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Pip and Tee host Michael Ventrella to talk about publishing, writing, and the 1st Amendment. The Shared Desk has tried to remain politics free, but then politics collided with writing and publishing. 8:46 : Michael has been involved in the Tales from the Archives, but he is currently a practicing defense lawyer, and has taught the Constition. He is the author of How to Argue the Constitution with a Conservative.Tee has some background with the 1st Amendment…. Pip has of course none. Well, one of us isn’t… 05:55 : So of course, Pip reads the 1st Amendment…Michael points out why the 1st is so short and succinct.08:22 : Tee brings up, why we are discussing this on the Shared Desk. A fresh senator got his book contract cancelled, and tries to use the 1st Amendment as a shield.Michael points out, that there are plenty of dumb lawyers out there.Many lawyers read the Constitution to be what they want it to say. 11:03 : We touch on the other hot button 1st Amendment, people being blocked off social media.Pip (the foreigner) points out the very first word.Michael says a smaller publisher will probably pick his book up. (Addendum: He was right… Apparently the senator has found a new publisher.)14:33 : Isn’t it more about that sweet advance?That’s part of it, but also playing to the base with an eye on a presidential run.15:21 : Pip wonders about ‘morality clauses’.16:12 : On the left side of the aisle, writers have run into those too.Writers have to be aware of them, and understand that they also can’t claim oppression. Most contracts have provision these days to protect the image of the corporation.18:02 : Social media rights as far as the 1st Amendment.Michael points out if you want to talk about regular conservative talking points you can.What you cannot talk about is violence and racism. All social media platforms have Terms of Service… even if people click through them without reading. They are there. Michael points out the peaceably portion of the 1st Amendment.22:47 : Tee posits a question to MichaelMichael says not with the 1st, but contractually there are more grey areas depending on the situation.24:27 : Michael brings up how some authors make claims of being censored. The government censors, but everything else is editing.No Shirts. No Shoes. No Service. But it has to be applied in a non discriminatory fashion.Shout out to the Legal Eagle 34:58 : Tee, Pip and Michael discuss WandaVision on Disney+ NO SPOILERS!Plenty of throwbacks to Bewitched and I Love Jennie, Pip enjoyed itMichael enjoyed the first ten minutes, and then wanted a bit more to happen.There were a lot of deep cuts for those deep into Marvel history. Tee brings up the excellent HBO Max show SnowpiercerMore clues are revealed in the second episode.Pip enjoyed how they used vintage feel to full advantage- including consulting Dick Van Dyke! Find Michael A Ventrella here, and pickup his book How to Argue the Constitution with a Conservative. Also, his steampunk book with Teddy Roosevelt, Big Stick – which Pip highly recommends! If you have an event in 2021 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… 703.791.1701pip@pjballantine.comtee@teemorris.com…and social media, of course. Show art by Candy Cane StudiosFind 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 rideand we’ll catch you later.

(Podcasting for Dummies, the 4th edition is out in the wild today… pick up a copy from your favorite online store!) Pip and Tee take on the subject of blogging. Is it still useful? Relevant? 00: 58 Intro Amanda J Surowitz sent us an email complimenting Social Media for Writers, which includes a Discord chapter (or you can do a deeper dive with Discord for Dummies.) 04:11 Tee Talks about his experience with blogging Tee has worked professionally for universities, and the government. Writing blogs was part of what he did every day.Amanda drops into chatTee was on a roll, then the world changed. Everyone knows that feeling Tee then had back to back projects, but blogging is still his thingPip hasn’t blogged for awhile. Now she thinks the space is a lot more crowded, and now you have streaming competing.Pip makes the internet noise and Tee joins in.People like Chuck Wendig make a success of it, but has a very particular style.Tee found he would spend days writing a blogpost on writing, and getting behind on his actual writing.Pip feels like she never found her niche in blogging… and worried she just whined a lot.Pip wonders about jumping on current events… say ‘Waffle House fights’We mention Chris Evan’s… moment and how he turned it to his advantage You can tap into what is trending, as Pip points out they have from time to time. Tee agrees as long as it is within your field, jumping on current issues is a good policy.Pip tries to justify her next Waffle House fight blogpost…When you sit down to write, have a point to itKeep an eye on comments on the blog and your social mediaBlogging for blogging sake is problematic 24:34 Pip has a question So lists were popular a while go ‘top five’ or the ‘five worst’. Are they still popular?People do still seem to want to read quick articles Tee suggests setting a word limit. 27:07 Tee has a question As pros, with other projects how do you manage blogging?Add it to your weekly schedule.Tee suggests some people are using Twitch, as a video blog.But do all authors think on their feet quickly? A riff can easily become a ramble.Bullet Alexander returns… and Pip is not impressed.What are authors most comfortable doing?Social Media for Writers is out now, and has new chapters, including one on crisis management.It’s made trickier when you don’t have a book to promote, but publishers these day want you to have a platform before they’ll give you a book deal. So figure out if you have a purpose and do you have the time for it?But at the end of the day deadlines have to come before blogging.If it is making you miserable, then you don’t have to blog.Your platform should include blogging only if you enjoy doing it, and can remain consistent. If you have an event in 2021 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… 703.791.1701pip@pjballantine.comtee@teemorris.com…and social media, of course. Show art by Candy Cane StudiosFind 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 rideand we’ll catch you later.

We welcome our pal, Jack Mangan to the Shared Desk, and back into the writing gig. Jack’s new foray into creativity is a graphic novel. We dig deep into this process and how Jack’s getting it done with crowdfunding. 0:45 Jack Mangan introduction Though he has no AKA name, we’re glad to see him.You might know Jack from Spherical Tomi and DeadpanFrom back in the days…. Podcasters from 15 years ago Jack talks about his podcast trajectory… and then life intervened.Known as a novelist, and podcast, we dive into how Jack’s moved into the new arena of graphic novels.Pip and Tee discuss how much they loved having Jack in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences. Find it in the second collection of Tales from the Archives 7:29 What were the challenges of changing genre Jack researched the masters of this new genreAt first he tried drafting out instructions to the graphic artist.You have to form a relationship between writer and artist- collaboration!Pip contemplates a Ministry graphic novel… 12:48 Pip asks ‘But what is this project?‘ Jack’s history as a music journalist, brought him into contact with Diamond Head.Yes, this project is so METAL! Jack got all the relevant permissionsAm I Evil, is a song with a story to tell.Now to the funding of it! Challenges Jack faced… well pandemic!Kickstarter didn’t work out, but now I Am Evil is live on IndieGoGoThe idea is to make sure every professional gets paidMeet the team! This is Jack’s passion project, that he wants out in the world.Marketing is always tough. But you have to find the right time to launch and promote.Pip and Tee popped by to Jack’s live launchEveryone delves into their metal credentials…Jack has been writing as a journalist, but he is getting back to fiction—including coming back to Spherical TomiMany of the original podcasters, are going back to their original fiction worlds.When you are part of a team, you don’t want to let people down.Jack talks about being a mature writerCheck out the video! Jack explains how he created the video.Pip brings up stretch goals, and the dangers of pineapple related ones.Jack teases us with royal connections…Am I Evil campaign is live now! If you have an event in 2021 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… 703.791.1701pip@pjballantine.comtee@teemorris.com…and social media, of course. Show art by Candy Cane StudiosFind 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 rideand we’ll catch you later.

Technology works, and we shout out to the live audience who joined us on TwitchOur cat is recuperating from surgery, and we’re recuperating from the Hugos. Makes him rather grumpy…Guess what made Pip and Tee grumpyIt’s not the gloves from Ritual Motion Pip and Tee can however…here we go… 2:31 Let’s talk about the Hugo Awards The latest Worldcon was held in Pip’s hometown of Wellington, New Zealand, but the pandemic made it have to become virtualThe Hugo are fan voted, and are not strangers to controversy Pip and Tee discuss that ‘golden age’ of science fictionGeorge RR Martin was asked to be toastmasterTee has been the MC at Pip’s brother’s wedding.The role requires you talk about the people who the event is for.The Hugo Awards were about the nominees, but GRRM didn’t get that memoHe then proceeded to pine for the good ole days of John W Campbell, Heinlein, Asimov et al All of GRRM’s parts were pre-recordedTee asks Pip how she feels as a New Zealander and a writer ConZealand was planned for many, many yearsPip was angry, disappointed and mortified… New Zealand is better than thisEven assuming GRRM was not sent pronunciation, that doesn’t let him off the hookPip and Tee remain unsurprised at how his recordings went down The Hugo Awards have become more diverse but it has a history of being exclusionaryLots of inside jokes, name dropping… all of these things make sure there is an ‘us’ and ‘them’Making community means being welcomingHarking back to an age GRRM has nostalgia about, brings a lot of baggagePip talks about the nature of fandom in New Zealand Fandom needs to think about how they empower people by ignoring their behaviorThe award winners were a diverse, world-wide group of people, but GRRM barely mentioned themThe always popular apology-non-apologyPip dives into how women (especially of an older generation) are taught not to make a fuss in order to be part of the boy’s club New Zealand’s specific national psyche may have fed into this.Pip wonders what happened? Did they watch it? Were they afraid of GRRM?Tee reminds every writer, that this is a professional setting.Pip confirms New Zealand is massively passive aggressive There is a way to own it thoughBut not just GRRM and the con organizers should own it.We need to be better… as fans and writers.The Hugo Awards are meant to celebrate about what is best during the last yearYoung authors need to feel that they can be in the space of the Hugos. This is a place for them.Hopefully good changes will come out of this. If you have an event in 2021 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… 703.791.1701pip@pjballantine.comtee@teemorris.com…and social media, of course. Show art by Candy Cane StudiosFind 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 rideand we’ll catch you later.

We welcome Savan Gupta to the show, but Tee is audio only… and it had nothing to do with Pip! Savan kicks it off, and the party begins. Having a company is apparently just as stressful as kids We welcome Savan and all his universes 3:07 Savan begins to unravel all his creative endeavors Steam-funk Studios– a multi-media and marketing firmFrom that came the Living Multiverse, a cross-media fiction project… and World DominationThe Unconventional champions journalist and academic excellence in fandom—The Rolling Stone of Fandom. FanthropolgySepia Riot, a project in development, championing Indian, Arab and Asian representation in fandomThe Unconventional will be coming this year! 8:03 Tee asks Savan how he manages all these amazing projects Savan keeps a regular schedule, military likeManage expectations with those that are working with youSavan vets everyone and gives them an orientation so that people are ramped upCommunicate any problems that crop up in lifeTee throws himself under the bus, but also owns his problemsSavan points out that when you act like a professional everything is simpler We call it that too! 12:29 Pip asks Savan just how many people he’s collaborated with over the years Savan remembers another collaboration, Geeks Gone WildCollaborating means having standards and processes to encourage others who want to work with youSavan comes to this from a financial marketPip gets jealous of Savan’s organizationTee points out the collaboration with Galileo Games was very well organizedSavan mentions that he’s spent years all over the country, finding talentSavan says past and present he’s worked with hundreds of people 17:41 Tee asks, so what do they all do? Everything began as a performance troupeIn 2014 critical mass happened. Slick-brass and the Crew of the A.S.S. Titilus was joined by Rohan and the Dogs of War. Then more… and more… and consulting for othersIt got so big, that they needed residuals to support the performance, so Savan changed tack.Rebooting the brand, they turned inward to evaluate what goods and services work best, to make moneyThe Unconventional is free, because its aim is to make a community- but it gives plenty of attribution, and a bio Attribution is something we need more ofSavan answers the question about how many people who work in the companyShout out to Savan’s teams!Pip’s mind is blown 27:01 Tee asks Savan how he handles when collaboration goes bad Savan makes clear what expectations are, and how much time it will take to his collaborators His exceptions clauses are; your health (you don’t have to disclose what those are, legally as well), day job/school (hell weeks do happen in both), and finally your family.Everyone needs paperwork!Tee, Savan and Pip discuss about deadlinesSavan describes his ‘break glass’ situation No one wants to do this, but sometimes it is necessary… Now the Hobbit comes up… we have all been forged by fireSavan calls back to his father, for his fortitude and persistence 51:14 Tee makes sure when the pandemic is over, Savan will break bread with he and Pip once again Tee reveals his love for Trejos Tacos cook bookCulinary arts series coming from the Unconventional! Savan, often compared to Tony Stark 53:17 Where can we find Savan Gupta? The Unconventional NewsGeeks Gone WildSteam-funk StudiosSo many of Savan’s websites will combine their forces shortlyWe look forward to seeing Savan and his groups at events next year!Tee’s hair is becoming mythic… almost as mythic as Thomas Willeford!If you want Savan and his productions to visit your event next year, now is the time to book! If you have an event in 2021 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… 703.791.1701pip@pjballantine.comtee@teemorris.com…and social media, of course. Show art by Candy Cane StudiosFind 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 rideand we’ll catch you later.

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 ArchivesPip 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 offAly and Drew started on a project from the Renaissance FaireStarting off sharing creative projects can be fun… but the rewards are worth it You can share it! For a start, there are no rulesWriters 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 thereTee 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 badIt can be bad when you take criticism too much to heart, and let it break your confidenceAly and Drew poured energy into Warda, and it became a podcast and a tabletop gameAly finally found a way back in with Drew’s supportDrew points out, building a collaboration takes yearsPip recounts the path of collaboration for the Ministry of Peculiar OccurrencesThe 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 CallSkyjacks is a wider collaboration, but it wasn’t child friendly, hence the spinoffPip gets excited by large birds… especially large kiwis!We touch on the advantages the Kickstarter campaign hadThe nature of the podcast and the storytelling is very collaborative.Tee waxes lyrical on the latest wave of roleplayingArt 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 Aly and Drew’s PatreonAly Twitter and webpage. Aly teaches accent and dialect.Drew Twitter and Courier Call. Drew also consultation on world-building, DMing, and acting for roleplaying. 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… 703.791.1701pip@pjballantine.comtee@teemorris.com…and social media, of course. Show art by Candy Cane StudiosFind 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 rideand we’ll catch you later.

The video stream We’re in the middle of a pandemic.Tee and Pip didn’t have the ‘rona, we had a cold each. Shout out to all the magnificent health care works who are working and helping society through this.Tee and Pip are raising money for No Kid Hungry, while streaming. They provide meals to children who otherwise would depend on school lunches. You don’t have to watch to donate. 5:23 How to stay creative in a pandemic How things have changed since Smoky Writers in North Carolina. We were so lucky to get it in before COVID-19If you’re a long time listener to the show, you’ll be familiar with our yearly writing retreatA beautiful house by the beach, with some of our favorite people in the worldThe retreat this year was shorter, but we stayed in Wilmington, NCWe returned home, carrying a heavy cold each Much like this… We recorded this episode once before, but we sounded awful.Shortly after Virginia closed schools for the whole yearNow we are on lockdown. Grocery shopping is the only trip we makeWe are getting comfort from New Zealand’s Prime Ministry, Jacinda ArdenPip reminds Australia they can’t have her Let’s begin Let’s talk projects.Pip and Tee have the rights back for Social Media for WritersThere are going to be re-writes in the next edition. Quite a few things have changed in the social media landscape.Tee is working with Chuck Tomasi on a 4th edition of Podcasting for DummiesDiscord for Dummies is coming out in May. Pre-order now!Secret of the Monkey God is on the docket too. Tee is not going to be left out.Pip is working on Ride or Die, as well as Fierce Dead 2Polishing up a few old projects tooBear in mind, the current pandemic situation has a lot of consequences, not just health, but mental and economicWe’re all being creative with getting things done Working from home.. be like… We need to look out for each otherAnd know, it’s OK to not be OK.Use technology to check in on people, and don’t be afraid to ask for help from those that care about you.Writers may need solitude, but we’re not used to not being able to go out to cafes… or libraries.. or anywhere Do not.. do not… go to a cabin in the woods.. At least this cabin. Writers online, writing together while ignoring each other.Being kind, also applies to yourself. Be kind to yourselfHave a routine. Take showers.Get up, get dressed (except for those odd pj days)If you feel you can’t write, then find another creative project.Pip and Tee are currently working on their bathroom. It’s been needing an update for about… 10 years…Clearing out the house, and organizing your books. Gardening is great… and if you’re lucky you get fresh foodPip bought supplies online from Lowe’s, and used contactless pickupGive your mind a break, rather than forcing it to pump out content all the timePip thinks getting back to baking, brewing, gardening is great.Limit your diet of news. Don’t spend too long scrolling through FacebookPip gets on her hobby horse of history.The message from John Rhys DaviesPip tries to post positive things. So in this time, give yourself a break. Apparently people are using this time to learn about podcasting from Podcasting for Dummies and Twitch for Dummies 37:31 Wrap Up Where will Pip and Tee be this yearRavenCon has been postponed. So to Balticon… but it will be available virtuallyWorldCon in New Zealand is going to be virtual onlyOther events are still on the fence…Follow TeeMonster on Twitch to catch the live show 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… 703.791.1701pip@pjballantine.comtee@teemorris.com…and social media, of course. Show art by Candy Cane StudiosFind 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 rideand we’ll catch you later.

New Show Art by Candy Cane Studios They said we couldn’t make it… whoever they are…Pip and Tee chose Birds of Prey for their Valentine’s movie!We get cheers from chat! 3:04 Let’s Look Back Pip tried to count Dog Days of Podcasting that Tee did in 2018Consistency… well not so much our thing….Episode 1… we started off pretty exclusively about the craft!And we started with the idea of half hour episodes… 7:23 Types of episodes We’ve done craft and business episodesBut our most downloaded episode was Episode 59, about Penny Dreadful from a writer’s point of viewThen we’ve covered, marketing, had guests in show, and recorded from eventsThen there are the odd ones…And the evergreen content ‘writers did what now?’ 9:29 Let’s talk about guests Guests… we’ve been very lucky!Piper J Drake and K T Bryski duke it out for most on showNick and Stacia Kelly also been on there quite a few timesLauren ‘Scribe’ Harris has stopped on by a bit too!The WINNER IS KT Bryski! (Also involved in beer talk)Episode 30… what is a writer’s intern? K T came and stayed for quite a while.We’ve had MK Backstrom, Alex White, Tim Dodge, Spence, Nobilis on the show 14:02 We Tracked Smoky Writers From the beginning, our beloved retreat was covered. Either there, or a post-retreat reviewOur largest guest episode, with all the microphones!Pip reflects on the fun stuff represented by the Shared Desk 14: 55 Consistency? What’s that?? Sometimes we slipped…Editing is a thing… we don’t like to just release into the wildDeadlines and families to come first… podcasting fell by the way sideSome years have been easier than othersWe started streaming in 2018, episode 90.Streaming has kept us more on track 17:28 Memories of past segments Eagle vs kiwi — limited options after a pointCrazy Uncle Charlie — his time passed (Pip was happy about that) Charlie went to do his own thing… 20:32 Picking out some favorite episodes and topics Pip mentions episode 23, where we talked about a writer’s kit and giveaway swagTee diverts into Penny Dreadful side rant…Pip and Tee discuss some of the changes to swag people expectPip mentions the 99c book promo choices authors makeThe infamous way Goodreads reviewers mark books before they’ve even been releasedGiving away your work, you need to be careful how you do itThe short story market has changed over the course of this podcastWork for free is still however something to be avoidedSFWA has also changed… and improved!Print is still alive!Pip’s patreon got started in the middle of the Shared Desk 36:37 Live shows! A lot of fun has been had at a lot of conventionsEpisode 75 from the SFWA Nebula Awards show. One of Tee’s favsOur first on the road show, was Author’s After DarkDemi-Con was a blast, and Tee was Guest of HonorAlyson Grauer we met there, and has a book outPC Haring showed us around 40:47 Pip can’t recall and episode The mysterious episode 45… the world is full of disturbing booksOh and it was a racist POSThe Shared Desk could be writers behaving badly 41:52 Pip’s Favorite Episode 51: The ABCRecorded around the time of the book cover shoot. Featuring Verena Vorsatz and Christina Payton.Quite a memorable time 46:21 Pip gets the credit Tee riffs on Pip causing the whole damn thingSo many good times, so many good friends.We met the Kellys just because of this podcastWhat a grand time it’s been…Thank you for all the support and love We mean it… 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… 703.791.1701pip@pjballantine.comtee@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 rideand we’ll catch you later.

00:00 Introduction We can smell episode 100! We had to stream this twice though…. 01:22 Into 2020 Tee and Pip have plenty of plansTime for prohibition?Check out where we will be in 2020Tee helped found RavenCon. So we will be there this year!Escape Velocity in Washington DC Tee’s Dream… Tee guesses wrongGencon bound!!We had a time a great time last year, looking forward to more shenanigans in IndyNext up Key City Steampunk Festival which is now in Gettysburg, PAAnd then venturing into Florida, as Guests of Honor at Necronomicon in Tampa Florida!Tee heads back to TwitchConTwitch for Dummies is now a year old!These old bones can manage this scheduleTee and Pip have a few requirements for traveling to events……but they will do a Shared Desk LIVE!Asking the organizers of events works- but get in advanceOur writers’ retreat is coming up… and this year, we’re heading to the beach! 16:49 Talking Publications Pip has a schedule… with a nebulous sectionDidn’t work out so well last year, but that is why we go with nebulousChuck Wendig’s post on write what you want, because everything is falling apart.Pip and Tee put a lot of expectations and pressure on writing last year.However Tee’s 2020 started off with a bang.Podcasting for Dummies is goingDiscord for Dummies is currently under construction, but Tee just lost a monthSo let’s write what we want to write.Pip *sigh*The Weald, is Pip’s current WIP. A fantasy novel set in Regency EnglandAt the same time, she’s editing the first book of the Spectral Protectors. The Fierce Dead– now available for pre-orderPip and Tee argue about The Secret of the Monkey God release datePip also plans book Two of the Spectral Protectors.Death and the Falcon or Falcon and the RAVEN, the story of Henrietta Falcon and Sophia del Morte are planned for the end of the year.Tee’s heart is calling him to write, Villainy LLC, a story of the B List superheroes. Setting it in Richmond, VACheck in with us at the end of the yearPip wants Tee to get back to enjoying the pure creativity of just writingTee is still thinking about retooling Dope story.Pip suggests putting away a project for awhile to give perspective Feeling 2020 like… Pip is resetting, by making sure to read every day.No faux Jane Austen though. 31:35 Writers Off the Clock: The Witcher Pip wants to find a show where Henry Cavill takes a bathTee brings an ear worm Based on the books from PolandPrepare for the cosplaying!!Party City wig was replaced… thank goodness!!The separate timelines took a bit to work outEpisode 4 was a little wobbly… but we forgive themPip starts streaming Philippa’s Freaky Friday playing Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt. Check in on Friday nights for fun times…Stealing from peasants is part of the story… morally wrong as that is. 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… 703.791.1701pip@pjballantine.comtee@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 Spotify,  iTunes or Stitcher!Subscribe, listen, and review. Enjoy the rideand we’ll catch you later.

00:00 Introduction Pip and Tee are ready for the New Year, and we’re kicking off with a show many tongues are wagging about: The RWA Bruhaha Extraordinaire! Follow or subscribe to https://twitch.tv/theteemonster Above you got the live open mic segments and tangents a-plenty, and we’d love to see you come by and visit us when EPISODE 100 rolls around. Be there for the fun and we will gladly take your questions LIVE on stream. Join us for a good time as we take a good look at what is going on with the RWA. 01:05 The Romance Writers of America Tee and Pip are not romance writers, but they have an RT Award, and write stories with romantic elementsAmerica is changing and so should its writing.Check out Claire Ryan’s ongoing chronicling of the situationIt all kicked off when Suzan Tisdale filed an ethics complaint against Courtney MilanIt spiraled from there into resignations, cancelling of events, and people cancelling their membershipsJust own your mistakes.Now the original complainant says she only ever wanted an apologyBut at the same time threatened legal action!Karen wants to see the manager!!Another example of keeping your receipts…Presidents have toppled… Chuck Tingle got involved. Nora Roberts got involvedPip The best disinfectant is sunshine.Hopefully there will be good things from thisSFWA offers a safe haven for those with spec fic elementsThe whole affair has esculated akin to the Thing Everyone wants to get the hell away from this…. Our genre has had plenty of its own problems too…But what will rise from the ashes…But wait… the original complainant has remembered something differentlyWhat is the takeaway from all this?Diversity and representation does matterPip is dealing that right now. The Fierce Dead coming in February. Sensitivity readers are important.Also check out Writing the OtherThe balance is delicateKeep your receiptsAnd we’ll see how this all plays out 27:38 We’re in the Kitchen Don’t freak out, we’re detoxingYes, we’re aware we have livers, but this is for something else Gotta have em Stevia is not Tee’s thingMonkfruit all the things!!Tee is caffeine free… for now, but it’ll be first up!Lots… and lots… of water… 36:50 Wrap Up Thanks again to Claire Ryan for chronicling all the RWA shenanigansDon’t forget to join us live on Twitch, we have a post show not in the 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… 703.791.1701pip@pjballantine.comtee@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 Spotify,  iTunes or Stitcher!Subscribe, listen, and review. Enjoy the rideand we’ll catch you later.

00:00 Introduction Tee and Pip are in a metal mood thanks to HalloweenTheir velvet purple skull Twitchy is here for the season.Welcome to new listeners 02:30 The James River Writers Convention Ways to read signs aheadThe James River Writers Conference is an example of a well run convention. Others should take note of some of the things they do.Pip can’t leave Twitchy alone.JRW Conference has been going for many years.JRW provide year round support to local writers.Pip recalls with relish the first contact where Tee was her +1 Pip be like… Tee tried to stream… and failed…Conventions have to fork out a lot of money for wi fiSeriously Pip leave the skull alone!Follow Tee on Twitch to find out when we go live.JRW make an effort to have a diversity of writers, agents and publishersTee missed out on the Dating Game What, my name got called? Tee did a pitch and met some agentsHow many people attended?Pip feels a little out gunnedNot just chairs—tables too!Moderators are prepared and know who their panelists areShout out to Bill BlumePanel on podcasting moderated by Sharvette Mitchell was a good timeTee’s Shop Talk was about writing what you don’t knowWriting outside your experience? Reach out to those who are in the communityPip feels uncomfortable writing from a first person POV outside her communityThe importance of beta readersTee recounts a tale from his theatre daysThe naming of a podcast… like the Shared Desk?Tee really gets into what the theme music is. It’s important!!Tee did a branding panel. Why does branding matter to authors?World building… important but not everything World building is important… but so is writing! Your world can change… and that’s OKThe James River Writers Convention is worth attending as a panelist, or if you want to improve your writing. 28:50 Pip and Tee go into the Kitchen Pip and Tee stayed at the Linden Row Inn supposedly haunted, but no ghosts came to visitPip has a crazy idea…Richmond has speakeasies… with 100% less poisonous bath tub ginGrandstaff and Stein Booksellers. Felt like this… A bookseller, a secret password, and there you are! Flaming Youth Tee and Pip enjoyed a flight!Some interesting history behind speakeasies, helped along with some well dressed servers.Not just drinks, the food was also excellentThe whole thing was streamedSeriously, Richmond has it all! 43:19 Wrap up What shall we do for our 100th episode?Tee is working with Steve Saylor for the month of October to raise money for Able Gamers. Go here to donate. See if two knuckleheads can beat Mountain Dew!Tee shaved his beard for this… and Pip is still recovering… 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… 703.791.1701pip@pjballantine.comtee@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 rideand we’ll catch you later.

00:00 Introduction Tee has some new dropins for us from Aggretsukoprevious 96 audio wasn’t good enough, so it is a lost episode now. Spooky!Pip comes out from behind the micShout out to Key City Steampunk. You’re still awesome. Our patronus 02:53 A Writer Beware Moment Ways to read signs aheadMarie Bilodeau’s blogpost to readAnyone we know through Katie is a good eggOur sore point gets triggered… not getting paidYou need to be getting statements at least every six monthsDo check out SFWA’s Writer BewareExamine your contract before signing… a trick for new and eager writersTee was smarter than the average author, and checked out his first contract throughlyPip did notTee recommends research and get a lawyer to check it out.Make sure the lawyer is one versed in contract law and Intellectual Property Be as serious about your contract as you are about your writing careerPip confesses to grabby hands… and that rare time when Tee is smarter than she was New authors be like… Make sure your contract specifies how you can get out of it.Tee admits he did make other mistakesDon’t make your author copy transactions too complicatedKeep yourself in charge of pricing when working conventions and eventsSmall press has the most varied of contract, but every contract needs to checkedSmall presses also far less likely to pay advances and agents therefore usually won’t get involved on your behalf Maybe not follow this guy to legal advice… 19:07 Trust Your Gut Too Tee dives into some bad memories from the past… and Pip points out that was ancient timesA party makes an impressionAn uncomfortable conversation where Pip gets a vibeIf you can’t get a straight answer out of someone, ask yourself if you want to be in business with themBe alert for red flagsCheck with author groups (some good ones on Facebook) on the reputation of the publisherWhen a contract is broken, it still takes money to fightLegal fights in different states and countries can be trickyTee did have to threaten legal action to get paid… but he did get there eventually. But he was in the same state as the company who hadn’t paid.Tee got a great birthday present!Professional organizations can help you get your money, often without needing to resort to courtsAlso, without statements you don’t know how well your books are sellingWiley statements showed a renewed interest in Podcasting for Dummies—so new edition happenedSuch are the nuts and bolts of the business 34:20 Writers off the Clock: Binge Worthy Media We have a plan for a certain Amazon OriginalTime for Mindhunter on Netflix. Just as good as Season 1!Being typecast as MansonSerial killers doing audiobooksA nice look at expanding a seriesThe Boys on Amazon PrimeNew Zealanders FTW Kiwis have the best ideas… 48:38 Wrap up Find Tee at TwitchCon 27-29 SeptemberFind Pip and Tee at the James River Writers Convention 12-13 Octoberand at the Maryland Renaissance Festival 19 October

This is the third attempt at an episode 95. Honestly, it seems like the universe doesn’t want us to get one of these out! But we shake our fist in front of those barriers. We are now streaming the Shared Desk live on Tee’s Twitch stream. Following costs nothing, and you’ll get an alert that we are going live. Not only do you get firsties on listening to the show, and the chance to comment live… but also we do a little half hour chit chat after the main show. Membership has its privileges as they say… The show as it was streamed 00:00 Introduction We think we remember how to do this.Trapped in a car together all the way to Indiana, but we made it back alive. We met new people, saw some familiar faces. 02:17 What is Gen Con? The best four days of gaming.Tee wants to edit the episode, but Pip actually is doing this!Check out the history of Gen ConIt takes over Indiana and Indy itself!70,000-80,000 peopleSo many neat people have stands there, but for authors Cherie Priest was the Guest of HonorGAWR was at Gen Con, but we missed them. No surprises considering how big it is!Pip and Tee compare Gen Con and DragonCon as far as treating writers… 07:27 The Gen Con Writers Symposium Well laid out, with authors events in one of the hotels. Not even having to cross into the street.So well organized, with tickets, a green room, and 50 minute panels. This gives everyone a chance to get between panels, and panelists a chance to set up.The morgue, for those writers who need some real quietThe green room was a place to chit chat. Pip loved having a place to chill. Would recommend.Kicking it off with a nice free meal, but Indy had more treats in store… 11:32 The long drive A nine hour drive, straight to Indy. Tee hates driving through Ohio freeways, and needed emergency caffeine.Thank you Wayze for Cookie Monster. He got us there! Pip and Tee imitate him… 13:12 Corralling Authors Authors all housed in Marriott East, about 10 miles from Indy. The shuttle was brilliantNo hotels for 50 miles around Gen Con 14:05 Pip and Tee wax lyrical about the con badges Melanie Meadors and Kelly Swails put on a heck of a symposiumNice convention pouch with your events on the back. No dodgy pin primed to break and come loose!Pip says it is the best she’s ever seen 15:04 Thursday panels Tee brings the Big Score, and despite technical difficulties managed itTee found a fellow trombone player!Tee stumped many con goers than usual.Tee did a podcasting panel with Anton Strout and Cat RamboTee (and Pip) are both OP (original podcasters)Tee Morris from the Dawn of Time….So we went out for dinner with local friend Kevin. Bluebeard was amazing.We ate and drank well. There may have been bread pudding. 21:23 Friday Pip and Tee worked separate panels.Pip talked about being your own boss. Trials and tribulations meant we could have been there for hours.Pip disagreed with someone!Tee ended up on a panel about Scrivener (a great piece of software for writers)But when you want to edit, you have to use WordIt has a screenwriting section, with built in macros!Pip talked about about keeping secondary characters in their place.Lots of good solid topics in every panelPip and Tee have a slice of humble pie at their Q&APip plans to use steampunk to lure people in next time…Tee gets to meet his Wiley editor, Steve HaysGot to meet Aloysius Fox, who runs two events. International Steampunk Symposium and the Chicago Steampunk ExpositionRan into all sorts of people, even in this huge event!Signing a bit of a wash…Pip signed a literary brickTee also did some pop up streams at the event, but technical difficulties bitThree hour nap turned into just falling on our face. Huge events take it out of a person… 33:21 Saturday Pip talked about reading other genres. Don’t be in a bubble as far as reading.Tee checks his photos, and stand correctedPip was done, but Tee jumped on a bunch of panels that needed helpTee talked about passing time in writingCAT BUTT turns up!!Training montages!!Tee is the sole writer in the midst of editors, what happens to my story after I send it in?Tee talks TwitchPip and Tee contemplate a writing stream Tee’s Twitch panel recorded just fine Tee does a panel where he has to think about writing action.After the last panel, we went out with Diana Pho of Beyond Victoriana, and an editor at Tor. And Jen Gunnels also from Tor.Jen and Tee bonded over theatre and single malt.The story of Harry & Izzy’s was worth every penny!If you need to get into a place, stick close to a New Yorker…The food was amazing… but the ending was epic! Bread pudding with Woodford Reserve!2.5 hour of dinner was so much damn fun. A great way to cap off Gen ConPip passed out, but Tee went out for beer with DanfinityFind Tee on Untappd 51:15 Indy wrap up Pip and Tee think Indy is a cool city. 19th century architecture, and public artPeople were lovely, and our Uber drivers were all charming… and they all love FIFA. Futbol! 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 rideand we’ll catch you later.

Remember The Shared Desk? That was a pretty cool podcast. Too bad it podfaded, right? Well, no — we didn’t go anywhere! Well, hold on, actually, yeah, we did go somewhere. It was Clockwork Alchemy and it was a right blast! The Shared Desk, now recorded LIVE on Twitch at Tee’s Twitch Channel, finally got behind the mics after the dust from a government furlough and a trip out west finally gave them a chance to catch their breaths and record. What are we talking about, you wonder? Well, we’re specifically talking about writers consuming media. Sometimes, writers need to relax. Thing is, that can be hard when we’re always critically looking at how other writers do things. Can writers effectively turn their brains off, relax and enjoy the show? Let’s find out. 00:00 —  Introduction Well yeah, there was another Episode #94, but Tee never got to the editing part of it…the audio may sound a little weird. Wait until you find out why! (At the end of episode, of course.)Adult beverages all around?Kill All the Golfers for TeePip has a drink, but she wants Tee’s drink instead.When is Game of Thrones coming back? Oh yeah…Tee is not hip, but he is old.Addressing the stream and a changing of the guard.A nod to Destiny and Happy Hour from the TowerSorry, Katie! Maybe we can do something special with that episode? Maybe drop it into Pip’s Patreon?The original bell will not go quietly! 05:18 —  Episode #94: Writers Consuming Content  So where did this all start?As many ideas comes from, it started with a series of rants on Facebook…Pip defines “turning your brain off” as a writer.What inspired the show topic … Tee and Pip have really been enjoying Star Trek: Discovery. Is it worth the cost of CBS All Access?This will be a spoiler-free episode, we promise!Going back to Season One, we meet THIS CHARACTER…We want to know MORE about THIS CHARACTER.The, in Season Two, we get an episode dedicated to THIS CHARACTER……so we could watch THIS CHARACTER die.Then we get Discovery’s next stop in the galaxy: Talos IV.A bit of Star Trek historySome nods throughout the series coping with canonWhere Tee is triggered in all thisThe writing crew of Discovery handles canon with real reverence, but the new, original stuff is slightly clumsy.Sprinkling seeds throughout chapters or episodes versus cramming it all into one momentAfter a moment’s rant, Tee asked “Maybe I’m expecting too much from these writers?”Pip thinks writers make terrible media consumers.Pip’s current read is dickering around with time jumps, and she’s got issues.Writing passages in time are not always easy.Tee still believes he can relax and enjoy it, but Pip is struggling…The dice-roll in reading another’s book for the purpose of blurbing itTee loves a slow burn, and it triggers him when shortcuts are taken.A good example of new canon and a slow burn done right… Massive shout-out to Ethan Peck who gives great Nimoy without doing an impersonation of Leonard Nimoy.As a writer and an actor, Tee’s got a jelly on.Want a glimpse at Lauren Harris‘ next cosplay? Ensign Sylvia “Space Merida” Tilly Where you can find them, watch “Short Treks” in between seasons.No, not all writers are perfect. It’s when you show how good you are, but then take cheap or manipulative short cuts?A spoiler from Season One that shows ridiculous, shoddy writing: grafting a personality to someone. (Beg your pardon?) Yes, we get it. We suspend disbelief. But there are limits.Can writers appreciate good writing better than their own? Oh yes!True Detective, Season 3The Marvel Cinematic UniverseGame of Thrones, Seasons 1 – 8But really? Cat scratch fever? Really? (Okay, we can give that a pass.)Good writing — no matter the media — should be inspirational to other writers.Since we’re talking about good writing and bad writing in media, it’s time to re-open this old wound… 32:04 — Writers off the Clock This is a beautiful theme, but it’s not ready for The Big Score (coming soon to AwesomeCon this weekend)How about this for an unexpected surprise? You’re going to want to see this. Seriously.Why Shazam! worksGiving Shazam’s suit a makeoverReally coherent, cohesive writing by keeping it simple but not stupidBilly Batson is a teenager, so Shazam acts like a teenager. And it works!This was a fun ride, but it does go dark when it needs to. Billy Batson’s story, for example…Zachary Levi delivers as the Big Red Cheese.This is DC’s Guardians of the Galaxy.Tee and Pip wonder why Dwayne Johnson is an Executive Producer? Well, rumor has it… 39:57 — The Wrap-Up How long until Game of Thrones?!Wrapping up the podcast, but when you follow or subscribe to the stream, you get the extra content!Got some appearances lined up…THIS WEEKEND, April 26-27 in Washington D.C. — AwesomeConMay 21-24 in Baltimore, MD — BalticonTee weighs in on attending GuardianCon in 2019. Instead, Tee is aiming for TwitchCon in September.Tee & Pip are coming to Key City Steampunk Festival.And there’s a return to Richmond for the James River Writing Festival planned for this year! Twitch for Dummies, now in bookstores everywhere!Time to get to Westeros!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… 703.791.1701pip@pjballantine.comtee@teemorris.com…and social media, of course. 45:32 — Behind-the-Scenes Blooper 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 rideand we’ll catch you later.

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 BandersnatchIt’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 DodgeHe 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 countryTim 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 2019We 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 entertainmentTee’s looking even further ahead to a writing retreat he wants to do when he turns 55… Back on track and looking ahead…RavenConClockwork AlchemyGenCon…and somewhere in there, Tee, Pip, and Tim get together again at Balticon.Experiencing the K.T. Bryski Editing ExperienceThe freedom of arriving to a writing retreat with a clean slateStill looking ahead…Aiming for a return to the Maryland Renaissance FestivalTee targets TwitchCon.Writing Goals for 2019More Ministry spinoffs plannedDope needs a home. This means, Tee needs to find an agent.The dangers of writing in RomanceJust 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…TwitterInstagramAll the good variations of Time Dodge were taken.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… 703.791.1701pip@pjballantine.comtee@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 rideand we’ll catch you later.

What a year it has been. 2018 was the best of times and the worst of times… The Shared Desk, now recorded LIVE on Twitch at Tee’s Twitch Channel, hops, skips, and jumps its way through 2018, and looks at what was a hit, what was a miss, and what we have to look forward to in the coming year. 00:00 —  Introduction We’re kicking off this show with premium cat butt Sometimes you just have to ride the impulse wave and go LIVE on Twitch! When going live, where do you look? Geek Parenting… So, we’re having adult beverages tonight. 05:05 —  Episode #92: Looking Back on 2018  Let’s glance in the rearview, shall we? Episode #86 Big Doctor Who shout-out’s Why was Battlefield Earth on the Hallmark Channel? It was a mega-podcast with The Geek Wolfpack Podcast and K.T. Bryski This was recorded before the younglings landed their respective high schools. Conventions, conventions, conventions…. ….and juggling projects. Brandon questions why Tee would be writing Twitch for Dummies. Pro Tip: Find yourself a good Tech Editor. Episode #87 Lani Sarem, part of an elite group of idiots in the publishing industry 2018. Not a good year from Zuckerberg’s House. Social Media matters. The New York Times piece that gives Tee pause… Changes in the Facebook approach Episode #88 Big jump between episodes. All the bad things were happening. Tee’s Mom is holding up way better than Tee could have hoped. Then Tee sticks the landing with Code.gov. Tee misses his Dad. Hard. All for good reasons. Finding a calm in the storm with Lost in Space on Netflix Episode #89 The Sea King’s Daughters launched. Pip loves her spreadsheets! Tee completed the fiftieth short story in Tales from the Archives. Balticon, baby, with the Chain Mail Nerd!!! Nerding….The Next Generation Detroit Become Human and the writing behind it Episode #90 Pip was a little apprehensive about streaming, but that didn’t last for long… While Tee and Pip streamed, Nick and Brandon work out a novel development. Pip found Later and Canva around this time. Tee was working towards his Dummies deadline Big month for Pip The Books & Braun Dossier launched. Dope is still underway, and with the furlough, Tee has time to edit. Mainlining Poirot on account of Kenneth Branagh Episode #91 Amazon devours Createspace and Tee turns 50! Achtung, Baby!!! Seriously, you’re taking up Krav Maga at fifty?! Tee and Pip — Professional Beer Hipsters And Tee slips over to the Dark Side… The Germany Trip was a good time, even with the delay in the U.K. Returning to the book business of Createspace, and the growing pains present. Let’s go to the spreadsheets!!! Yes, Pip was a machine in 2018. Audiobooks have been very, very good to us. 2019…new stuff to come. 45:15 — The Wrap-Up Wrapping up the podcast, but when you follow or subscribe to the stream, you get the extra content! Pip’s Patreon is still going strong in case you were wondering. More nerdy, writerly talk on the stream; but we’re heading out! Tee is still working on getting podcasts back on track, including this one and Happy Hour from the Tower. 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.

Well, it has been quite a spell, but it does not necessarily mean that we are taking it slow this year… Welcome back to The Shared Desk, now recorded LIVE on Twitch at Tee’s Twitch Channel. So what is the difference between the live stream and the podcast, you wonder? We’re offering listeners a compact, condensed version of the show in the podcast feed for when you may have missed the show. The live Shared Desk will go longer, and be completely raw and unedited. We will also take your comments and questions as they come in. We are enjoying the whole Twitch experience, and hope you continue to listen (and reach out to us) on either platform. Alright then. on with the show, where we address the changes at CreateSpace. 00:00 —  Introduction It’s been too long… Memories of Germany Did we happen to mention it’s been a week. Where the heck have we been? Twitch for Dummies is done! Celebrating seven years of marital bliss Tee reaches the Gold Edition as he turned 50. Pip is recording audio. A lot of audio. Oh, yeah, in September, there was an upgrade to the studio. 04:48 —  Episode #91: Achtung, Baby! (The Germany Trip) Let’s celebrate the 50th birthday of Tee Morris! When you’re in Germany, you’re going to mention the war. Reminders are everywhere. History is everywhere you go in Germany. Oh, Bavaria… We like beer! We were visiting our steampunk supermodel. You want to hear more about the trip overseas? Watch the full show at the YouTube video! (Yeah, catching the show LIVE means extra content!) 07:30 — Episode #91: R.I.P. CreateSpace What’s breaking int he Writing World? (No, not writing advice from pretentious nitwits.) The death of CreateSpace We writers find ourselves, once again, here… CreateSpace was its own entity…until Amazon decided “We can do it better.” Yeah, about that… Come on, Amazon. Step up! It would have been great to have books for PhilCon, but there were two things we didn’t have: a working car, and books. Some concerns about this takeover beyond delivery of books Some opinions about Amazon courtesy of Hasan Minaj’s Patriot Act. We are hooked on Amazon. We admit it. It’s hard to deny how much power Amazon holds. Amazon need competition. What Tee is worried about: Quality of the Product from Amazon An early experience with Dragon Moon’s experience with Ingram’s Spark Devil’s Advocate: Times and technology are different. How Amazon is handling proof copies Amazon marks proofs as proofs. Tee also has a bad story about booksellers selling proofs. And here is where the “marital bliss” kicks in. Pip Ballantine, dealer of sick burns A mini-rant on Apple iBooks and the indie author So far, the quality of books is fine; but we are still early in this new relationship. Amazon is not a perfected science. Here are a few disappointments from the past… So what options do you have outside of Amazon? Pip is working with BookBub, and digging it so far. Did you know about the Books & Braun Dossier? This is a thing! We have our own holiday sale with The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh. There’s also a sale on our print books! 20% off, and more… The best way to get your copy of Twitch for Dummies autographed So with all this — will we still use Amazon? Old Man Morris rants about Facebook Boycotting the ‘Zon? Good luck with that. Here’s one good reason to stick with the ‘Zon… 28:08 —  Loot Crate Lookie-Loo If it is possible to two-fist on a Loot Crate, we’re going to do just that! Tee is opening September’s Loot Crate: INVADERS The tee-shirt — Venom. Well played…but it’s black. And Tee is a little burned out on black tees. BUT IF YOU GO TO HANGRY GAMER GEAR… A Predator bandana, and it makes Tee smile wide. (A favorite movie of his…) There are a lot of statuettes, but this Alien statuette is a keeper! Always good to have a blank journal from The X-Files so you can take notes of close encounters. Tee’s pin is another nod to Aliens. Noice!!! Pip is tackling October’s Loot Crate: CURSED Her tee shirt lead —  Attack on Titan …which is not our jam. Socks featuring the Gremlins! Pip also has a statuette, and it is Evil Dead 2 so it stays! There’s a room key from American Horror Story: Hotel ...and she can make the key her own! The pin? A classic Ouija board cypher. Well done! Wow…keeping everything but the shirts! And the Venom shirt is going to our buddy, Hugh! 36:04 — The Wrap-Up Wrapping up the podcast, but when you follow or subscribe to the stream, you get extra content! Where will Pip and Tee be, you might wonder? Thanksgiving  Christmas Did we mention Pip’s Patreon? And many future projects. But looking ahead to 2019… Tee is also working on getting podcasts back on track, including this one and Happy Hour from the Tower. 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.

Adjusting to new schedules is still hard. An entire summer got by us, but we said we were going to make Show #90 count, and how did we do that? How about this?! Yes, we are taking the show to Twitch, and on Tee’s Twitch Channel, bringing all the wackiness and goofiness that you expect from us, only now including video and the magic of going LIVE! If you missed the show…well, you’ll just have to listen (or watch) and see if we will decide to do it again. 00:00 —  Introduction If you’re going to come back, do it with some panache! Upping our game, we’re giving Twitch a shot! The magic of going live. We have adult beverages as we go live. Hold on to something. Hold up, that OP Seat is Tee’s seat! Not bad numbers for a first step out… 04:51 —  Episode #90: Catching Up and Summing Up the Summer…LIVE on Twitch! Let’s try and get back on track… Tee’s on deadline with Twitch for Dummies Tee begins to regret going live with Pip. Apart from finishing the book, Tee’s struggling with one of the Parts of Tens. So what are your hosts drinking? Glad you didn’t ask. Getting an opinion on how to solve this dilemma…and that was quick. Nick Kelly doubles down and claims that Pip on Twitch is the best — thing — EVAR!!! Pip’s summer has been all about her new project. Pip’s Patreon is offering free stories to her subscribers! Six women, six mermaids. Stacia Kelly Piper J Drake Lauren B. Harris Katee Robert Åsa Maria Bradley An epic collection of awesomeness …and this is on top of Pip getting her Books of the Order and Shifted World rights back.While Pip Again, the magic of going live. And Pip was worried about Tee getting inappropriate! Pip manages to get back on track. Thank God! Did you know about the Books & Braun Dossier? This is a thing! Pip is getting really, really good at laying out books in InDesign. Hey, who is in this mermaid collection? Don’t think Tee has forgotten about Dope. Did Tee mention that he’s still digging his new job? He’s got a new toy for his video work. There’s a difference between Gimli and gimbal. What’s Dope? Well, here is the origin story behind it… New genres, new challenges What else is on the White Board Wall? Death and the Falcon is itching to be written…by Pip, anyway. MUNCH IS IN CHAT!!! Talking a little bit about what’s happing in the publishing world… Createspace becomes part of the grand Amazon machine The jump was not so bad,at least for Pip. Stacia D. Kelly introduces Pip to Later.com, and Tee digs it! Some serious talk about Vellum, and why InDesign is still an essential tool for indie writers. Adobe has a lot going for it, even beyond InDesign. The problem with being hommans to floof… 35:55 —  Loot Crate Lookie-Loo Tee confesses to having a bit of a blunder with Loot Crate. Yeah…whoops. And now we are looking at this month’s Loot Crate: MAYHEM A Rick & Morty Monster Mayhem Statue A Batman smartphone pop Pip claims the Harley Quinn notepad for herself The pin is a nod to Courage the Cowardly Dog  An Office Space tee…which is heading to the prize bin. Pip is concerned about the amount of plastic arriving to the house. 42:26 — Writers Off the Clock The way adaptations work Murder on the Orient Express, featuring David Suchet’s Hercules Poirot Inspired by Murder on the Orient Express, featuring Kenneth Branagh’s Hercules Poirot The various approaches to Murder on the Orient Express An all-star cast with Albert Finney Another take with David Suchet The recent Ken Branagh take What was with the voice, Finney? The evolution of Hercule Poirot under Suchet It’s a little unfair to compare Branagh to Suchet It’s like comparing Sherlocks between Downey, Cumberbatch, and Brecht. The differences between Branagh and Suchet, and the ending. You want spoilers? Tee and Pip got some spoilers. Two separate approaches, and both work. Agatha really did not care for Poirot. Check out these films and see how one work can spawn different interpretations. 54:32 — The Wrap-Up Pip really is an optimist. Where will Pip and Tee be, you might wonder? 20 October — The Maryland Renaissance Festival  27 October — Hallow Read in Ellicott City, MD 16-18 November — Philcon Did we mention Pip’s Patreon? Coming this Fall — Tee turns 50!!! We’re going to Germany! And we’re getting the band back together… And for our anniversary, we’re going quite posh this go round. 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. So…should we do this Twitch thing again? 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.

A SYNDICATED SPECIAL with the Geek Wolfpack Podcast! A special episode (dropped into the Shared Desk feed via the Geek Wolfpack Podcast feed) where Papa Wolf  (Nick Kelly) and his special guest (Tee, first time in studio!)  recap the events of MAGFest 2017. Hear these two discuss the unique vibe of this festival, cosplay, retro gaming, our panels, and all sorts of insanity from this incredible Washington, DC music and gaming festival over fine, malted beverages… MAGFest Recap Notes 0:00 – Intro
1:07 – Fanboyglass – Destiny glasses 2:02 – MAGFest 
2:16 – Brie gets her cameo 2:35 – Momma Wolf gets her cameo 3:08 – Rob Aldrich at www.teachthesky.com 3:49 – Rob’s panel on the Top Ten Episodes of the Transformers Rob Aldrich presents on the Top Ten Transformers Episodes 4:11 – What is MAGFest? 4:50 – Tee’s intro to MAGFest 5:41 – Awesomecon 6:45 – The attendees are as diverse as it gets, and we love it 8:04 – Our friends at the Geektitude podcast and State of the Geek 8:14 – Locked, Loaded and Liberal 8:54 – MAGFest did a great video of our panel, Storytelling in Video Games 9:03 – Tee’s podcast, The Shared Desk 9:37 – There might be Time Travel 10:03 – Last year, Tee did “The Big Score: The History of Soundtracks in Movies and Video Games” 10:22 – Major kudos to all of the staff. The A/V crew was amazing. 11:10 – Always give thank you’s in the most public way to sound, A/V and lighting people 11:45 – Thursday’s arrival 12:20 – eBro-la is now a thing 13:08 – 4 day cons are actually 6 days long 14:14 – Battletech: Fire Storm 17:04 – The end of a con is not unlike Fat Tuesday Squirrel Girl! 17:31 – Comics & Gaming 17:51 – Thermal’s new Assassin’s Creed jacket 18:18 – Ashamei got new earrings 18:50 – Sonic Boom gets Overwatch ears 20:16 – How Tee and Rob Aldrich met (in 2003) 21:51 – Hingle McCringleberry 22:10 – Pre-Order Rob Aldrich’s “Rockaiju” 22:55 – Rob mentioned Final Fantasy VI 23:35 – Rob also mentioned Ratchet and Clank 23:38 – Nick talked about Asheron’s Call 24:04 – Xenoblade Chronicles 24:31 – Tee talked Myst 24:45 – Tee also talked Destiny 25:28 – Get a gaming crate from Lootcrate 25:35 – Smuggler’s Bounty – Star Wars themed crates 26:14 – When is the story too much? 26:36 – Overwatch needs a story mode 27:27 – Matthew J Drake 28:25 – Overwatch was the predominant cosplay 28:55 – Rayden from Mortal Kombat 29:40 – The giant Team Skull contingent was outrageous 31:40 – Garrison Tyranus from the 501st Legion 32:35 – The Wolfpack did Friday 33:10 – The Voice Acting Panel 34:57 – Say “good-bye” like this… Thermal Wolff’s Assassin’s Creed jacket 36:14 – Rail Theory Kickstarter in February 36:36 – 2064 Read Only Memories 37:44 – Shout out to Machinae Supremacy! 38:11 – Old Town Man Cave – Manassas, VA 38:26 – IT WAS COLD! 39:12 – Buy an electric vehicle 39:20 – The Blink charging app 40:12 – Aldrich is reviewing every episode of Transformers ever 43:42 – Do not Chipotle at MAGFest 44:03 – Redstone American Grill 45:27 – We love Luke Cage. Congrats to their stunt crew! 46:18 – We played Joust! 47:55 – The sound that ties MAGFest together, the Colossus roar! 49:00 – Some of the pinball machines (There’s a Big Lebowski game!) 50:28 – Our late night panel, “Slightly Off-Key: Great Soundtracks to Truly Terrible Films” 52:35 – A little Billy Idol history 54:02 – Steve Stevens has a grammy for flamenco Monty Python’s Spanish Inquisition showed up at MAGFest 54:55 – Why Nick is pissed about Heavy Metal 2000 56:42 – Brian May’s involvement in the New Horizons project 57:45 – We gush over Highlander 58:20 – We talked a ton about Jim Steinman on the panel 59:02 – Nick loves Meatloaf 59:55 – The types of movies we cover: “If they weren’t absolute stinkers, they were train wrecks.” – Tee 60:30 – Where the video game based movies rank on RottenTomatoes.com 62:03 – Shout out to our friends at Horrorview 63:57 – The Batman vs Superman movie themes – fortissimo or djent, however you want to put it… 65:34 – We sold books! 66:16 – We agree to disagree on Van Helsing 66:56 – The different scores of Legend 69:33 – So, Nick, how did you feel after the panel? 71:29 – There’s a lot of Jim Steinman to the Protomen View from the stage during the Thursday panel 74:22 – MAGFest is a two-way communication at all times 75:44 – Tee had fans of the Ministry in attendance 76:34 – The vibe at MAGFest is contagious 78:44 – Reciprocity! 80:34 – Shout out to Tyler Waldman 81:05 – Shout out to Pip Ballantine! 81:30 – Countless Hues of Crimson 81:38 – Pip Ballantine’s “Immortal Progeny” 81:45 – The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh 81:56 – Shout out to the staff! 82:06 – MAGFest 82:29 – Happy Birthday David Bowie and Elvis Presley. Bowie released an EP on 1/8/17 83:18 – All MAGFest all the time! 83:38 – Outro Finally….The Colossus Roar!