I Should Be Writing cover art

I Should Be Writing

I Should Be Writing

By: Mur Lafferty
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About this listen

 "I should be writing" is what people say, but they rarely do it. This podcast is designed to help you get past those blocks, whether it's what your teacher told you when you were a kid, to being totally sure you'll never be as good as (FAV AUTHOR) so you might as well quit.Copyright © by Mur Lafferty, 2005 - 2025 Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • [ISBW] Chasing Monsters: A Journey Through Hampton Heights

    [ISBW] Chasing Monsters: A Journey Through Hampton Heights
    Aug 29 2025

    I think I was a very... particular kind of undergraduate workshop student. -Dan Kois

    In this episode, I welcome my old classmate from UNC, Dan Kois, Slate editor and author of Hampton Heights. We dive into our journey from college classmates to published authors. Both pro writers, we each took a very different path.

    Dan shares the inspiration behind Hampton Heights, a thrilling adventure featuring four kids selling newspapers and encountering monsters unexpected relatives, and more.

    Of course we discuss the struggles of self-doubt, the impact of mentorship, and the significance of continuing to write despite the obstacles.

    Transcript

    Links

    • Dan Kois

    • Hampton Heights

    • Slate

    • Vintage Contemporaries

    • Lynda Barry

    Evergreen Links

    • See all books from Season 21

    • Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.

    • Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate

    • Theme by John Anealio

    • Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends

    • Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!

    • OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!

    —
    "Chasing Monsters: A Journey Through Hampton Heights" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon!

    Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, 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.

    August 29, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 14 | murverse.com

    "Chasing Monsters: A Journey Through Hampton Heights" 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.
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • [ISBW] The Haunted Mask: Exploring Volatile Memory with Seth Haddon

    [ISBW] The Haunted Mask: Exploring Volatile Memory with Seth Haddon
    Aug 26 2025
    'Reformed Pantser' is one of the most difficult things to be. -Seth Haddon In this episode, we welcome Seth Haddon, the talented Australian author behind Volatile Memory. We cover hybrid publishing, writing routines, and pursuing nuns. Volatile Memory explores themes of transhumanism and identity within a corporate-dominated future. Also haunted masks. And love. (This post went live for supporters on August 25, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or get my newsletter at Ghost!) Transcript Links Volatile MemoryBlind Eye BooksReactorSeth on Internet, Instagram, and Patreon Evergreen Links See all books from Season 21Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, FocusmateTheme by John AnealioSavor I Should Be Writing tea blendsSupport local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books! — "The Haunted Mask: Exploring Volatile Memory with Seth Haddon" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon or support via Ghost!! Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, 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. August 25, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 13 | murverse.com "The Haunted Mask: Exploring Volatile Memory with Seth Haddon" 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.
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • [ISBW] The Secret Bully: The Nap

    [ISBW] The Secret Bully: The Nap
    Aug 22 2025

    "Nothing's easy, man; being an adult sucks."
    -Mur Lafferty

    In this episode, we dive deep into Bully #5: The Nap.

    We discuss the sneaky ways the Nap can derail our writing plans. Rest is vital, but The Nap isn't rest. It's escape. We also discusses the importance of sleep hygiene and how to combat the allure of a cozy nap when creativity calls.

    We touch on the other bullies we've encountered along the way, including Bart, The Blade, The Sponge, and Despair, each representing unique obstacles in the creative process. (Still 3 to go!)

    (This post went live for supporters on August 21, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or get my newsletter at Ghost!

    Transcript

    Links

    • Flyleaf Books
    • Escape Pod
    • Salvadore Dali (recently I discovered his admiration of fascism, so I won't be linking to him.)

    Evergreen Links

    • See all books from Season 21
    • Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
    • Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
    • Theme by John Anealio
    • Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
    • Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
    • OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!

    —
    "The Silent Bully: The Nap" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon!

    Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, 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.

    August 22, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 12 | murverse.com
    "The Silent Bully: The Nap" 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.
    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
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