Tag Archives: short stories

by | June 2, 2020 · 9:13 am

Episode #102: Collaborators in life and art

The video stream
  • We’re still social distancing, but we can still be social!
  • We welcome Aly Grauer and Drew Mierzejewski—another collaborating couple!
Such an epic couple!
  • We’ve know each other… Aly and Drew are ‘like us but younger!’
  • Collaborators in life and art!
  • Aly produced two short stories for Tales from the Archives
  • Pip tries some new words from the youth! Vibe and dabbing are no allowed.

6:05 Tee asks the hard question of Aly and Drew; Where’d this all start?

  • Like many collaborators, editing and brainstorming often comes off
  • Aly and Drew started on a project from the Renaissance Faire
  • Starting off sharing creative projects can be fun… but the rewards are worth it
You can share it!
  • For a start, there are no rules
  • Writers are often imagined solitary- but they don’t have to be!
Sad writer contemplates writing all alone…
  • People tend to think ideas are precious, and can be easily lost… but the truth is there are a lot out there
  • Tee admits thinking never to write another podcasting book.
  • …and is currently working on 4th edition of Podcasting for Dummies
Pip and Tee fear becoming Taylor and Burton
  • Tee brings back the story of the Silver Pharaoh.
  • Aly and Drew share their own tense moment.
  • The truth of the matter is, everyone looks back at their first book critically.

21:00 How do you navigate criticism between partners?

  • Talk about specifics, good and bad
  • It can be bad when you take criticism too much to heart, and let it break your confidence
  • Aly and Drew poured energy into Warda, and it became a podcast and a tabletop game
  • Aly finally found a way back in with Drew’s support
  • Drew points out, building a collaboration takes years
  • Pip recounts the path of collaboration for the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences
  • The couples talk about the strengths that make their collaborations work

38:42 Let’s talk Skyjacks:Courier’s Call

  • Aly and Drew have a new podcast collaboration, Skyjacks: Courier’s Call
  • Skyjacks is a wider collaboration, but it wasn’t child friendly, hence the spinoff
  • Pip gets excited by large birds… especially large kiwis!
  • We touch on the advantages the Kickstarter campaign had
  • The nature of the podcast and the storytelling is very collaborative.
  • Tee waxes lyrical on the latest wave of roleplaying
  • Art is not created in a vacuum!
  • Pip and Tee call out some of the wonderful folks they’ve collaborated with in the past!
  • Pip talks about her own roleplaying fun with George the Dinosaur
Ashimei and George- art by Candy Cane Studios

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.

Show art by Candy Cane Studios
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 Spotify,  iTunes or Stitcher!
Subscribe, listen, and review.
Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Comments Off on Episode #102: Collaborators in life and art

Filed under Episodes

Tagged as , , , , , ,

by | January 29, 2016 · 11:40 am

Episode 49: A Look Back on 2015

The Shared Desk episode 49

This episode Pip and Tee talk about their experience so far with running a Kickstarter Campaign to fund the fifth Ministry Book, The Ghost Rebellion.

00:00 — Introduction

  • Way too hot in the studio to handle!
  • Guests—SOUND OFF!!!
  • Even Benedick is chilling out on the Cat Tree with all these studio guests
  • What is Matthew brewing up in Imagine That! Studios? (Everyone just hold on to something.)
  • Tea Bags for Beer? You’re soaking in it.

06:07 — Looking Back to 2015

  • Piper J. Drake talks about creating identities and working through a year of transition.
  • Matthew J. Drake…who is this guy?
  • Lauren “Scribe” Harris, back in house with us…and memories of Smoky Mountains.
    • Back to school.
    • Finishing a draft.
    • Releasing a novel.
    • And recording audio.
  • And now, we’re on to our favorite Canadian…
  • K.T. Bryski looks back on her own year of transition and short story exploration.
  • Canadians make Tee cry.
  • Wicked Abs of Steel….coming soon from Lauren “Scribe” Harris…
  • Tee and Pip talk about 2015, their Year of Accomplishment.
  • Turning to the Beer Tea, after a time of steeping.
    • So we look at the color and we smell the liquid….
    • ….and it tastes like Popcorn Juice.
    • Lauren don’t beer.

36:20 — How did we make 2015 happen?

  • Katie and Lauren draw things with Sharpies.
  • Lauren is also into lists. And day planners.
  • Trash talking breaks out between Pantsers and Plotters.
  • Matt is getting into writing, and Habitica is his special place.
  • Piper is working with Microsoft Project, and loves it madly. Along with Macs, apps, and other tech toys.
  • The Mac Vs. PC debate raises its ugly head. Again.
  • Setting up dedicated work spaces.
  • Let’s talk about 2016….on a brand new show!

52:15 Wrapping up

TOTALLY EDITING THAT OUT….no she’s not…

So Tee is responsible for the lack of editing. Slacker.

[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

Filed under Episodes

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

by | June 27, 2013 · 3:52 am

Episode #22: Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zones

TSD-back2backwKatie

So following the hangover that is a Kickstarter and edits for Ace Books, Pip and Tee wanted to take a break…but after a fun week with houseguest and ForeWord-nominated author, Katie Bryski, the microphones were dusted off, Soundtrack Pro was fired up, and Tee, Pip, and Katie put together a truly international experience with this edition of The Shared Desk.

00:00 — Introduction

  • Yeah. It’s been a while…
  • G’day, eh? We have a guest in the studio! Throw on the back bacon — it’s Katie Bryski!
  • What the heck have we been up to?
    • A successful Kickstarter
    • Edits for Dawn’s Early Light
    • Exclusive short stories for Ace and Pyr
    • Katie’s even been up to a lot of stuff!
    • Tee & Pip have been working the book events.
  • If you’re waiting for us to promise that The Shared Desk is back on track…no, we’re not…

7:18 — Stepping Out of Comfort Zones

  • Giving a shout-out to Trinity Manassas. Episcopalians RE-RAH-SENT!
  • An epic day out in Virginia…
  • Tee and Katie share an EPIC COFFEE EXPERIENCE.
  • From the owner of Vino 124, the two questions God will ask you…
    • Were you afraid?
    • If you were afraid, did you brave it out?
  • No seriously, this was REALLY GOOD COFFEE!
  • Katie Bryski talks about her own big steps out of a comfort zone.
    • Podcasting a novel. Seemed like a good plan.
    • Submitting a novel to Dragon Moon Press
  • Tee’s new project: Writing tie-in’s for Valiant Comics and Kindle’s Shared Worlds
  • Who knew our resident Canadian had a nemesis?!
  • This new project Tee has nicknamed TeeMoNaNoWriMo. 50,000 words between now and July 31st.
  • Who is the first person you call to get guidance with comic books: Jared F-ing Axelrod!!!
  • Going off on a comic book tangent…
    • My modest comic book collection
    • Calling Pip to task about my tangents and going off on the film M
    • My collection against the ManCave of Jared Axelrod!
    • Returning to comics…
  • Prequels — what’s the point?
  • How you grow from stepping free of a comfort zone?

32:30 — Eagle Vs. Kiwi

  • Tee feels uncomfortable with the whole “Beaver” reference in this segment…
  • Pip and Katie put Tee to task on why marshmellows are an acceptable addition to sweet potatoes.
  • Tee pulls out the Paula Dean card…and it goes downhill from there…
  • Why does everything have to be so sweet in the South?
  • And all roads lead back again to Vino 124 and THAT INCREDIBLE COFFEE!

38:59 — The Wrap-Up

  • From wild beaver attacks to another Paula Dean rant!
  • Where is Katie headed after this wild ride?
    • Well, back home to Canada…
    • Katie has a “job” where she teaches about Canadian history through beer. (No, they’re not hiring.)
    • …and she’ll be back at Dragon*Con in 2013
  • Where we are headed next…
    • ConTemporal, this weekend — June 28-30
    • Talking about steampunk in July in Yorktown, VA
    • Authors After Dark in Savanna, GA
    • Dragon*Con in Atlanta, GA
  • Pip’s got books and stuff coming out this summer…
  • Wow, everybody, we just did a show!
RELATED LINKS
[display_podcast]
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.
Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

 

Comments Off on Episode #22: Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zones

Filed under Episodes

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

by | September 28, 2011 · 1:24 am

The Shared Desk: Episode #004 — Collaborating in Shared Universes

Hey-hey-hey, podcaster and author P.C. Haring is in town, kicking back with Tee and Pip; so of course the mics are going hot. Here, Tee, Pip, and P.C. go into the mindset when you collaborate with other creators and play in another author’s sandbox.

00:00 — Introduction and Tangents galore

  • The magic of a false start (and BTW, this is Episode 4…)
  • Introductions all around that digress into impressions of Angry Birds
  • Welcoming in-studio guest P.C. Haring, author of Cybrosis
  • Taking a moment to remember Whrrl…
  • …and Wingin’ It from Farpoint Media (where you might still be able to catch hints of Tee podcasting in 2005)

03:38 — Collaborating in Shared Universes

  • Whose sandbox have you played in?
  • What a dirty, dirty sandbox Erotica ala carte is…
  • When working in a shared universe, how hard do the rules apply to your writing style?
  • P.C.’s genesis of “The Seven” featuring Agent Brandon Hill
  • Talking a bit about “The First Day”
  • How guest authors go from writing in canon to creating canon (with a shout out to Jack Mangan)
  • Defining boundaries with your guest authors (and being a pro about it)
  • When you invite writers into your world, expect only one thing — the unexpected!
  • Another advantage of playing in another’s world: Writing out of your comfort zone

33:38 — Writers Off the Clock: Gaming on the xBox 360

  • P.C. Haring…also known as The Great Enabler
  • The story behind the xBox 360, and how we were dodging the gamer’s bullet…until…
  • It all started with Kinectimals and Dance Central…
  • Tee squees hard over Batman: Arkham Asylum (and yes, even Pip, a bit of a Batgrrl…)
  • Then comes Portal. (Damn you, P.C. Haring…)
  • Tee flashes back to the days of Myst.
  • And if our banter doesn’t convince you, take a moment to watch this…

  • And here are a few of our current favorites on the iPad:
    • Highborn
    • Galaxy on Fire 2
    • Angry Birds
    • Crimson: Steam Pirates
    • Cowboy Guns
    • Battleheart
    • Tetris
    • Unblock Me
    • Words with Friends
  • Shout out to Felicia Day for her Guild goodness!
  • The good and bad for gaming writers — Give yourself the break, but don’t get lost in the time
  • Leave it to Mister J to get in the last word…

51:39 — The Wrap-Up

  • Kinda nice to have P.C. there for the end and the beginning…
  • Some feedback from Logan Waterman concerning Episode 3 of TSD and High School of the Dead
  • We didn’t think HSotD could get any titillating. Silly us!!!
  • Where you can find P.C. Haring online!
  • P.C. Haring heads to Archon while Tee and Pip head to New York Comic Con!
  • Where you can find us (and even our steampunk characters) online for feedback and questions for Crazy Uncle Charlie

 

Drop-In’s: Mark Hammil as The Joker in Batman: Arkham Asylum

Websites We Give a Shout-Out to

[display_podcast]
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.
Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

4 Comments

Filed under Episodes

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

by | September 14, 2011 · 1:15 am

The Shared Desk #003: The Strategy for eBooks

Fresh from their WorldCon experience, Tee & Pip bring to The Shared Desk their first interview and introduce a new segment to the show. There is also talk of their next con appearance and what lies ahead for the Fall.

00:00 — Introduction

  • Tee reflects on his days in radio…and when he needed to pee.
  • Still free-forming it, and it’s WINNING!

01:24 — The Strategy with eBooks: What Tee & Pip Are Planning, and Why

  • In Reno, the Agent Savant herself, Laurie McLean, challenges us to develop a digital strategy
  • Pip is hardly a stranger to eBooks with Chasing the Bard and Digital Magic
  • People thought the earthquake caused the damage at Washington Cathedral…
  • The evolution of eBooks, starting with MOREVI’s EPPIe nomination
  • Calling “Shenanigans!” on changes in contracts, sales reports, and pricing.
  • The painful experience of reading eBooks (then again, it could have been the book I chose…)
  • 9:56 — Pip’s calls Tee out (and since Tee said “You’re right…” he sleeps soundly.)
  • Technology’s offerings for eBooks
  • What really happens at Pip’s “Card Night”…
  • eBooks from the authors’ point-of-view
  • The appeal of a 99¢ short story
  • The method within our eBook madness
  • An iTunes approach to anthologies
  • What is a 99-Penny Dreadful?
  • Digital publishing — the new market for short stories and novellas?

29:01 — Seriously? Seriously.

  • A new trend in authors marketing themselves as BESTSELLING AUTHORS
  • When Scott Sigler called himself a “bestseller” before he hit the New York Times Bestseller List
  • When authors abuse or cheapen the “Bestseller” title
  • Why we don’t call ourselves “bestsellers” (even though we could)
  • Other titles that authors throw around alongside “bestselling”
  • Put up, or shut up!

36:34 — Writers Off the Clock: High School of the Dead

  • An import from Japan has grabbed our attention…
  • What past ladies in Tee’s life thought of anime
  • In High School of the Dead, the T&A in the opening credits also happens in the anime!
  • We’re not hung up over sex, but we are distracted.
  • Tee’s defines “alternative anime,” and compares it to the mainstream.
  • Now for the good news — High School of the Dead is Walking Dead good.
  • A good anime series, but be prepared…

47:44 — The Wrap-Up

  • This show is just getting easier and easier…and time flies!
  • Where you can find our 99-Penny Dreadfuls
  • NEXT SHOW: Special Guest P.C. Haring, in studio with us to talk about writing in other authors’ universes
  • Counting down to FenCon (September 23-25,2011)
  • Get details about schedules, tweet up’s, and such at Tee’s and Pip’s Facebook Group pages
  • Are there tiki bars in Texas?
  • Where you can find us (and even our steampunk characters) online for feedback and questions for Crazy Uncle Charlie

Websites We Give a Shout-Out to

[display_podcast]
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.
Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

2 Comments

Filed under Episodes

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