I Should Be Writing

S20 Ep15: In Which Mur Muses on AI and the Writer's Journey "I'm exaggerating a little bit, but if you look at the last 20 years, that's pretty much how I work."- Mur Transcript In this podcast we dive into the depths of editing my novel, Infinite Archive, and how I'm navigating the murky waters[...]

S20 Ep14: In Which Mur Dives into Conventions and Confidence "You can't stop caring about something... You stop what you do about it, but you can't really just turn that switch off." - Mur From the thrill of networking to the trepidation of tax season, Mur navigates the maze of a writer's life with humor[...]

S20 Ep13: In Which Mur Attends Wole Talabi's Creative Alchemy Transcript "The primary driver of my sense of success is, 'do I feel happy with what I've done?'" - Wole Talabi Mur chats with Wole Talabi, an engineer turned author (but still engineer). They discuss the Schrodinger's Cat of publishing, the thrill of rewriting old[...]

S20 Ep 12: In Which Mur Plans to Turn Hurt Feelings into Finished Drafts Transcript "I read over the notes and I got mad and I got my feelings hurt." - Mur (being fussy) I've received my edit letter about Infinite Archive, so I'm handling all the emotions that carries with it.  ADHD complicated my[...]

S20 Ep11: In which we travel "The Other Valley" with Scott Alexander Howard Transcript "I wrote it in a blissful who cares? Mentality, like, 'oh, well, genre will sort itself out.'" - Scott Alexander Howard In this episode, we're joined by Scott Alexander Howard, author of The Other Valley, a novel where literary meets speculative.[...]

I Should Be Writing Season 20, Episode 10 "I felt like a cuckoo among very pretty birds." - Mur Fresh off the JoCo cruise, we discusses the allure of nerd paradise and how navigating imposter syndrome is a frequent struggle. I share tabletop RPG antics, celebrity karaoke adventures, and the amazing feeling of having legitimately[...]

I Should Be Writing Season 20, Episode 9 Transcript "If you don't start out perfect, you're never going to be good." - Evil Mur Evil Mur is back giving terrible advice and it's a wild ride through the looking glass of a writer's darker musings. We cover questioning the point of writing when perfection eludes[...]

I Should Be Writing Season 20, Episode 7 Transcript I found myself looking for my own magic bullet and getting frustrated a the media who take the idea of a daily routine--something people with ADHD people need--and play it off as only done by stodgy, unfun dorks. I discuss Josh Zimmerman's videos, how creation is like[...]

I Should Be WritingSeason 20, Episode 7 In this episode, I discuss trusting yourself because sometimes no one else will. We also talk File 770, Genre Grapevine, I mispronounce "chutzpah," make a Wizard of Oz reference, and how should I celebrate 20 seasons of ISBW? Remember, advice is supplementary. Evergreen Links I don't talk enough[...]

ISBW S20 Ep6 Author Gwenda Bond comes on the show to talk The Frame Up, heists, and point of view!  We also discuss being ballsy at Boskone, pen names, T. Kingfisher's "What Feasts At Night," writing retreats, and heist structure. If you order The Frame Up from Bookshop.org, use the code FRAMEUP for 10% off! [...]

ISBW S20 Ep5 Debut author Avione Lee comes to tell us about the Odyssey Workshop and the various programs!  Odyssey Your Personal Workshop (deadline is soon!) Evergreen Links I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Did you know that? Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. Theme by John Anealio I Should Be[...]

ISBW S20 Ep4 Hugos are still messy, so check out Chris M. Barkley*, Paul Weimer, Alasdair Stuart, and Jason Sanford and the excellent fanwriting they do. *Accidentally call him Charles in the recording. Sorry! We talk character depth, using Baldur's Gate 3 as an example. Lastly we get in to the hybrid outline thing I'm[...]

ISBW S20 Ep3 Debut author Eilish Quin joins us to talk about her retelling of Euripedes' classic story, Medea, with glorious descriptive prose and a feminist point of view. We talk about hurdles and wins and what to keep in mind when doing a retelling. Evergreen Links I don't talk enough about the I Should Be[...]

ISBW S20 Ep2 I am not a lawyer or an accountant, and taxes mentioned in the podcast are specific to my understanding of US tax law.  No one like to talk about money. Either you admit how bad you are or you're awkward because you make a lot. Or you're a jerk, but we aren't[...]

ISBW S20 Ep1 Why am I still doing this show after 20 years? Believe me, I was the first person to ask this. We talk about my career, my mental health, and, well, why? Evergreen Links I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Did you know that? Mur's newsletter, The Hot[...]

I got to talk to award-winning Nigerian author Chikodili Emelumadu about her new book Dazzling, and we wander all sorts of directions, including into ambition, what makes her write, and advice for new writers! Evergreen Links I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Did you know that? Mur's newsletter, The Hot[...]

ISBW S19 Ep33 I wanted to discuss humor again, so my buddy Valerie came back on to talk about it because she's smarter than me. Even though she introduced us to "Diggy Diggy Hole." We also talk "The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun," the Bridesmaids toast scene that makes me wanna die, The Hitchhiker's Gudie to[...]

ISBW S19 Ep32 Steve Martin famously did his comedy acts to empty bars when he started. It's a good mindset to keep. Evergreen Links I don't talk enough about the I Should Be Writing book. It exists. Did you know that? Mur's newsletter, The Hot Mic Socials: Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate. No more bird site. Alas. Theme by John Anealio I Should[...]

ISBW S19 Ep31 Self care, yo. It's dark, we're at the end of a big project, and time to be kind to yourself. Minimal show notes. If you want something clarified, ask in comments and I will get you a link. More shows coming soon! Evergreen Links I don't talk enough about the I Should Be[...]

Turns out that the stress of dealing with November has made me sit on this production. 🙁 But Travis Baldree and I hung out online and talked about our books that launched this month, Chaos Terminal and Bookshops and Bonedust.   Transcript Travis Baldree 03:53 ...I've discovered stickers are the easiest way for me to[...]

HAH I AM CAUGHT UP 33333 down, 16666 to go OK, plotters and pantsers, if you're having trouble, then I can tell you exactly what to do. Let Evil Mur guide you. Trust Evil Mur.  Get John Anealio’s music here. Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet? Don't forget Chaos Terminal is finally[...]

31666 down, 18333 to go Did you read the NaNoWriMo terms and conditions? Better do that, cause things are getting serious.  Ask questions, and then don't worry about the answers.  Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by Mur Lafferty

*still catching up 30000 down, 20000 to go So what if you’re only starting on Day 15? Or (checks calendar) Day 20? How can you possibly make up for lost days? Just write 1 word every 25 seconds. Boom. You’re done. Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other rights reserved by[...]

28333 down, 21666 to go Well I recorded it on the 17th, so that counts, right? What do you want from me? I’m evil. So what if you’re only starting on Day 15? Or (checks calendar) Day 20? How can you possibly make up for lost days? Just write 1 word every 25 seconds. Boom.[...]

  Halfway point! Exciting if you’re there, scary if you’re not. Ideas: putting your own life into your book, and give your characters a bath!   Get John Anealio’s music here. Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet? Don't forget Chaos Terminal is finally on shelves! Please remember that Evil Mur is evil[...]

I'm missing days because real life is just kicking my ass right now. Good and bad stresses. Slipstreaming for fun and profit! Bikers do it, cars do it, time for writers to do it. Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet? Don't forget Chaos Terminal is finally on shelves! Please remember that Evil Mur is evil and gives terrible[...]

Slipstreaming for fun and profit! Bikers do it, cars do it, time for writers to do it. Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet? Don't forget Chaos Terminal is finally on shelves! Please remember that Evil Mur is evil and gives terrible advice. Evil Mur will not be responsible for failed manuscripts or plagiarism suits. Do not listen to[...]

18333 down, 31666 to go Backing up is a stupid waste of time. It takes so much work to do. Trust the computer. Everything will be fine.  Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet? Don't forget Chaos Terminal is finally on shelves! The daily podcast is usually for supporters only, but this year I’m putting it out for everyone![...]

16666 down, 33333 to go Don't be afraid to get words anywhere. Everywhere. Be bold.  Mentioned: NaNoWriMo Forums Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet? Don't forget Chaos Terminal is finally on shelves! The daily podcast is usually for supporters only, but this year I’m putting it out for everyone! If you like it, consider supporting with a[...]

15000 down, 35000 to go Evil Mur has begun to swear. Not a lot. But I put the explicit tag on there just in case.  Getting behind? There are three things you can do. One of them is easy, one is SUPER easy, and one takes a whole lot of work  Mentioned: Natania Barron  [...]

Want your NaNo episodes in the morning? You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack! 11666 down, 38333 to go   Why are you doing this? Also, don't forget to get to yiour friendly local book store today! Chaos Terminal is out! 7100 / 50000 words. 14% done! (as of Nov 5) Have[...]

Want your NaNo episodes in the morning? You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or Substack! 10000 down, 40000 to go   No, seriously, y'all.   Time to quit. 7100 / 50000 words. 14% done! (as of Nov 5) Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet? Don't forget Chaos[...]

8333 down, 41666 to go   Post your work online as you go! Nothing bad will happen, and all feedback will be good.      7100 / 50000 words. 4% done! Get your wordcount meter at Languageisavirus.com Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet? Don't forget Chaos Terminal comes out November 7! The[...]

6666 down, 45000 to go Everything is legal during NaNoWriMo, including plagiarizing. Right?   7201 / 50000 words. 14% done! Get your wordcount meter at Languageisavirus.com Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet? Don't forget Chaos Terminal comes out November 7! The daily podcast is usually for supporters only, but this year I’m putting it[...]

ACK! I forgot to actually post the audio. See what batch-posting does for you, kids?  5000 down, 45000 to go Are you behind already? Seriously? Getting despondent? Then quit. Because there certainly aren’t any ways to catch back up, and Evil Mur will go over all those impossibilities in this episode. wordcount: 2000 / 50000[...]

3333 down, 46666 to go   Sometimes we writers have to make difficult decisions. Evil Mur is sure you’ll make the right one.   Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords yet? Don't forget Chaos Terminal comes out November 7! The daily podcast is usually for supporters only, but this year I’m putting it[...]

0 down, 50000 Of course I stumble in posting the first freaking day of the month. So today you get two episodes. 4thewords.com is the best place to lose yourself this month and still feel like you’re writing. You won’t write much, but boy you’ll have fun! Have you friended Mur on NaNoWriMo or 4thewords[...]

Evil Mur is here with Day 0 of the NaNoWriMo podcast. I’ll post Day 1 later today. My current wordcount: 0 (cause this was recorded on October 31) Streamed live on Twitch! Come join me for cowriting and other shenanigans! Schedule: M 2pm- Co-writing T 2pm- co-writing, then ISBW* W 2pm- Baldur’s Gate (or co-writing**)[...]

NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow! Are you participating? Are you ready? Author, editor, and long time NaNoWriMo municipal liaison Valerie Valdes joins us to talk about her new projects and how to tackle NaNoWriMo! Don't forget, Chaos Terminal comes out in ONE WEEK. Transcript Valerie Valdes 10:08: I wonder if there's like enough NaNoWriMo people at this[...]

I'm taking a break from podcasting to finish my book. Doing some housekeeping and then presenting an excellent interview with Wole Talabi, author of Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon! Transcript Wole Talabi: 19:50- ...And I've been to the British Museum several times. The last time I was there, I saw a few items[...]

Listen to I Should Be Writing wherever you get your podcasts! murverse.com

ISBW S19 Ep27 T. Kingfisher, Richard Dansky, and I are all nominated for the Manly Wade Wellman Award! It will be given at Congregate this weekend.  Escape Pod is a finalist for the Hugo Award, Best Semiprozine category! Black Mirror says just tell the story instead of worrying about the science. Gene Wolfe said it[...]

Short episode this time, and not having the best brain day. So I'm sharing with you because this happens to everyone. Transcript Mur Lafferty: And maybe what I write is crap, but I'll never know unless I write it. And then I think lies the key. It's not even allow yourself to write crappy first[...]

I got to interview game designer turned YA romance writer James L. Sutter in this episode, and it was a blast. So much good stuff here! I also talk about my latest anger at ADHD and what I'm reading.  Transcript  James L. Sutter 34:10: And so it was hugely enlightening for me to see, sort[...]

S19 Ep24 It's June, and I have had some disappointments (She Podcasts, Live! and Blaseball), but at least I'm not worrying about travel so much. Got my 10k words turned into my agent, and lament the loss of the podcast community. But Tee Morris, Scott Sigler, and Christiana Ellis are all live streaming too. And[...]

S19 Ep23 Thinky bits about reading and pacing and migraines. I'll be clever next week, promise. But what I'm really excited about is the interview with Arley Sorg, editor, writer, and now a new agent! We have a transcript! Support the Patreon if you'd like to see the annotated transcripts! Patreon support will also get[...]

Hey folks! I'm starting a new podcast, re-releasing old ISBW episodes with commentary! This episode is the ONLY one that will clog up the ISBW feed; to continue listening you will need to go to the site to get the new-old podcasts.  -- And so it begins: I Should Be Writing is new again with classic[...]

S19 Ep22 I'm back doing solo episodes with an interview at the end. In this episode I talk about the importance of you interviewing any agent who's interested in you, and the disasters that can happen if you don't. Then I talk to Chana Porter, then discuss the books I'm reading. News, and Let's Talk[...]

S19 Ep21 Recorded live, April 27, 2023 Good News Good News Station Eternity gets a second printing! Chaos Terminal can be pre-ordered! Team Rejection 2023 Count: 111 Mur will be attending the Nebula Conference in Los Angeles (May 12-14, 2023) Mur will be speaking at She Podcasts, Live! (June 19-22) Main Topic: Welcome Stina Leicht![...]

S19 Ep20 Recorded live, April 24, 2023 Good News Good News Station Eternity gets a second printing! Chaos Terminal can be pre-ordered! Team Rejection 2023 Count: 110 Mur will be attending the Nebula Awards in Los Angeles (May 12-14, 2023) Main Topic: Rule One of WiP Club (I had to.) Had some real thoughts about[...]