Tee and Pip would never go on record about their thoughts on another writer’s work, they let loose with the ranting as they feel betrayed both as fans and as writers. If you have been wanting a rant from Tee, here it comes NOW WITH 100% MORE KIWI!!!

00:00 —  Introduction

  • Pip is working very hard to make everything interesting, even the show numbers…
  • We are nailing the posting schedule for 2016! How about that?
  • Jon Snow’s Tribute to Leeroy Jenkins — best thing on YouTube RIGHT NOW!!!
  • There are going to be a LOT of spoilers in this episode! Turn back now…
  • Deep breath, everyone…

00:44 — Episode #59: Calling “Shenanigans” on Penny Dreadful

  • Better buckle up…
  • Penny Dreadful. Some of the best television ever aired…UNTIL…
  • A word from show creator, John Logan.
    • 45-second audio from the video posted by Logan and Showtime
    • Series finale airs on Sunday night. This clip goes live the day after.
  • Finale ends. Announcement drops the day after of cancellation.
  • Then, all this week, images like these…
    13483009_638298629654871_2541983613324725551_o
  • “It was always intended to be three seasons…” Really? REALLY?!
  • S-Bombs Ahead!
  • If Penny Dreadful was Vanessa’s story, then what about all these OTHER characters we’ve gotten to know?
  • Who introduces a whole new set of characters for a final season?
    • One of these characters is introduced in Episode 6 of a 9 Episode season?
    • A total of eight new characters…all set up for a final season centered around the six principles.
  • Concerning Dr. Henry Jekyll
    • Tee is a bit envious as to Penny Dreadful’s take
    • A season of dropping hints about his temper
    • Building, building, building…and then, Jekyll “goes on his rounds”…
    • Frankenstein caves, and Jekyll is more than okay with it. Well, okay…I guess?
    • Fan service in 3…2……..
  • Characters betraying themselves, and Jekyll’s potential reduced to a Lab Assistant.
  • Kaetenay tells Ethan “I have given you the power to save her…” but he forgets that somewhere on the way.
  • How did Cat do what she did in the final fight?! Sir Malcolm noticed!
  • “Hey, Victor—fancy bumping into you here!” Are you kidding me? You want Frankenstein in a firefight AFTER SEASON 2?!
  • Time Wasters for (what was) the Final Season
    • Dorian & Lily — Anyone else remember the end of Season 2?
    • The Creature — The problem with that was the actor. Rory Kinnear was SO — DAMN — GOOD!
    • …but this is Vanessa’s story. Remember?
  • And now we get to Vanessa…oh Vanessa…
  • And Dracula? What does he do when he sees his soulmate dead in Ethan’s arms?
    winchester
  • What the hell, John Logan?!
  • Penny Dreadful was a fantastic show, and then Logan punted.
  • To say “That was the plan all along…” is a disservice. and terrible writing to boot. From people who know better.
  • Tee and Pip are still pissed. Turns out they aren’t the only ones.

30:27 — The Loot Crate Lookie-Loo

  • Good thing we never not a Penny Dreadful crate.
  • Two boxes (again!) this go round!
    • May Clearance box
    • June Theme — Dystopia
  • Inside the May Clearance crate…
    • Funko Pop’s Han Solo from The Force Awakens
    • Star Trek Car Air Freshener of the Live Long & Prosper greeting
    • Batman v Superman indestructible wallet
    • Space Invaders necktie
    • Spy Mad Libs (Always cool!)
  • Inside the June Dystopia crate…
    • The tee-shirt — Robocop!
    • A Bioshock: Infinite blank key to turn into a house key
    • The lapel pin is a bomb….of course
    • A jigsaw puzzle from The Matrix
    • A Dorbs from Fallout
    • A Terminator 2: Judgment Day metal sign
  • What are we keeping, and what are we setting up for giveaways…
  • Still haven’t topped the Aliens crate. Yet.

36:12 — 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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by | June 8, 2016 · 3:47 am

Episode #58: A Crash Course in Networking (with Lauren “Scribe” Harris)

On the way up to the event that is Balticon, Lauren “Scribe” Harris spent the night with us…and then she spent another night with us on the way home! We fired up the mic to enjoy a one-show before-and-after to talk with this talented up-and-coming author about meeting agents at a con. How do you approach agents? How do you not come across like “that author” at an event? Pull up a chair and have a listen to what advice we offer before Balticon, and then see how she fared up afterwards.

Oh, and after Balticon? “Scribe” may have fixed cocktails for us. It’s an jam-packed show, heading beyond the hour mark so be ready!

00:00 —  Introduction

  • Holy crap, we’re back already behind the mic! And this time, we are not alone….
  • And our favorite Bavarian provides another drop-in for the show.

01:22 — A Crash Course in Networking (with Lauren “Scribe” Harris) 

  • Lauren asks Tee and Pip to help her prep for Balticon 50
  • So we are clear what is NOT happening when George R.R. Martin is at Balticon.
  • Some background on Lauren’s quest for an agent.
  • How do you approach an agent and not be “that author” in front of an editor or agent?
  • There’s Verena again!
  • If you can tell a story, you can talk to an agent.
  • Have business card, will travel.
  • Different icebreakers for editors and agents
  • You never stop feeling like a n00b. Just ask Tee and who he almost did a panel with…
  • Eye contact. Firm handshake. (Lauren’s got this!)
  • Play up coincidences and be yourself.
  • Don’t always be pitching. That can get real old, real quick.
  • A quick tangent on moderating panels.
  • What we do and we don’t like in panels and panel moderation.
  • Lauren has a plan…kinda.
  • Tee’s got a few ideas on how to relax.
  • Pip evokes the “Pull Pip Back” drop-in….
  • Breathing is good. So is perspective.

22:26 — Elevator Pitching 101

  • Lauren pitches to Tee and Pip, and Tee goes to work.
  • Elevator Pitches for Tee’s works-in-progress
    • Blackstar Rising
    • Wolf in the Fold
    • Countdown
  • Tee gets a hold of Lauren’s query and tries to make a pitch on the fly…
  • Man—Lauren is a HARSH critic!
  • Look for the touchstones of your query, and build your elevator pitch around that.
  • Keep the elevator pitches short, quick, and all in one sentence.
  • And Lauren knocks it out of the park with an elevator pitch for Song of the Heretic!
  • We evoke Damon Suede once more on the show…
  • Check it—Tee stumped Lauren with a literature reference.
  • Remember: The Elevator Pitch is your hook.
  • Make sure the pitches line up.

38:14 — Fast Forward to Post-Balticon (with Lauren “Scribe” Harris)

  • We have cocktails!
  • Yes, PJ and Matt, we are thinking of you…and are bitter about it.
  • Lauren will be stepping in as a Deep Southern PJ Schnyder…
  • So, Lauren settles in with panels alongside the agent. How did it go?
    • Panel One: Dealing with Rejection
    • Lauren handles introductions with the agent like a boss!
    • Panel Two: The Fine Art of Negotiation (or Lauren Thinks Fast on Her Feet)
    • It is always nice to have an audience eager to ask questions.
  • Don’t always count on the audience to be hungry to talk to agents and editors.
  • 9 a.m. panels can have a good turnout.
  • Yes, Tee called Lauren “darling” and everyone was okay with it. #SouthernThang
  • Taking a moment to talk a bit about Balticon and their bumpy weekend, logistically speaking.
  • A.F. Grappin of the MeltingPotcast.com was taking advantage of the new scheduling app…but not everyone was using the app…
  • And the podcast descends into hashtags and drop-in’s…
  • Lauren manages to score a card! Good sign!
  • And another opportunity for Lauren to show some savvy.
  • Here’s a Myke Cole moment for you.
  • The verbal invite to pitch: Achievement Unlocked!
  • And we’re on boobs….for some reason.
  • Lauren critiques her con performance.

58:35 — Lauren’s Impromptu Pitch Development

  • Lauren got a few of the Balticon Tribe together and gave her pitch a screening.
  • A pitch should be like a picture of a meal in a sushi restaurant.
  • Lauren got a chance to WITNESS with Hugh O’Donnell, get to know new Tribe better, and just hang with others of the Smoky Writers Mafia.
  • Wrapping up the overall Balticon 50 experience.

1:03:23 — Wrapping up

  • I would not be so crazy as to purposefully cut off  “Scribe” but we have been going for a spell…
  • Oh my god, Pip’s glass is EMPTY!!!
  • Lauren adds praise for the new hotel.
  • Waxing nostalgic over the PG Holyfield Cookout…
  • BUDGET FOR PARKING!
  • Where Lauren will be?
  • What’s coming up for us?
  • Lauren tempts Tee and Pip with Farpoint in February…
  •  …while Tee and Pip tempt Lauren back up to our area with Steampunk unLimited.
  • Go find Lauren online. Her website is right here!
  • Got thoughts or comments on this show?
    • We have voicemail — 703.791.1701
    • I have email — tee@teemorris.com
    • Pip’s got email — pip@pjballantine.com
    • You can find us on social media…
    • …and yeah, Tee is on Snapchat as TheTeeMonster
  • Let’s all try and find Lauren on Snapchat…

[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 | May 26, 2016 · 3:12 am

Episode #57: The Value of Social Media (and Your Ability to Block Users)

TSD-back2back

Can you believe it? During CRUNCH WEEK, and we’re still on a bi-weekly target with shows…and from the looks of blog comments, questions from social media, and voicemail, it’s paying off! So welcome-welcome-welcome to another Shared Desk! Pull up a podcatcher and stay for a spell.

00:00 —  Introduction

  • Tee finds his true feelings about his better half via The Punisher.
  • Pip is stumped. Where did this drop-in come from? (It’s iZombie, one of Tee’s new favorites.)
  • You know it’s a traumatic Game of Thrones when you watch Penny Dreadful to cheer yourself up!
  • And the work within The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences continues!
  • Backers and their eReaders are very happy this week!
  • Pip is ready for the arrival and shipping of books!
  • JAM PACKED SHOW ahead…especially the Loot Crate haul! (Still unopened, so she really does love me!)

04:33 — The Value of Social Media (and Your Ability to Block Users)

  • Chuck Wendig makes a post on Facebook that resonates with Tee & Pip.
  • Chuck’s post…really does make a lot of sense.
  • Do you UNFOLLOW someone, or do you BLOCK? That is the question.
  • Did you know we have a few opinions on social media?
  • “Team Follow Back” = InstaBlock.
  • Grandma, lay off the booze!
  • Pip—and apparently, the entire nation of New Zealand—love the Unfollow and Block.
  • TD-0013 and I do not always agree…but we respect each other.
  • Why do you want jerks in your life? To build character?
  • “But you might block a fan!” Well, we just talked about that…
  • So far, we haven’t encountered any problems…on our pro Pages. Our personal feeds, however…
  • Some terrific advice: “You don’t owe them a damn thing.”
  • Both professional and personal feeds have value. Treat them as such.
  • There is nothing wrong with comment moderation, with blocking feeds, and with overall social media management.
  • The Hodor clip now serves as a way to keep Pip in line.

17:51 — The Loot Crate Lookie-Loo

  • It’s a Lookie-Loo Times Two!!!
  • From Loot Crate, we got our Subscription…and a Special Edition!
    • May Theme: Power
    • Special Commemorative Crate: Aliens 30th Anniversary
  • May Crate
    • Avengers Infinity Gauntlet Grilling/Oven Mitt
    • An Incredible Hulk Figurine from Q-Fig
    • Plush keychain from Dragonball Z
    • World of Warcraft tee shirt (very high quality)
    • And a very cool Power guide!
  • Aliens Crate
    • The box is the crew carrier!
    • “Bug Stomper” tee-shirt
    • Alien Titan vinyl filter
    • 30th Anniversary hardbound Dark Horse graphic novel, Aliens
    • Cage Free Alien Eggs
    • Aliens metal print
    • Booklet also looks
  • Name that tune from James Horner
  • NONE OF THE ALIENS STUFF IS GOING INTO THE GIVEAWAY BOX!

29:20 — Listener Mail!

  • Still feeling the Loot Crate afterglow.
  • We’ve got feedback from a LOT of people this go-round!
  • Voicemail
    • Nobilis Reed presents a possible scenario for when you turn to family and friends for support.
    • Nick Kelly wants to know how sold are we on our upcoming series finale.
      • Tee and Pip chat about best and worst finales from television.
      • How do we feel about the approaching end of the Ministry?
  • Maria Myrbeck asks for a cost-effective solution for organizing notes. We offer Evernote.
  • Michael Spence wants to sell books. Is that hard? With the Square, nope.
  • Wait—we have a Square upgrade?!
  • And comments from the blog!!!
  • We’d better wrap this show up as the moonshine is kicking in with Tee!

46:32 — Wrapping up

  • We managed to get A LOT in this show!
  • What’s coming up for us?
  • Got thoughts or comments on this show?
    • We have voicemail — 703.791.1701
    • I have email — tee@teemorris.com
    • Pip’s got email — pip@pjballantine.com
    • You can find us on social media…
    • …and yeah, Tee is on Snapchat as TheTeeMonster
  • Pip’s going to stick her face into an egg now…

[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.

2 Comments

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Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,