Libsyn Directory

[DD] Veronica Roth Talks Sending Messages to Past Self

Release Date: 10/28/2022

[DD] Looking to 2026: Feast or Famine

Ditch Diggers

We present a casual and chatty Ditch Diggers where we close up the year with discussions of 2026 prep, spicy Christmas romances, and New Years' traditions. And maybe future us doesn't need the apology that we haven't been consistent. (This post went live for supporters on December 23, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at !) Spicy Christmas romances: by B.K. Borison A Christmas Notch by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (3 book series, begins with: ) We hope you have a safe and happy holiday season with people you love, and that your pets eat zero...

[DD] Can Mur do ALL the things?

Ditch Diggers

"You can pull it off if you write like an angel. I do not write like an angel." - Ursula Vernon (T. Kingfisher) In this episode of Ditch Diggers, hosts Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon (T. Kingfisher), talk about the horrors of ADHD convincing creative folk that they can do ALL the things. (You can't do all the things.) They also talk about Naomi Alderman’s acquisition of Six to Start, the company behind the popular Zombies, Run! app, and how storytelling is essential in gaming. [podcast_subscribe id="6236"] (This post went live for supporters on December 16,...

[DD] Dusty Hats and Burnt Out Pokemon Trainers

Ditch Diggers

"The point of a planner is to make your life easier, not be a source of guilt and stress." - Ursula Vernon (T. Kingfisher) Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon are back and dive into the chaotic world of writing! We talk about everything from the trials of managing multiple projects to the absurdities of planner systems. (And talk about a bunch of options we've tried!) Mur shares her recent experiences with her latest book, while Ursula discusses her creative process and the challenges of staying organized as a writer. We also explore the joys (and pitfalls) of social media and how it...

[DD] AI Settlements and NaNoWriMo

Ditch Diggers

"You should absolutely always write spite books." - Ursula Vernon (T. Kingfisher) Unfortunately, this was recorded some time ago, but the Ditch Diggers tackle everything from the challenges of meeting deadlines to the complexities of AI settlements impacting authors. We touch on recent book releases, whirlwind tours, and the peculiarities of hotel bar conversations with state senators. (This post went live for supporters on November 6, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at !) Links: Evergreen Links: Mur on ! , Support via ! ...

[DD] Ursula's Year of Multiple Whales

Ditch Diggers

"Genre is a marketing tool, just like a book cover." - Mur Lafferty In this episode of Ditch Diggers, Mur and Ursula rant about genre expectations, marketing, and what happens when you decide that genre isn't for you because you're special. Ursula lists her whales, and Imposter Syndrome doesn't really make a showing when Mur travels. Highlights: - (05:12) Ursula's anxiety over multiple deadlines and projects - (12:45) Mur's recent business trip and the absence of imposter syndrome - (25:30) The ongoing debate about happy endings in romance - (38:15) The role of marketing in...

[DD] AI and the Art of Reading the Room

Ditch Diggers

"If you want this to be your thing, you got to keep doing the thing." - Ursula Vernon In this episode of Ditch Diggers, Mur and Ursula dive into the chaotic world of writing, sharing their latest projects, travel plans, and ask you if that thing you wanted to say actually is the thing you want to say online. They discuss the SNAFU of the WorldCon AI controversy, the ethical considerations surrounding generative technologies, and whether it matters if the dog dies or not. Highlights: (01:15) Welcome to the Warbler Appreciation room! (05:30) Ursula's upcoming travels and book festivals...

[DD] Trad Marketing vs Self Marketing

Ditch Diggers

"The best way to survive is to turn everything into hilarity." - Ursula Vernon In this episode we dive into the chaotic world of writing, marketing, and the ups and downs of self-publishing. Mur shares her recent trip to Maryland for Independent Bookstore Day, and Ursula catches us up on Swordheart's launch. Self promotion is hard, ya'll. Highlights: (05:12) Mur's experience running a solo RPG at an independent bookstore (12:45) Ursula's updates on Swordheart and her UK marketing team (25:30) The difference between traditional marketing and self-promotion (38:15) The importance...

[DD] Navigating Agents, Rights, and Reality

Ditch Diggers

"If you can tolerate the boring and lonely, then hopefully you'll be rewarded on the other side." - Ursula Vernon In this episode of Ditch Diggers, Mur and Ursula navigate the chaotic world of freelancing, taxes, and the ups and downs of being a writer. They discuss the recent Hugo nominations (two for Ursula, one for Mur!), share insights into their creative processes, and delve into the challenges of working with agents. Chapters: (03:29) Congratulations to Hugo Finalists! (04:06) Several people from the podcast have been nominated for various awards (05:41) Ursula has been working on...

[DD] Weeping Bunkers and Writing Woes; Surviving the Creative Chaos

Ditch Diggers

"Sometimes the best way to survive is to turn everything into hilarity." - Ursula Vernon S.11 Ep.2 In this episode of Ditch Diggers, join hosts Mur and Ursula as they navigate the chaotic world of freelancing, taxes, and the ups and downs of being a writer. They discuss the recent Hugo nominations, share insights into their creative processes, and delve into the challenges of working with agents. Highlights include: (05:32) Ursula has too many author copies. She's written nearly 50 books (12:30) Let's talk about marketing for SwordHeart (24:09) A lot of your writing happened when you were...

[DD] Ducks, Resolutions, and That Elephant Again

Ditch Diggers

"Try to make the world a better place. You personally are not on the hook to fix everything." - Ursula Vernon (This post went live for supporters on January 17, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at or !) S.11 Ep.1 Welcome to Season 11 of Ditch Diggers with Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon! We try to be positive and funny in this episode, but stuff happens. We cover the Neil Gaiman controversy, touch on Ursula's move, and what our goals are this year. Also there's a in the background. We explore the challenges of self-promotion in a post-Twitter world,...

More Episodes

Streamed live, October 24, 2022.

I was thrilled to have Veronica Roth of Divergent and Chosen Ones fame to come talk about her new book, Poster Girl, and what the business has taught her in her career!

Links

Mur on Focusmate!
Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
Newsletter, The Hot Mic
Support via Patreon!
John Anealio on Bandcamp
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!

Twitch schedule Oct. 31-Nov 3 (Eastern time):

M 4:30p,: Ditch Diggers After Dark with Kameron Hurley
T 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing NaNoWriMo Launch Day!
W Gaming streams canceled for November until I get my schedule sorted out
Th 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing - live write? Chat? Who knows?

October 17, 2022 | Season 8 Ep 20 | murverse.com
Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License

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