Tag Archives: The Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Episode #67: Young Adult Fiction 101 — Part Two (with Scribe and Scribby)

With Curse of the Silver Pharaoh now out in print, Tee and Pip head to a renaissance festival for hilarity and sheananigans. They invited for their little merry jaunt a pair of Laurens who know a lot about writing Young Adult fiction. So even thought it is Tee’s birthday, we are giving YOU a present with this podcast for your Friday!!!

00:00 —  Introduction

  • Missed a week, but for good reason!
  • BEST WISHES FOR PC AND JEN HARING!!!
  • We were having so much fun with Scribe and Scribby that we broke the show up into two parts!
  • So how about we get back to it?

01:57 — Episode #67: Young Adult Fiction 101 (with Scribe and Scribby) 

  • Picking up where we left off in looking over Tee’s blogpost on writing Young Adult fiction…
  • So as we are dealing with street kids in The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh, you might want to accept that they are not going to be little angels. IOW, they will not be talking like little angels.
  • Sonic Boom thought about taking on a Herculean task…
  • The conversation stems from a recent blogpost of Tee’s…
  • Quick shout-out to The Hunt for the Wilderpeople
  • Turning to the Books of Potter on harsh language
  • So where is The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh falling?
    • Checking your age range
    • Tee’s first encounter with a “concerned” parent
    • Scribby’s own encounters
  • Reading habits of the Ladies in studio
  • How a book serves as a “safe space” for teens and tweens
  • A moment of fangirl awesome as Scribe and NYT Bestseller Gail Carriger meet Mercedes Lackey
  • The discovery of gay characters for a young, impressionable Lauren Harris? Not a big deal.
    • Scribby dealing with a “No Gay” Zone at the Library
    • The Pros and Cons of Labeling
  • A quick request for voicemail at 703.791.1701 on some music trivia
  • You got a church? PROTEST OUR BOOKS!!!
  • Tee’s Final Point: The Angst Level
    • The Light versus the Dark: Comparing The Flash and Supergirl with Arrow.
    • How Stephen Amell would make the  situation in The Fifth Wave work…
    • Teens are now laughing at the angst.
  • How angst changes between teens and adults
  • Remembering the balance of angst against the good times
  • Hey, Pip, who are The Famous Five?
  • Treating angst with care
  • So…what actually did go on at Pip’s private girl’s school???
  • Another reading from The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh
  • When it comes to S-E-X: Go gently in to that good night.
    • Scribby, there is a huge difference between a “love triangle” and a “threesome” if you are wondering…
    • Back to Gail Carriger and her handling of romance
    • The romantic ways of teens
    • Earning affections — not always so easy
    • And Tee is twelve years old, for the record
  • The real reason authors avoid sex in Young Adult: that “first time” is a little disastrous.
  • How author John Green gets it right
  • How Leigh Bardugo got it right for Scribe
  • Sex in Y.A. — more emotion, less scrappin’

34:57 — LootCrate Lookie-Loo

  • Two crates? What is this madness??? Oh, it’s the Loot Vault!
  • And do we need to remind you that Tee is twelve?
  • Loot Crate — July 2015 (Heroes 2)
    • Fresh from the 60’s, a Batman Q-Pop
    • A Star Trek air freshener (and Pip just got a new ride, so…)
    • A sweatband from Legend of Zelda for those extra-long runs!
    • From The Dark Knight, a multitool of a bottle opener and a keychain
    • A D.C. Bombshell Wonder Woman poster for Sonic Boom…maybe?
    • And with The Legion of Regrettable Superheroes, Tee’s collection is complete!
  • Loot Crate — January 2016 (Invaders)
    • A reminder of Tee’s childhood with a Q-Pop Space Invaders alien!
    • A plushie Face hugger!
    • Pip finally gets her Multi-Pass from The Fifth Element
    • A X-Files LED flashlight
    • Mini-prints from War of the Worlds and The Day the Earth Stood Still
    • The X-Files tee shirt…that only Tee recognized
  • How the Vault differs from regular Loot Crates
    • All loot in the older crates are revealed
    • All crates are at a discount
  • Why is Boom in the doghouse tonight?
  • Loot Crate upgraded their pins between 2015 and 2016…and this is a good thing!
  • *sigh* Sometimes, Nerd Parenting is hard.
  • Going into details on what’s in the Vault.

45:28 — Wrapping up

  • Heading into the end of the year.
  • Pip doesn’t want to take a break. So got a question or a comment for us? Let us know at 703.791.1701 
  • What’s coming up?
    • Countless Hues of Crimson (coming in December)
    • Audio version of Magical Mechanications (coming in December)
    • Tales from the Archives: The Final Season (going live at Christmas)
  • Where are we going to be between now and the end of the year: 18-20 November, PhilCon in Cherry Hill, NJ
  • Mad love to New Zealand!
  • Kicking off 2017 in January
  • A full writing schedule, including Pip’s latest novel, coming in 2017…
  • 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.
  • BONUS OUT-TAKE: Some behind-the-scenes silliness

[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.

1 Comment

Filed under Episodes

Episode #62: Developments in Social Media for Authors

 

Oh the times, they are a-changin’…

Social Media has been really busy since we last dropped a show for The Shared Desk, and as we agreed to do in our Social Media for Writers title, we’re going to talk about some of the changes happening as well as go into the best way to maximize your dollar on Facebook and other social media fronts.

00:00 —  Introduction

  • We’re rocking into the Sixties!
  • Tee enjoys the Cute of Melissa Benoist while Pip gets a little homesick.
  • The Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Scribe Approved!
  • Thanks to author and sometimes-guest, Nick Kelly, Tee is recording with FireWire again!
  • Now, moving forward…

01:06 — Episode #62: Developments in Social Media for Writers

  • Today’s show is brought to you by Social Media for Writers.
  • There have been some changes this week in favorite Social Media platforms.
  • Pinterest
    • Talking from the seat of authority is Pip Ballantine, the Pinterest Warrior Princess
    • Cosmetic changes in how pins appear.
    • Looking for the “Pin It” button? Look to you right.
    • Promoted Pins — a new venture, a new opportunity
    • Precautions against SPAM
    • If you want to use a Bit.ly link on Pinterest, don’t bother. (Thanks for the head’s up, Pinterest.)
  • Yeah, we got great communication as a couple!
  • Facebook
    • Facebook changed the layout of the Page…
    • …and chances are you’ve got new algorithms to figure out, too.
    • Yes, Facebook saw record profits this year, but with a billion people using their service, they need to keep the lights on.
    • Do you want to promote a Page or a post? Thanks to Veritasium, here’s why we boost posts…
    • A look back on the fun days of Organic Reach.
    • If you want people to see content, it’s going to cost you.
    • So BE SMART on what you boost.
    • And when people dig your boosted posts, you should notice an uptick in Page Likes.
    • Facebook’s Rules on text in images.
  • Instagram
    • Did you know that Facebook acquired Instagram?
    • Step One: Know where your Instagram profile. Tee does. Pip, on the other hand…
    • A new look and a new option for Instagram accounts…Photo Aug 09, 9 24 21 PM
    • When jumping to a “Business Profile” you decide what you do and don’t share.
    • Yes, now you can go on and directly contact us through Instagram…
      Photo Aug 09, 9 24 39 PMPhoto Aug 07, 10 07 01 PM
    • Now as a Business on Instagram, you can promote images like this….
      Photo Aug 09, 9 31 47 PM
    • CORRECTION: Text-heavy images like the #TeaserTuesday selections can be promoted on Instagram!
    • Analytics are provided.
    • There are a few hiccups to clear, but overall? WOW!
    • It was all thanks to Geektitude and the Average Geek Podcast where Tee discovered this new Instagram feature.
  • And Tee lapses into his inner-Donald. (Sorry about that, folks.)

34:32 — The Loot Crate Lookie-Loo

  • July’s Theme — Futuristic (and Pip’s hosting the honors…)
  • You know all these Loot Crate items we’re setting aside as we’re not into that fandom?
  • A contest that we’re announcing a winner at LaurenCon! Here’s what you have to do!
  • Inside the July crate…
    • A tee-shirt from Rick & Morty
    • Your very own Megaman
  • Pulling back the Butterfly Girl to the topic on hand about what we’re doing with the Loot Crate stuff outside our fandom.
  • Back to the July Crate…
    • A Futurama statue…and Tee thinks it’s pretty cool!
    • Star Trek Live Long & Prosper lapel pin
    • A Valiant Comics exclusive — Valiant 4001 A.D. (with David Mack lending his talents…)
    • Quick Tangent: Tee wrote for Valiant’s Harbinger and Bloodshot for Kindle Worlds
    • A Star Trek Enterprise-D sticker
  • So many fandoms, not enough time…
  • Hey, LootCrate — how about a Stranger Things crate? Something to think about!

43:59 — Wrapping up

  • Closing in to the end of 2016!
  • A couple of people we need to reach out to…
  • Where are we going to be between now and October…
    • 19-21 August, LaurenCon 2016 in an undisclosed location in North Carolina
    • 25 September, Tee is running the 2016 Dogfish Dash, an 8K race at the Dogfish Head Ale Brewery!
    • 14-16 October, Steampunk unLimited in Strasburg, PA
    • 22 October, The Maryland Renaissance Festival in Annapolis, MD for the “Day of Wrong”
    • …and then we’re taking a break. But if you or a friend have an event where you would like to see us…
      • 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.
  • We got projects reaching critical mass. Hopefully, news incoming.
  • Weren’t we taking a break? BREAKS ARE FOR DUDES!

 

[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 #62: Developments in Social Media for Authors

Filed under Episodes

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 JulyCongregate 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.

2 Comments

Filed under Episodes