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[DD] Dusty Hats and Burnt Out Pokemon Trainers

Ditch Diggers

Release Date: 11/09/2025

[DD] Dusty Hats and Burnt Out Pokemon Trainers show art [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...

info_outline [DD] AI Settlements and NaNoWriMo show art [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 ! ...

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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...

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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...

info_outline [DD] Trad Marketing vs Self Marketing show art [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...

info_outline [DD] Navigating Agents, Rights, and Reality show art [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...

info_outline [DD] Weeping Bunkers and Writing Woes; Surviving the Creative Chaos show art [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...

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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,...

info_outline [DD] How Mur and Ursula Edit show art [DD] How Mur and Ursula Edit

Ditch Diggers

"Editing is where you leave the craft behind and start thinking like a business." - Mur Lafferty "I am the person with the hat." - Ursula Vernon (This post went live for supporters on January 13, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at !) In this final episode of season six of Ditch Diggers, Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon dive deep into the world of editing. From the trials and tribulations of editing passes to the nuances of hat confidence, Mur and Ursula share their personal experiences and industry insights. Mur shares her recent adventures at...

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Ditch Diggers

"Sometimes you just need to chase the inspiration, even if it means working on a project nobody asked for." - Ursula (This post went live for supporters on October 4, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at !) In this episode, Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon tackle the complexities of burnout, the writing hustle, and the latest controversies in the literary world. Ursula shares her battle with mortgage woes, while Mur discusses the challenges of juggling multiple podcasts and writing projects. The duo also delves into the fallout from NaNoWriMo's recent...

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"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 impacts our creative lives. 

(This post went live for supporters on November 6, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!)

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Ditch Diggers credits:
theme song by Devo Spice, art by Numbers Ninja,
site hosted by Libsyn (or Patreon).
November 9, 2024 | Season 11 Ep 9 | murverse.com
"Dusty Hats and Burnt Out Pokemon Trainers" by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon
is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0