I Should Be Writing, Podcasts, Projects

[ISBW] Dance Like Nobody’s Watching

Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

ISBW 22.13

Pride logo for Season 22

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:

Subscribe/Follow here! (All apps)

Blue logo to join the Fabulists via Patreon

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!

Evergreen Links

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 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.
I Should Be Writing, Podcasts, Projects

[ISBW] Isabel J. Kim talks SUBLIMATION

Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

ISBW 22.12

Pride logo for Season 22

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”.

Subscribe/Follow here! (All apps)

Blue logo to join the Fabulists via Patreon

This post went live for supporters on June 19, 2026. If you want early and ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!

Red an black Sublimation cover, two people walk away from each other with mirror effectRemember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! The next live episode is June 25!

Links:

Evergreen Links

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.
Ditch Diggers, Podcasts, Projects

[DD] Ultimate Work for Hire Job: ASTARION

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:40 — 31.6MB)

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

DD 12.5

If you haven’t heard, Ursula (T. Kingfisher) is writing the prequel novel for ASTARION, the most popular Baldurs Gate 3 character. So of course we have to talk about work for hire, why you do it, what you receive from it, and how to get these jobs.

Also you can preorder Astarion!

Even if you’re not a Baldur’s Gate fan, work for hire is likely to come up in your writing career, and you should still check out the episode!

 

Subscribe/Follow here! (All apps)

Blue logo to join the Fabulists via Patreon

 

This post went live for supporters on May 8! If you want early, ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!

 

Evergreen Links:

Support Local Book Stores!

Ditch Diggers credits:
theme song by Devo Spice, art by Numbers Ninja,
site hosted by Libsyn (or Patreon).
May 8, 2025 | Season 12 Ep 5 | murverse.com
“Ultimate Work for Hire Job: ASTARION” by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon
is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Mur and Ursula 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.
Ditch Diggers, Podcasts, Projects

[DD] Mistakes, Regrets, and Lessons Learned

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 51:26 — 33.8MB)

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

“Take the chance to talk to an author or hang out with them,
because they die like any other people.”

DD 12.4

In this episode of Ditch Diggers, hosts Mur Lafferty and T. Kingfisher (Ursula) share our unfiltered thoughts on lessons learned from mistakes and regrets in our careers. We cover pen names, self promotion, and agent relationships.

 

Subscribe/Follow here! (All apps)

 

Blue logo to join the Fabulists via Patreon

 

This post went live for supporters on May 9, 2026. If you want early, ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!

 

Evergreen Links:

Support Local Book Stores!

Ditch Diggers credits:
theme song by Devo Spice, art by Numbers Ninja,
site hosted by Libsyn (or Patreon).
April 23, 2025 | Season 12 Ep 4 | murverse.com
“Mistakes, Regrets, and Lessons Learned” by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon
is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Mur and Ursula 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.
Ditch Diggers, Podcasts, Projects

[DD] Dare You to Write Something WEirD

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 48:00 — 38.5MB)

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

“We need to write the weird stuff because that’s what makes us unique.”
~ T. Kingfisher

DD 12.3

I’ve had considerable problems with Libsyn lately, so these are super late to the feed.

In this episode of Ditch Diggers, hosts Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon (T. Kingfisher) discuss Ursula’s upcoming release of her southern gothic horror novel, Wolf Worm, and then attack Mur with a double dog dare to finally write the weird stories of her heart.

This post went live for supporters on March 25, 2026. If you want early, ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!

Evergreen Links:

Support Local Book Stores!

Ditch Diggers credits:
theme song by Devo Spice, art by Numbers Ninja,
site hosted by Libsyn (or Patreon).
March 27, 2025 | Season 12 Ep 3 | murverse.com
“Dare You to Write Something Weird” by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon
is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
I Should Be Writing, Podcasts, Projects

[ISBW] Ruinous Creatures and Magic Systems

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:50 — 31.1MB)

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

ISBW 22.11

Blue logo for I Should Be Writing with Season 22 and delighted Mur illustration

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.

Subscribe/Follow here! (All apps)

Blue logo to join the Fabulists via Patreon

This post went live for supporters on May 11, 2026. If you want early and ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!

 

Links:

Evergreen Links

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, 2026 | 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.

I Should Be Writing, Podcasts, Projects

[ISBW] Are you sure you want to injure that character?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

“If you injure somebody, that injury tells a story, and you have to decide whether that story fits the rest of your story.”

ISBW 22.10

Blue logo for I Should Be Writing with Season 22 and delighted Mur illustration

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.

 

Subscribe/Follow here! (All apps)

Blue logo to join the Fabulists via Patreon

This post went live for supporters on April 21, 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 May 7.

Links

Evergreen Links

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 28, 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.

I Should Be Writing, Podcasts, Projects

[ISBW] What Do You Do when the Characters Don’t Behave?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

“Every character is the star of their own story.”

ISBW 22.9

Blue logo for I Should Be Writing with Season 22 and delighted Mur illustration

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!

Subscribe/Follow here! (All apps)

Blue logo to join the Fabulists via Patreon

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

Evergreen Links

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 Should Be Writing, Podcasts, Projects

[ISBW] Can Rejectomancy Save Our Sanity?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

“I think the thing people have the most problem with is,
‘This was very good, but it didn’t excite me.'”

ISBW 22.8

Blue logo for I Should Be Writing with Season 22 and delighted Mur illustration

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.

Subscribe/Follow here! (All apps)

Blue logo to join the Fabulists via Patreon

This post went live for supporters on April 3, 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 9*, when we will talk about A Year of Furious Creation.

*(Maybe. I may have jury duty that day. Stay tuned.)

Links

Evergreen Links

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.

I Should Be Writing, Podcasts, Projects

[ISBW] Medicine and AI with Dr. Justin C. Key

Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

“Acceptance is built on a pile of rejections.”
~ Justin C. Key

ISBW 22.7

Blue logo for I Should Be Writing with Season 22 and delighted Mur illustration

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.

Subscribe/Follow here! (All apps)

Blue logo to join the Fabulists via Patreon

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

Evergreen Links

—
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
Mur is fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, women’s rights are human rights, and trans women are women (and trans men are men) despite which direction the political winds blow.
If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.