I Should Be Writing, Podcasts, Projects

[ISBW] Isaac Green says Start Before You’re Ready

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ISBW 22.20

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

I met Durham author Isaac Green at a local reading and loved his work, so I invited him on the show. Get ready for some talk about MFAs, writing energy, agent hunting, and writing consistency!

 

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This post went live for supporters on September 18, 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 September 17!

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.

September 21, 2026 | ISBW 22.20 | murverse.com
“Isaac Green says Start Before You’re Ready” 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 them so very much.
ABSOLUTELY NO AI scraping/learning of my content is permitted.
If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.

I Should Be Writing, Podcasts, Projects

[ISBW] The Magic Bullet Myth

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ISBW 22.19

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

After a heartbreaking Q&A session at a recent convention, I felt the need to say something that’s cold and honest. And that is about the magic bullet.

Shorter episode, the last one before worldcon. And since I’m posting it after worldcon, I cut out a lot of the “see me at worldcon” bits—also because no one saw me because I got covid.

We catch up in a few days with this week’s interview with Isaac Green, then we’re back on track with recording!

Join my Patreon for free today!This post went live for supporters on September 14, 2026. If you want early and ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!

Remember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch!

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.

September 17, 2026 | ISBW 22.19 | murverse.com
“The Magic Bullet Myth” 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 them so very much.
ABSOLUTELY NO AI scraping/learning of my content is permitted.
If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.

Ditch Diggers, Podcasts, Projects

[DD] Worldcon Report, Censorship in the News, and more!

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DD 12.7

Ursula and Mur talk about Worldcon, and how great Ursula was, and how terrible Mur’s experience was. (Hint, after 6 years, COVID finally caught Mur.)

Then we talk censorship and what you can do if the overwhelming despair is threatening to consume you.

 

 

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This post went live for supporters on September 14! If you want early, ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!

 

To fight censorship:

  • ALA: American Library Association
  • FTRF: Freedom to Read Foundation
  • CBLDF: Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

Evergreen Links:

Support Local Book Stores!

Ditch Diggers credits:
theme song by Devo Spice, art by Numbers Ninja, site hosted by Libsyn (or Patreon).

Sept 16, 2025 | Season 12 Ep 7 | murverse.com
“Worldcon Report, Censorship, and more!” 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.

And “AI” or large language models is 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.

Some links are affiliate.

I Should Be Writing, Podcasts

[ISBW] Emotions are Stupid

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ISBW 22.18

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

I had imposter syndrome so sneaky I didn’t even realize it! (recorded before WorldCon).

  • We all talk ourselves out of good ideas.
  • Convention rules, updated for 2026! (But you still have to 3, 2, 1. That will never change.)
  • We talk 2k-10k and Page One to Done.
  • Regrettably, Roberts Rules of Order is discussed.
  • All the other perks that come with a Worldcon membership.
  • See you in Montreal in 2027!

I attended Worldcon and promptly got Covid (my first time!) and so I cut out a lot of talk of my plans and my panels because the episode is late and I had very little fun. Congrats to all the Hugo finalists!

Subscribe/Follow here! (All apps)

Join my Patreon for free today!

This post went live for supporters on September 11, 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 September 17!

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.

Sept 14, 2026 | ISBW 22.18 | murverse.com
“Emotions are Stupid” 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 them so very much.
ABSOLUTELY NO AI scraping/learning of my content is permitted.
If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.

I Should Be Writing, Podcasts, Projects

[ISBW] AMA, Silly Notebook Problems

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ISBW 22.17

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

So much to talk about! Worldcon is looming, and we take listener questions.

  • How do you handle writing after a long break?
  • What books do you recommend for writing fight scenes? Books by Alan Baxter and Marie Brennan are mentioned
  • Mur is reading Page One to Done.
  • Mur also has silly notebook problems that no one else seems to have.
  • The HWA sent a ridiculous newsletter out and we are all seeing the fallout. See Chuck Wendig’s take on it, and HWA’s response is in the comments.

The lesson of this episode is the classic, if no one buys your thing, it is probably because THEY DO NOT WANT THE THING, not because they want to spite you. Authors have many reasons to hate AI that have nothing to do with “gatekeeping.”

Other links of stuff I said: Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter Covers, Grant Baciocco’s Creativity Journal video, Hobonichi Planners.

Subscribe/Follow here! (All apps)

This post went live for supporters on August 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 August 20!

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.

Aug 19, 2026 | ISBW 22.17 | murverse.com
“AMA, Silly Notebook Problems” 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 them so very much. 

If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.

Ditch Diggers, Podcasts, Projects

[DD] On Lovecraft and Boobs (Also lit agent ethics discussion)

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DD 12.6

No, it’s not dirty.

Ursula is back from adventures in Spain (and adventures with a translator.) We talk about third book difficulties, travel, regal vs unregal elves, and, most importantly, the newest ethics rules the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA) have adopted. 

 

Subscribe/Follow here! (All apps)

Blue logo to join the Fabulists via Patreon

 

This post went live for supporters on August 7! 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).
August 12, 2025 | Season 12 Ep 6 | murverse.com
“Lovecraft and Boobs” 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.
And “AI” or large language models is 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.
Some links are affiliate.
I Should Be Writing, Podcasts, Projects

[ISBW] Are you confident? What does “confident” actually mean?

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ISBW 22.16

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

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!):

Subscribe/Follow here! (All apps)
Join my Patreon for free today!

This post went live for supporters on August 7, 2026. Support for free 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

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.
I Should Be Writing, Podcasts

[ISBW] Let’s Give Away Some Books! (#1)

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ISBW 22.15

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

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!):

Subscribe/Follow here! (All apps)

Blue logo to join the Fabulists via Patreon

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

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.
I Should Be Writing, Podcasts, Projects

[ISBW] Scams scams scams!

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ISBW 22.14

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

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: 

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Blue logo to join the Fabulists via Patreon

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!

Shot of cartoon where Wile E Coyote presents his SUPER GENIUS card.Evergreen Links

*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.
I Should Be Writing, Podcasts, Projects

[ISBW] Dance Like Nobody’s Watching

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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.