Tag Archives: Overwatch

Episode #84: What’s Going On at Goodreads?

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

08:05 —  Episode #84: What’s Going On at Goodreads?

  • A development over at the social network for authors and readers worldwide: Goodreads
  • 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
  • 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!
  • If you have an event and want The Shared Desk to appear there, or if you just want to share an opinion about the show, here’s where to find us…
    • 703.791.1701
    • pip@pjballantine.com
    • tee@teemorris.com
    • …and social media, of course.
  • 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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Episode #64: Following up with K.T. Bryski and Her Writing Grant

 

The streak ends.

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…)
    • How some alcohol at the Smoky Writers Retreat becomes an incredible original score.
    • And, of course, artwork from Starla!
  • You got the idea. Now how do you get money from DAT HANDSOME PM and his governmental friends?
  • Where do you learn how to write grants?
  • Why not use Kickstarter instead of applying through a grant?
  • The Shared DeskTOTES UNEDITED!!!
  • When applying for grants, what happens when you are done?
    • Is there a review of the project?
    • Is there promotion from the grant foundation?
    • What happens after the project is done?
    • How is the accountability handled?
  • How has K.T.’s podcasting platform and recent writing accolades affected the Six Stories launch and its run?
  • 2016 has been the Year of Bryski!
  • K.T. and Blythe are up to some shenanigans at Black Creek….
  • What’s the response been to Six Stories?
  • And K.T. displays her bass drum skills.
  • A bit more man-love for the Canadian P.M.
  • Wait, what was the question? (Mmmmm….Trudeau……….)
  • So—Grants? worth it?
  • What’s next for K.T. Bryski?
  • Where will K.T. be?
    • CanCon (come and gone….)
    • Road Tripping to Northern Virginia!
  • And Tee lapses into his inner-Donald. (Sorry about that, folks.)

34:32 — The Loot Crate Lookie-Loo

  • First time in-studio special guest…
    sonicboom-lootcrate
  • How’s THAT for a trip down Memory Lane?!
  • One of Boom’s Early Words: “Podcast” (Parenting Done Right!)
  • Boom went with Gaming out of the Loot Crate options. Here’s why…
  • Overwatch? Yeah, that’s Boom’s jam.
  • Inside Boom’s FIRST crate…
    • August’s Theme — Mecha (as part of Loot Crate Gaming)
    • A cyberpunk figure from Deus Ex
    • A tee-shirt from Destiny (and Dad can’t trade it with Boom because it isn’t his size…DAMN!)
  • POP QUIZ: What are the three classes in Destiny? #ProudGamerParentsMoment
  • Back to the Loot Crate…
    • A baseball hat from Lawbreakers
    • A “Big Daddy” patch from the original Bioshock
    • A “Clap Trap” bottle opener from Borderlands 2
  • The interior of the crate reminds Boom of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and we go into the science of the box art.
  • Anyone out there know Lawbreakers?
  • Running down Boom’s first crate: Keep, In the Geek Box, or Something for a Friend?
  • Good first impression on Boom from Loot Crate!
  • Hey, LootCrate — how about a Stranger Things crate? Something to think about!

50:24 — Wrapping up

  • The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh drops tomorrow!
  • Where are we going to be between now and the end of the year…
    • 14-16 October, Steampunk unLimited in Strasburg, PA
    • 22 October, The Maryland Renaissance Festival in Annapolis, MD for the “Day of Wrong”
    • 18-20 November, PhilCon in Cherry Hill, NJ
    • We are getting your voicemails and email, but we’ve been recording jam-packed shows of late. We will be getting to them soon! Until then…
      • Call us at 703.791.1701 (now accessible through the Instagram app!)
      • Send me email — tee@teemorris.com
      • Send Pip email — pip@pjballantine.com
      • …or find us on social media everywhere.

[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 #64: Following up with K.T. Bryski and Her Writing Grant

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