Posts Tagged ‘Writing Advice’

I Should Be Writing, Podcasts, Projects

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

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“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!

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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.

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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] Medicine and AI with Dr. Justin C. Key

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“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.

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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.

 

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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.
Ditch Diggers, Podcasts, Projects

[DD] Dare You to Write Something WEirD

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

orange logo with a shovel and pencil saying DITCH DIGGERSDD 12.3

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.

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

 

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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
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.
Family, I Should Be Writing, Personal, Podcasts, Projects

[ISBW] Regret, Spite, and shiny new book haul

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“Weird is hot right now.”

ISBW 22.6

CW- pet death.

It’s been a rough week, so I’m talking regret and spite. Can they help and fuel us? Or is it just wasted bile?

Then we talk about new book releases, like Nobody’s Baby by Olivia Waite and Hell’s Heart by Alexis Hall. And we touch on our next show, an interview with Justin C. Key, author of The Hospital at the End of the World.

Remember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! The next live episode is March 26, when we will talk about Rejectomancy.

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illustrated book cover -HELLS HEART- with a lot of pink tentacles
Looks wholesome, don’t it?

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Rosa at her most adorable and lazy, lying on the floor but managing to wedge her face in the couch to beg for treats.
Rosa at her most adorable and lazy, lying on the floor but managing to wedge her face in the couch to beg for treats.

—
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 23, 2025 | ISBW 22.6 | murverse.com
“Regret, Spite, and shiny new book haul” 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.

 

Podcasts, Projects

[ISBW] Revisiting Space Murder with Olivia Waite

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“Take your time, there’s no rush. The audience will be here whenever your story is ready.”

Blue logo for I Should Be Writing with Season 22 and delighted Mur illustrationISBW 22.5

[ACK, I forgot to warn people that at the end, we had a glitch in the recording so we move abruptly from Olivia talking mid-sentence to me ending the show. Sorry about that!]

In this episode we welcome author Olivia Waite to discuss her latest books, including Murder by Memory and Nobody’s Baby. We touch on one of my favorite topics, writing science fiction mysteries, but we also delve into compelling beginnings and how to avoid the cringe in romance.

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(This post went live for supporters on March 12, 2026. If you want early and ad-free, episodes, support at Patreon!)

Remember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! Next episode is March 19, when I interview Justin C. Key, author of The Hospital at the End of the World.

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 16, 2025 | ISBW 22.5 | murverse.com
“Revisiting Space Murder with Olivia Waite” 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] Have I changed my opinion on writing contests?

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“It might be too much, but it looks really fun.”

Blue logo for I Should Be Writing with Season 22 and delighted Mur illustrationISBW 22.4

I’ve had a strong opinion about writing contests for years, but things have apparently evolved. I was reading about writing contests and found two that were quite interesting.

A bit of housekeeping: I am no longer doing an exclusive version of Patreon episodes. They will still be early, still ad-free, but I’ve found that making two versions of the same show is just too much for me right now. I will still do completely exclusive episodes that the feed will never see, but I will rarely do extended interviews, etc.

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(This post went live for supporters on February 25, 2026. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!)

 

 

We touch on the Webbys and why I won’t enter them, and as for contests, NYC Midnight and Writing Battle intrigue me! The both have good rewards, good communities, and reasonable rules.

Then I chat with the livestream, which you can join on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! Next episode is March 5, where I interview Olivia Waite, author of Murder by Memory and Nobody’s Baby.

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.
February 27, 2025 | ISBW 22.4 | murverse.com
“Have I changed my opinion on writing contests?” 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] 977 Episodes: What Have I Learned?

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“If [I] start thinking about the details, [I] will either go down the wrong path
and not record or [I’ll] talk [my]self out of it.”

Blue logo for I Should Be Writing with Season 22 and delighted Mur illustrationISBW 22.3

I finally finished the archives, and learned quite a bit about myself, not all good things. We also touch on Hugo season, book club scams, and AI publicists.

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(This post went live for supporters on February 20, 2026. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!)

Notes

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.
February 23, 2025 | ISBW 22.3 | murverse.com
“977 Episodes: What Have I Learned?” 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] Being a Pro at Conventions

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orange logo with a shovel and pencil saying DITCH DIGGERSDD 12.1

Ursula and Mur are back to talk about conventions and our 2026 plans. Notable discussions:

  • Do not use ChatGPT to vet your contracts!
  • Ursula finished [REDACTED] book! Mur forgot to ask herself what she was working on, but it’s a book. That’s about it.
  • This year Mur returns to ConFusion at the end of January. (Alas, Kameron Hurley won’t be attending this one.)
  • Ursula has changed her mind regarding where she wants to die in a ditch. We’ve moved from Target to Costco.
  • LARPing as an extrovert, and how to LARP as a confident person. Write your CV!
  • Mur is GOH of DemiCon this May! Also she’ll attend WorldCon in LA.
  • Ursula’s busy year starts with a mini book tour on the east coast US, then she’s going to NorWesCon, then the Celsius Festival in Spain in July, then toastmaster(!) at WorldCon, then Mile High Con, and HalCon in Nova Scotia!
  • Find Ursula and Mur online!

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Blue logo to join the Fabulists via Patreon(This post went live for supporters on January15 , 2026. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded 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).
January 15, 2025 | Season 12 Ep 1 | murverse.com
“Being a Pro at Conventions” by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon
is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
I Should Be Writing, Podcasts, Projects

[ISBW] Careful What You Pack

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“All I can do is what I can do right now.”

Blue logo for I Should Be Writing with Season 22 and delighted Mur illustrationISBW 22.1

First episode of the year, and we talk about the things we may not want to take along with us into the new year. New books, new shows (Patreon-only Evil Mur podcast called STET!), and all that other stuff.
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(This post went live for supporters on January 12, 2026. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded 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.
January 6, 2025 | ISBW 22.1 | murverse.com
“Careful What You Pack” 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] Research or Procrastination?

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“You tell them enough information to show that you know 10% of what you’re talking about, and your reader will assume you know the other 90%.”

In this episode, Mur discusses the seemingly innocuous action of research, and how it can become a trap that distracts from actual writing.

Advent calendar info and AI complaints are free additions!

Blue logo to join the Fabulists via Patreon(This post went live for supporters on December 22, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded 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, please!
CREDITS
Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.
December 4, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 24 | murverse.com
“Research or Procrastination?” 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.

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