Podcasts, Projects

Ditch Diggers #58: Justina Ireland Interview

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:16 — 45.7MB)

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  • Matt and Mur come to you live from the Alternate History Wing of Morgan Freeman’s Private Art Museum with special guest co-host, Dread Nation author Justina Ireland.
  • Justina talks about the long (and often exhausting) ramp-up period in YA book promotion and its roots in old school internet “first” culture.
  • The Ditch Diggers discuss author expectations with Justina, who recounts the story of how the amazing cover of her forthcoming novel Dread Nation came together.
  • Justina talks about the story of Dread Nation and reader expectations, including not delivering a wall-to-wall zombie-killin’ fest.

(more…)

Personal, Travel

My NorwesCon Schedule

This coming weekend I’ll be in Seattle for NorwesCon, and they’ve put me on some Friday events! I’m landing early Friday afternoon* so I will get to the social ASAP. Hope to see folks there!

Friday

  • PK Dick Social*
    1:00pm – 3:00pm @ Presidential Suite 1360
  • All About the Philip K. Dick Award
    4:00pm – 5:00pm @ Evergreen 3 & 4
  • Lifetime Members’ Dinner
    5:00pm – 7:00pm @ Grand 2
  • Philip K. Dick Awards
    7:00pm – 8:30pm @ Grand 2

*Will be late

News

Of interest to ISBW listeners: Writing the Other webinar

There’s a new webinar coming April 15 from the Writing The Other site and I wanted to let people know!

From the site:

Discussions of diversity in literature often boil down to a version of this basic question: Should white authors write characters of color? Should cisgender authors write trans characters? Should abled people write characters with disabilities? Should heterosexuals write QUILTBAG characters? The list goes on.

Though framed as a yes or no question, the answer is complicated and complex. Yet it’s the same one for every permutation that gets asked. In this 3 and a half hour webinar, authors Nisi Shawl and K. Tempest Bradford will give you the answer.

  • When: April 21, 3PM – 6:30PM Eastern
  • Where: Online via Zoom meeting
  • Price: $50

If you can’t make the webinar, then check out Writing the Other: A Practical Approach by Cynthia Ward and Nisi Shawl.

I’m not affiliated with Writing the Other, nor do I gain anything from you signing up, but I think this kind of class is very important since there are people who ask this question all the time. Check it out if you can.

Podcasts, Projects

ISBW #394: Procrastination / Gabe Denning Interview

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:10 — 36.5MB)

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serial box logoIn reading a book on luck, I had an epiphany not on luck, but on procrastination. I explore the reason why we may avoid writing, and then I talk to G. S. Denning, author of the Warlock Holmes series.

ISBW is sponsored by Serial Box! Yes, my publisher for Bookburners, one of my favorite projects I’ve worked on in the past few years! Get a discount on a whole season of content with the code WRITING18.

Also: did you know I’m offering transcriptions of both ISBW and Ditch Diggers? They will go up as soon as I get them for Patreon supporters, and a bit later for everyone else. It’s only at the $1 level, and you’re helping me offer a more accessible show, so pledge now!

  • Current WiP: [REDACTED], a secret project and Project Code Name: LIMBY
  • Currently reading: How Luck Happens, and research related to [REDACTED], will update when I can. Follow me on Goodreads if you like, I’m usually reading a bunch of stuff at once.)
  • Last movie seen: Black Panther (still – I don’t see a lot of movies in the theater, but upcoming I hope to see Annihilation, Pacific Rim, and the new Pacific Rim movie)

Affiliate links!

Podcasts, Projects

Ditch Diggers #57: Agent Episode with DongWon Song and Jennifer Udden

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:08:33 — 49.0MB)

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  • Matt and Mur come to you from Morgan Freeman’s hyperbaric negotiation chamber with very special guest co-hosts and their very own book agents, DongWon Song of Howard Morhaim Literary Agency and Jennifer Udden of Barry Goldblatt Literary!
  • This episode is dedicated to Allie Wade, who asked the Ditch Diggers about contracts last June and is just not receiving the answer (Matt insists this was an elaborate training simulation to teach authors about the lengthy waiting process in publishing).
  • The Ditch Diggers and their agents discuss publishing contract clauses for which to watch out, standard clauses, and the nature of clauses themselves.
  • Matt asks DongWon and Jennifer to do a “Know Your Rights” Rundown and go over the major rights often requested by publishers in contracts, what those rights mean, and how to approach which rights to sell and which to retain as an author.
  • DongWon and Jennifer attempt to tackle the eternal question (their version of “Where do you get your ideas?” for authors) posed to agents, “What are you looking for?”
  • Our guest agents discuss the changing marketplace and economic culture of fiction, Amazon, and the vanishing book blogger.
  • Twitter Q&A! Topics include authors needing multiple agents.
  • The customary end-of-episode shilling!
  • DongWon Song on Twitter!
    https://twitter.com/dongwon
  • DongWon Song’s website!
    http://www.dongwonsong.com/
  • Jennifer Udden on Twitter!
    https://twitter.com/suddenlyjen
  • Jennifer Udden’s website!
    http://www.jenniferudden.com/
  • The Shipping & Handling Podcast!
    http://www.shippingandhandlingpodcast.com

Affiliate links to our books!

Podcasts, Projects, Transcript

[Transcript] Ditch Diggers #54: Retcons and JKR

Ditch Diggers #54

January 31st, 2018

Theme Song: [00:00:04] Ditch Diggers appear, ain’t no wannabes here. With some not so nice advice for your writing career. To be clear, no punches will be pulled, but the punch may be spiked, how they like before they get on the mic. To my left we got the mighty Mur Lafferty, and if I piss her off, believe me, she’ll come after me. And her co-host Matt F’n Wallace on the right, yeah she may be half his height, but she could take him in a fight. So settle in folks, buckle in, and boot up. Time to meddle in a way to make you write or shut up. It’s hard work, but the perk is that it’s fun and exciting. Facebook will still be there when you’re done writing. Ditch Diggers!

Mur: [00:00:46] Coming to you live from Morgan Freeman’s official historical retconning chamber. It’s the Ditch Diggers with Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace. Good morning, Matt. How are you?

Matt: [00:00:56] Good morning, Mur. I’m well. It’s early, but I’m forcing my energy level up several octaves, so I was a little worried last time that I sounded like I was dragging ass because I’ve been getting up much earlier than I used to these days.

Mur: [00:01:11] Well you’re just dealing with the new schedule man. We all can appreciate that. Or at least I can. I don’t know about those other assholes, but this asshole can. (more…)

Podcasts, Projects

ISBW #393: Supporting Characters’ Motivations

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:40 — 18.5MB)

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serial box logoWhen your supporting characters’ response to personally tragic things in their life is “how will this affect this other person?” then you have a problem.

Are you a WorldCon member? Don’t forget to vote for the Hugos, AND remember you have the power to go to the business meeting!

ISBW is sponsored by Serial Box! Yes, my publisher for Bookburners, one of my favorite projects I’ve worked on in the past few years! Get a discount on a whole season of content with the code WRITING18.

Also: did you know I’m offering transcriptions of both ISBW and Ditch Diggers? They will go up as soon as I get them for Patreon supporters, and a bit later for everyone else. It’s only at the $1 level, and you’re helping me offer a more accessible show, so pledge now!

  • Current WiP: [REDACTED], a secret project.
  • Currently reading: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (follow me on Goodreads if you like, I’m usually reading a bunch of stuff at once.)
  • Last movie seen: Black Panther — 12/10 OMG SO GOOD

Affiliate links to my books!

News

Six Wakes is a Kindle Daily Deal!

Hey friends, I know what you’ve been thinking, that it’s time for you to get a new ebook! But times are tough, we all know it, so management* has told me we can give you such a deal, today only! Six Wakes, for only $2.99!

Now, you won’t find prices like this anywhere else, friends. If you’re looking for a shiny new ebook to drive away today, consider Six Wakes, the Kindle Daily Deal!

It’s Philip K. Dick Award nominated! It’s Nebula Award nominated! And it’s only $2.99. I don’t know what got into us to sell at such a low price, but I would take advantage of it if I were you! Buy today!

* OK, so it wasn’t management, it was Amazon.

Podcasts, Projects, Transcript

[Transcript] ISBW #391: Emotions Get In The Way

January 30, 2018

Mur: [00:00:00] I Should Be Writing 391, I think. Yeah, sure let’s say that. For the week of January 29th. Yes, I know it’s not the week of January 29th.

Theme Song: [00:00:13] I should be writing. I should be working on my craft. I should be writing. I should be submitting my next draft. But I’m sitting watching Doctor Who.

Mur: [00:00:36] Hi there, welcome to I Should Be Writing, the podcast for wanna-be fiction writers. I’m your host, Mur Lafferty, and yes, I said this is last week’s episode, and I know it’s not last week, it’s this week. Here’s what happened: I know I always have an excuse when things go sideways, but I think this is a pretty good excuse. Last week I had a pretty bad migraine for a couple days, and I got some professional news that pretty much blew my mind. And no, I can’t tell you what it is, unfortunately, because I would love to. Seriously, it ruined my brain for a couple of days, literally, and now I’m just trying to get back on the work that’s late. So you’re going to get two episodes of I Should Be Writing this week and two episodes of Ditch Diggers. (more…)

Podcasts, Projects

Ditch Diggers #56: Drinking From the Fire Hose

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:33 — 47.3MB)

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(I still don’t have the hang of recording and uploading on the road. Apologies.)
Is hobo pejorative?

  • The Ditch Diggers come to you live from Morgan Freeman’s calendar room (featuring an inordinate amount of train calendars).
  • Matt and Mur argue about the configuration of a train whose cars are the months of the year and whether or not “hobo” is a pejorative term (yes, this really happens).
  • Mur is a bona fide Nebula Award nominee for her novel SIX WAKES! Woohoo!
  • Mur talks about being up for the Neblua and the Philip K. Dick Award, and meeting fellow Nebula nominee Annalee Newitz at a late-night con fetish panel.
  • The topic of the episode finally emerges: Feast or famine as a freelance writer!

(more…)