Warp Drives with TJ & Dave

This week we talk about The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel—who is so marvelous that she’s amazing at everything she tries her hand at. We also go into how she puts the godfather of her career in mortal peril without thinking twice.

This week, TJ and Dax take on The Mandalorian and the great big flaw in its worldbuilding.

And we're back with a new season, starting with an episode about the new Terminator movie and how writing quality is a lie.

You've made it! As you cross the finish line, take two minutes for a celebration of what you've accomplished this month.

After 29 days of offering writing advice, TJ finally admits that it's all garbage.

TJ talks about how to construct the perfect feast day meal using the writing skills you're best at.

TJ talks about how to slow down and give a great reading that keeps the audience engaged.

You don't have to feel terrible to produce good art. TJ shares some ways to avoid falling into harmful habits and how to find someone to have your back.

Self-care is more than just long baths and hydration. TJ talks about special considerations for writers.

TJ talks about why you need--and how you find--sensitivity readers for your novel.

TJ shares how to keep up on trends in speculative fiction when your TBR pile is already toppling.

TJ goes into how writers can prepare for speaking on panels and podcasts.

TJ shares all the parts of the kit she brings to book signings, readings, and panels.

TJ details how many plates you have to keep spinning in your writing in order to hook a reader. Spoiler... it's fewer than you think.

TJ borrows some lessons from air traffic controllers to talk about how to manage writing deadlines.

Today, TJ talks about the dreaded writer's block. There are some quick fixes to getting unstuck, but if they don't work it might be time to pull out some heavy artillery.

You may know what you're writing, but do you know who you're writing it for? TJ goes into a very specific reader that you should choose while crafting your story.

Social media is an insidious dream killer that can swallow your writing time. TJ takes a look at ways to ensure you get a good ROI from your time spent online.

A good critique group is incredibly valuable. But how do you find one? Especially as a newer writer, it can be hard to find people who can offer good feedback in your genre. Tune in to find out where to find people who can help you level up.

What motivates you to get in the writing chair each time? How do you maintain that fire to create when slogging through the doldrums of a long project. Today, TJ talks about celebrations and motivations.

Get a dose of tough love from TJ today as she explains how to tell if you're doing the work or just f*cking around.

NaNoWriMo is a great way to get a jump start on that novel you always wanted to write. But is there a dark underbelly to this otherwise wonderful competition?

If there's a worst part of writing, it's probably revision. Today, TJ talks us through the common misconceptions that writers have about revising and some strategies to mitigate the pain.

It's day 10 of #nanowrimo19 and if you've fallen behind, never fear. TJ is here to walk you through a few options for getting yourself out from under the growing burden of unwritten words.

Are your well-meaning goals actually unachievable wishes? That might be why you keep failing to meet them. Today, TJ takes a look at the difference between wishes, goals, and success conditions (objectives) in order to give you the best chance of getting what you want out of writing.

Yesterday, TJ did a deep dive on how to track and improve your writing productivity. Today, she takes a step back and talks about why you might NOT want to use tracking as a measure of success.

We've talked about all the different factors that can go into making your writing process work better. Today, TJ pulls them all together to come up with a way to track your productivity... even if you don't want to be more productive.

Welcome to NaNoWriMo Day 6! Now that you've found a comfy place to write, a good playlist, and found ways to increase our focus, you need the right tool for capturing your heartbreaking prose.

On day five, TJ offers some strategies for minimizing interruptions, plus a look at why people don't consider writing "real work."

As we plow through NaNoWriMo Day 4, let's take a moment to talk about creating a dedicated writing space to draw out your best work. And... TJ offers her best secret trick to getting into a writing headspace instantly.

You made it to Day 3 of NaNoWriMo, but now a brilliant new idea is beaconing on the horizon. Should you stop and pursue the shiny thing or stick to your original project? Here's how to get your brain back on track.

It's day two of NaNoWriMo! What you're listening to can help or hinder what you put on the page. TJ offers some specific suggestions for finding inspirational music--especially for writers of genre fiction!

Welcome to the the first day of NaNoWrimo! In episode #1, TJ talks about getting a solid handle on your writing process in order to give yourself the best chance of reaching a state of flow. Today's directive: Front-load your work.

After a long break, TJ and Dave are back and have lots to talk about from Worldcon, TJ's Book Launch (Space Unicorn Blues) and our travels all over LA

It' that time of year again, Clarion West is back in swing and the students are running through the six-week gauntlet that forges them into the great sci-fi fantasy writers of tomorrow! In this episode TJ and I welcome Shiv and Elizabeth, two of her classmates from CW 2016's class, aka "Team Arsenic"

All you ever wanted to know about insulin pumps, Phillip K. Dick, the Iron Man comics, and the new show Counterpart.

It seems like we're not going to talk about anything Sci-Fi related...and we don't for a long time but we actually end up talking about the new Han Solo movie, which we both liked. If you enjoy hearing about our lives...you'll like this one for sure. TJ and I talk about how we both got into technology for our careers and which Geocities communities we were a part of waaay back in 1993.

Infinity War arrived this weekend to both fanfare and tears. We’ll talk about the big reveals, the story structure, and what we think might happen in Avengers 4. This episode is full of both Infinity War spoilers and fan theories about Avengers 4, so beware!

Would a virtual world really look like the Oasis? This week, we delve into Ready Player One and take a look at the plot differences between the book and film. We also talk about how assuming the real world is intrinsically better than a virtual world can be an ableist trap.

Emerald City Comic Con and Norwescon were both this month and Dave and TJ talk about barconning while sober, as well as how to barcon when you’re too shy to approach people. We discuss whether the Retro Hugos are really necessary or just an exercise in romanticizing the history of sci-fi.

Star Trek: Discovery finally wrapped up with a class trip to Qo’noS, the Klingon home world. We talk about our impressions of the finale, plus a look back over all fifteen Discovery episodes to see if the promises made at the start of the season were fulfilled.

Black Panther was one of the best films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date. This week, we talk about the costumes, music, story, and characters in this amazing movie.

TJ wrote a book! Space Unicorn Blues will be out from Angry Robot Books on July 3, 2018. We talk about how an offhand comment from Dave inspired TJ to spite-write the weirdest space opera she could come up with… and then she sold it! We talk about upcoming conventions we’re attending, the editing process, and the role of sensitivity readers.

The Shape of Water wasn’t our favorite film of the year, but there were a few things we enjoyed about this modern-day fairy tale. We’re also quite concerned about Eliza’s pH balance, because she was being intimate with a fish man in a bathtub full of potpourri.

We return to the mirror universe in episode 11 of Star Trek: Discovery and were exasperated to find that even more main characters are kicking the bucket. But some are returning to life… and there were some incredibly satisfying moments as well.

Holy macaroni, we’re talking about the midseason premiere of Star Trek: Discovery and it’s a doozy. There were reveals, transformations, and a sudden death that had us scream-crying in our comfy chairs. Strap in for some Discovery spoilers, because we’re talking about it all.

In our first episode for 2018, TJ and Dave talk ALL about The Last Jedi. There's so much about this movie that is great, and we love the Tikka sisters so much!  

This is our third and final part of the Star Trek Discovery discussion where we spend the majority of the episode talking about the Fall finale episode and share lot and lots of spoilers, and some theories on what is to come in the second half of the season.   Content Warning: There is some discussion of a sexual assault scene that occurs in the episode.

We keep the conversation going on Star Trek Discovery! There's so much great stuff to say about this show that we had to keep on talking, and we end this episode on TJ's favorite line from the season so far...