I Should Be Writing: Recent Episodes
Mur Lafferty
"I should be writing" is what people say, but they rarely do it. This podcast is designed to help you get past those blocks, whether it's what your teacher told you when you were a kid, to being totally sure you'll never be as good as (FAV AUTHOR) so you might as well quit.
ISBW 22.16
I finished the book, I started a short story, and I have been looking at the concept of confidence a bit lately. Also been enjoying Charisma on Command videos. So let’s talk about confidence.
Don’t forget the book giveaway from last time! You have a week to enter!
The Books (along with links if you want to just order right now!):
- The Good Girl Effect by Sara Cate
- Nemesis Mine by Ann Archer
- A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Cheating Death by Maxie Dara
- To Cage a Wild Bird by Brooke Fast
- Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley (and Agatha Christie)
This post went live for supporters on August 7, 2026. If you want early and ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!
Remember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! The next live episode is August 13 with Ann Archer!
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review! CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn. Get archives of the show via Patreon. Aug 7, 2026 | ISBW 22.16 | murverse.com “Are you confident? What does “confident" actually mean?” by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 In case it wasn’t clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. And “AI” or large language models are wretched and we hate it so very much. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
ISBW 22.15
I want a lot of books.
I buy a lot of books.
I get sent a lot of books.
I can’t with all these books. So you get to benefit! I’m discussing five new or upcoming books of several different genres and then doing a giveaway! All you have to do is email me (mightymur at gmail) and tell me which one you want to be in the drawing for!
I will draw the winners August 15!
This is open to anyone, Patreon supporter/follower or not!
The Books (along with links if you want to just order right now!):
- The Good Girl Effect by Sara Cate
- Nemesis Mine by Ann Archer
- A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Cheating Death by Maxie Dara
- To Cage a Wild Bird by Brooke Fast
- Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley (and Agatha Christie)
This post went live for supporters on July 24, 2026. If you want early and ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!
Remember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! The next live episode is August 6!
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review! CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn. Get archives of the show via Patreon. Jul 29, 2026 | ISBW 22.15 | murverse.com “Let’s Give Away Some Books! (#1)” by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 In case it wasn’t clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
ISBW 22.14
The scammers are getting wilier, and we have to keep up, folks. They want you to pay to join book clubs, they catfish you to make you fire your agent and take theirs, and they are really into helping you promote a book you have forgotten about, and have zero control over because it was work for hire.
GLOSSARY: Work For Hire: It is an exception to the general (copyright) rule that the person who actually creates a work is the legally-recognized author of that work.
Meaning when Marvel* hires you to write Superman, Marvel owns the rights to everything and you get a check.
The biggest thing we discuss is how to best battle these monsters.
The following help too:
- Writer Beware
- Preditors and Editors (They're moving to a new platform, so all that's there right now (July 2026) is a Facebook link…)
- Our own Discord server for Patreon supporters!
This post went live for supporters on July 22, 2026. If you want early and ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!
Remember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! The next live episode is July 30!
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
*Yes of course I know that DC owns and publishes Superman. But I bet someone out there is trying to scam people by inviting them to write Superman from a fake Marvel address. See, guys, I’m telling you, these scammers are WILEY.
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review! CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn. Get archives of the show via Patreon. July 24, 2026 | ISBW 22.14 | murverse.com “Scams scams scams!” by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 In case it wasn’t clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
ISBW 22.13
Believe it or not, we got a feedback question to answer! We talk about how to get moving when you’ve stalled out on your writing routine, and a few of my secret anxieties. It boils down to:
Why are you doing this?
Notes:
- Escape Pod is a finalist for the Hugo and Ignyte awards! Amazing!
- I attended Viable Paradise once upon a time.
- Fix the News!
- Gail Carriger on Ditch Diggers
- JoCo’s Thing a Week
- Beatnik Turtle’s Song of the Day
- David Drake
- Elizabeth Bear on Ditch Diggers
This post went live for supporters on June 22, 2026. If you want early and ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!
Remember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! The next live episode is July 2!
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review! CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn. Get archives of the show via Patreon. June 26, 2026 | ISBW 22.13 | murverse.com “Dance Like Nobody’s Watching” by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 In case it wasn’t clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
ISBW 22.12
Happy Pride!
Recently we welcomed Isabel J. Kim to the show to talk about her debut novel, Sublimation!
We not only talk about her mind-bending Severence-like novel, but her use of point of view, second person, and about her award-winning story “WHY DON'T WE JUST KILL THE KID IN THE OMELAS HOLE”.
This post went live for supporters on June 19, 2026. If you want early and ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!
Remember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! The next live episode is June 25!
Links:
- Isabel J. Kim
- “WHY DON'T WE JUST KILL THE KID IN THE OMELAS HOLE”
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review! CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn. Get archives of the show via Patreon. Jun 19, 2026 | ISBW 22.12 | murverse.com “Isabel J. Kim talks SUBLIMATION” by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 In case it wasn’t clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
ISBW 22.11
(There will be a giveaway of Ruinous Creatures! I'm taking entries until May 21! Email me with GIVEAWAY in the subject line! You do not need to be a paying supporter to enter.)
Recently we welcomed Jessi Cole Jackson to the show to talk about her debut novel, Ruinous Creatures!
We cover Jackson's unique bone-specific magic system and her inspirations, not to mention how to wrap your head around romance and spice when you've only written tame things before.
Remember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! The next live episode is May 16.
This post went live for supporters on May 11, 2026. If you want early and ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!
Links:
- Jessi Cole Jackson
- Sarah Maclean
- T. Kingfisher
- Naomi Novik
- The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love
- Save the Cat
- The Heroine's Journey
- The Author Burnout Cure podcast
- 4 Act Structure
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn. Get archives of the show via Patreon.
May 16, 2025 | ISBW 22.11 | murverse.com "Ruinous Creatures and Magic Systems" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"If you injure somebody, that injury tells a story, and you have to decide whether that story fits the rest of your story."
22.10 In this episode, I go into "realism" with regards to injuries and health. Are injuries for pain? For an instant of shock? To give the character a new hardship? We talk about some of Stephen King's works and how to balance realism with narrative flow.
This post went live for supporters on April 21, 2026. If you want early and ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!
NOTE- This coming weekend (May 1-3) I will be GoH at DemiCon!
Remember, you can join us live on Thursdays at 3 PM Eastern on Twitch! Don't miss our next live episode!
Links
- Ravencon
- Demicon
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn. Get archives of the show via Patreon.
April 27, 2025 | ISBW 22.10 | murverse.com "Are you sure you want to injure that character?" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"Every character is the star of their own story."
ISBW 22.9
In this episode we talk about how different writers view characterization, from the ones who struggle to the ones who say the characters live in their heads. How do you manage all these wily beasts who want their stories told?
I will also be appearing next week at Ravencon, and then the following week at Demicon!
This post went live for supporters on April 17, 2026. If you want early and ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!
Remember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! The next live episode is April 24, when we will talk about A Year of Furious Creation.
Links
- Ravencon
- Demicon
- Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn. Get archives of the show via Patreon.
April 21, 2025 | ISBW 22.9 | murverse.com "When Characters Go Rogue" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"I think the thing people have the most problem with is, 'This was very good, but it didn't excite me.'"
ISBW 22.8
Mur is back solo, talking about Rejectomancy and how to interpret the rejections you get, and more importantly, how to move forward after getting said rejection.
And the bad news: you're aiming to make writing a job, which means you have to deal with the bad parts along with the good.
Remember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! The next live episode is April 9*, when we will talk about A Year of Furious Creation.
*(Maybe. I may have jury duty that day. Stay tuned.)
Links
- The person who coined the phrase 'rejectomancy.'
- Escape Pod
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn. Get archives of the show via Patreon.
April 6, 2025 | ISBW 22.8 | murverse.com "Can Rejectomancy Save Our Sanity?" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"Acceptance is built on a pile of rejections." ~ Justin C. Key
ISBW 22.7
Dr. Justin C. Key joins us to discuss his debut novel, The Hospital at the End of the World, exploring intersection of medicine and AI. Justin shares his experiences as a psychiatrist and balancing a medical career with being an author.
We go over writing process, community, and the lessons learned from both success and setbacks.
This post went live for supporters on March 27, 2026. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!
Remember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! The next live episode is April 2, when we will talk about Characters with a Mind of Their Own.
Links
- Justin C. Key
- Escape Pod
- Out There Screaming
- Vital, the Future of Healthcare
- Scribophile
- The Hospital at the End of the World
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn. Get archives of the show via Patreon.
March 30, 2025 | ISBW 22.7 | murverse.com "Medicine and AI with Dr. Justin C. Key" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"Weird is hot right now."
ISBW 22.6
CW- pet death.
It's been a rough week, so I'm talking regret and spite. Can they help and fuel us? Or is it just wasted bile?
Then we talk about new book releases, like Nobody's Baby by Olivia Waite and Hell's Heart by Alexis Hall. And we touch on our next show, an interview with Justin C. Key, author of The Hospital at the End of the World.
Remember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! The next live episode is March 26, when we will talk about Rejectomancy.
Links
- Nobody's Baby by Olivia Waite
- Hell's Heart by Alexis Hall
- The Hospital at the End of the World by Justin C. Key
- Ruinous Creatures by Jessie Cole Jackson
- You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado
- Wolf Worm T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon)
- Flyleaf Books
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn. Get archives of the show via Patreon.
March 23, 2025 | ISBW 22.6 | murverse.com "Regret, Spite, and shiny new book haul" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"Take your time, there's no rush. The audience will be here whenever your story is ready."
ISBW 22.5
In this episode we welcome author Olivia Waite to discuss her latest books, including Murder by Memory and Nobody's Baby. We touch on one of my favorite topics, writing science fiction mysteries, but we also delve into compelling beginnings and how to avoid the cringe in romance.
Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:30) Writing Updates (05:00) Interview with Olivia Waite (10:00) Discussion on Book Beginnings (15:00) Overview of Nobody's Baby (25:00) Writing Process and Genre Exploration (35:00) Audience Questions
(This post went live for supporters on March 12, 2026. If you want early and ad-free, episodes, support at Patreon!)
Remember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! Next episode is March 19, when I interview Justin C. Key, author of The Hospital at the End of the World.
Links
- Olivia Waite
- Douglas Adams
- Terry Pratchett
- Ocean's Echo
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review! CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn. Get archives of the show via Patreon. March 16, 2025 | ISBW 22.5 | murverse.com "Revisiting Space Murder with Olivia Waite" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"It might be too much, but it looks really fun."
ISBW 22.4
I've had a strong opinion about writing contests for years, but things have apparently evolved. I was reading about writing contests and found two that were quite interesting.
A bit of housekeeping: I am no longer doing an exclusive version of Patreon episodes. They will still be early, still ad-free, but I've found that making two versions of the same show is just too much for me right now. I will still do completely exclusive episodes that the feed will never see, but I will rarely do extended interviews, etc.
(This post went live for supporters on February 25, 2026. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!)
We touch on the Webbys and why I won't enter them, and as for contests, NYC Midnight and Writing Battle intrigue me! The both have good rewards, good communities, and reasonable rules.
Then I chat with the livestream, which you can join on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! Next episode is March 5, where I interview Olivia Waite, author of Murder by Memory and Nobody's Baby.
Links
- Writer's Digest
- NYC Midnight
- Writing Battle
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review! CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn. Get archives of the show via Patreon. February 27, 2025 | ISBW 22.4 | murverse.com "Have I changed my opinion on writing contests?" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"If [I] start thinking about the details, [I] will either go down the wrong pathand not record or [I'll] talk [my]self out of it."
ISBW 22.3
I finally finished the archives, and learned quite a bit about myself, not all good things. We also touch on Hugo season, book club scams, and AI publicists.
This post went live for supporters on February 20, 2026. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!
Notes
- I FINISHED THE ARCHIVES! Now I just have to figure out how to release them.
- Hugo voting is open!
- I'm playing Dispatch and Clair Obscur, which are going to be my nominations for the Best Game Hugo.
- Dispatch has made me think a lot about interactive fiction.
- Beware the newest book club scam.
- I want to stream some solo-RPGs. I'm considering ION HEART, Midnight Muscadines, and A Perfect Rock.
- Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane Anders made pure gold with Our Opinions Are Correct.
- Check out my 2026 appearances thus far! Next one is Ret-Con in Durham, NC, March 6-8.
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review! CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn. Get archives of the show via Patreon. February 23, 2025 | ISBW 22.3 | murverse.com "977 Episodes: What Have I Learned?" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"Not every opportunity is equal, and you don't have to chase everything." ~Tim Minneci
ISBW 22.2
What do you need to have when you're wrangling several pro writers? What can a writer expect from an assistant? Meet Tim Minneci, writer, podcaster, musician, and my assistant. (And Ursula's, and Kameron's.)
We discuss the challenges of being a writer, the importance of having an assistant, and the various tasks that come with supporting authors in their creative endeavors. Tim covers social media, the publishing industry, and the balance between creativity and administrative work.
(This post went live for supporters on February 16, 2026. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!)
Links
- Tim Minneci and his Dig Me Out podcast
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review! CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn. Get archives of the show via Patreon. February 18, 2026 | ISBW 22.2 | murverse.com "The Art of Juggling Writers (as an assistant)" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"All I can do is what I can do right now."
ISBW 22.1
First episode of the year, and we talk about the things we may not want to take along with us into the new year. New books, new shows (Patreon-only Evil Mur podcast called STET!), and all that other stuff. (This post went live for supporters on January 12, 2026. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!)
Links
- Stet (first episode is free to everyone!)
- Gnosia (game and anime)
- Escape Pod
- How to Be More D&D
- The Compound
- Recipes for an Unexpected Afterlife
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review! CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn. Get archives of the show via Patreon. January 6, 2025 | ISBW 22.1 | murverse.com "Careful What You Pack" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"You tell them enough information to show that you know 10% of what you're talking about, and your reader will assume you know the other 90%."
In this episode, Mur discusses the seemingly innocuous action of research, and how it can become a trap that distracts from actual writing.
Advent calendar info and AI complaints are free additions!
Links
- Kim Stanley Robinson
- Cory Doctorow
- The Sociopath Next Door
- Master of Malt Advent Calendars
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
December 4, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 24 | murverse.com "Research or Procrastination?" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"It’s a definitely a giftable type thing for the Tolkien lover in your life."
In this somewhat festive episode we talk about all the books we weren't able to feature over the year, to let you know about books you may not have heard of. We go by blurbs and first sentences - video also shows book covers! We talk SF, horror, mystery, and more.
Mur might also rant about publicists who use AI.
Check out all the books here! (affiliate)
Links
- T. Kingfisher
- Kosoko Jackson
- R. Lee Fryer
- LaDarrion Williams
- Agatha Christie
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. You can also support by leaving a Spotify or Apple review, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
November 16, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 23 | murverse.com "2025 Gift Guide" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"You want to preserve your experience of the work. You want to preserve the doing of the art." ~Cadwell Turnbull
Amazing author Cadwell Turnbull joins us to dives deep into the creative process and discuss his latest book, A Ruin Great and Free. We talk about his writing journey, trilogy challenges, and approaching social issues in his books.
(This post went live for supporters on November 24, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!)
Download Transcript
Links
- Cadwell Turnbull and on YouTube
- Emily St. John Mandel
- Octavia Butler
- North Carolina State University's MFA program
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— "The Journey from Ideas to Anarchy with Cadwell Turnbull" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon! Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please! CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. November 24, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 22 | murverse.com "The Journey from Ideas to Anarchy with Cadwell Turnbull" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"Anytime someone starts a sentence with, 'why don't you just,' immediately stop listening to them." ~Valerie Valdes (Lia Amador)
While it hasn't been a long time for podcast listeners, it's been a while for us and considering her expertise, I've invited Valerie Valdes back for a candid discussion about the recent demise of NaNoWriMo and what it means for writers. We delve into the challenges of maintaining community and motivation without the established infrastructure of the once-beloved event. Valerie shares her insights as a former municipal liaison and offers alternatives for writers looking to stay engaged during November.
We cover Nano 2.0, Shut Up and Write, and 4 The Words. Community is one of the most important parts of this month, and we make sure people know that they're still not alone!
(This post went live for supporters on November 4, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!)
Download Transcript
Links
- Valerie Valdes / Lia Amador
- Escape Pod
- NaNoWriMo 2.0
- Shut Up and Write
- 4thewords
- Dreamfoundry
- World Anvil
- Game of Tomes
- Kate Cavanaugh's Livestream
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— "NaNoWriMo's Ghosts and New Beginnings" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
November 6, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 21 | murverse.com "NaNoWriMo's Ghosts and New Beginnings" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
I'm going over some daily episodes from the past this month! Get the whole 2025 NaNoReRun over at Patreon free for all followers!
Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
"If you’re writing your stories down, you’re more than a writer than a lot of people ever will have the courage to try to be." It's a solo episode! I get into the complexities of writing and self-doubt, the struggles of completing a manuscript, the challenges of balancing creativity with personal life, and the ever-present specter of The Imposter Cop.
We try to accept the importance of focusing on one task at a time, despite everything.
Also we talk about K Pop Demon Hunters, exploring its themes and storytelling techniques.
(This post went live for supporters on October 22, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!)
Download Transcript
Links
- The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs
- K Pop Demon Hunters
- NaNo2.0
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— "The Bully that Knocks: The Imposter Cop" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
October 27, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 20 | murverse.com "The Bully that Knocks: The Imposter Cop" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"You should be writing, because that's the only thing that ultimately you can have even a hope of controlling." ~Valerie Valdes Welcome back to the talented Valerie Valdes, also known as Lia Amador! We are here to launch her newest book, a fantasy rom-com titled Witch You Wood. We talk magical reality shows, romance, and tropes. We also get real about the struggles that persist even after being published.
Valerie discusses her experiences with self-doubt and how she manages to push through these challenges. We also explore the nuances of writing romance, the balance between subtlety and straightforwardness, and the significance of knowing your audience.
(This post went live for supporters on October 20, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!)
Download Transcript
Links
- Valerie Valdes / Lia Amador
- Escape Pod
- International Latino Book Award
- Ali Hazelwood
- Mary Balogh
- India Holton
- Jackie Lau
- Archive of Our Own
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Hades 2
- Behooved
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— "Exploring Romance and Reality in Writing with Valerie Valdes" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
October 23, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 19 | murverse.com "Exploring Romance and Reality in Writing with Valerie Valdes" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
[Worldcon] was my first convention where I went to panels, gave a reading, and had a big party. It made my sweet little book feel like the huge thing it is in my heart and mind. -Tim Chawaga S21 Ep18
In this episode, we welcome Tim Chawaga, author of Salvagia, as we dive into the depths of his near-future science fiction mystery set in a flooded Florida. Tim shares the inspiration behind his book, where a freelance Salvagia diver uncovers a dead body while searching for valuable artifacts from the past.
We explore the blending of genres in Salvagia, from climate fiction to humor, and discuss the delicate balance between plot and world-building in writing. Tim reflects on his debut at Worldcon, the challenges of imposter syndrome, and the importance of building connections within the writing community.
(This post went live for supporters on October 16, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or get my newsletter at Ghost!)
Download Transcript
Links
- Tim Chawaga
- Salvagia
- Seattle Worldcon
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— "From Idea to Ink: Tim Chawaga on Crafting Salvagia" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
October 16, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 18 | murverse.com "From Idea to Ink: Tim Chawaga on Crafting Salvagia" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
Even writing badly will get you to writing well eventually. - Chinaza Bado S21 Ep17
In this episode, we sit down with Chinaza Bado, author of Birth of a Dynasty, to discuss the challenges and strategies of getting a trilogy published. Chinaza shares advice for how to query the a book and how to pitch a trilogy to publishers. We also discussed agents and marketing yourself in a competitive landscape.
(This post went live for supporters on October 14, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or get my newsletter at Ghost!)
Links
- Chinaza Bado
- Harper Voyager
- Martha Wells
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— "Navigating the Trilogy: Insights from Chinaza Bado" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. September 8, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 17 | murverse.com "Chinaza Bado and Navigating the Trilogy" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
Content warning: since Spread Me is erotic horror, this episode has an explicit tag.
I wrote it to have fun because I have written a lot of books that were not fun to write... -Sarah Gailey
In this episode, we welcome Hugo winning author Sarah Gailey, author of Spread Me, as we explore the wild world of erotic horror. Sarah shares their journey of writing a novel that takes inspiration from John Carpenter's classic film, The Thing, blending horror and erotica and humor.
We dive into the creative process behind Spread Me, discussing the unique premise of a research crew encountering a specimen with prurient interests, and how the protagonist's unusual attraction to viruses plays into the narrative.
(viruses!)
Sarah candidly reflects on the challenges of writing explicit content and the journey of finding the perfect title that captures the essence of their work. And we get Sarah's meticulous approach to outlining and how specificity in description enhances storytelling.
Then we fight book bans! It's a magical time.
(This post went live for supporters on August 29, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or get my newsletter at Ghost!)
Transcript
Links
- Sarah Gailey
- Nightfire
- Know Your Station
- Authors Against Book Bans
- Publishing Professionals Against Book Bans
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— "The Sweet Spot of Horror and Desire with Sarah Gailey" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
September 1, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 15 | murverse.com "The Sweet Spot of Horror and Desire with Sarah Gailey" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
You have to celebrate your friends who are more successful than you. ~Jim Kelly
In this special 20th anniversary episode of I Should Be Writing, recorded live at Worldcon 2025, I reunite with my mentor and long-time friend, James Patrick Kelly. We talk about the last two decades of writing, the evolution of our careers, and the ever-changing landscape of storytelling.
We still face bullies like self-doubt and shiny new ideas, but we also explore strengths like community support and celebrating each other's successes. We discuss all the bullies unveiled, the concept of "bullies" that plague writers, including the Imposter Cop, the Blade, and the Nap.
And as always we discuss how to handle creative hurdles.
Transcript
Links
- James Patrick Kelly
- The First Law of Thermodynamics
- Escape Pod
- Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
—
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
September 5, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 16 | murverse.com "20 Years of ISBW, Live from WorldCon with James Patrick Kelly!" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
I think I was a very... particular kind of undergraduate workshop student. -Dan Kois
In this episode, I welcome my old classmate from UNC, Dan Kois, Slate editor and author of Hampton Heights. We dive into our journey from college classmates to published authors. Both pro writers, we each took a very different path.
Dan shares the inspiration behind Hampton Heights, a thrilling adventure featuring four kids selling newspapers and encountering monsters unexpected relatives, and more.
Of course we discuss the struggles of self-doubt, the impact of mentorship, and the significance of continuing to write despite the obstacles.
Transcript
Links
- Dan Kois
- Hampton Heights
- Slate
- Vintage Contemporaries
- Lynda Barry
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— "Chasing Monsters: A Journey Through Hampton Heights" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
August 29, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 14 | murverse.com
"Chasing Monsters: A Journey Through Hampton Heights" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
'Reformed Pantser' is one of the most difficult things to be. -Seth Haddon
In this episode, we welcome Seth Haddon, the talented Australian author behind Volatile Memory. We cover hybrid publishing, writing routines, and pursuing nuns.
Volatile Memory explores themes of transhumanism and identity within a corporate-dominated future. Also haunted masks. And love.
(This post went live for supporters on August 25, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or get my newsletter at Ghost!)
Transcript
Links
- Volatile Memory
- Blind Eye Books
- Reactor
- Seth on Internet, Instagram, and Patreon
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— "The Haunted Mask: Exploring Volatile Memory with Seth Haddon" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or support via Ghost!!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
August 25, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 13 | murverse.com "The Haunted Mask: Exploring Volatile Memory with Seth Haddon" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"Nothing's easy, man; being an adult sucks." -Mur Lafferty
In this episode, we dive deep into Bully #5: The Nap.
We discuss the sneaky ways the Nap can derail our writing plans. Rest is vital, but The Nap isn't rest. It's escape. We also discusses the importance of sleep hygiene and how to combat the allure of a cozy nap when creativity calls.
We touch on the other bullies we've encountered along the way, including Bart, The Blade, The Sponge, and Despair, each representing unique obstacles in the creative process. (Still 3 to go!) (This post went live for supporters on August 21, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or get my newsletter at Ghost!
Transcript
Links
- Flyleaf Books
- Escape Pod
- Salvadore Dali (recently I discovered his admiration of fascism, so I won't be linking to him.)
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— "The Silent Bully: The Nap" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
August 22, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 12 | murverse.com "The Silent Bully: The Nap" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"Despair is the overprotective parent going, 'oh, it's okay that you lost that game. We'll protect you by never letting you play again.'" -Mur Lafferty
In this episode, we talk about Bully #4, Despair. Despair wants to hug you and join you when it's raining. It's nice to feel sorry for yourself for a moment, but you can't listen to it.
Mur is candid about feeling overwhelmed and the challenges of maintaining a connection to the outside world amidst creative struggles and personal challenges.
We explore some ways to combat despair, including the helpful practice of listing accomplishments and breaking down projects into manageable steps. And get a little fussy.
(This post went live for supporters on June 11, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!)
Transcript
- Joco Cruise
- Escape Pod
- Brindlewood Bay
- Mari Naomi
- John Hodgman
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— "Tango with the Tentacles, DESPAIR" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
June 18, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 11 | murverse.com "Tango with the Tentacles, DESPAIR" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"If you feel you have something to say, just put the time into saying it." -K.M. Huber
In this episode, we welcome K.M. Huber, the author of Call of the Owl Woman, about her journey from writer to published author. K.M. talks about how her years in Peru, including extensive exploration and research into local mythology, affected her writing and her new book.
Call of the Owl Woman is heavily influenced by those years, and is written for her daughter (who asked for it many years ago.)
(This post went live for supporters on June 5, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!)
Transcript
[podcast_subscribe id="6238"]
Links
- K.M. Huber
- Call of the Owl Woman
- Madeleine L'Engle
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— "Writing Between the US and Peru with K.M. Huber" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
June 8, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 10 | murverse.com "Writing Between the US and Peru with K.M. Huber" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"Get [your book] all the way to the end. You learn so much that way that you will not learn in any other way."- S.A. Barnes
(This post went live for supporters on May 23, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!)
In this episode, we talk about the creative process with guest author S.A. Barnes. We discuss her latest release, Cold Eternity, a space horror novel, and her upcoming work, Death's Daughter, set to release in May, 2026.
Stacey shares her journey of balancing writing with her teaching career and we discuss the trial of writing sequels and crafting compelling narratives. We explore the nuances of genre blending, the emotional stakes in horror, and the importance of getting to the end of a draft, no matter how messy it may be.
Join us as we also discuss Bully #3, the Sponge, who only wants your house to be clean and then it will let you write.
Transcript
Links
- S.A. Barnes
- Cold Eternity
- Becca Syme
- Event Horizon (movie)
- Aliens (movie)
- Ghost Ship (movie)
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— "Dancing Through Genres with S.A. Barnes and Bully 3, The SPONGE" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
May 20, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 9 | murverse.com "Dancing Through Genres with S.A. Barnes and Bully 3, The SPONGE" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
"We contain multitudes; you can be happy and jealous at the same time." -Mur Lafferty
(This post went live for supporters on May 21, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)
We're back! In this episode, we talk about the bullies that can sap our confidence and creativity again, today's bully is the Blade, a stern knife that can cut deep.
(I also announce my new cozy fantasy, it's real now! I am of course stressing over storytelling complexities (again).)
Let's talk about the Blade, and everything it stands for: mainly, jealousy, a feeling that can be sharp and painful. But fear not, we also discuss how to deal with these feelings and how to shut this bully up.
Transcript
Links
- Ted Chiang and "Story of Your Life"
- Arrival (Film)
- Six Wakes (Book)
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
— "Jealousy and Bully #2: The BLADE" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
May 20, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 8 | murverse.com "Jealousy and Bully #2: The BLADE" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
May 23, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 8 | murverse.com | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
"The bully loves pantsers because it can insult your outline."-Mur Lafferty
(This post went live for supporters on April 23, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!) (Also, I had a microphone glitch near the end, which is why it ends abruptly. Apologies.)
In this episode, we launch our series on the bullies that live in your head, rent free. This week we talk about my original bully, Bart (a potato). He's ugly and mean as a snake, but I do have some ways to deal with him.
We also touch on the recent Hugo nominations, my reading habits, and the exciting upcoming adaptation of Martha Wells' Murderbot series!
Transcript
Links
- Escape Pod
- Severance
- Murderbot
- The Teller of Small Fortunes
- Save the Cat
- Deadloch
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
—
"Conquering Creative Bully #1: BART (a potato)" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
April 10, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 7 | murverse.com "Conquering Creative Bully #1: BART (a potato)" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.
S21 Ep6: From Medieval Fashion to Modern Writing with Natania Barron
"Stories are how I make sense of the world." -Natania Barron
(This post went live for supporters on March 27, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)
In this episode, I talk a little about the JoCo Cruise and how it reminded me of the importance of community and creativity. I forgot how good it felt to surrounding myself with fellow creatives.
Then I talk to Natania Barron, a prolific fantasy author and medieval scholar of the Queens of Fate series. We delve into Natania's latest works and discuss the intersection of history and fantasy, the nuances of writing queer narratives, and the significance of food and fashion in storytelling.
Transcript
Links
- Natania Barron's Website
- Natania's Patreon
- Queen of None
- Worldbuilding for Masochists Podcast
- Diane Ackerman
- A Wrinkle in Time
- Flyleaf Books
- Quail Ridge Books
- Solaris Books
- Chuck Wendig
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet. —
"From Medieval Fashion to Modern Writing with Natania Barron" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. March 31, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 6 | murverse.com "From Medieval Fashion to Modern Writing with Natania Barron" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S21 Ep5: Crafting Tales Through Holiday Themes
"Engaging with the holidays definitely feels like a way to develop world and character." -Mur Lafferty
(This post went live for supporters on March 24, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)
In this episode, I dive into the significance of holidays in storytelling and how they can shape character development and plot progression. With no guest this week, I talk about my own projects, creative work and admin work both.
I cover Christmas romances that evoke themes of rebirth to the complexities of Valentine's Day, and discuss how different holidays can influence narratives.
Transcript
Links
- Writer's Digest
- The Holiday
- The Last Holiday
- Holidate
- Home for the Holidays
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet. —
"Crafting Tales Through Holiday Themes" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. February 13, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 5 | murverse.com "Crafting Tales Through Holiday Themes" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S21 Ep4: Taking a Machete to Creative Blocks with Premee Mohamed
"My characters would be wandering around the field with me going like, hey, I just found a rare orchid." -Premee Mohamed
(This post went live for supporters on March 21, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)
(recorded February) In this episode we welcome prolific, brilliant Premee Mohamed, a Nebula and Aurora award-winning author to talk about her new book, One Message Remains.
. We explore the process of creating clean first drafts, the chaos of deadlines, and the balance between creativity and productivity. And why the cat needs a job.
Premee shares the challenges of producing multiple works in a year and the strategies she employs to keep her creativity flowing. We cover outlining techniques and the importance of not being precious about the writing process.
Transcript
Links
- Premee Mohamed
- One Message Remains
- Premee's Patreon
- Psychopomp Press
- Tor.com
- Hugo Awards
- Aurora Awards
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet. —
"Taking a Machete to Creative Blocks with Premee Mohamed" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. March 24, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 4 | murverse.com "Taking a Machete to Creative Blocks with Premee Mohamed" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S21 Ep3: Rachel Howzell Hall on Balancing Thrillers and Fantasy
"I will try this new thing and I will learn how to do it." -Rachel Howzell Hall
(This post went live for supporters on March 18, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)
(recorded February)
In this episode of I Should Be Writing, we dive into the chaotic world of creativity with acclaimed author Rachel Howzell Hall, thriller writer turned fantasy writer. She discusses her new romantasy book, The Last One.
We delve into the importance of urgency in storytelling, the balance of world-building, and the personal experiences that shape a writer's voice.
Transcript
Links
- Rachel Howzell Hall
- The Last One
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Elden Ring
- Thomas & Mercer
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet. —
"Balancing Thrillers and Fantasy" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. March 21, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 3 | murverse.com "Balancing Thrillers and Fantasy" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S21 Ep2: Mental Health and Creativity
"Nothing is 100% original. It's what you do with it that counts." -Elaine M. Will
(This post went live for supporters on February 13, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)
Ever-looming existential dread, but we keep going. Then there's the challenge of navigating creativity amidst mental health struggles. I also reflect on a fear of failure. I'm not proud. I'm human.
And then we welcome to the show Elaine M. Will, a writer and illustrator known for her graphic novels that tackle mental health themes. We discuss Elaine's latest work, The Last Band on Earth, and the intricate relationship between storytelling and visual art.
Whether you're a writer or an artist, we hope you'll get something out of this episode, and you remember that a creative journey is filled with ups and downs, and it's okay to take your time.
Transcript
Links
- Elaine M. Will on Ko-Fi
- The Artist's Way
- Toronto Comic Arts Festival
- Scott McCloud
- Lynda Barry
- Gene Day Award
- Cuckoo's Nest Press
- Citizen Sleeper 2
Evergreen Links
- See all books from Season 21
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet. —
"Mental Health and Creativity" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. February 13, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 2 | murverse.com "Mental Health and Creativity" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S21 Ep1: In Which Evil Mur Delivers a Message of Hope
"It's time to just... quit." -Evil Mur
(Do not listen to Evil Mur)
Welcome to a new season of I Should Be Writing, where the notorious Evil Mur takes the reins to deliver a unique message of hope for the new year.
TL;DR, it's time to quit.
In this episode, we explore the idea of quitting writing and the liberation that can come with making a definitive choice. Evil Mur, the alter ego of Mur Lafferty, delves into the emotional rollercoaster of being a writer, the jealousy, the self-doubt, and the ultimate decision to either quit or persevere.
With what we hope is an eventual glimmer of hope amidst the chaos, Evil Mur sets you on a path for the new year. Whether you're contemplating quitting or seeking motivation to continue, this episode offers a fresh perspective on the writing journey.
Transcript
Links
- David Sedaris
- Grant Baciocco
- Jim Henson
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet. —
"The Art of Quitting, Evil Mur Style" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. January 9, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 1 | murverse.com "The Art of Quitting, Evil Mur Style" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
[NOTE- even though I remember editing, this is still an all over the place episode. And apparently I said I wasn’t going to swear and then did it anyway. Pretty accurate ending to 2024, actually.] "You need to come up with terrible ideas. And once you come up with terrible ideas, you will start developing good ideas." -Mur
In this episode, I talk about my writing journey, the challenges of ADHD, and shares ten terrible ideas that might just spark something wonderful. From comic book scripts to psychological thrillers set in idyllic farming towns, I explore the importance of embracing all ideas, even the seemingly bad ones.
Sort of.
We touch on where to get inspiration, and mention Rusty's Retirement and the modern Greek mythology series, KAOS. This episode is a reminder to embrace creativity and the messy process that comes with it.
Transcript
Links
- Blaseball (RIV)
- Douglas Adams
- Redshirts by John Scalzi
- Stardew Valley
- KAOS (Netflix series)
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
—
"10 Terrible Ideas" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. December 26, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 35 | murverse.com "10 Terrible Ideas" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep34: In Which Mur Looks Into The Pit of Despair and Sees a Tiger [Explicit]
"Don't talk yourself out of being creative, because that really is the biggest thing that stops us is ourselves."
(This post went live for supporters on November 14, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)
NOTE: It occurs to me that I have three explicit episodes--32, 33, 34--in a row. But one was a casual interview, one was rage, and one was despair. So we will get back to nice clean episodes soon. I promise.)
Recorded two days after the 2024 election, and I'm in deep despair in this episode. It's casual, with a lot of talk about ADHD and masking and what "writers" are supposed to do. We talk about the importance of embracing one's identity as a writer, regardless of external expectations.
I also talk about my upcoming cozy fantasy project, inspired by the likes of Legends & Lattes and T. Kingfisher's boks, and the challenges of discussing creative work prematurely.
Transcript
Links:
- Terry Pratchett
- Ray Bradbury
- Richard Dansky
- Discworld
- The Cure
- The Smiths
- Chuck Wendig
- Taskmaster
- Travis Baldree (Legends and Lattes)
- T. Kingfisher
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
—
"Tigers" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. December 2, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 34 | murverse.com "Tigers" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep33: In Which Mur and Jen Udden Discuss World Fantasy Con, Fan Fiction, and the Ever-Changing Publishing Landscape [Explicit]
"I think we're about 10 minutes away from reinventing urban fantasy and paranormal romance." - Jennifer Udden
(This post went live for supporters on November 12, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)
(NOTE: It occurs to me that I have three explicit episodes--32, 33, 34--in a row. But one was a casual interview, one was rage, and one was despair. So we will get back to nice clean episodes soon. I promise.)
At World Fantasy Con this year, I got to talk to my ex-agent Jennifer Udden, who shared her journey from agent to barista and back to agenting. We talked about the unique atmosphere of the con, the evolution of fan fiction in the literary world, and the growing acceptance of publishing professionals as writers. We also talk about Stardew Valley.
Jen opens up about her experience with self-publishing, the importance of creative outlets, and her plans to reopen submissions, focusing on adult fiction across various genres.
Transcript
Links:
- World Fantasy Con
- Archive of Our Own
- Organization for Transformative Works
- Stardew Valley
- Dragon Age
- Del Rey Books
- T. Kingfisher
- Guitar Hero
- Jennifer Udden on Instagram
- Marrying In by Jennifer Stratton
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
—
"Returning to Agenting with Jennifer Udden" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. November 25, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 33 | murverse.com "Returning to Agenting with Jennifer Udden" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S.20 Ep.32: In Which Mur and Valerie Discuss NaNoWriMo Alternatives, Writing Tools, and Community Building [Explicit]
"The spirit of NaNoWriMo was to do something big, bold, and show what you're capable of." - Valerie Valdes
(This post went live for supporters on November 13, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)
(NOTE: It occurs to me that I have three explicit episodes--32, 33, 34--in a row. But one was a casual interview, one was rage, and one was despair. So we will get back to nice clean episodes soon. I promise.)
Join Mur and Valerie Valdes as they dive into the chaos surrounding NaNoWriMo and explore alternatives for writers seeking new challenges. They discuss the current state of NaNoWriMo, the controversies, and the impact on the writing community. Valerie shares insights into her local writing group’s decision to break away and create their own events.
Valerie also offers a wealth of resources and tools to challenge yourself this month, including Dream Foundry's Freefall Challenge, World Anvil's World Ember, and various Pomodoro and idle games like Rusty's Retirement and Pomo Farm, and how to stay motivated with apps like 4 the Words and TrackBear.
Transcript
Links
- NaNoWriMo
- Twitch
- Discord
- Dream Foundry
- World Anvil
- Flights of Foundry
- Con or Bust
- Game of Tomes
- 4 The Words
- Pacemaker
- TrackBear
- Written Kitten
- Write or Die
- Placid Plastic Duck Simulator
- Rusty's Retirement
- Virtual Cottage
- Chill Pulse
- Cozy Time
- Melvor Idle
- On Track
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
"NowNoWhatMo…with Valerie Valdes" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. November 18, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 32 | murverse.com "NowNoWhatMo…with Valerie Valdes" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S.20 Ep.31: In Which Mur and Gwynne Garfinkle Discuss Short Stories, Anthologies, and the Joy of Fanfiction
"I write about what I know, and what I know is family." - Gwynne Garfinkle
(This post went live for supporters on November 12, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)
Join me as I welcome back author Gwynne Garfinkle to discuss her anthology of short stories and the art of writing across different lengths. We dive into Gwynne's journey from novels to short stories, exploring the freedom and challenges of each format. Gwynne shares her love for fanfiction and how it rekindled her passion for writing fiction.
We also delve into Gwynne's poetry, discussing her unique approach to capturing untold stories from classic films, and her process of deciding whether an idea becomes a poem or a short story.
Transcript
Links:
- Gwynne Garfinkle
- Escape Pod
- Strange Horizons
- Aqueduct Press
- Readercon
- Blue Sky
- Query Tracker
- Fantasy Magazine
- Psycho (1960 film)
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
"From Fanfiction to Fantasy: Gwen Garfinkel's Writing Adventures" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. November 15, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 31 | murverse.com "From Fanfiction to Fantasy: Gwen Garfinkel's Writing Adventures" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep30: In Which Mur and Stacy Sivinski Discuss Cozy Fantasy, Sensory Writing, and Sisterhood
"The senses are actually connected, and the way we describe sensation and prioritize sight and sound is actually attached to social biases that need to be reconstructed." - Stacy Sivinski
(This post went live for supporters on November 12, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)
In this episode, we welcome debut author Stacy Sivinski to discuss her new cozy fantasy novel, The Crescent Moon Tea Room. We explore the sensory elements that make her writing so immersive and the importance of sisterhood and self-discovery in her storytelling. Stacy shares her background in sensory studies, how it influences her writing, and the fascinating hierarchy of the senses that challenges traditional storytelling norms.
Stacy also touches on the challenges of transitioning from a PhD in English to writing cozy fantasy, her disciplined writing routine, and how she navigates the fears of starting new projects. We delve into her upcoming book, hinting at enchanted bookstores and ghosts, and discuss the power of writing rituals to overcome writer's block and anxiety.
Transcript
Links:
- Stacy Sivinski
- Stacy Sivinski on Instagram
- The Crescent Moon Tea Room by Stacy Sivinski
- Wild Geese Bookshop
- Schuler Books
- Deja Brew by Celestine Martin
- Big Witch Energy by Molly Harper
- The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
- Emory and Henry College
- Kate Chopin
- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
- Agatha Christie
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
"Exploring Cozy Fantasy and Sensory Writing with Stacy Sivinski" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. November 14, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 30 | murverse.com "Exploring Cozy Fantasy and Sensory Writing with Stacy Sivinski" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep29: In Which Mur and Cat Rambo Discuss Writing, Accountability, and Intelligent Spaceships
"I think that right now there are so many very interesting and original voices that can never be replicated." - Cat Rambo
Join me in welcoming author, community builder, former SFWA president, and all around awesome person Cat Rambo. We dive into Cat’s writing journey, discussing their latest series featuring intelligent spaceships and former mercenaries turned restaurateurs. Cat shares their unique approach to starting a story, the importance of accountability, and how they manage their prolific output despite the challenges all writers face.
Cat also talks about their recent projects, reveals their outlining process, the value of community in their Patreon, and future plans, including a horror novel set in 1976 South Bend, Indiana.
Transcript
Links:
- Rumor Has It by Cat Rambo
- Cat Rambo
- Cat's Patreon
- Jennifer Brozek
- Ursula Vernon
- Maurice Broaddus
- Bill Gibson
- Karen Joy Fowler
- Nisi Shawl
- Octavia Butler
- Stardew Valley
- Escape Pod
- Ray Naylor
- Stephen Graham Jones
- Save the Cat
- Robert McCammon
- Stephen King
- Griffin Bookstore
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
"Accountability and Adventures in Writing with Cat Rambo" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
October 28, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 29 | murverse.com "Accountability and Adventures in Writing with Cat Rambo" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep28: In Which Mur and Sarah Pinsker Discuss Reality Shows, Workshops, and Writing Patience
"I love the bingo card measure of success rather than the ladder of success." - Sarah Pinsker
(This post went live for supporters on October 11 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)
In this episode, Mur welcomes the award-winning author Sarah Pinsker to discuss her latest book, Haunt Sweet Home. They dive into the fascinating world of reality TV shows and how Sarah's unique idea of a haunted house fixer-upper series evolved from a joke to a novella.
Sarah shares her insights on the importance of patience in writing, especially when it comes to leveling up your skills for a project that feels just out of reach. They also explore the intricacies of different writing workshops, including Clarion West and the Milford method, and how these experiences shape a writer's journey.
From the challenges of finishing stories to the agony of editing, Sarah offers invaluable advice on navigating the hurdles of the writing process. Tune in for a delightful conversation filled with practical tips, personal anecdotes, and a deep dive into the craft of storytelling.
Transcript
Links
- Sarah Pinsker's Home Page
- Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker
- Tor.com
- Clarion West
- Cat Rambo
- Odyssey Writing Workshop
- Viable Paradise
- James Patrick Kelly
- The Milford Method
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
"Unveiling Haunt Sweet Home with Sarah Pinsker!" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. October 21, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 28 | murverse.com "Unveiling Haunt Sweet Home with Sarah Pinsker!!" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep27: In Which Mur and Anamely Salgado Reyes Discuss Magical Realism and Writing Journeys
"I write about what I know, and what I know is family." - Anamely Salgado Reyes
In this episode, I chat with Anamely Salgado Reyes about her debut novel, My Mother Cursed My Name, and the intricacies of writing magical realism. We explore the differences between magical realism and fantasy, the significance of family stories, and the emotional journey of getting published.
Anamely shares her unique path to becoming a published author, from Googling how to publish a book to landing her dream agent. She also talks about her second novel, her writing process, and her love for family-centric stories.
Transcript
Links:
- Anamely Salgado Reyes on Instagram
- Electric Spec
- My Mother Cursed My Name
- So Far From God by Ana Castillo
- The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
- Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
- Shit No One Tells You About Writing Podcast
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
"Writing Family Stories and Magical Realism with Anamely Salgado Reyes" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. October 14, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 27 | murverse.com "Writing Family Stories and Magical Realism with Anamely Salgado Reyes" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep26: In Which Mur and S.B. Divya Discuss Worldcon, Accessibility, and Future Worlds
NOTE- I will be doing a giveaway for signed copies of Meru and Loka on October 31, 2024! Details on how to win are inside the podcast!
I'm delighted to welcome welcome my longtime friend, S.B. Divya, to discuss Divya’s new book, Loka. We dive into our experiences at Worldcon, the intricacies of accessibility at large conventions, and the unique challenges faced by those with disabilities. Divya shares her journey in creating a richly detailed future world for her books, explaining how she envisions life a thousand years from now and the process of worldbuilding that supports her stories.
We also explore the concept of burnout, particularly in the context of long Covid, and how Divya managed to balance her writing career with her health needs. The conversation highlights the importance of taking intentional breaks and the reality of being a writer with a disability.
We get insights into Divya’s creative process, her thoughts on genetic engineering, space exploration, and the sociopolitical landscapes of her speculative worlds. Plus, there's a special giveaway for US listeners to win signed copies of Meru and Loka!
Transcript
Links:
- S.B. Divya’s Website
- Loka by S.B. Divya
- Meru by S.B. Divya
- Greta Thunberg
- Clarkesworld Magazine
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
"Navigating WorldCon and Writing Challenges with SB Divya" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
October 7, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 26 | murverse.com "Navigating WorldCon and Writing Challenges with SB Divya" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep25: In Which Mur Interviews Wole Talabi and Sung-Il Kim at Worldcon
"Leave with more connections than you came with." - Wole Talabi
In this special episode, Mur Lafferty returns with interviews recorded at Worldcon, featuring Wole Talabi and Sung-Il Kim. Apologies for audio issues, but I really wanted to get these to you because interviews with these writers can’t be missed.
First, I chat with Wole Talabi, the author of Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon and the short story collection Convergence Problems. Wole shares his experiences attending Worldcon, the importance of community building at conventions, and the collaborative process behind the Mothersound: The Sauútiverse Anthology.
Next, I talk to Sung-Il Kim, whose debut English novel Blood of the Old Kings is set to release in this month. Sung-Il discusses his journey from role-playing game development to fiction writing, the translation process, and the importance of starting your story with a compelling hook.
NOTE- Thanks to Tor, I will be doing a giveaway for Blood of the Old Kings on October 15, 2024! Details on how to win are inside the podcast!
Transcript
Links and references:
- Wole Talabi
- Sung-Il Kim
- Worldcon
- Bubonicon
- Infinite Archive
- The Ophelia Network
- Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon
- Convergence Problems
- Mothersound: The Sauútiverse Anthology
- Blood of the Old Kings
- Author PD James
- Translator Anton Hur
- Subterranean Press
- MIT Press
- Twelve Tomorrows Anthology
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, The Ophelia Network, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn. Get archives of the show via Patreon.
October 1, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 25 | murverse.com “Exploring Shared Worlds and Translation Challenges with Wole Talabi and Sung-Il Kim” by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
[Please note that this podcast is explicit with a few swear words and CW- parental death discussed.]
S20 Ep24: In Which Mur and Tanya DePass Discuss Fanfic, Diversity Consulting, and Creative Journeys
Recorded ON ISBW's birthday, in Glasgow, y'all. Nineteen years. I'd drop the mic, but it seems I'm committed now.
I think people who turn up their nose at Fanfic are really A: missing out and B: being snobs. - Tanya DePass
Transcript
(This post went live for supporters on August 23, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)
Join Mur as she celebrates the 19th anniversary of "I Should Be Writing" with special guest Tanya DePass, aka cypheroftyr. Tanya is a prolific writer, streamer, and game developer, known for her work in promoting diversity and inclusion in the gaming industry. In this episode, they delve into Tanya’s multifaceted career, from founding "I Need Diverse Games" to working on the upcoming Wonder Woman game.
Tanya shares her journey with fanfiction, discussing how it has evolved over the years and how it helps her hone her writing skills. They also touch on the importance of diversity consulting in creative works, offering advice on when and how to seek out consultants to ensure authentic representation.
They explore the emotional challenges of creative careers, the value of finding opportunities, and the importance of community support. Tanya’s insights into streaming, game development, and balancing multiple roles provide a comprehensive look at the modern creative landscape.
Links
- I Need Diverse Games
- Tanya on Twitch
- Wonder Woman game
- Into the Motherlands
- Green Ronin Publishing
- RPG
- Rivals of Waterdeep
- Black Dice Society
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Dragon Age
- Mafia III
- AO3 (Archive of Our Own)
- Fanfiction.net
- Bioware
- Marvel's Black Panther
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
"Celebrating ISBW's 19th Bday Live at WorldCon with Writer and Gamer, Tanya Depass!" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. August 26, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 24 | murverse.com "Tanya DePass, Writing, and Gaming, Live from WorldCon, Glasgow!" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep23: In Which Mur and Waubgeshig Rice explore post-apocalyptic worlds.
It's like, ultimately, words are expendable. You just pick different ones. - Waubgeshig Rice
Transcript
(This post went live for supporters on August 21, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)
In this episode. Mur chats with award-winning author and journalist Waubgeshig Rice about his latest book, Moon of the Turning Leaves. They delve into the challenges and rewards of transitioning from journalism to fiction, the intricacies of writing post-apocalyptic literature, and the importance of smaller presses for budding authors.
Waub also shares his inspirations, the impact of his indigenous heritage on his storytelling, and offers invaluable advice for aspiring writers. Tune in for an insightful discussion on the craft of writing and the resilience of communities in the face of global calamities.
And y'all, SO MANY good book recommendations! Check the shownotes at murverse.com.
Links
- Waub’s Home Page and Instagram
- Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice
- Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
"Exploring the Post-Apocalyptic World with Waubgeshig Rice" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. August 23, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 23 | murverse.com "Exploring the Post-Apocalyptic World with Waubgeshig Rice" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep22: In Which Mur Chats with MJ Wassmer and Discusses Debut Novels and the Writing Journey
"You can't think yourself into better actions, but you can act yourself into better thoughts."- MJ Wassmer
Transcript
Join Mur as she welcomes MJ Wassmer, author of Zero Stars Do Not Recommend, to discuss the ups and downs of debuting in the publishing world, writing speculative comedy, and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with finishing a book.
MJ shares his personal journey, from working in corporate America to becoming a published author, and offers insights into his writing process, dealing with rejections, and the importance of having a supportive spouse.
Links:
- MJ Wassmer
- Zero Stars Do Not Recommend
- MJ Wassmer on Instagram
- Doctor Who
- Rick Rubin
- Josh Ritter
- Inky
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
"Debut Novels and the Writing Journey with MJ Wassmer" is brought to you in large part by by my supporters, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
August 5, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 22 | murverse.com "Debut Novels and the Writing Journey with MJ Wassmer" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep21: In Which Mur and Mary Pascual Talk Writing and Mental Health
"I refuse to feel like or believe that [ADHD] is a detriment. Honestly, there are so many things about ADHD that I personally love."- Mary Pascual
Transcript
(This post went live for supporters on July 8, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)
In this episode, Mur Lafferty is joined by Mary Pascual, author of Walk the Web Lightly. They dive into the challenges of writing with ADHD, the importance of mental health for writers, and the unique creative processes that come with neurodivergence. Mur shares her recent experience of turning in her eighth book, Infinite Archive, and the duo explores the intricacies of balancing deadlines with self-care.
Mary discusses her latest book, its themes of time, art, and science, and the journey of her young protagonist, Nya. They also touch on the blurred lines between YA and middle grade fiction, and how personal experiences and mythological inspirations shape their storytelling. Tune in for an insightful conversation about the highs and lows of the writing life, and the shared struggles and triumphs of creative minds.
Links:
- Walk the Web Lightly by Mary Pascual
- ADHD for Smart Ass Women Podcast (and the book)
- Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- 1984 by George Orwell
- SpaceValkyries Stream
- Escape Pod (Hugo finalist semi-prozine)
Evergreen Links
- Catch the show LIVE on Twitch Thursdays, 3pm, Eastern time!
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
"Embracing ADHD and Crafting Timelines with Mary Pascual" is brought to you in large part by by my supporters, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. July 29, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 21 | murverse.com "Embracing ADHD and Crafting Timelines with Mary Pascual" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep20: In Which Mur and James L. Sutter Discuss Editing, Outlining, and Ghostly Romances
"I think that is the beating heart of any novel, is characters changing."- James L. Sutter
Transcript
Join Mur and guest James L. Sutter as they delve into the intricacies of the writing process, from the importance of meticulous outlining to the challenges of editing. They discuss James’s new book, The Ghost of Us, a queer YA supernatural romance that combines ghost hunting with a heartfelt coming-of-age story. They also share valuable tips on maintaining consistency and dealing with feedback, all while keeping the creative spark alive.
Links:
- Pathfinder RPG
- Starfinder RPG
- The Ghost of Us
- Dark HeartsEmpire of the Vampire
- Leech
- Bitch: On the Female of the Species
- Compton Crook Award
- Scribe Award
Evergreen Links
- Catch the show LIVE on Twitch Thursdays, 3pm, Eastern time!
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
"Spreadsheets, Ghosts, and the Art of Outlining with James L. Sutter" is brought to you in large part by by my supporters, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. July 22, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 20 | murverse.com "Spreadsheets, Ghosts, and the Art of Outlining with James L. Sutter" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep19: In Which Mur Explores the Deck of Worlds and Story Engine
"You know, if you use the word 'modified,' you can get away with anything."- Mur
Transcript
(This post went live for supporters on July 1, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)
Join Mur Lafferty as she dives into a live-streamed session of world-building using the Deck of Worlds and The Story Engine. Despite a challenging week, Mur's creativity shines as she crafts unique settings and characters, from a swamp with carnivorous plants to a compromised cyborg in a cyberpunk universe. This episode is a treasure trove for writers looking to spark their imagination and explore new storytelling tools.
Links:
- The Story Engine
- Deck of Worlds
- Madeleine L'Engle
- Martha Wells
- The Lost Room
- Locke & Key
- Unknown Armies
Evergreen Links
- Catch the show LIVE on Twitch Thursdays, 3pm, Eastern time!
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
"Deck of Worlds: Unleashing Creativity in Fiction" is brought to you in large part by by my supporters, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. July 15, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 19 | murverse.com "Deck of Worlds: Unleashing Creativity in Fiction" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep18: In Which Mur Explores Tarot and Historical Fiction with Susan Wands
"Action is always better than no action. You can always fix what you've done. You can't fix not getting started."- Susan Wands
Transcript
(This post went live for supporters on June 27, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)
In this episode, Mur chats with Susan Wands, the author of High Priestess and Empress. They delve into the fascinating world of Pamela Coleman Smith, the creator of the iconic Rider-Waite tarot deck, and discuss how historical fiction blends with magical realism in Susan's Arcana Oracle series. Susan shares her journey of rewriting her first book, dealing with genre expectations, and how tarot influences her creative process.
Links:
- Susan Wands
- High Priestess and Empress
- Pamela Colman Smith
- Golden Dawn
- Watkins Books
- Atlantis Books
- Acculture Berlin Festival
- Art and Fiction
- Kindred Spirits Magazine
- Irving Society Journal
- Spark Press
- Worldcon Glasgow
- The Rider-Waite Tarot Deck
- Alistair Crowley
- Thoth Tarot Deck
- Joseph Campbell
- Save the Cat
- Sisters in Crime
Evergreen Links
- Catch the show LIVE on Twitch Thursdays, 3pm, Eastern time!
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
"Tarot Tales and Historical Hurdles with Susan Wands" is brought to you in large part by by my supporters, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. July 8, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 18 | murverse.com "Tarot Tales and Historical Hurdles with Susan Wands" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep17: In Which Mur Reflects on Creativity and Ambition
"It's really easy. It's so relaxing to not be creative."- Mur
Transcript
This week, Mur shares her journey through book edits, the struggles of low energy, and the comforting realization that creation is often less comforting than consumption. Mur explores the myriad of creative opportunities available today—from writing novels to making music videos—and the emotional weight that comes with each creative endeavor.
She also touches on her admiration for hybrid creators like Ursula Vernon and the spontaneous creativity of the band, The Garages. Mur reflects on her past as a sports journalist and how it shaped her writing, offering insights into finding the right angle for storytelling. Whether you're struggling with a boring main character or the challenges of prequels, Mur provides thoughtful advice and personal anecdotes to help you navigate your creative journey.
Links:
- Ursula Vernon
- Kobo
Evergreen Links
- Catch the show LIVE on Twitch Thursdays, 3pm, Eastern time!
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
"Navigating Novel Noodling and New Ideas" is brought to you in large part by by my supporters, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. July 1, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 17 | murverse.com "Navigating Novel Noodling and New Ideas" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep16: In Which Mur Tackles Short Fiction Submissions
"You're not gonna be Wiswell or Chambers. You're gonna be you."- Mur
In this episode, Mur delves into the intricacies of submitting short fiction, sharing invaluable tips and personal experiences. From the importance of understanding market guidelines to the emotional resilience required to handle rejections, this episode is packed with advice for both new and seasoned writers.
Mur also recounts her recent whirlwind trip to Buffalo, battling migraines, and the unexpected productivity boost from writing a Baldur's Gate fanfic for a friend. Plus, she answers listener questions on short story submissions, beta readers, and the pitfalls of "rejectomancy."
Links:
- Clarkesworld
- QueryTracker
- Duotrope
- Submission Grinder
- Escape Pod
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Neil Gaiman
- China Miéville
- Connie Willis
- John Scalzi
- Becky Chambers
- John Wiswell
- Ken Liu
- Hugo Awards
- GigaNotoSaurus
- Midsolar Murders
- Ditch Diggers
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
"Navigating Short Fiction Submissions" is brought to you in large part by by my supporters, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. June 24, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 16 | murverse.com "Navigating Short Fiction Submissions" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep15: In Which Mur Muses on AI and the Writer's Journey
"I'm exaggerating a little bit, but if you look at the last 20 years, that's pretty much how I work."- Mur
Transcript
In this podcast we dive into the depths of editing my novel, Infinite Archive, and how I'm navigating the murky waters of murder mystery tweaks. We also explore the increasingly complex landscape of AI in writing and its implications for creatives.
Links:
- Infinite Archive
- Valerie Valdez
- Premee Mohammed
- Savage Mill Geek Fest
- NASFiC in Buffalo
- Glasgow WorldCon
- World Fantasy Con
- Query Shark
- Writer Beware
- Preditors and Editors
- Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds (Gwenda Bond's book)
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
"Murder Mystery Meltdown and the AI Assistant" is brought to you in large part by by my supporters, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. May 2, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 15 | murverse.com "Murder Mystery Meltdown and the AI Assistant" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep14: In Which Mur Dives into Conventions and Confidence
"You can't stop caring about something... You stop what you do about it, but you can't really just turn that switch off." - Mur
From the thrill of networking to the trepidation of tax season, Mur navigates the maze of a writer's life with humor and honesty. In this episode, she shares her experiences and insights on convention attendance, from choosing the right ones to the art of mingling without the cringe. Plus, she tackles the ever-present concern of COVID safety in crowded spaces.
Whether you're a cosplayer or a casual attendee, Mur advises on how to present yourself professionally, connect with industry pros, and enjoy the con experience while staying true to your comfort level. And for those not ready to dive back into the physical con scene, she discusses the merits of virtual conventions and how they can be a great alternative.
Links:
- Escape Pod
- Omnihedral (game store)
- Boskone
- Worldcon
- Wiscon
- World Fantasy Con
- ConFusion
- Bubonicon
- FenCon
- ArmadilloCon
- San Antonio Book Festival
- John Scalzi
- Kameron Hurley
- Tobias Buckell
- Patreon
- Substack
- John Anealio (theme music)
- Numbersninja (art)
- Libsyn (podcast hosting)
- Valerie Valdes
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
"Conquering Conventions and Crafting Confidence" is brought to you in large part by by my supporters, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. April 24, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 14 | murverse.com "Conquering Conventions and Crafting Confidence" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep13: In Which Mur Attends Wole Talabi's Creative Alchemy
Transcript
"The primary driver of my sense of success is, 'do I feel happy with what I've done?'" - Wole Talabi
Mur chats with Wole Talabi, an engineer turned author (but still engineer). They discuss the Schrodinger's Cat of publishing, the thrill of rewriting old stories for new audiences, and the joy of challenging the norms of fiction.
Links:
- Wole Talabi
- Nebula Awards
- Hugo Awards
- Locus Awards
- Sidewise Awards for Alternate History
- Lightspeed Magazine (with Wole's interview)
- Caine Prize
- Namwali Serpell and her short story "Account"
- 99 Fleeting Fantasies
- Mothersound: The Sauútiverse Anthology
- Glasgow 2024 Worldcon (World Science Fiction Convention)
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
- All books featured in Season 20
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
"From Patent Memos to Nebula Nods with Wole Talabi" is brought to you in large part by by my supporters, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link)
"From Patent Memos to Nebula Nods with Wole Talabi" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA
April 17, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 13 | murverse.com
S20 Ep 12: In Which Mur Plans to Turn Hurt Feelings into Finished Drafts
Transcript
"I read over the notes and I got mad and I got my feelings hurt." - Mur (being fussy)
I've received my edit letter about Infinite Archive, so I'm handling all the emotions that carries with it. ADHD complicated my perception of time, so figuring out how long it will take me is a challenge.
Valerie Valdes joins the chat with some excellent advice, like adding extra time to your deadlines to account for the unexpected. Then we touch on the basic concept of "someone comes to town, someone leaves down" (also a Cory Doctorow book title.)
We also touch on the concept of love triangles in fiction, sparking a conversation about the trope's effectiveness and its alternatives.
Links:
- Valerie Valdes (aka @thekidsareasleep) and her Locus-longlisted book Where Peace is Lost.
- Cory Doctorow
- Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town
- Writing the Other (course)
- Neil Gaiman on "Entitlement Issues"
- Paul and Storm (Also ISBW fans will recognize the voice behind this other GRRM focused song, "George RR Martin Is Not Your Bitch")
- Jeff VanderMeer's Wonderbook
- James Patrick Kelly
- A Song of Ice and Fire
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
(go here for all the books mentioned in 2024)
"Riding the Revision Rollercoaster" is brought to you in large part by by my supporters, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. April 15, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 12 | murverse.com "The Revision Rollercoaster - From Hurt Feelings to Finished Drafts" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S20 Ep11: In which we travel "The Other Valley" with Scott Alexander Howard
Transcript
"I wrote it in a blissful who cares? Mentality, like, 'oh, well, genre will sort itself out.'" - Scott Alexander Howard
In this episode, we're joined by Scott Alexander Howard, author of The Other Valley, a novel where literary meets speculative. Scott delves into his journey from philosophy to fiction, sharing how his background influenced the emotional depth of his debut. We discuss the challenges of genre and the slow dance of publishing.
Links:
- Scott Alexander Howard
- The Other Valley
- Elena Ferrante
- Ted Chiang
- Virginia Woolf
- Yoko Ogawa
- Marilynne Robinson
- Jenny Erpenbeck
- Martin McInnes
Evergreen Links
- Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing book.
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
(go here for all the books mentioned in 2024)
"The Landscape of Grief with Scott Alexander Howard" is brought to you in large part by by my supporters, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja,and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. April 12, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 11 | murverse.com "The Landscape of Grief with Scott Alexander Howard" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
I Should Be Writing Season 20, Episode 10 "I felt like a cuckoo among very pretty birds." - Mur
Fresh off the JoCo cruise, we discusses the allure of nerd paradise and how navigating imposter syndrome is a frequent struggle. I share tabletop RPG antics, celebrity karaoke adventures, and the amazing feeling of having legitimately cool creators accept you. Self doubt did show up, and I'll talk about how I dealt with that.
Also, what should I do for my 20th year podcasting celebration?
Other links:
- JoCo Cruise
- Jonathan Coulton
- Skullcrusher Mountain
- Chiron Beta Prime
- Portal (Video Game)
- Portal 2 (Video Game)
- NPR Ask Me Another
- That Bronze Girl (Twitch)
- Drunk History
- James S.A. Corey (Ty Franck)
- The Expanse
- Tochi Onyebuchi
- Mari Naomi
- Our Flag Means Death
- Oscar Nunez
- Vico Ortiz
- Scott Alexander Howard
- The Other Valley (Book by Scott Alexander Howard)
Evergreen Links
- I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Go buy it!
- My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
(go here for all the books mentioned in Season 20)
Your support keeps our ship afloat. Thank you for being part of the crew.
If you can't give monetarily, then consider leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts!
April 18, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 10 | murverse.com | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
I Should Be Writing Season 20, Episode 9 Transcript
"If you don't start out perfect, you're never going to be good." - Evil Mur
Evil Mur is back giving terrible advice and it's a wild ride through the looking glass of a writer's darker musings. We cover questioning the point of writing when perfection eludes us to the ruthless strategy of writing on the job. She gives some seriously excellent advice about emotions in horror, and offers an unorthodox method for trimming the fat from your prose. We touch on the Hugo Awards and reveal the cover of Mur's upcoming book, Infinite Archive.
Be warned: Evil Mur doesn't play by the rules, and neither does her advice.
Other links:
- JoCo Cruise
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (game)
- The Secret (book)
- Jonathan Livingston Seagull (book)
- The Celestine Prophecy (book)
- Infinite Archive (book)
- How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method (book)
- Hugo Awards
- Save the Cat Writes a Novel (book)
- Penguin Random House (publisher)
- Twitch (MightyMur)
Evergreen Links * I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Go buy it! * My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes. * Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. * Theme by John Anealio * Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
(go here for all the books in Season 20)
Support the show, if you dare, and remember: Evil Mur is watching. Write like it's your last act of defiance.
CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, site design by Clockpunk Studioand files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. April 5, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 9 | murverse.com "The Epiphany of Routine" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
I Should Be Writing Season 20, Episode 7 Transcript
I found myself looking for my own magic bullet and getting frustrated a the media who take the idea of a daily routine--something people with ADHD people need--and play it off as only done by stodgy, unfun dorks. I discuss Josh Zimmerman's videos, how creation is like jumping off a diving board for me, my solo RPG plans, and promote Premee Mohamed's books and bullying.
From the fear of preparation to the power of routines for neurodiverse individuals, we open up about the importance of finding what works for you—even if it means facing your own hypocrisy. Plus, hear about the anticipation of the JoCo cruise, the chaos of running Brindlewood Bay RPGs, and why sometimes, you just have to leap off the high dive.
Other links:
- Apple Fitness Plus
- Ray Bradbury, Zen and the Art of Writing
- Stranger Than Fiction (movie)
- Publishers Weekly
- File 770
- JoCo Cruise
- Ursula Vernon
- Brindlewood Bay (RPG)
Evergreen Links * I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Go buy it! * My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes. * Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. * Theme by John Anealio * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books! * Check out all the books we've featured this year!
And remember, we can't do this without you. Thanks for your support.
March 12, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 8 | murverse.com | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
I Should Be WritingSeason 20, Episode 7 In this episode, I discuss trusting yourself because sometimes no one else will. We also talk File 770, Genre Grapevine, I mispronounce "chutzpah," make a Wizard of Oz reference, and how should I celebrate 20 seasons of ISBW? Remember, advice is supplementary.
Evergreen Links * I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Go buy it! * My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes. * Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. * Theme by John Anealio * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
See what books we've discussed this season here.
Some of the above links are affiliate, meaning I may receive a small amount of money for the purchase at no cost to you.
And remember, we can't do this without you. Thanks for your support.
March 9, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 7 | murverse.com | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
ISBW S20 Ep6 Author Gwenda Bond comes on the show to talk The Frame Up, heists, and point of view!
We also discuss being ballsy at Boskone, pen names, T. Kingfisher's "What Feasts At Night," writing retreats, and heist structure.
If you order The Frame Up from Bookshop.org, use the code FRAMEUP for 10% off!
Evergreen Links * I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Go buy it! * My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and my Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes. * Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. * Theme by John Anealio * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
Some of the above links are affiliate, meaning I may receive a small amount of money for the purchase at no cost to you.
March 7, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 6 | murverse.com | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
ISBW S20 Ep5 Debut author Avione Lee comes to tell us about the Odyssey Workshop and the various programs!
Odyssey Your Personal Workshop (deadline is soon!)
Evergreen Links * I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Did you know that? * Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic * Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. * Theme by John Anealio * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
ISBW S20 Ep4 Hugos are still messy, so check out Chris M. Barkley*, Paul Weimer, Alasdair Stuart, and Jason Sanford and the excellent fanwriting they do.
*Accidentally call him Charles in the recording. Sorry! We talk character depth, using Baldur's Gate 3 as an example. Lastly we get in to the hybrid outline thing I'm trying to do to help me write.
Show Links
- Paul Weimer
- Chris M. Barkley
- Jason Sanford
- Alasdair Stuart
- Nancy Kress' Beginnings, Middles, and Ends (affiliate)
Evergreen Links * I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Did you know that? * Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic * Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. No more bird site. Alas. * Theme by John Anealio * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
February 12, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 4 | murverse.com | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
ISBW S20 Ep3 Debut author Eilish Quin joins us to talk about her retelling of Euripedes' classic story, Medea, with glorious descriptive prose and a feminist point of view. We talk about hurdles and wins and what to keep in mind when doing a retelling.
Evergreen Links * I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Did you know that? * Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic * Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. * Theme by John Anealio * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
(some book links are affiliate, go here if you can't see the widget)
And remember, we can't do this without you. Thanks for your support.
February 8, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 3 | murverse.com | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
ISBW S20 Ep2 I am not a lawyer or an accountant, and taxes mentioned in the podcast are specific to my understanding of US tax law.
No one like to talk about money. Either you admit how bad you are or you're awkward because you make a lot. Or you're a jerk, but we aren't talking to those people. I'm here to talk about my income, what an advance really means, and how to best use your writing income. We also discuss YNAB, my favorite budgeting tool, and authors Valerie Valdes and Premee Mohamed show up in chat to give their input.
Evergreen Links * I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Did you know that? * Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic * Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. No more bird site. Alas. * Theme by John Anealio * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
And remember, we can't do this without you. Thanks for your support.
February 6, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 2 | murverse.com | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
ISBW S20 Ep1
Why am I still doing this show after 20 years? Believe me, I was the first person to ask this. We talk about my career, my mental health, and, well, why?
Evergreen Links * I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Did you know that? * Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic * Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. No more bird site. Alas. * Theme by John Anealio * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books! And remember, we can't do this without you. Thanks for your support. CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, site design by Clockpunk Studio and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. January 29, 2024 | Season 20 Ep 1 | murverse.com "The "Why" of this podcast" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
I got to talk to award-winning Nigerian author Chikodili Emelumadu about her new book Dazzling, and we wander all sorts of directions, including into ambition, what makes her write, and advice for new writers!
Evergreen Links * I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Did you know that? * Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic * Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. No more bird site. Alas. * Theme by John Anealio * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
(some book links are affiliate, go here if you can't see the widget)
December 25, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 34 | murverse.com | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
ISBW S19 Ep33
I wanted to discuss humor again, so my buddy Valerie came back on to talk about it because she's smarter than me. Even though she introduced us to "Diggy Diggy Hole." We also talk "The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun," the Bridesmaids toast scene that makes me wanna die, The Hitchhiker's Gudie to the Galaxy, and Tom Cardy's "Perception Check" (NSFW language).
Evergreen Links * I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Did you know that? * Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic * Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. No more bird site. Alas. * Theme by John Anealio * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books! (some book links are affiliate, go here if you can't see the widget)
And remember, we can't do this without you. Thanks for your support.
December 14, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 33 | murverse.com | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
ISBW S19 Ep32
Steve Martin famously did his comedy acts to empty bars when he started. It's a good mindset to keep.
Evergreen Links * I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Did you know that? * Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic * Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. No more bird site. Alas. * Theme by John Anealio * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books! (some book links are affiliate, go here if you can't see the widget)
And remember, we can't do this without you. Thanks for your support. December 10, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 32 | murverse.com | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
ISBW S19 Ep31
Self care, yo. It's dark, we're at the end of a big project, and time to be kind to yourself.
Minimal show notes. If you want something clarified, ask in comments and I will get you a link.
More shows coming soon!
Evergreen Links
- I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Did you know that?
- Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. No more bird site. Alas.
- Theme by John Anealio
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! Check out your local stores here (affiliate link)
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
Turns out that the stress of dealing with November has made me sit on this production. :( But Travis Baldree and I hung out online and talked about our books that launched this month, Chaos Terminal and Bookshops and Bonedust. Transcript Travis Baldree 03:53 ...I've discovered stickers are the easiest way for me to not feel awkward at assigning or a thing, because I can just say, Do you want a sticker? Okay, well, I lay them out in front of me. There's like more than one kind of sticker. And so I say, Would you like a sticker? And then while they're preoccupied trying to pick a sticker, you run don't have to say anything. Oh, and they have to think so I can sign something. Because the thing that happens to me is if I sign things, and somebody asks me a question, I will start writing my answer. To get the rest of the interview, check out my Patreon or Substack! Evergreen Links * I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Did you know that? * Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic * Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. No more bird site. Alas. * Theme by John Anealio * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
Support small bookshops and shop here! (affiliate link) November 4, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 30 | murverse.com | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
HAH I AM CAUGHT UP
33333 down, 16666 to go
OK, plotters and pantsers, if you're having trouble, then I can tell you exactly what to do. Let Evil Mur guide you. Trust Evil Mur.
- Get John Anealio’s music here.
- Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet?
- Don't forget Chaos Terminal is finally on shelves!
- Please remember that Evil Mur is evil and gives terrible advice. Evil Mur will not be responsible for failed manuscripts or sleep deprived accidents.
Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
31666 down, 18333 to go
Did you read the NaNoWriMo terms and conditions? Better do that, cause things are getting serious.
Ask questions, and then don't worry about the answers.
Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
*still catching up
30000 down, 20000 to go
So what if you’re only starting on Day 15? Or (checks calendar) Day 20? How can you possibly make up for lost days?
Just write 1 word every 25 seconds. Boom. You’re done.
Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
28333 down, 21666 to go
Well I recorded it on the 17th, so that counts, right? What do you want from me? I’m evil.
So what if you’re only starting on Day 15? Or (checks calendar) Day 20? How can you possibly make up for lost days?
Just write 1 word every 25 seconds. Boom. You’re done.
- Get John Anealio’s music here.
- Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet?
- Don't forget Chaos Terminal is finally on shelves!
- Please remember that Evil Mur is evil and gives terrible advice. Evil Mur will not be responsible for failed manuscripts or sleep deprived accidents.
Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
Halfway point! Exciting if you’re there, scary if you’re not. Ideas: putting your own life into your book, and give your characters a bath! Get John Anealio’s music here. Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet? Don't forget Chaos Terminal is finally on shelves! Please remember that Evil Mur is evil and gives terrible advice. Evil Mur will not be responsible for failed manuscripts or plagiarism suits. Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
I'm missing days because real life is just kicking my ass right now. Good and bad stresses.
Slipstreaming for fun and profit! Bikers do it, cars do it, time for writers to do it.
Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet?
Don't forget Chaos Terminal is finally on shelves!
Please remember that Evil Mur is evil and gives terrible advice. Evil Mur will not be responsible for failed manuscripts or plagiarism suits.
Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
Slipstreaming for fun and profit! Bikers do it, cars do it, time for writers to do it.
Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet?
Don't forget Chaos Terminal is finally on shelves!
Please remember that Evil Mur is evil and gives terrible advice. Evil Mur will not be responsible for failed manuscripts or plagiarism suits.
Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
18333 down, 31666 to go Backing up is a stupid waste of time. It takes so much work to do. Trust the computer. Everything will be fine.
Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet?
Don't forget Chaos Terminal is finally on shelves!
The daily podcast is usually for supporters only, but this year I’m putting it out for everyone! If you like it, consider supporting with a paid subscription to either Patreon or Substack to get the exclusive episodes after November!
Please remember that Evil Mur is evil and gives terrible advice. Evil Mur will not be responsible for failed manuscripts or vehicular manslaughter.
Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
16666 down, 33333 to go Don't be afraid to get words anywhere. Everywhere. Be bold.
Mentioned: NaNoWriMo Forums
Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet?
Don't forget Chaos Terminal is finally on shelves!
The daily podcast is usually for supporters only, but this year I’m putting it out for everyone! If you like it, consider supporting with a paid subscription to either Patreon or Substack to get the exclusive episodes after November!
Please remember that Evil Mur is evil and gives terrible advice. Evil Mur will not be responsible for failed manuscripts or vehicular manslaughter.
Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
15000 down, 35000 to go Evil Mur has begun to swear. Not a lot. But I put the explicit tag on there just in case.
Getting behind? There are three things you can do. One of them is easy, one is SUPER easy, and one takes a whole lot of work
Mentioned: Natania Barron
Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet?
Don't forget Chaos Terminal is finally on shelves!
The daily podcast is usually for supporters only, but this year I’m putting it out for everyone! If you like it, consider supporting with a paid subscription to either Patreon or Substack to get the exclusive episodes after November!
Please remember that Evil Mur is evil and gives terrible advice. Evil Mur will not be responsible for failed manuscripts or vehicular manslaughter.
Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
Want your NaNo episodes in the morning? You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
11666 down, 38333 to go Why are you doing this? Also, don't forget to get to yiour friendly local book store today! Chaos Terminal is out! 7100 / 50000 words. 14% done! (as of Nov 5)
Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet?
Don't forget Chaos Terminal is out TODAY!
The daily podcast is usually for supporters only, but this year I’m putting it out for everyone! If you like it, consider supporting with a paid subscription to either Patreon or Substack to get the exclusive episodes after November!
Please remember that Evil Mur is evil and gives terrible advice. Evil Mur will not be responsible for failed manuscripts or hours lost to reading.
Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
Want your NaNo episodes in the morning? You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack!
10000 down, 40000 to go No, seriously, y'all. Time to quit. 7100 / 50000 words. 14% done! (as of Nov 5)
Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet?
Don't forget Chaos Terminal comes out November 7!
The daily podcast is usually for supporters only, but this year I’m putting it out for everyone! If you like it, consider supporting with a paid subscription to either Patreon or Substack to get the exclusive episodes after November!
Please remember that Evil Mur is evil and gives terrible advice. Evil Mur will not be responsible for failed manuscripts or visits from Men in Black.
Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
8333 down, 41666 to go Post your work online as you go! Nothing bad will happen, and all feedback will be good. 7100 / 50000 words. 4% done!
Get your wordcount meter at Languageisavirus.com Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet?
Don't forget Chaos Terminal comes out November 7!
The daily podcast is usually for supporters only, but this year I’m putting it out for everyone! If you like it, consider supporting with a paid subscription to either Patreon or Substack to get the exclusive episodes after November!
Please remember that Evil Mur is evil and gives terrible advice. Evil Mur will not be responsible for failed manuscripts or devoured cats.
Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
6666 down, 45000 to go
Everything is legal during NaNoWriMo, including plagiarizing.
Right?
7201 / 50000 words. 14% done! Get your wordcount meter at Languageisavirus.com
Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet?
Don't forget Chaos Terminal comes out November 7!
The daily podcast is usually for supporters only, but this year I’m putting it out for everyone! If you like it, consider supporting with a paid subscription to either Patreon or Substack to get the exclusive episodes after November!
Please remember that Evil Mur is evil and gives terrible advice. Evil Mur will not be responsible for failed manuscripts or visits from Men in Black.
Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
ACK! I forgot to actually post the audio. See what batch-posting does for you, kids?
5000 down, 45000 to go
Are you behind already? Seriously? Getting despondent?
Then quit.
Because there certainly aren’t any ways to catch back up, and Evil Mur will go over all those impossibilities in this episode.
wordcount: 2000 / 50000 words. 4% done! (As of Nov. 2. Get your wordcount meter at Languageisavirus.com)
Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet?
Don't forget Chaos Terminal comes out November 7!
The daily podcast is usually for supporters only, but this year I’m putting it out for everyone! If you like it, consider supporting with a paid subscription to either Patreon or Substack to get the exclusive episodes after November!
Please remember that Evil Mur is evil and gives terrible advice. Evil Mur will not be responsible for failed manuscripts or devoured cats.
Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
3333 down, 46666 to go Sometimes we writers have to make difficult decisions. Evil Mur is sure you’ll make the right one. Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet?
Don't forget Chaos Terminal comes out November 7!
The daily podcast is usually for supporters only, but this year I’m putting it out for everyone! If you like it, consider supporting with a paid subscription to either Patreon or Substack to get the exclusive episodes after November!
Please remember that Evil Mur is evil and gives terrible advice. Evil Mur will not be responsible for failed manuscripts or devoured cats. Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
0 down, 50000
Of course I stumble in posting the first freaking day of the month. So today you get two episodes.
4thewords.com is the best place to lose yourself this month and still feel like you’re writing. You won’t write much, but boy you’ll have fun!
Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet?
Don't forget Chaos Terminal comes out November 7!
The daily podcast is usually for supporters only, but this year I’m putting it out for everyone! If you like it, consider supporting with a paid subscription to either Patreon or Substack to get the exclusive episodes after November!
Please remember that Evil Mur is evil and gives terrible advice. Evil Mur will not be responsible for choices you make in November.
Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
Evil Mur is here with Day 0 of the NaNoWriMo podcast. I’ll post Day 1 later today.
My current wordcount: 0 (cause this was recorded on October 31)
Streamed live on Twitch! Come join me for cowriting and other shenanigans!
Schedule:
- M 2pm- Co-writing
- T 2pm- co-writing, then ISBW*
- W 2pm- Baldur’s Gate (or co-writing**)
- Th 2pm- co-writing then ISBW*
- F 3pm- Baldur’s Gate (or co-writing**)
The show will still stream at 3pm. *co-writing will happen if I don’t hit wordcount/podcast count that day.
Video will be live on Youtube at 4pm EDT!
Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty
NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow! Are you participating? Are you ready? Author, editor, and long time NaNoWriMo municipal liaison Valerie Valdes joins us to talk about her new projects and how to tackle NaNoWriMo!
Don't forget, Chaos Terminal comes out in ONE WEEK.
Transcript
Valerie Valdes 10:08: I wonder if there's like enough NaNoWriMo people at this point who are published writers that it's kind of lost some of that sheen of the amateur. Somehow I don't know. But I definitely haven't heard that as much as I feel like I also would occasionally see that kind of grump on social media. But yeah, I think that, that more and more writers, the benefit of NaNoWriMo, even if you're a professional writer, and you write 100%, of the time all year round, is that you're doing this together with other people who are also doing this thing. And even professional writers, a lot of them don't write 50,000 words in a month, a lot of times, it's a much slower pace, and it's spread out over a longer period of time.
- Home page
- Where Peace is Lost
- Valerie's secret project: The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (A Magic The Gathering novella!)
- Escape Pod
- I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Did you know that?
Evergreen Links
- Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. No more bird site. Alas.
- Theme by John Anealio
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
(affiliate links to indie stores offering books mentioned here, and more: Bookshop.org)
October 30, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 29 | murverse.com | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
If you're a creator, when someone wants to give you money, you say, "yes, please!"
I'm taking a break from podcasting to finish my book. Doing some housekeeping and then presenting an excellent interview with Wole Talabi, author of Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon!
August 10, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 28 | murverse.com
Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
ISBW S19 Ep27
T. Kingfisher, Richard Dansky, and I are all nominated for the Manly Wade Wellman Award! It will be given at Congregate this weekend.
Escape Pod is a finalist for the Hugo Award, Best Semiprozine category!
Black Mirror says just tell the story instead of worrying about the science. Gene Wolfe said it too.
There are many voices that tell us different things, and some of those voices aren’t writers.
Interviews will be more frequent moving forward.
I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Did you know that?
Evergreen Links
- Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Socials: Bluesky, Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
(some book links are affiliate)
###### CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, site design by Clockpunk Studio and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon or Substack. July 13, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 27 | murverse.com "Beyond the Mental Editor vs Writer Battle" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Short episode this time, and not having the best brain day. So I'm sharing with you because this happens to everyone.
Transcript
Mur Lafferty: And maybe what I write is crap, but I'll never know unless I write it. And then I think lies the key. It's not even allow yourself to write crappy first drafts, It's: a pro thinks they suck, but they write it anyway. And there's your Deep Thought for the Day.
What I'm Reading: Savage Crowns and Dead and Gondola. Affiliate links to all of these and the other books I mentioned in the episode.
Evergreen Links
- Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Socials: Bluesky, Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate.
- Theme by John Anealio
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
(some book links are affiliate)
June 21, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 26 | murverse.com
Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
I got to interview game designer turned YA romance writer James L. Sutter in this episode, and it was a blast. So much good stuff here! I also talk about my latest anger at ADHD and what I'm reading.
Transcript
James L. Sutter 34:10: And so it was hugely enlightening for me to see, sort of these authors were very talented and established, going through the same outline process, you know, struggling with their pitches, struggling with characters and realizing that like, oh, every great work of art, like starts out as a pile of garbage. And like, I can make a pile of garbage.
(emphasis Mur's)
What I'm Reading: Darkhearts, of course, but also These Prisoning Hills and People You Meet on Vacation. Affiliate links to all of these and the other books I mentioned in the episode.
Mentioned: The Artist's Way podcast (Apple link)
Evergreen Links
- Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Socials: Bluesky, Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate,
- Theme by John Anealio
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
(some book links are affiliate)
June 14, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 25 | murverse.com
Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep24
It's June, and I have had some disappointments (She Podcasts, Live! and Blaseball), but at least I'm not worrying about travel so much. Got my 10k words turned into my agent, and lament the loss of the podcast community. But Tee Morris, Scott Sigler, and Christiana Ellis are all live streaming too. And so is Grant Baciocco!
(from the transcript)
Mur Lafferty 00:59 ...Whatever you're afraid of, you're not alone. And the thing is about those fears, if everybody has them, no matter how successful you are, does it really have to do with writing?
What I'm Reading
I'm currently reading The Other Side of Infinity by Joan Smith, magical real world YA romance about seeing the future and wondering if you can make a difference.
- Savage Crowns launch party next week on Twitch! (2pm EDT June 13, 2023)
- We have a transcript! Support the Patreon if you'd like to see the annotated transcripts!
- RIV Blaseball
Evergreen Links
- Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Socials: Bluesky, Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate,
- 19 years of archives, Discord, workshops, and more if you support via Patreon!
- Theme by John Anealio
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
June 7, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 24 | murverse.com
Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep23 Thinky bits about reading and pacing and migraines. I'll be clever next week, promise. But what I'm really excited about is the interview with Arley Sorg, editor, writer, and now a new agent! We have a transcript! Support the Patreon if you'd like to see the annotated transcripts! Patreon support will also get you ad-free episodes! New Agent in Town: Arley Sorg! * Arley Sorg * KT Literary * Writer Beware * Preditors and Editors * Query Tracker * Readercon
Evergreen Links * Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic * Socials: Bluesky, Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate, * 19 years of archives, Discord, workshops, and more if you support via Patreon! * Theme by John Anealio * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
June 1, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 23 | murverse.com | Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Hey folks! I'm starting a new podcast, re-releasing old ISBW episodes with commentary! This episode is the ONLY one that will clog up the ISBW feed; to continue listening you will need to go to the site to get the new-old podcasts.
--
And so it begins: I Should Be Writing is new again with classic podcasts from 2005! If you wonder what I Should Be Writing sounded like back in the old days, when podcasting was new and before I was published, look no farther! I'm releasing most of my old episodes with commentary, and maybe some new interviews with old friends. The shows will also be released with transcriptions for free, but Patreon supporters will get the episodes first, and annotated transcripts too!
The show is super new, but for now you can subscribe via the feed. I'll have specific podcatcher links soon!
Where It All Began I Should've Been Writing S1 Ep1
Transcribed Thu, Jun 01, 2023 Downloadfull transcript with annotations.
Links
- Music: Dana Countryman
- The Secrets
- Sonar
- Playing for Keeps
I Should've Been Writing is copyright Mur Lafferty, 2005-2023. BY-NC-ND.
S19 Ep22 I'm back doing solo episodes with an interview at the end. In this episode I talk about the importance of you interviewing any agent who's interested in you, and the disasters that can happen if you don't. Then I talk to Chana Porter, then discuss the books I'm reading.
News, and Let's Talk Agent Stuff
- The Nebula Awards
- The Bigolas Dickolas story (and the book that blew up)
- The New Leaf story
- Station Eternity gets a second printing!
- Chaos Terminal can be pre-ordered!
Guest: Chana Porter
- Chana Porter
Evergreen Links
- Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Socials: Bluesky, Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate,
- 19 years of archives, Discord, workshops, and more if you support via Patreon!
- Theme by John Anealio
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
May 4, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 22 | murverse.com | Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep22 I'm back doing solo episodes with an interview at the end. In this episode I talk about the importance of you interviewing any agent who's interested in you, and the disasters that can happen if you don't. Then I talk to Chana Porter, then discuss the books I'm reading.
News, and Let's Talk Agent Stuff
- The Nebula Awards
- The Bigolas Dickolas story (and the book that blew up)
- The New Leaf story
- Station Eternity gets a second printing!
- Chaos Terminal can be pre-ordered!
Guest: Chana Porter
- Chana Porter
Evergreen Links
- Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Socials: Bluesky, Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate,
- 19 years of archives, Discord, workshops, and more if you support via Patreon!
- Theme by John Anealio
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
May 4, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 22 | murverse.com | Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep21 Recorded live, April 27, 2023 Good News Good News * Station Eternity gets a second printing! * Chaos Terminal can be pre-ordered! * Team Rejection 2023 Count: 111 * Mur will be attending the Nebula Conference in Los Angeles (May 12-14, 2023) * Mur will be speaking at She Podcasts, Live! (June 19-22)
Main Topic: Welcome Stina Leicht! * We were nominated for the Astounding Award at the same time, and we talk about the last 10 years since that nomination. * Stina's book Loki's Ring is out now! * Space Fantasy vs Space Opera vs Science Fiction
Links * Stina's website, Patreon, and books! * The Hot Mic * Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate, NEW: Bluesky * Support via Patreon! * John Anealio on Bandcamp * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
April 27, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 21 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep20 Recorded live, April 24, 2023
Good News Good News
- Station Eternity gets a second printing!
- Chaos Terminal can be pre-ordered!
- Team Rejection 2023 Count: 110
- Mur will be attending the Nebula Awards in Los Angeles (May 12-14, 2023)
Main Topic: Rule One of WiP Club (I had to.)
- Had some real thoughts about what happens when I tell people what I'm working on, and decided not to do that anymore.
Links
- The Hot Mic
- Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
S19 Ep19 Recorded live, April 20, 2023 Good News Good News * Station Eternity gets a second printing! * Chaos Terminal can be pre-ordered! * Team Rejection 2023 Count: 108 * Mur will be attending the Nebula Awards in Los Angeles (May 12-14, 2023)
Main Topic: Kat Howard Interview! * The amazing fantasy author and comic book writer Kat Howard joins us to talk about her new book, A Sleight of Shadows * Why are sequels so hard? * Kat's site, and substack newsletter
Links * The Hot Mic, Mur's Newsletter * Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. * Support via Patreon! * John Anealio on Bandcamp * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
April 20, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 19 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep18 Recorded live, April 6, 2023
Good News Good News
- Station Eternity gets a second printing!
- Chaos Terminal can be pre-ordered!
- Team Rejection 2023 Count: 103
- Mur will be attending the Nebula Awards in Los Angeles (May 12-14, 2023)
Main Topic: The Push to the Finish Line
- The end of your story should end things in a way that makes the journey worth the trip
- Supporting characters and bit players should inhabit the import & impact of their roles
- Writing comedy is still hard
Links
- The Void Door by VM Amalya (aka spacevalkyries)
- Writing the Other classes
- K-Drama Inspirations to Maximize Your Story
- Marple: Twelve New Mysteries
- The Hot Mic
- Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
April 6, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 18 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep16 Recorded live, March 16, 2023
As much as I've talked about agents, I still get questions, so here are some answers. However, I realize I misused a lot of words in this one. I'm having a bad day. Please don't assume anything about me like Benoit Blanc*.
All agents will look at contracts, try to sell your books to publishers, handle foreign rights and film (and other) sales, and be your best cheerleader. Beyond that, each one is different.
Links
- The Hot Mic
- Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
*Glass Onion. Go see it if you haven't already
April 10, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 17 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep16 Recorded live, March 16, 2023
Good News Good News
- Station Eternity gets a second printing!
- Chaos Terminal can be pre-ordered!
- Team Rejection Count: 37
Books in the Wild
- Savage Crowns by Matt Wallace
Main Topic: Questions Writers Field
- Handling the common yet still not so simple questions people ask a writer
- Ie, “How long does it take you to write a book?”
- Midsomer Murders Story Bot has it made
Links
- The Hot Mic
- Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
March 16, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 16 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep15 Recorded solo, April 10, 2023
The Picasso quote that I mangled: "We artists are indestructible, even in a prison cell or a concentration camp I would be all right in my own world of art. Even if I had to paint my pictures with my tongue on the dusty floor of my cell."
It's hard to feel invincible, but we are. Remember that.
- The word I was looking for to equal contagonist was Mirror Character, who is a lot like the protagonist but interferes.
- AITA letter referenced ("I am a train enthusiast..." what is it with these guys and their vehicle obsession? First this guy, then the "pilot" guy...)
Links
- The Hot Mic
- Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
April 10, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 15 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep14
Good News Good News
- Station Eternity gets a second printing!
- Chaos Terminal can be pre-ordered!
- Team Rejection Count: 32
Books in the Wild
- Mr & Mrs Witch by Gwenda Bond, Death Watch by Stona Fitch, Arca by G.R. Macallister
- Congrats to the Nebula Award nominees
Main Topic: Challenge Me, Challenge You
- Going beyond the routines now and again to keep the good habits strong
- Revisiting The Morning Pages routine (from The Artist’s Way)
Links:
- The Hot Mic
- Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Station Eternity is OUT by the way.
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
March 9, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 14 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep13 Epiphany time! The inner critic isn't as strong as we make them out to be! This one is classic recording, no livestream. March 7, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 13 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep12
Good News Good News
- Station Eternity gets a second printing!
- Chaos Terminal can be pre-ordered!
- Team Rejection Count: 30
Main Topic: SB Divya is here!
- Divya stops by to talk about her new book, MERU
- Diving into the science and physics about the universe, plus some genetic engineering
- Talking with experts who can fill in the knowledge gaps for your story
- Breaking the story rules can be easier in fantasy than in science fiction
Links
- https://sbdivya.com
- https://twitter.com/divyastweets
March 2, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 12 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S.19 Ep.9
How quickly does a succulent grow? Does a writer grow any faster?
Links:
- The Hot Mic
- Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Station Eternity is OUT by the way.
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
February 22, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 09 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S.19 Ep. 10 Good News Good News * Station Eternity gets a second printing! * Chaos Terminal can be pre-ordered! * Team Rejection Count: 26
Main Topic: How believable does fiction need to be? * Talking about similarly/same named characters * The decisions that go into making a story * New Lord of the Rings? Sigh.
February 23, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 10 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep11 Which rules must I break, and why can't beginners break rules too? Bad news, your teachers were right. Links: * The Hot Mic * Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate * Station Eternity is OUT by the way. * Support via Patreon! * John Anealio on Bandcamp * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
March 1, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 11 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep08 Good News Good News
- Station Eternity gets a second printing!
- Team Rejection Count: 19
- Podcast transcript (zip of pdf, docx, txt files)
Main Topic: Are Adverbs Really That Bad?
- About that writers advice that says “get rid of adverbs”... it goes deeper than that
- Pay attention to your work, and your sentence structures
- Shake the story up by making your characters want something; small or personal can be better than epic and world-shattering
- Jason Pargin TikTok
Links:
- The Hot Mic
- Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Station Eternity is OUT by the way.
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
February 16, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 08 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep08 Good News Good News
- Station Eternity gets a second printing!
- Team Rejection Count: 19
- Podcast transcript (zip of pdf, docx, txt files)
Main Topic: Are Adverbs Really That Bad?
- About that writers advice that says “get rid of adverbs”... it goes deeper than that
- Pay attention to your work, and your sentence structures
- Shake the story up by making your characters want something; small or personal can be better than epic and world-shattering
- Jason Pargin TikTok
Links:
- The Hot Mic
- Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Station Eternity is OUT by the way.
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
February 16, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 08 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep08 Good News Good News
- Station Eternity gets a second printing!
- Team Rejection Count: 19
- Podcast transcript (zip of pdf, docx, txt files)
Main Topic: Are Adverbs Really That Bad?
- About that writers advice that says “get rid of adverbs”... it goes deeper than that
- Pay attention to your work, and your sentence structures
- Shake the story up by making your characters want something; small or personal can be better than epic and world-shattering
- Jason Pargin TikTok
Links:
- The Hot Mic
- Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Station Eternity is OUT by the way.
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
February 16, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 08 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
We are sponsored by Scribophile! Check out their writing classes here!
I did a Google search (uh, AFTER I recorded this,) and found that the writer I reference in this podcast is Eugene Schwartz. You can read more about his method in this post.
His magic number was 33, but I'm keeping mine at 34 because he was a copywriter and I write fiction so they're one minute different. (It's like being one louder.)
Getting bored is important to creating, except that technology has not allowed us to be bored for at least the last 15 years.
I also consider my upcoming milestone birthday.
February 16, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 07 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep06
We are sponsored by Scribophile again! Thanks Scribophile! Check them out to find a writing buddy, beta readers, or form your own writing crit group!
Good News Good News
- Station Eternity gets a second printing!
- Team Rejection Count: 19
Main Topic: There are No Wasted Words
- Do you really need that many words before you get to the real story?
- “In media res” isn’t always the best way to start the action/story
- Ask questions of your characters to get going
- Free writing can loosen the words/ideas
- Playing with character names
- Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe
- All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka (Edge of Tomorrow is movie adaptation)
Links:
- The Hot Mic
- Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Station Eternity is OUT by the way.
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
February 9, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 06 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep5
Good News Good News
- Chaos Terminal final draft is accepted!
- Team Rejection Count: 19
Main Topic: Emotions Again
- I talk about how emotions trip us up- and by "us" I mean "me" time and time again.
- Brave Mur on TikTok
Links:
- The Hot Mic
- Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Station Eternity is OUT by the way.
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
February 7, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 05 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep4
Good News Good News
- Station Eternity gets a second printing!
- Team Rejection Count: 19
Main Topic: Evil Mur Appears and Shares Essential Writing Advice
- The endless fount of writing wisdom that is Evil Mur was summoned for her first appearance in 2023, and she answers all questions about short stories and novels, submitting to agents, managing plots and characters, crafting realistic dialogue, and more
- Copyediting and Proofreading (this is the program Summer the producer is in now):
- ACES: The Society for Editing
Links
- Lava Fountain Pens
- Jason Sanford
- File 770
- Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
February 2, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 04 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Show Notes: ISBW S19 Ep02 Good News Good News
- Chaos Terminal edits are done!
- Team Rejection 2023 Count: 17
Main Topic: Keeping Yourself Going
- The path of creativity might not always be upwards, but it’s usually forward
- You can’t control reader responses to your work, so avoid responding in anger (or at all)
Links:
- The Hot Mic
- Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Station Eternity is OUT by the way.
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
January 26, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 03 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S19 Ep2 Recorded January 12, 2023
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection 2023 Count: 16
Main Topic: First Sentences
Examining what makes first sentences work
- The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
- The Stand by Stephen King
- The Gunslinger by Stephen King
- This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
- A Murder of Crows by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett
- An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten
- Thirteen at Dinner by Agatha Christie
- Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond
- Fault Tolerance by Valerie Valdes
- ...and more!
Links:
- The Hot Mic
- Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Station Eternity is OUT by the way.
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
January 19, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 02 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
The end of 2022 was chaotic and I got way behind in posting episodes. Apologies!
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 388
Main Topic: Rebecca Ross, End of Year Burnout, Epiphanies & More
- Rebecca Ross, “A Fire Endless” is out, follows “A River Enchanted” to complete the duology
- The science of writing duologies
- Her epiphany for getting the writing done
- Finding agents, crafting queries
- Working with multiple POVs
- Rebecca Ross: https://rebeccarossauthor.com/ / https://www.instagram.com/beccajross
- Literary Rambles: http://www.literaryrambles.com
December 15, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 78 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
The end of 2022 was chaotic and I got way behind in posting episodes. Here are the final episodes of Season 18. Apologies!
Main Topic: Great Books to Give as Gifts for 2022 (I know, I know)
Picking only a few titles for the Gift Guide is Hard!
- How to Defend Your Lair, by Keith Ammann (The Monsters Know What They're Doing Book 4)
- Other Terrors, edited by Vince Liaguno and Rena Mason
- 4thewords : https://4thewords.com
- The Remarkable 2 : https://remarkable.com/store/remarkable-2
- Papier Plume : https://www.papierplume.com/
- Triangle Pen Show (website is kaput, Twitter feed is 8 years out of date)
- Goulet Pen Co : https://www.gouletpens.com
- The Story Graph : https://www.thestorygraph.com
December 8, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 77 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
The end of 2022 was chaotic and I got way behind in posting episodes. Apologies!
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 400
- NaNoWriMo word count: ???? (The Matchmaker & The Assassin)
Main Topic: Evil Mur gifts everyone with advice, Future Mur warns of burnout
- Lo, the dreaded mustache arrives! Take heed of the revered wisdom!
- NaNo Discord: https://discord.gg/UHnJHNke
- Web: https://nanowrimo.org
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/nanowrimo
November 10, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 76 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
The end of 2022 was chaotic and I got way behind in posting episodes. Apologies!
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 355
- NaNoWriMo Day 1 word count: 2733 (The Matchmaker & The Assassin)
Main Topic: NaNoWriMo 2022 Lift off!
You see my rocket ship head up in the clouds when my spaceship lit ignite
hit me from the ground I’m about to lift off
- Inkvent Calendar rewards
- Dealing with the Inner Critic/Editor/Bully (we have potato)
- Advice for those writing a first novel
- Shari Lewis & Lamb Chop, The Song that Never Ends was 1992, Better Off Dead was 1985, and Van Halen, Everybody Wants Some was 1980
- NaNo Discord: https://discord.gg/UHnJHNke
- Writing RPG: https://4thewords.com
- Web: https://nanowrimo.org
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/nanowrimo
November 1, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 75 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Sup?
I record from my car in the rain as the dog is getting rehab. (Knees, not addiction).
I figured the numbers from 2023: Estimated 34,444 downloads per month. Down about 10k/mo from 2021, which was down about 10k/mo from 2020.
Here's the link to the Be a Bestseller 4.0 course. The videos are free for 48 hours after release, but you can get permanent access for $37. (I am taking this course now so I can't verify the awesomeness. This is not an endorsement and this is not an affiliate link.)
Links:
- The Hot Mic
- Ze Frank's The Show
- Beatnik Turtle's Song of the Day (site seems to be having trouble...)
- Escape Pod
- Socials: Twitter, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
- Station Eternity is OUT by the way.
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
Twitch schedule January (Eastern time):
- Tues 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing Barcon (livestream is free, but this recording is exclusive to Patreon and Substack)
- Wed 3:00pm: TBD
- Thur 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing (for later release in the feed)
And remember, we can't do this without you. Thanks for your support.
January 17, 2023 | Season 19 Ep 1 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
ISBW PSAs * Brainstorming for NaNoWriMo Project
Good News Good News * Team Rejection count: 355
Main Topic: Inspiration for Different Story Genres * Screenwriter Jule Selbo’s new book: 9 Days (Book #2 Dee Rommel mystery series) * On moving from Hollywood to novels * The structure of the Dee Rommel series * Choosing, and sometimes combining genres * Jule’s novel writing & story research routines * (many pro screenwriters also use Fade In, is more flexible & affordable than Final Draft) * Web: https://www.juleselbo.com, https://pandamoonpub.com * Twitter: https://twitter.com/juleselbo, https://twitter.com/pandamoonpub
Station Eternity is OUT by the way. Go get your copy from your favorite bookseller!
Links * Mur on Focusmate! * Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube * Newsletter, The Hot Mic * Support via Patreon! * John Anealio on Bandcamp * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
Twitch schedule Oct. 31-Nov 3(Eastern time): * M 4:30pm: Ditch Diggers with Kameron Hurley * T 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing NaNoWriMo Launch! * W - Canceled for time being until I restructure * Th 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing - Live write? Chat? Who knows?
October 27, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 69 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
ISBW PSAs
- Brainstorming for NaNoWriMo Project
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 353
Main Topic: Humor, with a little Death
- Eden Robins new book: When Franny Stands Up
- Finding catharsis in humor
- “Write from your trauma” https://www.brentforrester.com/
- Looking at Death as the ultimate mystery
- Funny obits, mean obits, and the snark in between
- Web: https://www.monkeythumbs.com
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/edenrobins
Station Eternity is OUT by the way. Go get your copy from your favorite bookseller!
Links * Mur on Focusmate! * Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube * Newsletter, The Hot Mic * Support via Patreon! * John Anealio on Bandcamp * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
Twitch schedule Oct. 31-Nov 3(Eastern time): * M 4:30pm: Ditch Diggers with Kameron Hurley * T 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing NaNoWriMo Launch! * W - Canceled for time being until I restructure * Th 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing - Live write? Chat? Who knows?
October 25, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 67 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Recorded October 31, 2022
There's not much more to say. It's the last day of prep and I'm frantic and wired. Wish me luck. As I wish you luck! Remember, the daily show goes to Patreon-only starting tomorrow! Join the ISBW NaNoWriMo Discord! Where to find me!
- Website
- Patreon
- Twitch
- TikTok (Evil Mur is getting on TikTok Again!)
October 31, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 73 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Recorded October 30, 2022
What are you going to do to make your day go smoother? Set up coffee, tea, rewards, snacks, get it all in place!
Where to find me!
- Website
- Patreon
- Twitch
- TikTok (Evil Mur is getting on TikTok Again!)
October 30, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 72 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Recorded October 29, 2022
When we avoid taking a chance on something, we tell ourselves that we could have succeeded if we had made the choice to do so. I could have done that -- if I'd wanted to. It saves us from realizing that sometimes things don't work out when we take the chance. But it also means we don't accomplish some things we may have otherwise, had we taken the chance. And I'm not entirely talking about y'all... Where to find me!
- Website
- Patreon
- Twitch
- TikTok (Evil Mur is getting on TikTok Again!)
October 29, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 71 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Recorded October 28, 2022
When doing your outline, don't be afraid to consider books you've already read. Remember, great artists steal.
Where to find me!
- Website
- Patreon
- Twitch
- TikTok (Evil Mur is getting on TikTok Again!)
October 28, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 70 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Capitalism says today must earn/be better than yesterday! But how feasible is that? A look at the stock market says... not very much.
October 26, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 68 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Recorded October 24, 2022 So apparently there's a Comic Sans Trick that is good at helping productivity. I'm testing this today. Also I hate recording on the weekend. I will have to take this into account when planning for daily NaNo show next month. Comic Sans trick article at Lifehacker Where to find me!
- Website
- Patreon
- Twitch
- TikTok (Evil Mur is getting on TikTok Again!)
October 24, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 66 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
ISBW PSAs
- 2022 Total Word Count: ???
- Solo RPG project
- Daily Podcast Schedule for NaNoWriMo Prep
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 348
- Fountain pen: $14k. Is it really a magic wand?
Main Topic: Point of View
- The subtle and overt bigotry against various groups is still strong, in life & in fiction
- The POV of privilege and misconception
Links * Mur on Focusmate! * Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube * Newsletter, The Hot Mic * Support via Patreon! * John Anealio on Bandcamp * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
**Twitch schedule Oct. 24-Oct 27 (Eastern time):** * M 12:00p,: Ditch Diggers
- T 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing with Eden Robins (rescheduled)
- W - Canceled for time being until I restructure
- Th 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing with Jule Selbo (rescheduled)
October 20, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 63 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Recorded October 22, 2022
What to do when your NaNo project makes everything else in your life depressing?
What would you change if you were marathon training? You'd change the time you got up, the time you went to bed, what you ate, when you ate, and your weekends would likely be dominated by long runs. And until you got used to it, your daily life and daily chores would be affected.
NaNoWriMo is marathon training. Treat it like that. Expect it. You got this.
Where to find me!
- Website
- Patreon
- Twitch
- TikTok (Evil Mur is getting on TikTok Again!)
October 22, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 65 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Recorded October 22, 2022
What to do when your NaNo project makes everything else in your life depressing?
What would you change if you were marathon training? You'd change the time you got up, the time you went to bed, what you ate, when you ate, and your weekends would likely be dominated by long runs. And until you got used to it, your daily life and daily chores would be affected.
NaNoWriMo is marathon training. Treat it like that. Expect it. You got this.
Where to find me!
- Website
- Patreon
- Twitch
- TikTok (Evil Mur is getting on TikTok Again!)
October 22, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 65 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Let's ask the tough questions. How do you make a dead baby funny? How do you make a cozy murder mystery cozy when there's a decapitated corpse in chapter 4? It's all about emotion. This works for sex too, which I don't mention. In the 90s, Rachel and Monica on Friends were considered the feminine sex appeal of the decade, but both appeared in lingerie on the show and it was ... not sexy because of the emotion in the scene. ("The One With Rachel's New Dress" and "The One with Rachel's Sister", respectively) Oh- Doggo update, the vet didn't want to do XRays since they won't do anything immediately anyway, and we already have sedation + Xrays planned for next month schedule and paid for, so we are going to wait till then. So she got to go to the vet for free and get fussed over by her fan club all day with no actual vet prodding, which is not a bad way to live, all things considered. (She loves the vet because they love her there.) October 21, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 64 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Let's ask the tough questions. How do you make a dead baby funny? How do you make a cozy murder mystery cozy when there's a decapitated corpse in chapter 4? It's all about emotion. This works for sex too, which I don't mention. In the 90s, Rachel and Monica on Friends were considered the feminine sex appeal of the decade, but both appeared in lingerie on the show and it was ... not sexy because of the emotion in the scene. ("The One With Rachel's New Dress" and "The One with Rachel's Sister", respectively) Oh- Doggo update, the vet didn't want to do XRays since they won't do anything immediately anyway, and we already have sedation + Xrays planned for next month schedule and paid for, so we are going to wait till then. So she got to go to the vet for free and get fussed over by her fan club all day with no actual vet prodding, which is not a bad way to live, all things considered. (She loves the vet because they love her there.) October 21, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 64 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S18 Ep62
Time to talk prep, but honestly, the biggest obstacle in front of you is your existing day-to-day life. What will have to move aside?
Where to find me!
- Website
- Patreon
- Twitch
October 20, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 62 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S18 Ep62
Time to talk prep, but honestly, the biggest obstacle in front of you is your existing day-to-day life. What will have to move aside?
Where to find me!
- Website
- Patreon
- Twitch
October 20, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 62 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S18 Ep60: NaNoWriMo, Habits and Change ISBW PSAs
- 2022 Total Word Count: ???
- Solo RPG project
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 338
Main Topic: NaNoWriMo Cometh
- The distractions of emotional expectations
- The untapped powers of the random number generator
Station Eternity is OUT by the way. Go get your copy from your favorite bookseller!
Links * Mur on Focusmate! * Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube * Newsletter, The Hot Mic * Support via Patreon! * John Anealio on Bandcamp * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
**Twitch schedule Oct. 24-Oct 27 (Eastern time):** * M 12:00p,: Ditch Diggers
- T 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing with Eden Robins (rescheduled)
- W - Canceled for time being until I restructure
- Th 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing with Jule Selbo (rescheduled)
October 13, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 60 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
I've gone to doing a daily show to get in shape for my yearly NaNoWriMo daily show. The daily show will be in the main feed until Oct 31, but then in November it goes to Patreon only. Join us in the Ink Stained Fabulists on Patreon for only $1 a month for the next two weeks!
In this tiny episode we talk about NaNoWriMo, and what traditionally published authors have power to do (and not do) with their books. Also, I talk about the doggo.
Where to find me!
- Website
- Patreon
- Twitch
October 19, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 61 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S18 Ep60: NaNoWriMo, Habits and Change ISBW PSAs
- 2022 Total Word Count: ???
- Solo RPG project
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 338
Main Topic: NaNoWriMo Cometh
- The distractions of emotional expectations
- The untapped powers of the random number generator
Station Eternity is OUT by the way. Go get your copy from your favorite bookseller!
Links * Mur on Focusmate! * Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube * Newsletter, The Hot Mic * Support via Patreon! * John Anealio on Bandcamp * I Should Be Writing tea blends * Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more! * OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
**Twitch schedule Oct. 24-Oct 27 (Eastern time):** * M 12:00p,: Ditch Diggers
- T 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing with Eden Robins (rescheduled)
- W - Canceled for time being until I restructure
- Th 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing with Jule Selbo (rescheduled)
October 13, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 60 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
I've gone to doing a daily show to get in shape for my yearly NaNoWriMo daily show. The daily show will be in the main feed until Oct 31, but then in November it goes to Patreon only. Join us in the Ink Stained Fabulists on Patreon for only $1 a month for the next two weeks!
In this tiny episode we talk about NaNoWriMo, and what traditionally published authors have power to do (and not do) with their books. Also, I talk about the doggo.
Where to find me!
- Website
- Patreon
- Twitch
October 19, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 61 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Recorded live Sept 29. 2022
My entire production team is either sick, or has a sick loved one, so show notes will be minimal.
I talked with Desideria Mesa about Bindle Punk Bruja, her historical magical book about Kansas City, Prohibition, and Mexican magic!
Station Eternity is OUT by the way. Go get your copy from your favorite bookseller!
September 29, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 58 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Recorded live Sept 29. 2022
My entire production team is either sick, or has a sick loved one, so show notes will be minimal.
I talked with Desideria Mesa about Bindle Punk Bruja, her historical magical book about Kansas City, Prohibition, and Mexican magic!
Station Eternity is OUT by the way. Go get your copy from your favorite bookseller!
September 29, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 58 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 328
Main Topic: Gwendolyn Kiste, “Reluctant Immortals”
- Gwendolyn talks about the “reluctant immortals” in her new novel, well-known characters from Classic Literature
- Brainstorming is work
- Questions from chat
- https://www.gwendolynkiste.com/
- https://twitter.com/GwendolynKiste
Links
- Mur on Focusmate!
- Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
- Newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
Twitch schedule Sept 25-Oct 1 (Eastern time): * Sept 28 3:00pm: Gaming: The Wandering Village * Sept 29 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing with Desideria Mesa * Oct 1 7:00pm: Station Eternity LIVE! Mini Audio Drama performance on Twitch!
September 22, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 58 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 328
Main Topic: Gwendolyn Kiste, “Reluctant Immortals”
- Gwendolyn talks about the “reluctant immortals” in her new novel, well-known characters from Classic Literature
- Brainstorming is work
- Questions from chat
- https://www.gwendolynkiste.com/
- https://twitter.com/GwendolynKiste
Links
- Mur on Focusmate!
- Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
- Newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
Twitch schedule Sept 25-Oct 1 (Eastern time): * Sept 28 3:00pm: Gaming: The Wandering Village * Sept 29 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing with Desideria Mesa * Oct 1 7:00pm: Station Eternity LIVE! Mini Audio Drama performance on Twitch!
September 22, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 58 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 328
Main Topic: Gwendolyn Kiste, “Reluctant Immortals”
- Gwendolyn talks about the “reluctant immortals” in her new novel, well-known characters from Classic Literature
- Brainstorming is work
- Questions from chat
- https://www.gwendolynkiste.com/
- https://twitter.com/GwendolynKiste
Links
- Mur on Focusmate!
- Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
- Newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
Twitch schedule Sept 25-Oct 1 (Eastern time): * Sept 28 3:00pm: Gaming: The Wandering Village * Sept 29 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing with Desideria Mesa * Oct 1 7:00pm: Station Eternity LIVE! Mini Audio Drama performance on Twitch!
September 22, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 58 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 328
Main Topic: Gwendolyn Kiste, “Reluctant Immortals”
- Gwendolyn talks about the “reluctant immortals” in her new novel, well-known characters from Classic Literature
- Brainstorming is work
- Questions from chat
- https://www.gwendolynkiste.com/
- https://twitter.com/GwendolynKiste
Links
- Mur on Focusmate!
- Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
- Newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
- Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
- OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!
Twitch schedule Sept 25-Oct 1 (Eastern time): * Sept 28 3:00pm: Gaming: The Wandering Village * Sept 29 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing with Desideria Mesa * Oct 1 7:00pm: Station Eternity LIVE! Mini Audio Drama performance on Twitch!
September 22, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 58 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S18 Ep57 NOTE- we had a number of technical difficulties, including a part where the stream drops off and then returns. Please take note. I can't remember if we swore in this one, but just in case, this has an EXPLICIT tag. T. Kingfisher and What Moves the Dead Mur's Page
S18 Ep57 NOTE- we had a number of technical difficulties, including a part where the stream drops off and then returns. Please take note. I can't remember if we swore in this one, but just in case, this has an EXPLICIT tag. T. Kingfisher and What Moves the Dead Mur's Page
S18 Ep57 NOTE- we had a number of technical difficulties, including a part where the stream drops off and then returns. Please take note. I can't remember if we swore in this one, but just in case, this has an EXPLICIT tag. T. Kingfisher and What Moves the Dead Mur's Page
S18 Ep57 NOTE- we had a number of technical difficulties, including a part where the stream drops off and then returns. Please take note. I can't remember if we swore in this one, but just in case, this has an EXPLICIT tag. T. Kingfisher and What Moves the Dead Mur's Page
ISBW S18 Ep56: Guest Tanvi Berwah and Writing Myths Good News Good News
Team Rejection count: 328
Main Topic: Tanvi Berwah, “Monsters Born and Made”
Tanvi talks about her new novel, the Indian & Arabic myths her story’s monsters are based on, exploring biases and caste and class discriminations through the characters & the story, and more.
Tanvi also talks about how her writing is influenced by her mental health journey (you don’t have to suffer in order to create, so please take care of yourself and seek help when you can), and the expanded story she wants to explore in Book 2 and beyond.
https://tanviberwah.com
https://twitter.com/tanviberwah
https://www.instagram.com/tanviberwah/
September 16, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 56 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
ISBW S18 Ep56: Guest Tanvi Berwah and Writing Myths Good News Good News
Team Rejection count: 328
Main Topic: Tanvi Berwah, “Monsters Born and Made”
Tanvi talks about her new novel, the Indian & Arabic myths her story’s monsters are based on, exploring biases and caste and class discriminations through the characters & the story, and more.
Tanvi also talks about how her writing is influenced by her mental health journey (you don’t have to suffer in order to create, so please take care of yourself and seek help when you can), and the expanded story she wants to explore in Book 2 and beyond.
https://tanviberwah.com
https://twitter.com/tanviberwah
https://www.instagram.com/tanviberwah/
September 16, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 56 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
ISBW S18 Ep56: Guest Tanvi Berwah and Writing Myths Good News Good News
Team Rejection count: 328
Main Topic: Tanvi Berwah, “Monsters Born and Made”
Tanvi talks about her new novel, the Indian & Arabic myths her story’s monsters are based on, exploring biases and caste and class discriminations through the characters & the story, and more.
Tanvi also talks about how her writing is influenced by her mental health journey (you don’t have to suffer in order to create, so please take care of yourself and seek help when you can), and the expanded story she wants to explore in Book 2 and beyond.
https://tanviberwah.com
https://twitter.com/tanviberwah
https://www.instagram.com/tanviberwah/
September 16, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 56 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
ISBW S18 Ep56: Guest Tanvi Berwah and Writing Myths Good News Good News
Team Rejection count: 328
Main Topic: Tanvi Berwah, “Monsters Born and Made”
Tanvi talks about her new novel, the Indian & Arabic myths her story’s monsters are based on, exploring biases and caste and class discriminations through the characters & the story, and more.
Tanvi also talks about how her writing is influenced by her mental health journey (you don’t have to suffer in order to create, so please take care of yourself and seek help when you can), and the expanded story she wants to explore in Book 2 and beyond.
https://tanviberwah.com
https://twitter.com/tanviberwah
https://www.instagram.com/tanviberwah/
September 16, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 56 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 313
- STATION ETERNITY: Library Journal Starred Review https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/station-eternity-1790821
Main Topic: Back to Basics: Ask Me Anything, featuring Evil Mur
- Evil Mur regales the audience with proclamations of self-promotion and awesome writerly advice that you should do everything you can to emulate in order to create your Best Ever Author Life.
- Do not listen to Evil Mur. Just, don’t.
August 18, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 55 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Open
- New short stories being worked on
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 257
- STATION ETERNITY: Library Journal Starred Review https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/station-eternity-1790821
Main Topic: Back to Basics: Turrible Writing Advice, Just Turrible
- Writing & Self Publishing suggestions found on Wisdom, well, kinda weren’t all that wise
- Old Wives Tale: You can successfully write if you don’t read widely or at all. Um, nope… reading while you’re writing is vital
- (I’m with you… I have no patience for Tolkien, but the first 3 movies are wonderful)
Links
- Mur on Focusmate!
- Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
- Newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
August 17, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 54 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Open
- New short stories being worked on
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 257
- STATION ETERNITY: Library Journal Starred Review https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/station-eternity-1790821
Main Topic: Back to Basics: Turrible Writing Advice, Just Turrible
- Writing & Self Publishing suggestions found on Wisdom, well, kinda weren’t all that wise
- Old Wives Tale: You can successfully write if you don’t read widely or at all. Um, nope… reading while you’re writing is vital
- (I’m with you… I have no patience for Tolkien, but the first 3 movies are wonderful)
Links
- Mur on Focusmate!
- Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
- Newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
August 17, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 54 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Main Topic: Back to Basics w/Valerie Valdes
- Writing processes: stand-alones and series
- Dragon Age games, storytelling and world building
- NaNoWriMo, Structure, and storytelling secrets
- Candle In Sunshine
- Valerie on Twitter
- Valerie's Home Page
Links
- New! Mur on Focusmate!
- Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
- Newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
Twitch schedule for August:
- Monday 12pm: Ditch Diggers (19th 4:30pm)
- Tuesday 3pm: I Should Be Writing
- Wednesday 3pm: Gaming TBD
- Thursday 3pm: I Should Be Writing
- Thursday 8pm: Arsenic and Old Dice, A Brindlewood Bay Livestream
August 11, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 53 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Main Topic: Happy Birthday, Oh Podcast, My Podcast!
- The startup history and baby steps of I Should Be Writing
- What Mur has Learned in 17 Years of Pro Podcasting
- The foundation was built for a networking platform
- Timeless Writing Advice: Don’t Stop Writing.
- Updating podcasts to reflect the times and the tech
- Meeting and Knowing other Writers Helps All
- The anxieties of being an author are real, but you’re not alone
Links
- New! Mur on Focusmate!
- Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
- Newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
Twitch schedule for August:
- Monday 12pm: Ditch Diggers (19th 4:30pm)
- Tuesday 3pm: I Should Be Writing
- Wednesday 3pm: Gaming TBD
- Thursday 3pm: I Should Be Writing
- Thursday 8pm: Arsenic and Old Dice, A Brindlewood Bay Livestream
August 9, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 52 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Main Topic: Mindy Carlson and Characters
- Mindy’s writing retreat imminent
- Building characters needs as much detail as building the world: traits, connections, behaviors
- Consistently believable emotional responses help mysteries flow
- Yes, Her Dying Day is loosely based on the real life disappearance of Agatha Christie
- Advice for new writers: Be brave and do the thing that scares you the most
- https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781639100125
- Mindy on Twitter
Links
- New! Mur on Focusmate!
- Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
- Newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
Twitch schedule for August:
- Monday 12pm: Ditch Diggers (19th 4:30pm)
- Tuesday 3pm: I Should Be Writing
- Wednesday 3pm: Gaming TBD
- Thursday 3pm: I Should Be Writing
- Thursday 8pm: Arsenic and Old Dice, A Brindlewood Bay Livestream
August 4, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 51 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S18 Ep50 Short episode. I've been feeling low lately, and then had to remember this little nugget that keeps me going. So I thought I would remind you, too.
Links
- New! Mur on Focusmate!
- Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
- Newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
Twitch schedule for week of August 8:
- 8th Monday 12pm: Ditch Diggers with Alasdair Stuart
- 9th Tuesday 3pm: I Should Be Writing
- 10th Wednesday 3pm: Gaming TBD
- 11st Thursday 3pm: I Should Be Writing, interview with Valerie Valdes
- 11th Thursday 8pm: Arsenic and Old Dice, A Brindlewood Bay Livestream
July 28, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 50 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S18 Ep49 Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 226
- STATION ETERNITY: Library Journal Starred Review https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/station-eternity-1790821
Main Topic: Characters
- The Basic (Standard) Characters: characters have & need structure too
- The Protagonist changes, movement must occur
- The Antagonist creates obstacles, challenges Protagonist resolve
- Think about how your characters can & will interact while building them
- Reference: “45 Master Characters” by Veronica Schmidt
- ( ed note: author KM Weiland has a podcast, and she’s done a series on character arcs, and also positive, negative, flat and shadow archetypes, both in podcast and in book, https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/)
Live Stream Bar Con After Show
- Appearances Update: WorldCon, She Podcasts, (maybe) NYCC
Links
- New! Mur on Focusmate!
- Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
- Newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
Twitch schedule for week of August 8:
- 8th Monday 12pm: Ditch Diggers with Alasdair Stuart
- 9th Tuesday 3pm: I Should Be Writing
- 10th Wednesday 3pm: Gaming TBD
- 11st Thursday 3pm: I Should Be Writing, interview with Valerie Valdes
- 11th Thursday 8pm: Arsenic and Old Dice, A Brindlewood Bay Livestream
July 26, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 49 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S18 Ep47 Main Topic: Where Do You Find Your Story Inspiration?
- Start with paying attention to the people, behaviors and events right in front of you
- Non-fiction recommendations: Mary Roach (science), Ruth Reichl (food)
- When you watch TV, Movies, Video Games, pay attention to the dialogue & story structure
Links
- murverse.com
- Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
- Newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
Twitch schedule for July:
- 18th Monday 4:30pm: Ditch Diggers with Kameron Hurley
- 19th Tuesday 3pm: Canceled
- 20th Wednesday 3pm: Stardew Valley
- 21st Thursday 3pm: I Should Be Writing with
- 25th Monday 12pm: No work, BIRTHDAY STREAM!
- 26th Tuesday 3pm: I Should Be Writing
- 27th Wednesday 3pm: Gaming TBD
- 28th Thursday 3pm: I Should Be Writing
July 14, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 48 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
S18 Ep46 Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 218
- Virtual launch event at Mysterious Galaxy October 11
- Live launch event at Flyleaf Books, October 4
- She Podcasts Live conference/event October 11-14
Main Topic: The Tools at Your Disposal
- Think about your keyboard, and how typing stress can affect your writing
- Laptops, Tablets, or Phones?
- Software for your Writing Efficiency
Links
- murverse.com
- Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
- Newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
Twitch schedule for July:
- 18th Monday 4:30pm: Ditch Diggers with Kameron Hurley
- 19th Tuesday 3pm: Canceled
- 20th Wednesday 3pm: Stardew Valley
- 21st Thursday 3pm: I Should Be Writing with
- 25th Monday 12pm: No work, BIRTHDAY STREAM!
- 26th Tuesday 3pm: I Should Be Writing
- 27th Wednesday 3pm: Gaming TBD
- 28th Thursday 3pm: I Should Be Writing
July 12, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 47 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Back to Basics S18 Ep46 Good News Good News * Team Rejection count: 215
Main Topic: Steffanie Moyers * Author & Editor Steffanie Moyers talks about her new ebook, What Happens In… * Staging and shooting professional and fun photo shoots * Fiverr and working that freelance hustle to more leads * Writing the stories in your head (pantsing all the time!) * Vonnegut Love * https://www.steffmoyers.com * https://www.tiktok.com/@steffaniemoyers * https://www.instagram.com/steffaniemoyers * https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz1CL4w4mdgggJ1nIi0G--A * https://twitter.com/steffaniemoyers * Check out the official ISBW merch! * Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube * Newsletter, The Hot Mic * Support via Patreon! * John Anealio on Bandcamp * I Should Be Writing tea blends
Twitch schedule for July 18-22: * 11th Monday 12pm: Ditch Diggers with Ursula Vernon * 12th Tuesday 3pm: I Should Be Writing * 13th Wednesday 3pm: Thousand Year Old Vampire Solo RPG, 9pm (POSSIBLE) Stardew Valley stream with friends! * 14th Thursday 3pm: I Should Be Writing
July 7, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 46 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Back to Basics S18 Ep45 The first in our twelve episode Back to Basics series! But did you know you could pre-order signed copies of my new book Station Eternity?
I'm going to be covering basic writing advice for the next twelve episodes.
Open
- STATION: ETERNITY will be out October 4 2022
- 2022 Word Count: 120k
- Upcoming changes to ISBW: themed limited series are the new normal
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 204
Main Topic: Back to Basics
- Addressing the imagined fears that sneak up on you when considering a creative career
- Fear of failure when starting a project, Fear of success and its link to impostor syndrome
- Having the courage to say “yes” or “hello”
- There are a few real concerns when walking the path of a creative career
- Perfectionism: It’s A Trap!
- Refer to: Ira Glass, “The Gap”: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/extras/the-gap
- Comparison to others: It’s A Trap!
Links
- Check out the official ISBW merch!
- Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
- Newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
Twitch schedule for July 18-22:
- 18th Monday 12pm: Ditch Diggers with Ursula Vernon
- 19th Tuesday 3pm: I Should Be Writing
- 20th Wednesday 3pm: Thousand Year Old Vampire Solo RPG, 9pm (POSSIBLE) Stardew Valley stream with friends!
- 21st Thursday 3pm: I Should Be Writing
Coming in August: Return of podcasts, and a live RPG play of Brindlewood Bay!
July 5, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 45 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
I'm back from my break and not making you wait months for the next Spoiler's Club! We have John Scalzi talking Kaiju Preservation Society, with a chance to win! Email me at mightymur@gmail.com before July 15, 2022, to enter!
Watch the interview on Youtube!
To hear the whole episode, support at Patreon.com/mightymur
June 25, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 44 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
The first rule of Spoilers Club is talk about all the spoilers.
It's our very first Spoiler's Club episode, where we read One For All by Lillie Lainoff, and then she came on the show to talk all about the book with us! Check out the book and then listen to the episode!
For the full episode, support at Patreon. See all my podcasts, books, and more at Murverse.com
Pre-show Notes
- I've been stressed out finishing my book, and sat on SO MANY EPISODES. So we'll be releasing them soon. Don't forget Spoilers Club, June 25!
- Also: Goodreads STATION ETERNITY Giveaway (open through June 30)
- Total raw wordcount for 2022: 118656
S18 Ep42 Live from the Outer Banks, North Carolina, where Mur and Ursula do a free-wheeling brainstorming session about our epic shapeshifter rom-com. Not a very serious episode. Explicit for language. Links * Merch Shop * Mur on Twitter * Mur on Instagram * Mur on Youtube * Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic * Support via Patreon or Ko-Fi! * John Anealio on Bandcamp * I Should Be Writing tea blends
Twitch schedule for June: * June 1-24: ON BREAK- I may pop in for a stream but nothing scheduled * Sat June 25: 6:00pm EDT: Spoilers Club with John Scalzi to talk The Kaiju Preservation Society
Coming in July: Return of podcasts, and a live RPG play of Brindlewood Bay! May 26, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 42 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Pre-show Notes * I've been stressed out finishing my book, and sat on SO MANY EPISODES. So we'll be releasing them soon. Don't forget Spoilers Club, June 25! * Also: Goodreads STATION ETERNITY Giveaway (open through June 30) * Total raw wordcount for 2022: 118656
S18 Ep41 Live from the Outer Banks, North Carolina, where Mur is trying to finish a book and has little brain room for anything else. This episode may be explicit. I can't remember. Links * Merch Shop * Mur on Twitter * Mur on Instagram * Mur on Youtube * Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic * Support via Patreon or Ko-Fi! * John Anealio on Bandcamp * I Should Be Writing tea blends
Twitch schedule for June: * June 1-24: ON BREAK- I may pop in for a stream but nothing scheduled * Sat June 25: 6:00pm EDT: Spoilers Club with John Scalzi to talk The Kaiju Preservation Society
Coming in July: Return of podcasts, and a live RPG play of Brindlewood Bay! May 24, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 41 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Pre-show Notes * I've been stressed out finishing my book, and sat on SO MANY EPISODES. So we'll be releasing them soon. Don't forget Spoilers Club, June 25! * Also: Goodreads STATION ETERNITY Giveaway (open through June 30)
S18 Ep40 * 2022 Word Count: 73335 ?? (are we even in the same ballpark?) * Writing Retreat coming at the end of May
Good News Good News * Team Rejection count: 177
Main Topic: Interview with Gwynne Garfinkle * Debut novel: Can’t Find My Way Home by Gwynne Garfinkle * The Bishop’s Wife * Writing while managing chronic illnesses that make it harder to get writing done * Website: https://gwynnegarfinkle.com/ * Twitter: https://twitter.com/gwynnega * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gwynnega/
Links * Merch Shop * Mur on Twitter * Mur on Instagram * Mur on Youtube * Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic * Support via Patreon or Ko-Fi! * John Anealio on Bandcamp * I Should Be Writing tea blends
Twitch schedule for June: * June 1-24: ON BREAK- I may pop in for a stream but nothing scheduled * Sat June 25: 6:00pm EDT: Spoilers Club with John Scalzi to talk The Kaiju Preservation Society
Coming in July: Return of podcasts, and a live RPG play of Brindlewood Bay! May 19, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 40 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Pre-show Notes * I've been stressed out finishing my book, and sat on SO MANY EPISODES. So we'll be releasing them soon. Don't forget Spoilers Club, June 25! * Also: Goodreads STATION ETERNITY Giveaway (open through June 30) * Total raw wordcount for 2022: 118656
Open * 2022 Word Count: 73335 ?? * Writing Retreat coming at the end of May
Good News Good News * Marketing Department Station Eternity social media artwork FTW! * Team Rejection count: 177
Main Topic: Don’t wait. Don’t hesitate. Trust yourself and your instincts * Picking and choosing more new ideas and projects to work on is necessary * Trying and failing is part of the process (not a waste of time, that’s where Summer gets stuck) * Experimentation. Try it, don’t take it too seriously * Seeing the opportunities and also making the opportunities * The fiction writing related account on Twitter is @Azure_Writing
Links * Merch Shop * Mur on Twitter * Mur on Instagram * Mur on Youtube * Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic * Support via Patreon or Ko-Fi! * John Anealio on Bandcamp * I Should Be Writing tea blends
Twitch schedule for June: * June 1-24: ON BREAK- I may pop in for a stream but nothing scheduled * Sat June 25: 6:00pm EDT: Spoilers Club with John Scalzi to talk The Kaiju Preservation Society
Coming in July: Return of podcasts, and a live RPG play of Brindlewood Bay! May 17, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 39 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Pre-show Notes
- I've been stressed out finishing my book, and sat on SO MANY EPISODES. So we'll be releasing them soon. Don't forget Spoilers Club, June 25!
- Also: Goodreads STATION ETERNITY Giveaway (open through June 30)
- Total raw wordcount for 2022: 118656
S18 Ep38 Open
- 2022 Word Count: 71335 ??
- Writing Retreat coming at the end of May
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 177
Main Topic: Editing, Cross Referencing, and Matching Numbers
- Timelines in your stories can be more convoluted (ie, work) than the plotting
- Cross referencing can be harder without unique keywords
- Mur really wants you to learn from the mistakes that have caused her suffering
- Handy Tools:
- Scrivener https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview
- Aeon Timeline https://timeline.app/narrative/
Links
- Merch Shop
- Mur on Twitter
- Mur on Instagram
- Mur on Youtube
- Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon or Ko-Fi!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
- I Should Be Writing tea blends
Twitch schedule for June:
- June 1-24: ON BREAK- I may pop in for a stream but nothing scheduled
- Sat June 25: 6:00pm EDT: Spoilers Club with John Scalzi to talk The Kaiju Preservation Society
Coming in July: Return of podcasts, and a live RPG play of Brindlewood Bay!
May 10, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 38 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Please Note,While Solicitor Kenner is A lawyer, she's still not YOUR lawyer, so do not take anything said here as direct legal advice. Open * 2022 Word Count: 68178 ?? * Writing Retreat coming at the end of May
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 171
- Sourdough starters growing up and ready to go to school
Main Topic: Your Writing, Copyright and Intellectual Properties
- Trademarks, and referring to brands in fiction
- Fair Use: The Rules, The Limitations, and Usages
- Titles cannot be copyrighted
- The defenses of intellectual properties, the good and the overreach
Links
- Escape Artists Podcasts
- Escape Artists Twitch Stream
- Merch Shop
- Mur on Twitter
- Mur on Instagram
- Mur on Youtube
- Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon or Ko-Fi!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
Twitch schedule for May:
- 16th Mon: 12:00pm Ditch Diggers with Matt Wallace
- 17th Tues: 3:00pm I Should Be Writing
- 19th Wed: CANCELED FOR MAY
- 20th Thurs: 3:00pm I Should Be Writing
- 23rd Mon: 4:30pm Ditch Diggers with ??? (Live from writing retreat at the beach!)
- 24th Tues: 3:00pm I Should Be Writing (Live from writing retreat at the beach!)
- 26th Thurs: 3:00pm I Should Be Writing (Live from writing retreat at the beach!)
- 30th Mon: CANCELED - VACATION
- 31 Tues: CANCELED - VACATION
All times EDT
May 5, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 37 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Open * 2022 Word Count: 68178 * Writing Retreat coming in May
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 150
Main Topic: On Supporting Characters
- Whydunit is more important than Whodunit
- The Afterparty on Apple TV
- It’s good to focus on moving the plot along, but think about doing it well
- Babylon 5 “A View From the Gallery”, and the adventures of Mack and Bo.
- The Contagonist as Catalyst
- Build the back stories for the minor characters just as carefully as the main characters
Links
- Merch Shop
- Mur on Twitter
- Mur on Instagram
- Mur on Youtube
- Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon or Ko-Fi!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
May 3, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 36 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Main Topic: Unwritten Etiquette
- The etiquette of talking about reading stories by your other author friends
- Don’t ask if they read it, don’t ask if they liked it
- The Blurb: the asking and the being asked
- The unwritten rules for signing lines
- Reader etiquette regarding used books
- About well-wishes for award nominations
- Remember, reviews are for other readers, not the writer (and potential mine fields)
- Social Media: Promotion vs Self-Promotion (balanced by volume)
- Networking: another minefield to tiptoe through
Links
- Merch Shop
- Mur on Twitter
- Mur on Instagram
- Mur on Youtube
- Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon or Ko-Fi!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
Twitch schedule for week of May 9:
- Mon: 4:30pm Ditch Diggers with Alasdair Stuart
- Tues: 3:00pm I Should Be Writing
- Wed: 3:00pm Gaming
- Thurs: 3:00pm NO STREAM
April 28, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 35 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Main Topic: Rejectomancy Revisited
- Diving into the alchemy of deciphering rejection letters
- Does the story fit the magazine it’s being submitted to?
- Social Media: the game is afoot and no one knows the rules
- Try to level up networking skills
Links
- Merch Shop
- Mur on Twitter
- Mur on Instagram
- Mur on Youtube
- Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon or Ko-Fi!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
Twitch schedule for week of May 9:
- Mon: 4:30pm Ditch Diggers with Alasdair Stuart
- Tues: 3:00pm I Should Be Writing
- Wed: 3:00pm Gaming
- Thurs: 3:00pm NO STREAM
April 26, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 34 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Main Topic: Story Engine
- Unboxing: Story Engine… we have cards!
- Booster: Eldritch Horror set
- Today’s quandary is how to run a giveaway for the spare Story Engine set. Roll for wild luck.
- Walking through the decks, and how to use them to help you tell your stories
- Buy Your Own Story Engine deck: https://storyenginedeck.myshopify.com
Links
- Merch Shop
- Mur on Twitter
- Mur on Instagram
- Mur on Youtube
- Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon or Ko-Fi!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
Twitch schedule for week of May 9:
- Mon: 4:30pm Ditch Diggers with Alasdair Stuart
- Tues: 3:00pm I Should Be Writing
- Wed: 3:00pm Gaming
- Thurs: 3:00pm NO STREAM
April 21, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 33 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Main Topic: Distractions
- Sometimes, we just need a person, pet or thing to bounce ideas & questions off of
- The games more fun to play have the more intricate and fleshed out stories
- Writing on side projects when you get stuck on a primary project can be a good thing
- Emotions are not reality, but take the emotions out of how the distractions make you feel
- ISBW archives and DD archives are complete!
Links
- Merch Shop
- Mur on Twitter
- Mur on Instagram
- Mur on Youtube
- Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon or Ko-Fi!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
Twitch schedule for week of May 2:
- Mon: 4:30pm Ditch Diggers with Matt Wallace
- Tues: 3:00pm I Should Be Writing
- Wed: 3:00pm Gaming
- Thurs: 3:00pm I Should Be Writing with Marguerite Kenner
April 19, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 32 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Open
- 2022 Word Count: 65178
- Your Mur doesn’t pun, and your daddy doesn’t rock ‘n roll
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 141 ??
- Spoilers Club: “One for All” by Lillie Lainoff – April 30, 6pm Eastern
Main Topic: Examinations of Flaws in the Writing
- Over explaining or under explaining in descriptions and dialogue
- Repeating repetitive phrases over and over
- The challenges in designing satisfying interpersonal conflict
- Editing cleanup on Aisle 4
- Working with the characters living in your head
- Keeping track of word counts in edit passes
April 14, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 31 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License
Please note as of April 21, 2022, I Should Be Writing is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives 4.0 License. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Open
- 2022 Word Count: 50200
- Science research!
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 141
- Welcome Cosmo Quest raiders!
- Spoilers Club: “One for All” by Lillie Lainoff
Main Topic: Hitting Home Runs with Your Story Settings
- Tips on making settings come to life… it’s all about the details
- Guidelines for using real business names in your stories?
- Trademarks vs Copyrights
April 12, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 30 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License
Main Topic: Talking taxes, money, habits, and news * Amazing reveals in 2022 Hugo Finalist announcements * Spoilers Club reminder: One for All by Lillie Lainoff, copy giveaways next week * Tangling with Taxes, what can help freelancers * YNAB: https://www.youneedabudget.com/our-app-lineup/ * How advances work (a breakdown)
Patreon: Bar Con Chat and Notes * Resurrecting the Magic Spreadsheet? * Requesting recommendations for Tips & Tricks for alternatives to “write every day”
[ Turbo Tango Raid incoming ]
Links
- Merch Shop
- Mur on Twitter
- Mur on Instagram
- Mur on Youtube
- Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon or Ko-Fi!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
Twitch schedule for April 18-30:
- Mon: Ditch Diggers with Matt Wallace 12pm
- Tues: ISBW 3pm
- Wed: Gaming (Inscription) 3pm
- Thurs: ISBW 3pm
- Sat: SPOILERS CLUB! 6pm We talk One For All -with ALL the spoilers- with special guest Lillie Lainoff!
April 7, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 29 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 115
- First new Ditch Diggers has arrived!
- Spoilers Club, April 30, 6pm: One for All by Lillie Lainoff
Main Topic: How You Should Use Social Media (At Your Career Stage)?
- Elon Musk. Buying into Twitter. Because speech freedoms confuse him?
- Facebook is the worst. Facebook decides who sees your content, not you.
- Tik Tok… hmph, get off my lawn
- Choose what safeguards work best for your online presence comfort levels
- Be your best self, be kind, considerate, and have fun
Links
- Merch Shop
- Mur on Twitter
- Mur on Instagram
- Mur on Youtube
- Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic
- Support via Patreon or Ko-Fi!
- John Anealio on Bandcamp
Twitch schedule for April 18-30:
- Mon: Ditch Diggers with Matt Wallace 12pm
- Tues: ISBW 3pm
- Wed: Gaming (Inscription) 3pm
- Thurs: ISBW 3pm
- Sat: SPOILERS CLUB! 6pm We talk One For All -with ALL the spoilers- with special guest Lillie Lainoff!
April 5, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 28 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
Open
- 2022 Word Count: 44000 (?)
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 111
- Ditch Diggers returns April 4, Noon Eastern!
- Book Club: “One for All” by Lillie Lainoff
Main Topic: Important yet Boring writing related side topics
- Are you doing your backups of your work? And you know you should be, right?
- There are so many cloud-based options, what are you waiting for?
- Now, about your rights and copyright…
- Creative Commons licensing: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/
- Stream break: Tornado Warning
- Creative Commons implementation examples
- Dancing along that knife edge that is fan fiction
- Will the Afterlife series go public domain?
March 31, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 27 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
NOTE- Releasing early so everyone knows to come see the return of Ditch Diggers on April 4, 2022, on Twitch!
Open
- 2022 Word Count: 43300 (?)
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 108
- Ditch Diggers returns April 4, Noon Eastern!
- Book Club News: Spoilers Club goals
- Camp NaNoWriMo starts April 1
Main Topic: Humor is subjective but doesn’t have to be cruel
- Is it funny if the joke’s purpose is to make fun of someone else in a less powerful situation?
- Sometimes, you don’t have to share your hot take with the world
- Keep in consideration the cause and effects of power imbalances regarding reviewers & fans
- If you can, tell your jokes without mocking a person or group of people
- “The Hidden Tools of Comedy” by Steve Kaplan
- Book Club: “One for All” by Lillie Lainoff
March 29, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 26 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- 2022 Word Count: 41200 (?)
- Does Mur need her own cruise? Signs point to “yes”
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 100
- Ditch Diggers returns April 4!
- SFWA Membership requirements have been updated
Main Topic: Applied Self Help Strategies. Chances. Opportunities. Luck.
- Shonda. Rhimes.
- Scientific study examining luck as the convergence of talent, opportunity and hard work:
- “How Luck Happens: Using the Science of Luck to Transform Work, Love, and Life” by Janice Kaplan & Barnaby Marsh
- Fortune Favors the Bold – Chance Favors the Prepared Mind
- Sometimes “no” is the right answer
- Imposter Syndrome, Fears often rear their ugly heads
March 24, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 25 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- 2022 Word Count: 41200 (?)
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 93 (maybe? Bots broke themselves)
- Ditch Diggers returns April 4!
- Horizon Forbidden West Family Game Time
Main Topic: Agents, and the Magic We Need them to Do
- Listener question: when to approach an agent when publishing agreements are already in place
- How to find out who represents an author
- Basic reasons why you need an agent
March 22, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 24 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- 2022 Word Count: 41200 (?)
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 93 (maybe? Bots broke themselves)
- Ditch Diggers returns April 4!
- Horizon Forbidden West Family Game Time
Main Topic: Agents, and the Magic We Need them to Do
- Listener question: when to approach an agent when publishing agreements are already in place
- How to find out who represents an author
- Basic reasons why you need an agent
March 22, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 24 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- 2022 Word Count: 39600ish
- Ursula’s word count today: 1120
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 93
Main Topic: Ursula Vernon. ‘Nuff Said.
- A Wild T. Kingfisher Appears! Here There Be Cursing…
- Sushi Good, deep fried fish bad… wait, what? Nah, really?
- Book Club: We Fear No Spoilers Here (or, Don’t Talk About Spoiler Club)
- The dietary habits of oxpeckers
- Story time: Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking
- Evil Mur and Evil Ursula Appear!
- Ursula’s new project: Steven Universe meets Silence of the Lambs
- The discovery of birdwatching
Bonus Content
- Pitching & Selling books on Twitter
- How Live Hate-Tweeting Midsommar led to a sale
- Top Three Tips for Writing Middle Grade Stories
March 17, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 23 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- 2022 Word Count: 38500?
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 93
- Last chance Hugo nominations (ends March 15)
- Upcoming changes at Escape Pod
Main Topic: Brain weasels
- When brain weasels attack and charge down riding the avoidance buffaloes
- Juggling the various stresses that live rent free in your brain, when they don’t need to be there
- The weasels may be strongest at the start
- Control the lure of the distractions
March 15, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 22 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- 2022 Word Count: 38083
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: 81
- Yay Premee Nebula nom
- Yay secret project update
- Notes on Writing the Other
- [ dog cam and dog treats activated ]
Main Topic: Falling into those Fiction Traps, and Ways to Sidestep Them
- Writing yourself into a corner using a background character that grows beyond your boundaries
- Art imitating life, but life is not narratively tidy, while fiction tends to be
- Feed your subconscious deeply and well, and let things percolate
March 10, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 21 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
2022 Word Count: 37083
Good News Good News
- Hugo nominations are open through March 15
- Team Rejection count: 81
- Nebula Awards Finalists announced, and there was much rejoicing!
- Ditch Diggers update
Main Topic: Task Avoidance Hows and Whys
- Taking action: applying things learned from self-help tips
- Finding the reasons (fears) we are practicing task avoidance with the writing that needs to be done (perfectionism, sunk costs fallacies, etc)
- Ira Glass “The Gap”
- https://www.thisamericanlife.org/extras/the-gap
- https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/the-gap-by-ira-glass-9651a750408f
- Taking writing baby steps can build confidence and momentum, and treat yourself
March 8, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 20 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- 2022 Word Count: ~34809
- Doing character research… ?
Good News Good News
- Hugo nominations are open through March 15
- Team Rejection count: 78
- ISBW Book Club launch imminent
Main Topic: Why most writers can't duplicate Sanderson, told through Animal Crossing metaphors.
- Clearing the slates in Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing
- Building a new island with Brandon Sanderson-like business aplomb
- Working to make enough money to be able to buy cool stuff to make your island better
March 3, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 19 (Episode 650!!!) | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
ISBW S18 Ep18
Open
- 2022 Word Count: ~34000
Good News Good News
- Hugo nominations are open for 2022
- Team Rejection count: 55
Main Topic: The Agency that Characters Should Have
- Giving lead & side characters the ability to make choices about their own paths
- Good choices, bad choices, at least they make the choices
March 1, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 18 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- Mur’s newest, STATION: ETERNITY, will be out on October 4 2022 (Cover So Pretty)
- 2022 Word Count: ~31000
- Murder mysteries should not be boring
- There’s no such thing as a working convention visit
- Authors cannot control book prices. Don’t yell at them about that, please?
Good News Good News
- Hugo nominations are open for 2022
- Team Rejection count: 44
- Beefing up story in Midsolar Murders Book 2
- Will Staehle: Art Good
Main Topic: Making Story Bibles Work
- Why you might need a story bible, and how you might start one
- Building a list of what needs to be in a story bible
- Maintaining continuity is key for both authors and readers
February 22, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 16 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- STATION ETERNITY will be out on October 4 2022 (Cover So Pretty)
- 2022 Word Count: ~34000
Good News Good News
- Hugo nominations are open for 2022
- Team Rejection count: 50
Main Topic: The Burdens of “Could” and “Should”
- Analysis Paralysis has entered the building… with a shiv… now what?
- When stories are wanted, needed and cared about. Or not.
- Evil Mur appears!
- What to work on when
- Move on to new projects
February 24, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 17 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- Mur’s newest, STATION ETERNITY, will be out on October 4 2022 (Cover So Pretty)
- 2022 Word Count: 29193
- Heading for Boskone
Good News Good News
- Hugo nominations are open for 2022
- Team Rejection count: 42
Main Topic: Ending Your Stories
- Ambiguous endings: where lies the story satisfaction?
- The endings structure of romances
- Save the Cat Beat Sheet for story parts
- Advice on Endings from James Patrick Kelly
- “Beginnings, Middles, and Ends” by Nancy Kress
- “Save the Cat Writes a Novel” by Jessica Brody
February 17, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 15 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- Mur’s newest, STATION ETERNITY, will be out on October 4 2022 (Cover So Pretty)
- 2022 Word Count: 29193
- Heading for Boskone
Good News Good News
- Hugo nominations are open for 2022
- Team Rejection count: 42
Main Topic: Ending Your Stories
- Ambiguous endings: where lies the story satisfaction?
- The endings structure of romances
- Save the Cat Beat Sheet for story parts
- Advice on Endings from James Patrick Kelly
- “Beginnings, Middles, and Ends” by Nancy Kress
- “Save the Cat Writes a Novel” by Jessica Brody
February 17, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 15 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- Mur’s newest, STATION ETERNITY, will be out on October 4, 2022
- Saved by Save The Cat Beat Sheets
- 2022 Word Count: 27890
Good News Good News
- Hugo nominations are open for 2022
- Team Rejection count: 40
- New Book Cover Reveal on io9 Feb 17th
- Evil Mur Appears!
Main Topic: LIES
- Emotions are not Reality
- Self confidence, self doubt, and the roller coaster ride between
- Depression Lies, Anxiety Lies, Dr House reminds us Everybody Lies
- Artist’s Way vs Finding Water
February 15, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 14 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- (Pre-Open) Pick a word, and use it a lot (new Evil Mur tip?)
- Mur’s newest, STATION ETERNITY, will be out on October 4 2022
Good News Good News
- Hugo nominations are open for 2022
- Team Rejection count: 38
- New book: Slaying the Dragon by Ben Riggs
Main Topic: Let’s Build A Character!
- Using a character toolkit to help create characters for your story
- Better Backstories cards (see links) could help jumpstart ideas
- Yes, fictional characters living rent-free in your head is common with storytellers
- How hard is it to write a character who is completely manipulative/psychologically abusive/etc
- Next, Rory’s Story Cubes as a different story building tool
- Writer Emergency Pack idea cards by screenwriter John August
- Let’s Play A Game: group building a character’s backstory
February 10, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 13 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- (Pre-Open) Dogs Run the Joint!
- Mur’s newest, STATION ETERNITY, will be out on October 4 2022
Good News Good News
- Hugo nominations are open for 2022
- Team Rejection count: 35
- Audio Drama inspiration
- New Assistant onboard
Main Topic: How Do I Workshops
- ADHD-Friendly organization methods, revisited
- Prioritizing tasks randomly: Taking the D20 roll to heart
- Will there be a Brindlewood Bay stream in the future?
- Writing Workshop Etiquette & Guidelines
- Structure for receiving and giving critiques
February 8, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 12 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- (Pre-Open) Babylon 5 old and new
- Giveaway: SVG and Bump
- Words: No Words Yet Today
Good News Good News
- Hugo nominations are open for 2022
- Team Rejection count: 34
- Word Compensation, yay!
Main Topic: Productivity Overwhelm Overload
- When seeking out productivity tools becomes part of the distraction problem
- When working with many different methods & systems causes productivity setbacks
- Planners, planning and ADHD… let’s roll a D20 and go from there!
February 3, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 11 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- (Pre-Open) Stream Raiders game dev sausage making
- WIP: A Swarm of Cuckoos, 19,407 words
Good News Good News
- Hugo nominations are open for 2022
- Team Rejection count: up to 34 (19 new ones from Brian alone)
- Reality Checks: stop worrying about the (podcast) numbers
Main Topic: Look at Your Own Paper (Focus on Your Work)
- Keep yourself mentally healthy by avoiding comparing your career with others’
- Freedom to write what you want, or maintain the momentum of what has been selling?
- Keep Writer Beware in your bookmarks, Victoria Strauss has the 411 on the scammers
- Patreon perks update: ISBW Book Club debut, plus Discord discussions
February 1, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 10 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
Special Saturday Stream!
Working on new office layout
Good News Good News
Hugo nominations are open for 2022
Team Rejection count: now at 14
Greg is working on draft of Book 4 in his series
Main Topic: Greg’s Teaching & Writing
- Greg is teaching one of the Odyssey Workshop’s Winter Online Sessions
- Pandemic influence: Odyssey shifting to 100% online instead of a 6-week in-house program
- Series and characters, likeable vs deserving
- Mur gets pointers for writing clues in a mystery series
January 29, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 9 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
[NOTE: this episode has some NSFW language]
Open
- Welcome back from the wilderness, Matt F’n Wallace!
- Scrivener will indeed tell you how many words you wrote in a year
- Mur is making progress on Midsolar Murders Book 2
- Matt is working on a video game he can’t talk about yet, and we await Savage Crowns
Good News Good News
- Hugo nominations are open for 2022
- Team Rejection count: now at 14
Main Topic: Matt’s New Middle Grade Book
- This is the book Matt always wanted as a kid, so now he’s written it for himself & everyone else
- Using the word “fat” and all the baggage different people bring to it
- Relating to Vincent D’Onofrio and Sammo Hung in their acting and action roles
- How to approach writing fat characters: Writing the Other
- (written by Hugo-nominated author Meg Elison. You really should read her award nominated novella "The Pill.")
- Matt's page, and the Fat Kid Guide page
January 27, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 8 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- Yesterday: adventure flails + research rabbit holes = zero words written
Good News Good News
- Hugo nominations are open for 2022
- Team Rejection count: now at 14
- Rescue Adventure Fumble Saving Throw Success!
Main Topic: Game of Goals
- Setting goals, meeting goals from different directions, and changing things up
- What to do when growth is shrinking rather than growing
- Is there a better way to find a better fitting niche for your podcast?
- Goal: A Scifi Writing Stream Team Dream Team
- The status of Ditch Diggers to come
- The Joy of Pantsing
January 25, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 7 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- (Pre-Open) I Should Be Cooking?
- Channeling the Ditch Diggers
- Writers Block sneaks up on you even when you’re able to write the words.
Good News Good News
- Hugo nominations are open for 2022
- Team Rejection count: up to 10
- Accountability Buddies rock
- Tracking yearly wordcounts
Main Topic: Genre, Genre, and more Genre
- The desire to write a psychological thriller means reading more of them to peel back the layers
- The genres have their own rules of engagement. Subvert them at your own peril (or genius)
- Mur is addicted to Christmas mysteries
January 20, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 6 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- Tightening up the podcast schedule
Good News Good News
- Hugo nominations are open for 2022
- Team Rejection count: up to 9
Main Topic: Characters, Setting, and Story
- Do you like Star Wars because of the heroes, or because of the world they inhabit?
- There are stories where you can mix & match characters easily, and others not so much
- What makes the setting the key element, and what makes the characters key?
- Fanfic blazing the trails
January 18, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 5 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- Mur: 2k words today
- Nicole: words later tonight
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count: still at 1
Main Topic: Nicole Glover
- Nicole introduces the Murder and Magic series (2 books so far)
- The world-building involves the historical, the magic, and the murder mysteries
- The structure / framework of the stories
- Games Nicole plays
- Wildermyth: https://wildermyth.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/763890/Wildermyth/
- Murder & Magic character cards: https://nicole-glover.com/books/
- Debut author advice for fresh new authors
Links
- https://www.redbubble.com/people/mightymur/shop
- https://thegarages.bandcamp.com/,
- https://twitter.com/thegaragesband
January 13, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 4 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- Embrace the live stream stumbles. It builds character!
- New novel: 11k words in
Good News Good News
- Team Rejection count
- Next episode: Guest Interview Nicole Glover!
Main Topic: Embracing the Weird Thing for Yourself
- Using the tool that works best for your brain doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong
- Finding comfort where you can in order to get the work done
- Don’t overload in self-care so much that you can’t do any work
- Half a million downloads for 2021!
Links
- https://www.redbubble.com/people/mightymur/shop
- https://thegarages.bandcamp.com/
- https://twitter.com/thegaragesband
Twitch schedule for Jan:
- Mondays: 1-3pm AMA
- Tues: 3-430 pm I Should Be Writing
- Wed: 3-5pm Gaming
- Thurs: 3-430 pm I Should Be Writing
January 11, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 3 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- Pluto. Red Snow. Cthulhu spaces. Go Team Elder Gods!
- Arranging the pieces for a Book 2 to help the writing along
- Fonda Lee book prizes are en route!
- The world has timey wimey loose threads folding 2020 into 2021
Good News Good News
- Twitch gadgets and bots are nearly back to normal
- Team Rejection is on the field
Main Topic: To-Do Lists, Productivity, and Writing
- PNH on forming your to-do list based on your Inbox (hint: don’t do it)
- Looking at email items to put them on the to-do list, and prioritization confusion
- Saying YES to your work, or saying NO for yourself?
- Varying task scheduling approaches
- Patreon tiers: upcoming changes on Jan 17
Links
https://www.redbubble.com/people/mightymur/shop
Twitch schedule for Jan:
- Mondays: 1-3pm AMA
- Tues: 3-430 pm I Should Be Writing
- Wed: 3-5pm Gaming
- Thurs: 3-430 pm I Should Be Writing
January 6, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 2 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- Sometimes, we all need a break
- Attending WorldCon for the Hugos… was not fun this time? But still Fancy Like
- FIYAH. Go read, now.
New Year Good News Good News
- Dodged COVID while at WorldCon in the middle of a spike in DC
- Started a new book
Main Topic: Resolutions
- Focus on getting your work out there, instead of on the rejections
- Patreon tiers are changing, to offer more support for writers
- The Whole Ass Quotient
- Evil Mur: Name Dropping Neil Gaiman
Links
https://www.redbubble.com/people/mightymur/shop
Twitch schedule for Jan:
- Mondays: 1-3pm AMA
- Tues: 3-430 pm I Should Be Writing
- Wed: 3-5pm Gaming
- Thurs: 3-430 pm I Should Be Writing
January 4, 2022 | Season 18 Ep 1 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
This is the final I Should Be Writing for 2021. I am taking some time off to plan 2022, changes to the Patreon, and just get some rest. I will still be streaming from time to time, writing my newsletter, and posting to Patreon.
Open
Wannabees vs Amateurs
What I’m Working On
- A gay Christmas rom-com in progress… maybe?
Good News Good News
- Looking forward to time off!
- Acknowledgements!
- Birthdays!
We are sponsored by Scribophile again! Thanks Scribophile! Check them out to find a writing buddy, beta readers, or form your own writing crit group!
Main Topic
- There’s no such thing as a NaNoWriMo failure
- The Daily NaNo fell by the wayside this year… many apologies
- 2021 Year in Review
- Trope Bingo
- No official ISBW podcasts for December 2021, but streaming will be partying on
- Secret Merch Locations!
Links
- https://nanowrimo.org/
- https://www.redbubble.com/people/mightymur/shop
WorldCon is December 15-19! Here's my schedule:
- 12-16 Thursday
5-7pm, Public Hugo Nominee Reception, Ambassador Ballroom
(I will try to make the end of this, but I get in at 5pm and have no idea how hard it will be to get to the hotel.) - 12-17 Friday
1pm The Softer Side of Science Fiction, Blue Room
2:30pm Escape Artists Meetup, Ambassador Ballroom - 12-18 Saturday
1pm The Magnificent Novella, Blue Room
8pm The Hugo Awards! (Eee!)
I don't have a Kaffeklatch, a signing, or a reading, so I'm a bit unhappy with that, but the con has been beset by many problems, COVID not the only one, and I'm trying to be understanding. That said, if you want something signed, hit me up after a panel or if you see me around.
I'm hoping to have custom postcards for y'all. Wish me luck.
Twitch schedule for December: Best to follow on Twitch, because, frankly, because of holidays and Worldcon, I'm not sure what I can promise, but the goal is:
- Mondays: 1-3pm
- Tues-Thurs: 3-5pm
I WANT to stream from WorldCon, but I'm not sure if I will be able to.
December 2, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 82 (Episode 634) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
Today is unfocused chill… grab a glass of wine, put your feet up
What I’m Working On
- Freelance projects progress
- Murder pies and cozy mysteries
- There’s that NaNoWriMo novel again… asking for attention
Good News Good News
- Feeling healthier!
We are sponsored by Scribophile again! Thanks Scribophile! Check them out to find a writing buddy, beta readers, or form your own writing crit group!
Main Topic
- Twitter Main Character of the Day: Jealousy from Toxic Partners?
- Don’t throw temper tantrums on social media; it doesn’t end well
- NaNo goal: 40k words, and more NaNo tips
- Writing related memories & pep talk
- Interviewing your characters who hate to be interviewed
- Series Completus Interruptus?
- Writing / Brain Hacks for productivity
- No official ISBW podcasts for December 2021, but streaming will be partying on
- Secret Merch Locations!
Links
- https://nanowrimo.org/
- https://www.redbubble.com/people/mightymur/shop
Twitch schedule for December: Best to follow on Twitch, because, frankly, because of holidays and Worldcon, I'm not sure what I can promise, but the goal is:
- Mondays: 1-3pm
- Tues-Thurs: 3-5pm
I WANT to stream from WorldCon, but I'm not sure if I will be able to.
November 24, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 80 (Episode 632) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
Infectious contagions anxiety! Yay!
What I’m Working On
- Freelance projects ahoy
- Whamageddon: the rule is: “no listening to Last Christmas by Wham!” … and this game has been around since 2011? [PODCASTER'S NOTE: I officially lost on December 5, when I started to rewatch "Dash & Lily" on Netflix.)
Good News Good News
- Home for the Holiday(s)!
- Streamlabs vs OBS reindeer games
We are sponsored by Scribophile again! Thanks Scribophile! Check them out to find a writing buddy, beta readers, or form your own writing crit group!
Main Topic
- Waxing nostalgically poetical about David Sedaris’ writing to jumpstart changing POV for effect
- The examination of the unreliable narrator
- No official ISBW podcasts for December 2021, but streaming will be partying on
- Pending Patreon changes are afoot
- Secret Merch Locations!
- NaNo Count Target for Today: 36,666
- [PRODUCER'S NOTE: if you’re curious, one of 2020’s Welcome to the Blumhouse films on Amazon, “The Lie” is unreliable narrators from start to finish, and delightfully brutal]
Links
- https://www.whamageddon.com
- https://nanowrimo.org/
- https://www.redbubble.com/people/mightymur/shop
Twitch schedule for December: Best to follow on Twitch, because, frankly, because of holidays and worldcon, I'm not sure what I can promise, but the goal is:
- Mondays: 1-3pm
- Tues-Thurs: 3-5pm
I WANT to stream from WorldCon, but I'm not sure if I will be able to.
November 23, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 80 (Episode 631) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
The world needs cookie points. Just sayin’
Open
Sarah Lahey is here!
What I’m Working On
- Sarah has been moving house, in addition to teaching uni
- Mur is surviving
Good News Good News
- Sarah’s enjoying Book Launch
Main Topic
- Interview with Sarah:
- Looking at the increasing interest in climate change based science fiction
- More about NOSTALGIA IS HEARTLESS (sequel to GRAVITY IS HEARTLESS)
- Fan response to the series, with plans for Books 3 & 4
- The science behind predicting future trends
- All about colors
- Talking about the cover designs of both books
- Creating using your hands rather than your screens
- https://www.sarahlahey.com
- Other new cli-fi novels:
- Trashlands by Alison Stine (Claire reviewed for WritersAfterDark.com)
- Glimmer by Marjorie B. Kellogg
Links
- https://nanowrimo.org/
- https://www.redbubble.com/people/mightymur/shop
November 18, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 79 (Episode 630) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- NaNo Day 16: word count should be near 26,667 words
- Bug bites in the middle of the night are creepy, no matter what the bug is
- NaNo wordcounts from chat: progress not perfection
What I’m Working On
- Stardew Valley Psychological Thriller Working Title: Nitro Infused Cold Brew
Good News Good News
- The zombie bite on Mur’s face is not causing rot. Yay. (Note, doctor input has declared spider bite a case of shingles. Which always made me think that people's skin got all rough and layered like shingles--or like dragon scales. I am not a dragon.)
We are sponsored by Scribophile again! Thanks Scribophile! Check them out to find a writing buddy, beta readers, or form your own writing crit group!
Main Topic
- Acceptance: there’s only so much one can do
- Christmas Romances are an awesome weakness
- Podcast: Deck the Hallmark does heavy lifting, but there’s no Christmas novels podcast coming
- (is pity Twitch watching really a thing?)
- The Christmas Romance Movie Tropes Bingo Cards
- Options to try when your NaNo gets stalled
Links
- https://nanowrimo.org/
- MERCH!
Twitch schedule for week of Nov 22
- Tues: 3pm- I Should Be Writing Ep. 80
- Wed: 3pm- I Should Be Writing Ep. 81(taking Thursday off)
November 16, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 78 (Episode 629) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Open
- ADHD executive functions and brain fatigue
- Answering marketing questionnaires is hard
What I’m Working On
- NaNo wordcount: 13k
- Freelance projects are cool
Good News Good News
- The Fonda Lee books giveaway going strong! (Note- I am extending the giveaway through Nov 30 since I posted this so late)
- Merch: YAY Button at Red Bubble
- Yes, there are two Merch sites. Double the swag, double the pun potential (Actually one is discounted for Patreon supporters and one is for everyone else.)
- Hugo Voting is open thru Nov 19th! (out of date)
Main Topic
- The Supervillain’s Guide to Being a Fat Kid by Matt Wallace
- Inclusion & representation in writing fiction
- The Ego and The Editor
Links
- https://nanowrimo.org/
Twitch schedule for week of Nov 22
- Tues: 3pm- I Should Be Writing Ep. 80
- Wed: 3pm- I Should Be Writing Ep. 81(taking Thursday off)
November 9, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 77 (Episode 628) | murverse.com
Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
[Warning- I did drop one S-bomb in this episode.] It's been a rough week. Mom's in the hospital again and freelance work has kicked my butt. So I've broken my streaks, all the streaks, and Valerie Valdes is here to help me.
The very very cool thing is that I got cover art for Station Eternity in the middle of the live recording. And I will show y'all as soon as I can!
Visit murverse.com | CC BY NC SA | 2021
[Warning- I did drop one S-bomb in this episode.] It's been a rough week. Mom's in the hospital again and freelance work has kicked my butt. So I've broken my streaks, all the streaks, and Valerie Valdes is here to help me.
The very very cool thing is that I got cover art for Station Eternity in the middle of the live recording. And I will show y'all as soon as I can!
Visit murverse.com | CC BY NC SA | 2021
We are sponsored by Scribophile again! Thanks Scribophile! Check them out to find a writing buddy, beta readers, or form your own writing crit group!
Main Topic
Different places to explore to get inspiration for character names and other story aspects.
Links
- https://nanowrimo.org/
- Blaseball.com
November 4, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 76 (Episode 627) | murverse.com
Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
I was going strong and I was totally derailed by a calendar mishap. Valerie helps me get back on track!
Visit murverse.com | CC BY NC SA | 2021
Fonda Lee joins us to talk about mapping and writing a trilogy. The Green Bone Saga is an epic urban fantasy Asia-inspired gangster family saga, with magic and kung fu, and while the trilogy concludes at the end of November.
November 2, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 75 (Episode 626) | murverse.com
Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
I am better first thing in the morning. Better at writing, better at recording. I know this. Now to do something with it. Wordcount? I'm afraid to check. Few than 10k. More than 5k. Goal: 11666. Visit murverse.com | CC BY NC SA | 2021
I was delighted to be talking about snacks today, when another NaNoWriMo writer joined my Wisdom stream. (I haven't said this, but one person joined and it was odd and he just wanted to talk about podcasting, so I cut that part. But this time it was a writer.) So we talked self pub and Amazon Vellum and romance and pen names (he writes under a secret pen name with his partner, otherwise I would give him more of a shoutout.) Goal- 10000 Me- oh don't even ask. Apparently I need to write first thing or not at all. Visit murverse.com | CC BY NC SA | 2021
Rough week but we soldier on.
Remember, if you get the wisdom.audio app, you can pop on and talk to me live next time I stream on this platform!
Today's goal: 8333
5600 / 50000 words. 11% done!
Affiliate Links
- Six Wakes
Visit murverse.com | CC BY NC SA | 2021
Live on Wisdom.audio, join me on the next recording!
If you started NaNoWriMo by feeling like you're at the top of a hill, looking down at the snowy path in front of you and thinking, how did I get here? You're not alone. Just take it a little at a time and don't let it bring you down.
Visit murverse.com | CC BY NC SA | 2021
Had a good morning sprinting, and I'm almost caught up! had a lot of fun talking with Valerie Valdes, author of Chilling Effect.
Today's goal: 5000
4313 / 50000 words. 9% done!
Affiliate Links
- Six Wakes
- Chilling Effect: A Novel
Open
I am me. Me I am.
What I’m Up To
- Copy Edits Are Done!! 125k word novel and 25k word novella
- Saw the new DUNE. It had one joke, at least…
Good News Good News
- Didn’t you hear? Copy Edits Are Done!! 125k word novel and 25k word novella
- Hugo Voting is still open, and Mur is doubly eligible for her awesome work on Escape Pod!!
Main Topic
NaNoWriMo Prep Time
- Plan ahead and make your writing time from your normal daily tasks
- Clearing the mental energy is just as important as clearing the time and space to do the work
- Planning for ISBW group writing sessions on both Twitch and on Discord for Patreon
Links
- https://nanowrimo.org/
- Wisdom app: https://www.wisdom.audio/
- 4 The Words: http://4thewords.com/
October 28, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 74 (Episode 625) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Yeah, a little but not too bad. And a friend I met on Wisdom drops in! Goal - 3333 Me - 2000-something. Visit murverse.com | CC BY NC SA | 2021
Open
No, I don’t need to follow my own advice about having too many alliterative character names. Nope. I do not. Not even Evil Mur can make me.
What I’m Up To:
Station Eternity copy edits are turned in!
More fun with character names all starting with the Letter T
Good News Good News
My Blaseball’s back and I’m gonna make some trouble, Hey Na, Hey Na, My Blaseball’s Back!
Hugo Voting is still open, and Mur is doubly eligible for her awesome work on Escape Pod!!
Devo Spice: Pumpkinhead song
Main Topic
Humor, and ways to get better at writing it
Steven Kaplan, The Hidden Tools of Comedy
Clarion anecdote on dinosaurs and sodomy stories
Links
NaNoWriMo
October 26, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 73 (Episode 624) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Try Backblaze, Google Drive, your program's auto backup feature, external hard drive, OR just mail yourself the file.
Goal: 1667
My words: 0
Visit murverse.com | CC BY NC SA | 2021
The worst bully is in your head. Trust me. Don't listen to it.
October 19, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 71 (Episode 622) | murverse.comCopyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
It's getting closer... and closer...
October 14, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 70 (Episode 621) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
It's time to stop fussing over everyone else and being jealous. You only get to measure yourself up to yourself.
October 14, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 69 (Episode 620) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Gwenda Bond author of Not Your Average Hot Guy, joins us to talk about writer friends and whether they're threats or not. We also talk about gall bladders.
Twitch schedule for week of Oct 10
- Mon: 1pm Gaming (Dream Daddy)
- Tues: 3pm- I Should Be Writing
- Wed: 5pm Gaming (TBD)
- Thurs: 3pm- I Should Be Writing
October 7, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 68 (Episode 619) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
HEY check out my Speakeasy class on NaNoWriMo coming up on October 12, 8pm EDT!
Going beyond clothing and food to weather and guns. Seemed like a good idea at the time.
October 5, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 67 (Episode 618) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Are you ready? None of us ever is. Still, we plan... Wanna join 4thewords? Here's my affiliate code: SKYOA08774 HEY check out my Speakeasy class on NaNoWriMo coming up on October 12, 8pm EDT! September 30, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 66 (Episode 617) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
It's been a wild month, and I have tried to stream as best I can. So I figure how can we handle struggles not by resting or pushing through on our "real" writing, but by being weird.
Worth a try, anyway.
HEY check out my Speakeasy class on NaNoWriMo coming up on October 12, 8pm EDT!
September 28, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 65 (Episode 616) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
I'm a bit clearer-headed this episode, and talk about all those times you can say "the book is done!" (There are several times you can say that.)
Punchline- today I got another edit pass on my novella sent to me. >_
Well, of a sort. I had a hell of a few weeks and was essentially brain dead and struggling today. I announce a week off of streaming and try to talk about the new narrative game I'm playing on my stream.
I'm also working on more transcriptions. By the end of this week I should have this season's episodes 1-10 done.
Again, no twitch stream this week.
- Dream Daddy
- Transcription coming!
September 14, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 63 (Episode 614) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Using food, clothing, religion, and other everyday details can give your story authenticity, but if it's something that you're not familiar with, do some research.
Don't forget to join us live on Twitch, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2pm Eastern!
September 9, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 62 (Episode 613) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Well the kid was driven to school and I was exhausted, so the audience helped me out with topics. A whole feedback show if you will.
Don't forget to join us live on Twitch, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2pm Eastern!
September 7, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 61 (Episode 612) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
We take a nugget of an idea and play with it until we come up with a plot for a romcom, a horror story, fantasy, and other genres.
Don't forget to join us live on Twitch, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2pm Eastern!
September 2, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 60 (Episode 611) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
It gets close to kill your darlings, but if you've been working on a book for years and years, you might want to try a fresh story. No one says you have to abandon it. Don't forget to join us live on Twitch, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2pm Eastern! August 31, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 59 (Episode 610) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
It's hard to deal with too many ideas, but I have some thoughts. But also, for the luvva all that is decent, don't pay to publish your book. Just...don't.
August 26, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 58 (Episode 609) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
It's...tiring and down-bringing to finish a project, but hey, I got it done!
August 24, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 57 (Episode 608) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
This podcast will be heard and hopefully lessons will be learned. (But is there ever a time TO use passive voice? Of course there is!)
I'm behind on posting these, so if there's a link I forgot, please let me know.
August 19, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 56 (Episode 607) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
I think I'm slow at these because I hate show notes. Truly. Keeping up with my "flossing" topics- what exactly does "Show, don't tell" mean? Is there a time when Telling is better than showing? Twitch schedule for this week: * M- 2pm AMA * T- 2pm I Should Be Writing * W- 11am Ditch Diggers * Th- 2pm I Should Be Writing
I will probably play a game or something, but I don't want to schedule it because it's low on the priority of all the things I need to get done. I WILL finish the damn novella this week. Tomorrow, hopefully. August 17, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 55 (Episode 604) | murverse.com | Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Whew! I'm way behind on posting these! But here is the show where we talk about the seemingly simple question- where do you start?
Twitch schedule for this week:
- M- 2pm AMA
- T- 2pm I Should Be Writing
- W- 11am Ditch Diggers
- Th- 2pm I Should Be Writing
I will probably play a game or something, but I don't want to schedule it because it's low on the priority of all the things I need to get done.
I WILL finish the damn novella this week. Today, hopefully.
OH YALL- Check it out! I wrote a running adventure for Six to Start, (of Zombies, Run! fame). If you have the app, you'll have access to the adventure. And a VIP pass isn't too expensive for so much content.
This is a story I've wanted to tell for so long, but couldn't find the right medium. The Necropolis is a city within the mountains where people worship the sun and mourn the dead moon. And a Godmaker sits in cabin above them all and carves household gods for the people in town. You are her apprentice, and you
Godmaker comes out TOMORROW!
The editors always ask for it, but what does it mean, and how do you get it?
Twitch news: We are back! New fall stream times: M- 2pm AMA or gaming T- 2pm ISBW W- 11am Ditch Diggers, 4pm Gaming Th- 2pm ISBW
I Should Be Writing credits: production by Summer Brooks, theme song byJohn Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, site design by Clockpunk Studio and hosted by Libsyn (or Patreon).
August 10, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 53 (Episode 604) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Moving isn't the hard part: Getting moving is where things get tough. Let's talk about reducing choices.
Twitch news: We are back! New fall stream times: M- 2pm AMA or gaming T- 2pm ISBW W- 11am Ditch Diggers, 4pm Gaming Th- 2pm ISBW
I Should Be Writing credits: production by Summer Brooks, theme song byJohn Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, site design by Clockpunk Studio and hosted by Libsyn (or Patreon).
August 5, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 52 (Episode 601) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
As a device-addicted person, please know this podcast is not from some high and mighty mountain, but somewhere right beside you in addicted-land. I got up this morning and put my tablet AND switch inside my lockbox. Too much to do, and I was ready to fart away the day on Fallout Shelter!
Break from streaming until August 4, when I will announce new and exciting changes to my content!
July 22, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 51 (Episode 602) | murverse.com Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
So happy to have Tobias Buckell back to the show to talk about how careers aren't necessarily a straight line!
Twitch news:Streams are canceled for the near future because I'm taking some time off for vacation and birthday and stuff. Back early August!
I Should Be Writing credits: production by Summer Brooks, theme song byJohn Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, site design by Clockpunk Studio and hosted by Libsyn (or Patreon).
July 20, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 50 (Ep 601) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-ND 3.5 License
I've been hammered with good and bad news this week and I'm kind of shell shocked. So this is a bit rambling. You've been warned.
Twitch schedule for week of July 19-24:
- M. CANCELED (because look at Tuesday!)
- T. 1pm Ditch Diggers with Alasdair Stuart
- T. 3pm ISBW with Tobias Buckell
- T. (evening TBD) with MATT F'N WALLACE to celebrate the launch of SAVAGE BOUNTY
- W. 4pm Gaming
- Th. 1pm ISBW
I'm also planning a birthday stream, but I don't have a lot of details yet, so stay tuned!
I Should Be Writing credits: production by Summer Brooks, theme song byJohn Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, site design by Clockpunk Studio and hosted by Libsyn (or Patreon).
July 15, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 49 (Ep 600) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-ND 3.5 License
Bypassing the fact that a lot of people think that competent women are Mary Sues, we talk about what happens when your characters ARE overpowered, and how to handle their conflicts. Twitch schedule for week of July 19-24:
- M. CANCELED (because look at Tuesday!)
- T. 1pm Ditch Diggers with Alasdair Stuart
- T. 3pm ISBW with Tobias Buckell
- T. (evening TBD) with MATT F'N WALLACE to celebrate the launch of SAVAGE BOUNTY
- W. 4pm Gaming
- Th. 1pm ISBW
I'm also planning a birthday stream, but I don't have a lot of details yet, so stay tuned!
I Should Be Writing credits: production by Summer Brooks, theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, site design by Clockpunk Studio and hosted by Libsyn (or Patreon).
July 13, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 48 (Ep 599) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-ND 3.5 License
I'm behind on posting these, but this was right after we got back from our Buffalo trip to see the in-laws for the first time since Christmas, '19. I'm a bit scattered but I'm here!
I Should Be Writing credits: production by Summer Brooks, theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, site design by Clockpunk Studio and hosted by Libsyn.
July 8, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 47 (Ep 598) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-ND 3.5 License
Confidence is definitely a fake it till you make it game. Later we talk grudges and their worth.
Join us on the next livestream!
June 24, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 46 (Ep 597) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-ND 3.5 License
I've been trying to figure out why I'm balking at doing my best with everything I do. I think I've discovered some self sabotage behind my fear reactions to things.
June 22, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 45 (Ep 596) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-ND 3.5 License
Im not ashamed to say that I am stuck in my WiP, and I'm asking the audience what they've learned from me to help me get over this hump, because, honestly, it helps to hear it from someone else.
June 17, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 44 (Ep 595) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
From the Discord comes a question that requires some discussion and nuance. Why are some writers judged for the monsters they create and others aren't? But it goes beyond imagining a monster.
NOTE- This episode has some crude, albeit SFW, language.
June 21-25: Latest Twitch stream times (EDT):
- 6.21 (M) 1:00, Live Writing for Extra Life, Audience Participation
- 6.22 (T) 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- 6.23 (W) 4:00, Stardew Valley With Numbers Ninja
- 6.24 (Th) 1:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- 6.24 (Th) 5:00, Ditch Diggers with Kameron Hurley
June 15, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 43 (Ep 594) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
From the Discord comes a question that requires some discussion and nuance. Why are some writers judged for the monsters they create and others aren't? But it goes beyond imagining a monster.
NOTE- This episode has some crude, albeit SFW, language.
June 21-25: Latest Twitch stream times (EDT):
- 6.21 (M) 1:00, Live Writing for Extra Life, Audience Participation
- 6.22 (T) 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- 6.23 (W) 4:00, Stardew Valley With Numbers Ninja
- 6.24 (Th) 1:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- 6.24 (Th) 5:00, Ditch Diggers with Kameron Hurley
June 15, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 43 (Ep 594) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Sometimes the best lessons need to be taught again and again. At least, they do for me, so I'm sharing with you. ___
All streams, June 14-19 -- please note nonstandard times in bold:
- 6.14 (M) 1:00, Live Writing for Extra Life, Audience Participation
- 6.15 (T) 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- 6.16 (W) 1:00, Ditch Diggers with Co-Host Margaret Dunlap
- 6.16 (W) 4:00, Stardew Valley With Numbers Ninja
- 6.17 (Th) 1:00, I Should Be Writing Live
June 10, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 42 (Ep 593) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
It was a weird day. I talked about POV and the like.
All streams, June 14-19 -- please note nonstandard times in bold:
- 6.14 (M) 1:00, Live Writing for Extra Life, Audience Participation
- 6.15 (T) 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- 6.16 (W) 1:00, Ditch Diggers with Co-Host Margaret Dunlap
- 6.16 (W) 4:00, Stardew Valley With Numbers Ninja
- 6.17 (Th) 1:00, I Should Be Writing Live
June 8, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 41 (Ep 592) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
I encourage beginners to write as bad they want to be, because that's the only way to be good. But the same goes for those of us a little further into our careers.
Ira Glass has an amazing message for beginners in creative pursuits.
June 14-19: Latest Twitch stream times (EDT) * 6.14 (M) 1:00, Live Writing for Extra Life, Audience Participation * 6.15 (T) 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live * 6.16 (W) 1:00, Ditch Diggers with Co-Host Margaret Dunlap * 6.16 (W) 4:00, Stardew Valley With Numbers Ninja * 6.10 (Th) 1:00, I Should Be Writing Live
June 3, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 40 (Ep 591) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Look, let's be honest. Finishing a book and turning it in may not feel awesome. It may feel draining and depressing. And when you're told you SHOULD be happy, you wonder what the heck is wrong with you.
Spoiler- Nothing is wrong with you.
Then we talk other myths!
June 7-12: Latest Twitch stream times (EDT) -- please note new times in bold:
- 6.7 (M) 1:00, Live Writing for Extra Life, Audience Participation
- 6.8 (T) 11:00, Ditch Diggers with Alasdair Stuart
- 6.8 (T) 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- 6.9 (W) 4:00, Stardew Valley
- 6.10 (Th) 1:00, I Should Be Writing Live
June 1, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 39 (Ep 590) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
It's a weird thing, realizing that persistence is simply the art of managing boredom. And it's really hard to be bored right now.
June 7-12: Latest Twitch stream times (EDT) -- please note new times in bold:
- 6.7 (M) 1:00, Live Writing for Extra Life, Audience Participation
- 6.8 (T) 11:00, Ditch Diggers with Alasdair Stuart
- 6.8 (T) 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- 6.9 (W) 4:00, Stardew Valley
- 6.10 (Th) 1:00, I Should Be Writing Live
May 27, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 38 (Ep 589) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
I'm reading The Disorganized Mind and trying to think of some new ways to deal with ADHD and how it affects my writing.
In other news, I've been thinking about my stream, and how the Monday AMA is not really doing much AMA. I'm going to be raising money for Extra Life, and I need to get some Patreon writing done, so I decided to do it live. Nothing should go wrong, right? Come on by and help me make decisions!
Also I'm getting too much into the habit of not eating lunch when I have a 1230 stream so I'm moving those to 1pm so I can be better nourished.
June 7-12: Latest Twitch stream times (EDT) -- please note new times in bold:
- 6.7 (M) 1:00, Live Writing for Extra Life, Audience Participation
- 6.8 (T) 11:00, Ditch Diggers with Alasdair Stuart
- 6.8 (T) 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- 6.9 (W) 4:00, Stardew Valley
- 6.10 (Th) 1:00, I Should Be Writing Live
May 25, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 37 (Ep 588) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
I took much more of an emotional hit this week than I thought, and so I leave the topics up to the chat. But we also talk self care.
May 24 - May 28: Latest Twitch stream times (EDT):
- 5.24 (M), 12:30, AMA/Hangout
- 5.25 (T), 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- 5.26 (W), 4:00, Gaming
- 5.27 (Th),12:30, I Should Be Writing Live
- 5.27 (Th), 5:00, Ditch Diggers Drink O'Clock with Kameron Hurley! NEW
May 20, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 36 (Ep 587) | murverse.com | Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Well, I have redundant backups, and yet I STILL lost something. So we go over some things to keep in mind when you are thinking about your writing and not necessarily the health of your computer.
May 24 - May 28: Latest Twitch stream times (EDT):
- 5.24 (M), 12:30, AMA/Hangout
- 5.25 (T), 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- 5.26 (W), 4:00, Gaming
- 5.27 (Th),12:30, I Should Be Writing Live
- 5.27 (5), 5:00, Ditch Diggers Drink O'Clock with Kameron Hurley! NEW
May 18, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 35 (Ep 586) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Last day on Role Playing a writer's life.
It's been a rough two weeks, which is why this is late. Sorry about that. Things are back to normal, so here come the episodes!
May 11, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 34 (Ep 585) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
By popular demand we bring you Jennifer Udden, my former agent, current friend, and freelance editor! We attempt more LARPing but overall just chat.
NOTE, my producer usually cuts out the interaction with the live chat to make for a smoother experience for you, but with two hosts that made it harder so I decided to just leave most of it as-is.
May 6, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 33 (Ep 584) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Confidence is one of those weird emotions you can fake until you make it. So if we're pretending to be a confident writer, what else can we pretend to be? We begin the Save the Cat! beat sheet as a LARP and it gets interesting.
May 9 - May 15: Latest Twitch stream times (EDT):
- 5.10 (M), 2:30, AMA/Hangout (new time)
- 5.11 (T), 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- NEW 5.12 (5), 1:00, Ditch Diggers Live with Cat Rambo!
- 5.12 (W), 4:00, Gaming
- 5.13 (Th), STREAM CANCELLED THIS WEEK
May 4, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 32 (Ep 583) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
What happens when you start making money with writing? We're talking advances, accountants, the sought for "six figure deal" and more. You may not be making money now, but you probably intend to. So let's talk about what people usually don't talk about.
Note- I am not an accountant.
May 3 - May 7: Latest Twitch stream times (EDT):
- 5.3 (M), 12:30, AMA/Hangout
- 5.4 (T), 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- NEW 5.4 (T), 1:00, Ditch Diggers Live with Alasdair Stuart!
- 5.5 (W), 4:00, Gaming
- 5.6 (Th), 12:30, I Should Be Writing Live
Links:
- Catch the next LIVE show on Twitch
April 29, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 31 (Ep 582) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Everyone knows the way to write a book, or get in shape, is to do the thing (writing, exercising, abstaining from junk food, etc) every day, and boom, you're done.
So why is it so freaking hard?
May 3 - May 7: Latest Twitch stream times (EDT):
- 5.3 (M), 12:30, AMA/Hangout
- 5.4 (T), 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- NEW 5.4 (T), 1:00, Ditch Diggers Live with Alasdair Stuart!
- 5.5 (W), 4:00, Gaming
- 5.6 (Th), 12:30, I Should Be Writing Live
I've been working on my protagonist's flaws, and realizing that the story is a lot easier to write when your character may have flawed reasons driving them, and it gives them something to fight against!
April 25-May 1: Latest Twitch stream times (EDT): * 4.26 (M), 12:30, AMA/Hangout * 4.27 (T), 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live * 4.28 (W), 4:00, Gaming * 4.29 (Th), 12:30, I Should Be Writing Live * NEW 4.29 (Th), 5:00, Ditch Diggers Live with Kameron Hurley!
Links:
- Catch the next LIVE show on Twitch
- Writers Helping Writers series (Incl Positive & Negative Trait Thesaurus)
April 22, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 29 (Ep 580) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
We're all imposters, no matter what you think. Trust me. All of us.
Latest Twitch stream times (EDT):
- Monday, 12:30, AMA/Hangout
- Tuesday, 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- Wednesday, 4:00, Gaming
- Thursday 12:30, I Should Be Writing Live
Links:
- Catch the next LIVE show on Twitch
- Behind the name
April 20, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 28 (Ep 579) | murverse.com | Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
We're all imposters, no matter what you think. Trust me. All of us.
Latest Twitch stream times (EDT):
- Monday, 12:30, AMA/Hangout
- Tuesday, 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- Wednesday, 4:00, Gaming
- Thursday 12:30, I Should Be Writing Live
Links:
- Catch the next LIVE show on Twitch
- Behind the name
April 15, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 27 (Ep 578) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
I'm a HUGO FINALIST! Escape Pod is up for Best Semiprozine, and SB Divya and I got nominated for Best Editor (Short form)! See all the nominees here!
The news went out right before I recorded, so I was a little out of it, hence the flightiness. But the audience pulled me through it!
Latest Twitch stream times (EDT):
- Monday, 12:30, AMA/Hangout
- Tuesday, 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- Wednesday, TBD
- Thursday 12:30, I Should Be Writing Live
Links:
- Catch the next LIVE show on Twitch
April 13, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 26 (Ep 577) | murverse.comCopyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
It's easy to slip into stereotypes when you are writing someone different from yourself. I have some thoughts on how to avoid that.
Latest Twitch stream times (EDT):
- Monday, 12:30, AMA/Hangout
- Tuesday, 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- Wednesday, 4:00, Gaming
- Thursday 12:30, I Should Be Writing Live
Links:
- Catch the next LIVE show on Twitch
- Craft in the Real World
- Writing the Other (book and website)
- Ursula K. Le Guin's Tehanu
- Just Keep Writing (Wil Ralston's podcast)
April 8, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 25 (Ep 576) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
The most recent "Main Character" on Writing Twitter was the woman who flat out said horror can't happen in space. If the story is in space, no matter how scary, it's automatically science fiction.
This means space beats zombies, if you're keeping score.
Now, aside from bringing the Internet down on your head when you say stuff like this, blanket advice is harmful in other ways, too.
Latest Twitch stream times (EDT):
- Monday, 12:30, AMA/Hangout
- Tuesday, 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- Wednesday, 4:00, Gaming
- Thursday 12:30, I Should Be Writing Live
Links:
- Catch the next LIVE show on Twitch
April 6, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 24 (Ep 575) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
I'm realizing that fear is often connected to the lack of control in a situation. Such as submitting to an editor or publishing a book. You might as well try to control the tides.
Also, I'm a NYT Bestseller now! Or part of one, anyway. (I wrote one of the Minecraft novels!)
Donations benefitting the Trevor Project. Latest Twitch stream times (EDT):
- Monday, 12:30, AMA/Hangout
- Tuesday, 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- Wednesday, 4:00, Gaming
- Thursday 12:30, I Should Be Writing Live
Links:
- Catch the next LIVE show on Twitch
- Professional Troublemaker
- Becky Chambers' books
March 25, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 23 (Ep 574) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Practice and expectation of improvement are similar components between writing and running, but there's a big difference.
Donations benefitting The Trevor Project.
Latest Twitch/YouTube stream times (EST):
- Monday, 12:30, AMA/Hangout
- Tuesday, 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- Wednesday, 4:00, Gaming
- Thursday 12:30, I Should Be Writing Live
Links:
- Camp NaNoWriMo is in full swing!
- Catch the next LIVE show on Twitch
March 23, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 22 (Ep 573) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
It's a standard feeling that once you get used to your current WiP and you may have hit a snag here and there, you will get the desire to focus on another, newer, shinier project. This is totally normal, everyone from a newbie to a pro feels this. But the question is, what do you do when you feel like that?
Donations benefitting The Trevor Project.
Latest Twitch/YouTube stream times (EST):
- Monday, 12:30, AMA/Hangout
- Tuesday, 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- Wednesday, 4:00, Gaming
- Thursday 12:30, I Should Be Writing Live
Links:
- Catch the next LIVE show on Twitch
March 18, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 21 (Ep 572) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
We are supposed to learn from mistakes, so why are we so hard on ourselves when we make them? Donations benefitting the Trevor Project. Latest Twitch/YouTube stream times (EST): * Monday, 12:30, AMA/Hangout * Tuesday, 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live * Wednesday, 4:00, Gaming: Skyrim * Thursday 12:30, I Should Be Writing Live
Links: * Catch the next LIVE show on Twitch or YouTube!
March 16, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 20 (Ep 571) | murverse.comCopyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Conflict shows us how people relate to each other, much better than a bad day will. Conflicts include everything from an injury, lack of sleep, to fights with significant others, rude folks on the road, and then the big one with the meteor coming to the earth. The worse the day is, the more we learn about the character and what matters to them.
March 11, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 19 (Ep 570) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
After 20 years I've finally figured out how to find that elusive time to write. And the reason I never found it before was because finding time, or making time, is more challenging than people say it is. Sure, OK, "make time" -- but HOW?
Hey! I'm fundraising for The Trevor Project.
Get the extended version of this podcast via Patreon!
Latest Twitch/YouTube stream times (EST):
- Monday, 12:30, AMA/Hangout
- Tuesday, 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- Wednesday, 4:00, Gaming: Skyrim
- Thursday 12:30, I Should Be Writing Live
Links:
- I Should Be Writing Ink Stained Fabulists Community
- Catch the next LIVE show on Twitch or YouTube!
March 9, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 18 (Ep 569) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
There is a lot of contradictory advice on the internet. Even the same articles/lists will have contradictory advice. And when are looking for specific advice, the pithy "Do this, no, wait, don't do this" blog posts are infuriating. So how do you know who to trust when it comes to looking for advice?
Get the extended version of this podcast via Patreon!
Links:
- New Patreon video! (And here you can join the I Should Be Writing Ink Stained Fabulists Community)
- Catch the next LIVE show on Twitch or YouTube!
March 4, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 17 (Ep 568) | murverse.com | Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
I'm delighted to welcome interviews back to ISBW with my good friend SB Divya. She's my co-editor on Escape Pod, but her first full-length novel, Machinehood, came out in March! We talk about how that's exciting and what it's like to have a debut during Covid.
Get the extended version of this podcast via Patreon!
- SB Divya's Home Page
- Buy Machinehood now!
- Escape Pod
- Podcastle (Winner of the 2020 British Fantasy Award in the Best Audio category! Congrats!)
- Escape Artist's Twitch Stream
- Worldbuilders' Twitch Stream
- I Should Be Writing Ink Stained Fabulists Community
- Catch the next LIVE show on Twitch or YouTube!
March 2, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 16 (Ep 567) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Once you're done with your novel or story, what do you do? Edits? Submissions? Beta readers? * Dongwon Song's Newsletter * Agent Talk (I mistakenly call it Ask an Agent in the audio) * Fancy water bottle * Jennifer Udden's Newsletter * Absolute Write * Snowflake Method * Query Shark * Becky Chambers * Submission Grinder * Duotrope
Latest Twitch/YouTube stream times: * Monday, 12:30, AMA/Hangout * Tuesday, 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live * Wednesday, 4:00, Gaming: Stardew Valley * Thursday 12:30, I Should Be Writing Live
- All times EST February 23, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 15 (Ep 566) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
People talk about character and plot and climax, but no one covers how novel structure is needed to put it all together. SPOILERS for A Song of Ice and Fire Series and the Broken Earth Series by N.K. Jemisin.
Get the extended version of this podcast via Patreon!
February 18, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 14 (Ep 565) | murverse.com | Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Had a personal emergency and was unprepared, so the audience and Twitter questions keep me going!
Get the extended version of this podcast via Patreon!
February 16, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 13 (Ep 564) | murverse.com | Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Every few years there's a very concerned think piece about the innocent writer who got a six figure advance and blew it all, or sold zero books, or just felt betrayed by publishing, and I am sick of it. If only we all could get articles written about us when we have a bad day at work, or show ourselves unwilling to do basic research into our new profession.
Get the extended version of this podcast via Patreon!
February 11, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 12 (Ep 563) | murverse.com | Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
"Notebooks: Do You Have a PROBLEM?" is brought to you in large part by by my patrons , who received this episode early, and expanded. You can join us with a pledge as low as $1 a month!
Ohhhh... pretty notebooks.
Get the extended version of this podcast via Patreon!
Links:
- Moleskine
- Leuchtturm 1917
- Pen subscription box (Sorry)
- The Artist's Way
- Field Notes
- Passion Economy Podcast
- JetPens
- I Should Be Writing Ink Stained Fabulists Community
- Catch the next LIVE show on Twitch or YouTube!
February 9, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 11 (Ep 562) | murverse.com | Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
I have three projects going on right now that need edits, and for the next two months I'm going to be doing this thing that I HATE. So let's go into why, and how.
Latest Twitch/YouTube stream times:
- Monday, 12:30, AMA/Hangout
- Tuesday, 3:00, I Should Be Writing Live
- Wednesday, 4:00, Gaming: Stardew Valley
- Thursday 12:30, I Should Be Writing Live
* All times EST
Links:
- Query Shark
- Manuscript Academy
- I Should Be Writing Ink Stained Fabulists Community
- Catch the next LIVE show on Twitch or YouTube!
February 9, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 10 (Ep 561) | murverse.com | Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
I talk about my books from initial concept all the way through to the end, both Six Wakes and my current WiP.
Links:
- You Need A Budget
- FTL
- Apex Writers
- Cat Rambo's Writing Community
- I Should Be Writing Ink Stained Fabulists Community
- Catch the next LIVE show on Twitch or YouTube!
February 2, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 9 (Ep 560) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
I'm thrilled to welcome my good friend and Very Smart British Person Alasdair Stuart to the show to talk about, if we can weaponize language, how do we use it for hope?
"Your character must want something, even if it's a glass of water!"
Characters must always have wants, but it takes a bit more work to think about what they need, and more importantly, when in the story for them to address those needs.
(Get the extended episode here on Patreon!)
January 26, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 7 (Ep 558) | murverse.com | Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
I look at two productivity methods and am entirely flummoxed by the two that seem at odds with each other: the 10X Rule that suggests if you shoot for 10X your goal you won't necessarily make 10X, but you'll very likely get much more than you would have had you, say, gone the compound method talked about in Atomic Habits and The Compound Effect where if you get just a little bit better every day then you will see real results.
January 21, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 6 (Ep 557) | murverse.com Copyright 2005-2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
I'm talking about truth bombs that a lot of beginning creative types don't want to hear, but I figure, I'm just telling you, "Hey, in the road up ahead there's a hole. Most everyone hits the hole and it jostles them. I wanted you to know it was there." That was my hole metaphor. I thought it was good despite sleep dep. January 19, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 5 | murverse.com | Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
Had a talk with someone last week that didn't go the way I'd hoped, and I'm forced to start looking at my habits a little closer.
January 14, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 4 | murverse.com | Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
I'm finally posting last week's episodes. I've been writing a lot and neglecting the podcast production, even though the streams are still on schedule.
Ironically, I did want to talk about the power of language again this month, but I did not expect the president to whip his fans into a fury with some very amazing weaponized language, so this topic hit a little close to home on January 12.
January 12, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 3 | murverse.com | Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License
I found it very hard to concentrate after the events of January 6, so I realized that in order to get work done, I had to do some self care and turn it off. News, social media, the whole world of distraction. I hope you can find some equilibrium.
January 7, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 2 (Episode 553) | murverse.com | Copyright 2021, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License