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 - 2026 Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • [ISBW] Revisiting Space Murder with Olivia Waite

    [ISBW] Revisiting Space Murder with Olivia Waite
    Mar 16 2026
    "Take your time, there's no rush. The audience will be here whenever your story is ready." ISBW 22.5 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. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:30) Writing Updates (05:00) Interview with Olivia Waite (10:00) Discussion on Book Beginnings (15:00) Overview of Nobody's Baby (25:00) Writing Process and Genre Exploration (35:00) Audience Questions (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 Olivia WaiteDouglas AdamsTerry PratchettOcean's Echo Evergreen Links Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, FocusmateTheme by John AnealioSupport 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! — 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.
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    39 mins
  • [ISBW] Have I changed my opinion of writing contests?

    [ISBW] Have I changed my opinion of writing contests?
    Feb 27 2026
    "It might be too much, but it looks really fun." ISBW 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. (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 Writer's DigestNYC MidnightWriting Battle Evergreen Links Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, FocusmateTheme by John AnealioSupport 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! — 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.
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    27 mins
  • [ISBW] 977 Episodes Archived: What Secrets Did I Find?

    [ISBW] 977 Episodes Archived: What Secrets Did I Find?
    Feb 23 2026
    "If [I] start thinking about the details, [I] will either go down the wrong pathand not record or [I'll] talk [my]self out of it." ISBW 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. This post went live for supporters on February 20, 2026. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon! Notes I FINISHED THE ARCHIVES! Now I just have to figure out how to release them.Hugo voting is open! I'm playing Dispatch and Clair Obscur, which are going to be my nominations for the Best Game Hugo.Dispatch has made me think a lot about interactive fiction.Beware the newest book club scam.I want to stream some solo-RPGs. I'm considering ION HEART, Midnight Muscadines, and A Perfect Rock.Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane Anders made pure gold with Our Opinions Are Correct.Check out my 2026 appearances thus far! Next one is Ret-Con in Durham, NC, March 6-8. Evergreen Links Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, FocusmateTheme by John AnealioSupport 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! — 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.
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
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