Archive for Projects

Podcasts, Projects

[ISBW] Grim and Determined

“Grim and Determined in 2021” is brought to you by patrons Wil Ralston and Fyrerider, and the letter N!

It’s a new year, and we are grim and determined. Things are still pretty terrible, so we face the new year with hope, but not resolutions.

 

Links:


You can support the show at patreon.com/mightymur.
I Should Be Writing’s theme music provided by John Anealio.
January 5, 2021 | Season 17 Ep 1 (Ep 552) | murverse.com
ISBW S17 Ep1: Grim and Determined! by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Projects

[Fic] An Unauthorized Holiday Blaseball Fanfic: “Loopholes”

Loopholes coverNotes-

  • This is my holiday Blaseball fanfic. I have nothing to do with Blaseball, I make nothing from it. It’s a free story called “Loopholes” and it’s entirely unauthorized. If you’re not familiar with Blaseball, then check out the wiki for clarification on some of these people/terms I use. (Don’t look up Lancelot Dine-N-Dash or Eccentric Performance on the wiki; they’re original characters.)
  • If you’re here from Blaseball fandom, welcome! I write fiction, do livestreaming, and am a veteran podcaster (16 years at last count).
  • This is totally free. If you like my fiction, I’m going to start releasing stuff monthly on my Patreon.
  • I wrote this 6400 word story in two days with one to polish, so if there are typos, tense changes, or inconsistencies, I apologize. But I wanted to get it out before Christmas.
  • CW: lots of blood (very little comes from living beings), confinement, speaking of incinerations.

 

Loopholes
by Mur Lafferty

There are no holidays in blaseball.

Well. Except for the Singe, the day commemorating the first incineration. And the *******, the Day of Silence where we mark the unholy necromantic return of Jaylen Hotdogfingers. And Two For One, where folks celebrate the return of Hotdogfingers.

Blaseball exists in a multiverse, you see. If you can imagine it, then it’s probably happened at some time, to some person.

But we can’t tell all the stories at once. We don’t have that kind of time. So we are telling this story, which is the story of the Field of Eggs on the winter solstice. And a loophole in the strict rules of this world.

Look over there, trudging through the bloody Field of Eggs with his head down. It’s the keeper of the eggs, Lancelot Dine-N-Dash.

In some multiverses, Lancelot Dine-N-Dash is a blaseball manager. At last count, he managed the Tokyo Lift, or the Houston Spies, or the Hades Tigers. In these ‘verses, he is wealthy and wears pinstripe suits with polka-dotted ties.

Aside- in no known multiverse has Lancelot been known to put together a flattering outfit. (more…)

Podcasts, Projects

A Writer’s Christmas Carol

Writer's Christmas Carol
“A Writer’s Christmas Carol” is brought to you by patrons Jon Tollerton and Zach Payne, and the letter K!

I wanted to do A Christmas Carol and wonder if Scrooge had been a writer, but ended up talking about my own past, present and future. Stuff got real. We talked about 12 Days of Christmas parodies too.

December 17, 2020 | Season 16 Ep 53 (Episode 551) | murverse.com | Copyright 2020, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License

Family, Personal, Projects

Making Patreon changes, and taking time off

I’m Making Patreon Changes and taking time off. Happy Holidays!TL;DR:

  • I’m making Patreon changes! Check out the annual payment option and the mini workshops!
  • Please take my poll to tell me what you’d like to see in my patreon!
  • I am taking the rest of the year off; you might see me online, but no official content creation till Jan. 3. Happy Holidays!

PATREON ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS

I’m making Patreon changes, some now, and some later on in January. First, you can now subscribe annually, pay everything up front and get a discount! It’s a great way to show your support to me, and in return you’ll get a discount of 15% when you do – that’s nearly TWO free months! In addition to reducing transaction fees, you’ll help me create quality content faster and reduce the chance your credit card declines in the future.

For existing patrons, the following steps will help you switch your pledge to annual.

  1. Log in, hover over your profile icon in the top right corner, and select Manage Memberships
  2. From your Active Memberships page click Edit next to the pledge you want to change
  3. You’ll see a familiar checkout page where you can select Annual 
  4. Click Update. Note: you’ll be charged upfront for the discounted price

New patrons, visit my Patreon page where you’ll see the option below the “Join” button of your chosen tier.

Check out this help center article if you have any questions about how it works.

MINI WORKSHOPS

Next, I’m offering a few different perks to Patreon. The thing I’m most excited about is Mur’s Kick in the Pants, which will be a semi-monthly micro workshop I’m holding in the Discord. I will be sending out a writing prompt, and then half an hour later we will meet, audio or video, in a discord room to discuss how the prompt went.  People can share if they want, or we can just talk writing. No big workshops, no long stories. Just quick prompts and quick support! This is at the $7 and above level, aka the Blue Ink Stained level.

The Red Ink Stained level, $30 and up, will feature Tuckerizations and your name in the credits for all my videos!

The Green Ink Stained level at $3 will stay mostly the same, but I’ll be implementing podcast shoutouts to every level.

If you’re supporting at a level that has been unpublished, don’t worry, things won’t change for you. I just won’t be taking new supporters at those levels.

POLL

I would love to hear what folks want out of the Patreon. I’m doing a public survey over there and would love to hear your thoughts. While I’m making Patreon changes, I’d love to make sure I’m doing them for your benefit too.

BREAKTIME!

And, with the holidays here, I’ve decided to take a break from, well, everything. I want to have a quiet holiday, so I’m stepping away from streaming and podcasting this month. I might do a stream or two for fun, but no official ISBW episodes. But definitely I hope everyone stays safe and healthy and has a great New Year!

 

Podcasts, Projects

Writing Groups in Covid, and… Productivity? Now???


I wanted to cover the concept of productivity in December, which is hard in a GOOD year. We also touch on the idea of finding writer’s groups in 2020.

Links:

December 15, 2020 | Season 16 Ep 52 (Episode 550) | murverse.com | Copyright 2020, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License

Podcasts, Projects

Derivatives, Tropes, and Cliches

People in crit groups can mean so much when they say those three words. What makes something derivative, or a trope, or a cliche?

December 10, 2020 | Season 16 Ep 50 (Episode 549)
Copyright 2020, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License | murverse.com

Meta, Podcasts, Projects

Gift list for writers!

We cover the gift list for the writers in your life (or, alternatively, what you should put on your wish list!)

December 8, 2020 | Season 16 Ep 50 (Episode 548)
Copyright 2020, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License | murverse.com

Podcasts, Projects

Goals for Writers are Different?

I Should Be Writing cover art, are goals for writers different? Cartoon Mur image.A little bit of NaNoWriMo wrap-up, but then we deal with the idea of goals again, and the trouble I have with these goal programs that are everywhere. I’m wondering if goals for writers are different. And I’m taking another one now, from Udemy. Which is pronounced you-de-ME, not YOU-demy.

December 3, 2020 | Season 16 Ep 49 (Episode 547)
Copyright 2020, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License | murverse.com

Projects

Mur’s December 7-13 Twitch Stream Schedule

I am super excited for streaming this week, both on my channel and Worldbuilder’s. On Wednesday I’ll be having a watch party of a beloved Henson classic with a puppeteer who’s worked with Henson’s company, and on Thursday I’m playing Among Us with other authors for charity! All times EST.

christmas themed graphic of twitch stream schedule

In text:

Podcasts, Projects

Words Have Power

Square graphic that says I should Be Writing - Words Have powerYeah, I know ‘words have power’ is cliche, but the basic decisions on how to describe people, considering your POV and your own biases, can dramatically affect your book.

December 1, 2020 | Season 16 Ep 48 (Episode 546) 
Copyright 2020, Mur Lafferty | BY-NC-SA 3.5 License | murverse.com<