Black Friday is here and, in the United States, we are beginning that freefall into the week-long Christmas/New Years’ party. We terrorized by other overstressed drivers, bombarded with crappy holiday music, assaulted by overpriced “holiday deals,” and subjected to endless “cute” holiday memes.
Your television is proud to bring you the sappiest entertainment they can think up. If there were still movie theaters open, you could see all those tired retreaded Christmas themed movies. But theaters aren’t open, so you can PAY to stream them. Things couldn’t be better.
We have mentioned before that Restless Shores is COVID-19 safe entertainment, accessible, and FREE. Just download us and listen. It’s too easy. Don’t get lost in the crazy traffic, confused crowds, or deal with cyber Monday internet lag. Instead, grab a cup of coffee, settle into your favorite chair, and enhance your calm as you wander happily along Restless Shores.
We are coming up on our 100th episode in January, so you’ll want to catch to figure what’s eating Lorna Roupp and just what she is doing.
Scandal, intrigue, and salaciousness fifteen minutes at a time.
We want to celebrate what we have accomplished. We tried to rent a space big enough for all of use to be together to record this benchmark episode. Because of the super spreader wedding, no one is renting rooms. We tried to get a local celebrity in for a cameo part for this 100th episode, but again, with current circumstances, that was a no go. However, we aren’t going to let this ship pass unnoticed. Thank you to the cast and crew of Restless Shores for this centennial moment.
We are about to roll over 40,000 total downloads. When we think about our novel, Zombie Moose of West Bath Maine, that sold something under 50 copies and compare that to how many people have listened to an episode of Restless Shores, it boggles our mind.
We are excited about hitting the big 40, but the real zing for us was back in the early days when we hit 1,000 downloads. Compared to where we are now, it doesn’t seem like much. Our first “big” number and the memory of the sense of accomplishment still warms our hearts.
Like a first kiss, we leaned in and closed our eyes, hoping for the magic we just knew was there when we launched the podcast.
On Tuesday, November 17, 2020, we will hit another “big” number. We will be recording our 100th episode, our centennial moment. We can’t let this benchmark pass without some acknowledgment, some celebration, even if it is a muted one. We did it. COVID may prevent us from celebrating. It seems, like that first stolen kiss, it may go unheralded by the world in general. But we don’t care. We will carry the memory of this achievement for a lifetime.
Once upon a time in book writing land, if your book didn’t hit a certain word count, then you didn’t even get your foot in the door of a publisher. After a quick internet search, the reasoning why publishers required between 60,000 to 100,000 words pretty much went unanswered. It just was an accepted fact. In creating Restless Shores, we didn’t follow the “accepted facts.” It’s worked for us so far.
We surmised that the reason behind “standard” book-length had to do with the cost of book production. The publisher wants to make money, and only books of a certain length were cost-effective. While we aren’t positive, following the money is always the fallback motive of detectives. Until someone can give us a better reason, we’re going with that one.
What happened is that we got books that just dragged in the middle because the writer had to add 10 – 30 thousand words of filler to meet the word count quota imposed upon them by publishers. Even today, with the avenue of self-publishing so accessible, writers hold to that word count structure and stuff their stories with filler.
On television, you see the same thing. Filler. If you look for it, you will begin to see where stuff is only happening to stretch the episode or movie out to a certain length. We watched a day-time soap opera where two characters had the same conversation over one hour. Oh, they phrased it differently each time, but it was the same basic content.
“So, if I reinstate you at my business in a position of importance, you will give me dirt on your father.”
“I want to work for you again, and I am willing to rat out my father to gain your trust.”
The episode kept flipping back and forth between this pair and other scenes, but for 14 total minutes and change (we timed it), this was the conversation these two had. Every. Single. Time. There also seemed to be an excessive number of 10 to 20-second close-up pensive stares. Filler.
Here at Restless Shores, we get questions all the time about why our episodes are so short.
One of the reasons is we don’t want any filler. We aren’t looking to stretch an episode out past the point of telling the story to fit into someone else’s arbitrary standards. Here at Restless Shores, we look to kill the fill.
Scandal, intrigue, and salaciousness fifteen minutes at a time.
We created Restless Shores as a scripted podcast soap opera. We got to tell you though that listening to it being broadcast on the radio from Midcoast Maine’s WCME (99.5 FM or 900 AM) every night at 7:05pm is just so much fun.
Podcast are much more flexible than radio or television allowing our fans to listen when it’s convenient for them and we like that. We like the fact that some of our fans have told us they have binged episodes multiple times; you can’t do that on the radio. Podcasts have provided a wicked convenient platform for our listeners.
That being said, hearing it on the radio is just so cool. Thank you Jim Bleikamp for giving us the opportunity to listen to our serialized scripted podcast on the air. We are loving it.
Ever wonder why Milton Roupp is so remorseless? He seems to think nothing of stomping on other people’s rights, let alone their feelings. Everything is black and white in Milton Roupp’s world. Either he can manipulate you into doing his bidding [mostly through blackmail], or he can’t. If he can’t manipulate you, then he will ruin you or have you killed.
We’re going to plead the nurture defense for Milton. His upbringing shaped Milton.
Milton’s grandfather, Ezekiel Roupp, was a snake oil huckster selling patent medicine to unsuspecting dupes. Ezekiel turned sleight of hand and misdirection, along with some Bible thumping, into an art form. Ezekiel finally settled in Gamote Point, mostly because the people there didn’t look to closely at where Ezekiel had made his money. He could just be an older gentleman comfortably enjoying his retirement. Milton admired Ezekiel’s ability to turn castor oil and soap into a business that made him rich. Milton took to heart all of Ezekiel’s wild west stories from the road. His grandfather was larger than life to Milton.
It was his father, Daniel, that left deep scars on Milton’s psyche. Ezekiel took part of his amassed fortune to send his son, Daniel, to college to learn the pharmacological arts. Daniel Roupp was a brilliant scientist and researcher. Daniel’s ability to make intuitive leaps led him to create a method to preserve vaccines. And this is the part that set Milton on the path he is on today. Daniel Roupp gave away his formula “for the good of mankind.”
Milton, even as a teenager, was appalled. Milton learned from Ezekiel there is money to be made from pharmaceuticals, big money. All it would take is a little sleight of hand, a slight twist in the narrative, a little push to the darker side of people, and maybe a little soap. Milton seethed as his father bumbled along with the little pharmaceutical company he established in Gamote Point when Milton knew it could make millions if handled correctly.
Eventually, Milton convinced Daniel to turn the business side of the company over to him. Daniel happily retreated to the lab and didn’t give the administrative side another thought. Milton used whatever means at his disposal to turn a profit. People were dupes ripe for exploitation as far as Milton was concerned, and he had little use for them if they didn’t further his grab for wealth and power. Milton didn’t even care about the woman, Lorna, that he married. Oh, Milton wooed Lorna, but he had little to do with her as soon as she accomplished her purpose. He just cared about her money and social status to use to grease the wheels for Roupp Pharmaceuticals.
Milton is just a result of his upbringing, after all.
Saarbrücken, Germany; Qa’emshahr, Iran; Nairobi, Kenya; Tottenham, United Kingdom; Yucca, Arizona; Long Beach, California; Palmdale, California; Kennesaw, Georgia; Enfield, New Hampshire; Henderson, North Carolina; Bountiful, Utah; and Lake Stevens, Washington.
Tonight, Restless Shores becomes more than an internet presence. We will be multiplatform as WCME (99.5 FM 900 AM) in Brunswick begins to broadcast episodes of our scripted podcast. It gives us the good kind of chills.
We took a quick look to see how many other podcasts have also picked up radio as an additional broadcasting platform and didn’t find any. While there may be some out there, this may be another first for New Meadows Media.
Now, you can follow what in the heck Uriah is doing, learn whether Rhonda will choose Milton over Miguel, find out who the father of Lorna’s son really is, or see if Regina can get Elise out of the bank vault.
Tune in tonight at 7:05 pm to WCME (99.5 FM 900 AM) in Brunswick, Maine or listen to the first episode of Restless Shores, “The Bill Comes Due,” anytime on your favorite podcast provider.
Starting on Monday, October 5 at 7:05pm tune into WCME (99.5 FM and 900 AM) for Restless Shores. The good folks at WCME are starting with Episode 1, “The Bill Comes Due” and broadcasting five nights a week. That will allow you guys who haven’t listened to Restless Shores to catch up with the series just by turning on the radio Monday through Friday!
Will this be too much goodness? Only time will tell.
And remember, whether you listen to Restless Shores on WCME or are a podcast purest, cast your write-in vote for Milton Roupp for President.
