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…

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 Con
• It takes over Indiana and Indy itself!
• 70,000-80,000 people
• So many neat people have stands there, but for authors Cherie Priest was the Guest of Honor
• GAWR 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 quiet
• The 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 brilliant
• No 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 symposium
• Nice 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 it
• Tee found a fellow trombone player!
• Tee stumped many con goers than usual.
• Tee did a podcasting panel with Anton Strout and Cat Rambo
• Tee (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 Word
• It 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 panel
• Pip and Tee have a slice of humble pie at their Q&A
• Pip plans to use steampunk to lure people in next time…
• Tee gets to meet his Wiley editor, Steve Hays
• Got to meet Aloysius Fox, who runs two events. International Steampunk Symposium and the Chicago Steampunk Exposition
• Ran into all sorts of people, even in this huge event!
• Signing a bit of a wash…
• Pip signed a literary brick
• Tee also did some pop up streams at the event, but technical difficulties bit
• Three 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 corrected
• Pip was done, but Tee jumped on a bunch of panels that needed help
• Tee talked about passing time in writing
• CAT 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 Twitch
• Pip and Tee contemplate a writing stream

• 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 Con
• Pip passed out, but Tee went out for beer with Danfinity
• Find Tee on Untappd

51:15 Indy wrap up

• Pip and Tee think Indy is a cool city. 19th century architecture, and public art
• People were lovely, and our Uber drivers were all charming… and they all love FIFA. Futbol!

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Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.