Tag Archives: writer’s digest

by | January 8, 2019 · 2:43 am

Episode #93: Looking Ahead to 2019 (with Special Guest, Tim Dodge)

We are kicking off 2019 the only way we know how at The Shared Desk. We’re bringing in a special guest who has never been on the show, but is practically art of the family. Welcome to The Shred Desk author Tim Dodge.

Tim Dodge is a regular fixture at the Smoke Writers Retreat, and is taking first steps into professionally writing fiction, but he is no stranger to writing professionally as he writes technical documents on a freelance basis.

The Shared Desk, now recorded LIVE on Twitch at Tee’s Twitch Channel, after looking back on a year that was very 2018, turns its attention to what is coming this year, as well as looks at the not-so-simple life of a writer when writing is a 9-to-5 occupation.

00:00 —  Introduction

  • Oh yeah, we’re kicking off the new year right…with a show recorded last year. (See what I did there?)
  • It is a night of firsts!
  • A mild spoiler from Bandersnatch
  • It’s a night of adult beverages and seamless plugs.
  • From one of the authors behind Podcasting for Dummies, Twitch for Dummies (advance copies) has arrived!

02:56 —  Episode #93: Looking Ahead to 2019 (with Tim Dodge) 

  • Meet Tim Dodge
    • He was passing through and decided to spend some time with us.
    • Did you know that there is more to New York than just a big city?
    • Head north for some beautiful country
    • Tim is a writer of many backgrounds.
  • The Life of a Working Writer
    • How does writing “day job” content affect productivity with fiction projects?
    • Tim’s initiation into The Shared Desk.
    • Tee’s own work with Code.gov and writing for them while working with other projects.
    • How does working on “day job” stuff affect your creativity?
    • The lure (and dangers) of a day job writing gig
  • ….and juggling projects.
  • Tim’s got both indie and professional publishing credits under his belt. Take a look at what he’s got available.
  • Tim Dodge goes back home in his steampunk tale for Tee & Pip.
  • Looking ahead to 2019
    • We already looked back to 2018.
    • So, what’s next? Well, we’re doing something special for Writers Digest.
    • Okay, exactly what did Tee mean?
    • What exactly is the Smoky Writers Retreat?
    • HUGH O’DONNEL IN CHAT!!! (The man behind the Legend of Lazerdick)
    • A brief tangent on New Zealand entertainment
  • Tee’s looking even further ahead to a writing retreat he wants to do when he turns 55…
  • Back on track and looking ahead…
  • Experiencing the K.T. Bryski Editing Experience
  • The freedom of arriving to a writing retreat with a clean slate
  • Still looking ahead…
    • Aiming for a return to the Maryland Renaissance Festival
    • Tee targets TwitchCon.
  • Writing Goals for 2019
    • More Ministry spinoffs planned
    • Dope needs a home. This means, Tee needs to find an agent.
  • The dangers of writing in Romance
  • Just accept it — Pip is right.
  • And Pip is aiming to return to The Books of the Order in 2019.

49:38— The Wrap-Up

  • Time flies with friends.
  • Wrapping up the podcast, but when you follow or subscribe to the stream, you get the extra content!
  • Find Tim Dodge online…
  • Twitch for Dummies, coming soon…
  • Pip’s Patreon is still going strong in case you were wondering.
  • 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.

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 7, 2018 · 3:00 am

Episode #89: New Projects & Balticon

Adjusting to new schedules is hard.

Hard to believe that May got by us so quickly but there you have it. This June, we are working to get back on track with things because, let’s be honest — we’re not podcasting as much because we are launching new projects. So you might want to take notes as we have a LOT to talk about.

00:00 —  Introduction

  • Closing in to that 100th episode…
  • Calling you out, Nobilis!
  • Playing an old favorite plug-in
  • It’s been some time, not that we are light on content…

01:39 —  Episode #89: What We’re Up to and Back to Balticon

30:10 —  Writers Off the Clock

  • Tee is on Twitch, if you didn’t know. He mainly streams Destiny…
  • On a whim, Tee purchased a new game for his #ThrillerThursday content…
  • How do you describe Detroit: Become Human?
    • Pip and Tee agree on the mash-up between Blade Runner and Choose Your Own Adventure….
    • …but add in CSI and This Is Us, and you got this video game.
    • A PERFECT addition to #ThrillerThursday
      (The following clip is NSFW, due to salty language….)
  • From a writer’s perspective, this is an incredible experience, starting with the Flowchart.
  • Well done, Quantic Dream.
  • The game mechanics are smooth!
  • Stand-out performance in this video game? Clancy Brown, ladies and gentlemen….
    You can’t miss him!
  • That Chloe is a guilt-dealing bee-atch!!! 
  • This is why you can’t stop talking about this game…

40:29 — The Loot Crate Lookie-Loo

  • Tee and Pip thought this was May’s Loot Crate. Turns out it is April’s: ARTIFACTS.
  • What is in the April Loot Crate?
    • A tee-shirt of Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet from The Avengers: Infinity War.
      • Nope. Too soon.
      • On looking back at Thanos’ plan…
      • And Pip’s got mad comic book knowledge.
      • Thanos, bond villains, and mad dictators
      • Back to your box, Morris…
    • Dark Crystal notecards
    • A Legend of Zelda map
    • The pin…that looks like the cup of a carpenter.
    • What do you mean you have never seen The Court Jester?!
    • Finally, it’s FRODO!
  • AND TEE’S DESTINY CRATE IS ON THE WAY!!! (Going to open that up here…)

48:56 — The Wrap-Up

[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 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

 

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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 | August 19, 2015 · 3:47 pm

Episode #45: The World is Full of Disturbing Books

 

 

TSD-what

This episode Pip and Tee find something to throw bricks at, and something to send flowers too…

00:00 Introduction, and a little commentary

  • Pip tries something different with her voice.
  • Tee tries to keep his board in order
  • A Shared Desk per month is #WINNING

03:37 Diving into the controversy of the RITAs

  • Flavourwire article
  • Bring on the Nazis!
  • Pip’s face tries to explain the face she is making…Tee just thinks it is inappropriate
  • Authors and publishers are allowed to publish whatever they like, but is it in good taste?
  • Pip and Tee wonder where the romance can possibly come from in this situation. Stockholm syndrome doesn’t make for good vibes
  • Has the trend for ‘fixing’ the bad boy gone WAAAYYY too far?
  • Tee comes up with some other suggestions for awful situations that also wouldn’t promote romance.
  • Pretty impossible to give consent in the book’s situation.
  • Tee talks about the Merchant of Venice, another problematic story. It shares the theme of converting to Christianity.
  • The world is full of disturbing books, and Tee is impressed by some of the turn arounds on them.
  • Something similar to this book happened in Schindler’s List.
  • Pip suggests a great way to fix Nazis, the Nuremberg trials.
  • Thankfully it didn’t win…

22:19 Writers Off the Clock: The Jazz Standard Edition

31:59 Wrapping this eclectic show up

  • Wrap up for the year of touring.
  • Tee is running in the Dogfish Dash and K T Bryski will be watching!!
  • Little announcement, Tee and Pip are the steampunk captains for RT 2016
  • We’ll be watching Steampunk’d with our friend Thomas Willeford in it. Go check it out!!
  • Send us voicemail!!
  • bit.ly/BecausePGH It has been a year since we lost PG Holyfield. Please consider buying the anthology we helped put together, or if you have already, please leave a review.

 

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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,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.

Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

 

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by | November 19, 2014 · 10:05 pm

Episode #38 – Wait..what…it’s November??

 

TSD-crackup

Hard to believe it is November, but here we are. This week we talk about the new cool way publishers want to release books and why authors may not like it, and we get into the ultimate eagle vs kiwi, RUBGY!!

Have a listen, comment on the blog, and feel free to reach out to us at 703.791.1701 to share your thoughts with us!

 

00:00 — Introduction & Catching Up

 

13:12 — Publication schedules…things are getting intense

  • Getting three novels published in three months
  • Jeff VanderMeer and the Southern Reach Trilogy. Actually they came out in February, May and September.
  • Are we all going to be expected to get books out this quickly?
  • Self-publishing is pushing this move. New York is taking a trick from them.
  • Some people can crank books out this quickly.
  • Even if these books are written before hand, what about the next three?
  • Authors are expected to do more than just writer these days.
  • Pip invents a new word for the marketing world…
  • There is more than just cranking out a first draft…like editing…
  • Foreword Literary is now Fuse Literary, but still helmed by the Agent of Awesome Laurie McLean
  • Tee and Pip argue other media competition.
  • Pip goes all Rocky Horror Picture Show
  • Readers who wait until a series are completed, but that doesn’t tell your publisher you want more…
  • Pip talks about the days of constant writing
  • For most authors it doesn’t seem sustainable
  • Pip anticipates now they will get a contract like that!

27:04 — Eagle vs Kiwi The Rugby Edition

  • To Chicago…chilly but awesome Chicago
  • Pip points out it wasn’t just a rugby game.
  • 100 years since the All Blacks played the American Eagles on American soil
  • PC Haring hosted Tee and Pip while Aly Grauer, and Mel Fox joined in the shenanigans
  • Pip points out there is no stopping in rugby, while Tee waxes lyrical on the difference between American and this game of rugby
  • Pip and other kiwis feel a little pity, but there are no pity points in rugby either.
  • Who knew there were so many American All Blacks fans!
  • Aly and Mel sum up the attractions of rugby.

34.59 — The Wrap-Up

  • Pip and Tee talk about how David Bowie makes them feel like slackers. Pip wrote a blogpiece on it.
  • It could be the pants 
  • Tee is obsessing about a Walkman
  • Some awesome kid Ziggy Stardust…there is hope for the future
  • Pip has a moment or two, and now so does Sonic Boom
  • Tee learns Bowie appreciation, and his acting
  • Pip and Tee think of Alex White and Bowie…with an inappropriate dropin
  • Tales from the Archives wrapping up by the end of the year. Plans of the fourth season to be firmed up
  • Pip is finishing up the audiobook of Weather Child
  • Ministry Protocol is now out as an audiobook
  • Pip does indeed do the shownotes
  • Pip does indeed get the tumblr address for the Ministry right
  • One-Stop Writer Shop will have a deal coming soon for all those Nano participants

Related Links

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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,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.

Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

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