Podcasts, Projects, Travel

Ditch Diggers #67: Live from WorldCon

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  • The Ditch Diggers come to you from San Jose, California for their 4th Annual Ditch Diggers Live! from WorldCon 76 with special guests, authors KM Szpara and Margaret Dunlap!
  • Matt and Mur put Kellan and Margaret through the first ever Ditch Diggers’ Choose Your Own Publishing Career, forcing them to assume the roles of an aspiring fiction writing team building their publishing career from the ground up (with the audience’s help in determining their fate at each decision point).
  • Live Q&A with the WorldCon 76 audience, including a special guest appearance by Mur’s agent (and podcaster herself), Jennifer Udden of Barry Goldblatt Literary!

(Spoiler, we won the Hugo.)

Podcasts, Projects

Ditch Diggers #66: Feedback

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:02:00 — 45.7MB)

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  • Mur in September apologizes for Mur and Matt back in July when this episode was recorded. There are reasons, and lots more new episodes are coming soon!
  • Matt and Mur come to you live from Jeff Goldblum’s Thirst Fountain.
  • Matt explains Jeff Goldblum thirst tweets to Mur.
  • Before segueing masterfully into the topic of the show, Matt and Mur catch up.
  • Mur’s stressful day, deadlines, daughters, dogs, and teaching at the Stonecoast MFA Program in Creative Writing where Mur once earned her own MFA.
  • Matt talks about being a professional tagline writer (or, as he puts it, “one of those assholes”), coming full circle, balancing a full-time marketing job with fiction writing, and all-day dogs.
  • The topic of the show emerges! People ask us questions! Often! And thus do we dedicate the rest of the episode to answering those questions!
  • If you befoul Jeff Goldblum’s thirst fountain with lies it runs with blood.
  • Matt and Mur answer Twitter questions (thanks to everyone who uses the #DitchDiggers hashtag). Topics include whether to continue revising a work or move on and examples of resources and advantages of working with a traditional publisher over self-publishing.
  • Matt and Mur have the same birthday (it’s July 25th. Send belated presents) and what they’re doing for it this year.
  • Email questions! Topics include whether it’s easier to sell novels or novellas, publishers and sensitivity editors, whether getting a copy of an author’s book from the library helps the author, and money.
  • Mur wrote the SOLO movie novelization and in July it was coming out in September which means it’s out now!
  • The customary end-of-episode shilling.
Books, News, Projects

Solo is out today!

[Note, I am notoriously bad about keeping up with blogging, and it’s a terrible time for me do that, what with travel and Hugo and all, but I came home from WorldCon and had to jump headfirst into a deadline which is eating everything else. I will be blogging the Worldcon recap later this week, promise.]

Solo cover
That’s my name right there!

It’s release day for Solo: A Star Wars Story!

Did you see the movie and go, “I wonder what went wrong for Han before the opening of the movie?” or “Where DID [REDACTED] take the [REDACTED] at the end of the movie?” or “What happened to Han during the four years after Corellia? What happened to Qi’ra, for that matter?”

The book will answer those questions.

Amazon | Indiebound | B&N

I was allowed to take the script of Solo and turn it into a book, adding scenes to lengthen it, looking at familiar scenes from an unexpected PoV, and giving some of my favorite characters more time to shine.

I’ll be doing a podcast soon, when I dust the mic off again, about the process of writing the novel, and the challenges I came across. Some were unexpected: like me disagreeing with the movie about which lines were meant to be humorous. I expected other challenges, like knowing the train scene took hours to write and still being frustrated when it was mere minutes on the screen. (I got new respect for movie people – especially special FX people – right then, since I know the scenes took even longer for them.)

I’d like to hint at other questions the book answers, but I don’t want to spoil anything. Regardless, reviews are coming in praising the book for giving more time to characters people wanted to know more about.

L3-37
Hint.

And it was a lot of fun to write.

And holy crap I wrote a Star Wars novelization.

 

Personal, Travel

WorldCon 2018 Schedule!

Who wants my WorldCon schedule? I got one! It’s busy! It includes running and recording! Come see me!

Patreon people, I will be coming up with a meetup time! Stay tuned!

Friday

Wrun With Writers
Friday 08:00 – 09:00, Lower Level Plaza (San Jose Convention Center)

Strolling with the Stars is a Worldcon tradition. But what about those of us who want something a little faster? A little sweatier? A little runnier? Join authors Mur Lafferty and Adam Rakunas as they lead you on a 2-3 mile no-drop run/walk/skip/wheel around Downtown San Jose. Everyone is welcome, no one gets left behind, and all participants will get an exclusive ribbon and bragging rights. (Mur Lafferty, Adam Rakunas)

The Book Bin Autograph Sessions
Friday 13:00 – 14:00, Dealers (San Jose Convention Center)

The Book Bin will be hosting autograph sessions in their booths (R4-R5) periodically during the convention.

Autographs
Friday 14:00 – 15:00, Autographing (San Jose Convention Center)

Robert Silverberg, Joe Haldeman, Mur Lafferty, Yasser Bahjatt, Heather Rose Jones, Christopher Paniccia, Marc Scott Zicree

Saturday

Escape Pod – Live at Worldcon
Saturday 10:00 – 11:30, 210DH (San Jose Convention Center)

Alasdair Stuart (Escape Artists Inc.) (M), SB Divya, Marguerite Kenner (Escape Artists Inc.), Benjamin C. Kinney, Norm Sherman, Setsu Uzume, Mur Lafferty

Reading: Hugo Finalists – Best Novel
Saturday 13:00 – 14:00, 211A (San Jose Convention Center)

Listen to some of this year’s Hugo Novel finalists as they share their work. (Ann Leckie, John Scalzi, Mur Lafferty)

Writing For A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Saturday 17:00 – 18:00, 230 (San Jose Convention Center)

What are the challenges and rewards of writing for one of the biggest franchises of all time? Join Lucasfilm Executive Editor Jennifer Heddle and Star Wars authors Mur Lafferty and Lou Anders as they discuss the special handling that comes with developing stories for iconic pop culture characters. (Jennifer Heddle (M), Mur Lafferty, Lou Anders)

Sunday

Ditch Diggers podcast
Sunday 11:00 – 12:00, 210DH (San Jose Convention Center)

Join Mur Lafferty & Matt Wallace for the Hugo-nominated Ditch Diggers podcast, “Live and In Person!” (Mur Lafferty, Matt Wallace)

Monday

Bringing Up Geek
Monday 11:00 – 12:00, 210E (San Jose Convention Center)

It’s never been easier to bring up the baby in geek! Sharing your old nerdy toys and TV shows is just the beginning. At what age do you start them on Star Wars or Doctor Who or D&D? What order? What are the smallest sized in geek fashion? When do you have the talk with them about how problematic the fridging element is in Kyle Rayner’s origin? Our panelists talk about bringing up the baby. (Mur Lafferty (M), Chris Castro, Alison Stern, Bruce MacDermott, Greg Bear, Janice Marcus)

Kaffeeklatsch: Mur Lafferty
Monday 14:00 – 15:00, 211B1 (San Jose Convention Center)

Podcasts, Projects

Ditch Diggers #65: Your Worth, Pt. 2

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:32 — 51.1MB)

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  • Mur and Matt come to you live after abandoning Morgan Freeman’s elaborate and fictitious estate (because, once again, the Ditch Diggers believe women) and tunneling from the interstate (for reasons Mur explains) to Jeff Goldblum’s modest empire. Or possibly Jodie Foster’s underground lair. It’s all very complicated, but we’re working on it.
  • After a typically masterful Ditch Diggers segue, Matt and Mur turn their attention to the hot button topic of the week on Twitter (a recurring and always relevant hot button topic): unpaid internships, particularly in freelance writing fields.
  • Mur and Matt talk about the classist wall that are unpaid internships, and how they exist as a barrier between anyone who isn’t financially independent from entering the industry.
  • How the concept of unpaid internships are normalized to the point people actually defend them and how the general public still thinks creative work should be done for free.
  • The hard wiring of people to accept “the way it’s always been” as the way it should be.
  • Matt reminds you that JoBlo.com is a low-rent stalker porn website posing as a movie news website that exploits its writers and editors.
  • The idea that those who suffered before you did it so you wouldn’t have to. Also, capitalism!
  • Matt and Mur discuss how to actually abolish the unpaid internship model and change the system for the better.
  • Matt tells a story that segues into the next topic, which is related to the previous topic, which is film/TV representation for authors.
  • Matt and Mur talk about dealing with the entertainment agent, manager, or entity your literary agency might partner with.
  • Twitter Q&A! When should you start looking for an agent? Are business cards for writers?

Did you know you could have gotten this last week if you supported our Patreon?

Affiliate links to our books!

Podcasts, Projects

Ditch Diggers #64: 20 Minute Ditch on Grudges

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:30 — 14.7MB)

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Welcome to the second edition of the 20-Minute Ditch! Because you’re making money moves (that’s from Matt’s introduction, which he will probably not be allowed to make anymore). On this episode the Ditch Diggers talk about professional grudges. Can they be healthy? Can a certain level of forgiveness be unhealthy? It’s complicated stuff, but somehow Matt and Mur completely explain and solve it in twenty minutes. They’re just that good.

Did you know you could have heard this last week if you supported our Patreon?

Affiliate links to our books!

Podcasts, Projects

Ditch Diggers #63: Nebula Awards Report

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:59 — 38.9MB)

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NOTE FROM MATT AND MUR: So, yeah. This episode, as well as next week’s 20-Minute Ditch, were both recorded before rampant sexual harassment allegations against Morgan Freeman became public knowledge. The Ditch Diggers are an organization that believes women and has no desire or intention to prop up harassers or abuser culture, accused or otherwise. As such, we will be omitting our usual references to Morgan Freeman in episodes moving forward.

  • The Ditch Diggers come to you live from Morgan Freeman’s Empty Trophy Room
  • The writing business things! Mur talks about her experience at the Nebula Awards conference, where she was nominated for Best Novel.
  • Mur begins recounting her experience at the awards (the wine was free, and there was a lot of it), until Matt requests she set the scene by explaining what the Nebulas are and where and when this year’s awards were held.
  • Mur talks about how Matt’s agent, DongWon Song, was the Lord Byron of the convention, and also clarifies a text she sent Matt during the con which read simply, “DongWon has your kidney.”
  • Mur returns to recounting her Nebula weekend, beginning with flying into Pittsburgh, widely regarded as the Hollywood of Pennsylvania, and attending her first panel, on makeup.
  • Authorly cocktail parties including readings from excerpts of nominated works by professional voice actors and how Mur managed not to have a breakdown during her small part of the proceedings.
  • Mur’s thoughts on pioneering author James Patrick Kelly and author mentorship relationships in publishing.
  • Mur talks about the Nebula Awards ceremony itself, her fellow nominees, and the toastmaster who is the voice of Snuffleupagus and Telly from Sesame Street and who brought puppets! Also, Mur missed Peter S. Beagle’s Grandmaster Award acceptance because she had to pee.
  • #QueerBallot
  • When “it’s an honor to be nominated” is actually true and sincere.
  • The writerly lessons Mur took away from her experience at the convention and as a Nebula Best Novel nominee.
  • Twitter Q&A! What to do when story rights revert back to you, Star Trek references, and more!

Did you know you could have gotten this yesterday if you supported our Patreon?

Affiliate links to our books!