Episodes

  • [ISBW] Can Rejectomancy Save Our Sanity?

    [ISBW] Can Rejectomancy Save Our Sanity?
    Apr 6 2026

    "I think the thing people have the most problem with is,
    'This was very good, but it didn't excite me.'"

    ISBW 22.8

    Mur is back solo, talking about Rejectomancy and how to interpret the rejections you get, and more importantly, how to move forward after getting said rejection.

    And the bad news: you're aiming to make writing a job, which means you have to deal with the bad parts along with the good.

    Remember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! The next live episode is April 9*, when we will talk about A Year of Furious Creation.

    *(Maybe. I may have jury duty that day. Stay tuned.)

    Links

    • The person who coined the phrase 'rejectomancy.'

    • Escape Pod

    Evergreen Links

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

    • Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate

    • Theme by John Anealio

    • 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!

    —
    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.

    April 6, 2025 | ISBW 22.8 | murverse.com
    "Can Rejectomancy Save Our Sanity?" 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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    32 mins
  • [ISBW] Medicine and AI with Dr. Justin C. Key

    [ISBW] Medicine and AI with Dr. Justin C. Key
    Mar 30 2026
    "Acceptance is built on a pile of rejections." ~ Justin C. Key ISBW 22.7 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. 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. Links Justin C. KeyEscape PodOut There ScreamingVital, the Future of HealthcareScribophileThe Hospital at the End of the World 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 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 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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    47 mins
  • [ISBW] Regret, Spite, and shiny new book haul

    [ISBW] Regret, Spite, and shiny new book haul
    Mar 24 2026
    "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. Links Nobody's Baby by Olivia WaiteHell's Heart by Alexis HallThe Hospital at the End of the World by Justin C. KeyRuinous Creatures by Jessie Cole JacksonYou Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent TiradoWolf Worm T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon)Flyleaf Books 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 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.
    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • [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.
    Show More Show Less
    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.
    Show More Show Less
    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
  • [ISBW] The Art of Juggling Writers (as an assistant)

    [ISBW] The Art of Juggling Writers (as an assistant)
    Feb 18 2026

    "Not every opportunity is equal, and you don't have to chase everything."
    ~Tim Minneci

    ISBW 22.2

    What do you need to have when you're wrangling several pro writers? What can a writer expect from an assistant? Meet Tim Minneci, writer, podcaster, musician, and my assistant. (And Ursula's, and Kameron's.)

    We discuss the challenges of being a writer, the importance of having an assistant, and the various tasks that come with supporting authors in their creative endeavors. Tim covers social media, the publishing industry, and the balance between creativity and administrative work.

    (This post went live for supporters on February 16, 2026. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!)

    Links

    • Tim Minneci and his Dig Me Out podcast

    Evergreen Links

    • Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
    • Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
    • Theme by John Anealio
    • 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!
    —
    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 18, 2026 | ISBW 22.2 | murverse.com
    "The Art of Juggling Writers (as an assistant)" 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
    34 mins
  • [ISBW] Careful What You Pack

    [ISBW] Careful What You Pack
    Jan 16 2026
    "All I can do is what I can do right now." ISBW 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. (This post went live for supporters on January 12, 2026. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!) Links Stet (first episode is free to everyone!)Gnosia (game and anime)Escape PodHow to Be More D&DThe CompoundRecipes for an Unexpected Afterlife 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. 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.
    Show More Show Less
    17 mins