Ditch Diggers

Treat your writing like a blue collar job. Doctors don't get doctor block and ditch diggers don't get ditch digger block, and working writers can't get writer's block. Business and humor. Award winning authors Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon host.

[DD] Worldcon 2024 Debrief (AKA how have I not released this yet???) 10/04/2024

[DD] Worldcon 2024 Debrief (AKA how have I not released this yet???) "Networking is just meeting people and having them remember you exist." - Ursula Vernon (This post went live for supporters on October 2, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at or !) In this episode of Ditch Diggers, Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon return from their adventures in Scotland and dive into the art of networking. They explore the nuances of making connections in the writing world, share tales from Worldcon, and discuss the challenges and joys of upcoming conventions. The duo also tackles the importance of maintaining a presence in the ever-shifting landscape of social media and the significance of in-person networking at conventions. From the intricacies of interactive fiction to the recent developments at SFWA, Mur and Ursula cover a wide range of topics with the wisdom you have come to expect from them. Highlights include: Networking strategies and the importance of being present Worldcon reflections and Ursula's Hugo win Upcoming conventions and the art of balancing work with travel Social media alternatives in a post-Twitter world Interactive fiction and the joy of hidden Easter eggs Links: Evergreen Links: Mur on ! , , Newsletter, Support via ! Or ! Theme song by Check for all mentioned books! Support Local Book Stores! Ditch Diggers credits:theme song by , art by , site hosted by (or ). October 2, 2024 | Season 10 Ep 4 | murverse.com "Recorded back when Mur still had a Gallbladder" by is licensed under /episode/index/show/murverse/id/33305862

[DD] Recorded back when Mur still had a Gallbladder 07/31/2024

[DD] Recorded back when Mur still had a Gallbladder "If you, you know, give ten writers an idea, you get eleven different books." - Ursula (This post went live for supporters on July 30, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at or !) In this episode of Ditch Diggers, Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon dive into the gritty realities of the writing world. From the anxiety of upcoming surgeries to the chaos of travel and illness, they share their personal and professional struggles. The episode takes a critical look at the pitfalls of online behavior, especially concerning agents making inappropriate comments on social media. They discuss the importance of professionalism, the fear of idea theft, and the phenomenon of simultaneous similar ideas emerging in the literary world. Links: Evergreen Links: Mur on ! , , Newsletter, Support via ! Or ! Theme song by Check for all mentioned books! Support Local Book Stores! Ditch Diggers credits:theme song by , art by , site hosted by (or ). July 31, 2024 | Season 10 Ep 3 | murverse.com "Recorded back when Mur still had a Gallbladder" by is licensed under /episode/index/show/murverse/id/32356392

[DD] Book Tours, TikTok, and Twitter Tantrums 07/05/2024

[DD] Book Tours, TikTok, and Twitter Tantrums "Being on BookTok will not give you a career if you don't have one. Do what makes you happy." - Ursula (This post went live for supporters on July 3, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at or !) In this episode, Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon dive into the realities of book tours, the financial intricacies of publishing, and the ever-changing landscape of social media for authors. Ursula shares a retraction about the profitability of her book tour, while Mur discusses the challenges of balancing writing with personal commitments and health issues. They also tackle the latest trends and controversies in the writing community, including the misguided advice about writing styles and the pressure to be active on platforms like TikTok. Book Tour Financials Author Panels and Interviews Social Media Trends Writing Styles and Absolutes Links: Evergreen Links: Mur on ! , , Newsletter, Support via ! Or ! Theme song by Check for all mentioned books! Support Local Book Stores! Ditch Diggers credits:theme song by , art by , site hosted by (or ). July 5, 2024 | Season 10 Ep 2 | murverse.com "Book Tours, TikTok, and Twitter Tantrums" by is licensed under /episode/index/show/murverse/id/31883352

[DD] Ursula Vernon Takes Over- New Beginnings and No More Cancer! 06/28/2024

[DD] Ursula Vernon Takes Over- New Beginnings and No More Cancer! "If you want to make money, you have to think about it like a job."- Mur (This post went live for supporters on June 26, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at or !) Welcome back to Ditch Diggers! In this episode, we kick things off with a fresh start and a new co-host. The mighty Mur Lafferty is joined by the fabulous Ursula Vernon (aka T. Kingfisher) as they dive into the nitty-gritty of the writing business. Ursula shares her personal journey of overcoming cancer and getting back into the writing groove, while Mur talks about the realities of making deadlines and the business side of writing. They also discuss the recent Hugo Awards controversy and the implications for authors involved. Highlights include: - Transition to Ursula as the new co-host - Ursula's health update and return to writing - The and its impact - Backing up your work and the - The pros and cons of attending conventions Links: Evergreen Links: Mur on ! , , Newsletter, Support via ! Or ! Theme song by (check for all mentioned books) Support Local Book Stores! Ditch Diggers credits:theme song by , art by , site hosted by (or ). June 28, 2024 | Season 10 Ep 1 | murverse.com "Ursula Vernon Takes Over New Beginnings and No More Cancer." by is licensed under /episode/index/show/murverse/id/31872237

[DD] Birthdays and Gail Carriger 2, Electric Boogaloo 09/05/2023

[DD] Birthdays and Gail Carriger 2, Electric Boogaloo This was recorded back in July, but time and things and travel got away with me. Actually what happened was the fact that I can't spread podcast production across more than one day. If I do, I will forget it needs to be finished. It's not great spending 4+ hours to produce and upload 2 shows, but if I don't, one will fall by the wayside. ADHD brain for the win. We will be back in september, hopefully with lots of amazing ditch digging. August 10, 2023 | Season 9 Ep 9 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/27946581

[DD] Data Wonking with Podmother Gail Carriger 07/20/2023

[DD] Data Wonking with Podmother Gail Carriger , July 10, 2023 Below are some affiliate links that support indie bookstores and may benefit me financially with no cost to you. S9 Ep8 Horny chaotic god energy is what we're all about in today's Ditch Diggers, "Data Wonking with Podmother Gail Carriger" where Gail joins us to talk about sifting through data in self publishing. It is some heady stuff, and we discuss tying your self worth to "bad" data and more! Gail Carriger: 30:30 (ish): My sense of failure will kick in when a reader says I love Gail Carriger. And I didn't know she had a new book out, that's when I feel like I failed at my job. I am an author, that's the one job I had is to make sure that people who liked me can read my new books, right? That's it. Let's Get Weedy Twitter doesn't kiss well When you have a new book out, your main job is to make sure your existing fans know. We <3 librarians! Links Mur on ! , , Newsletter, Support via ! Or ! Theme song by (check for all mentioned books) July 20, 2023 | Season 9 Ep 8 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/27488040

[DD] Author/Agent Seth Fishman Answers Our Questions 06/26/2023

[DD] Author/Agent Seth Fishman Answers Our Questions S9 Ep7 Recorded live on ! Mur's agent Seth Fishman joins us to take your questions, and we fill up an hour FAST. Full transcript available! Seth Fishman: ...the industry is right now, where editors are just, they just have, they're just too busy. There's just not enough people working in publishing. So it's harder for agents to do to sell books is really what we're saying. There's a number of times that were like, were you passing because of this, you don't want to put that like, work into it or whatever. But you know, what the people pass for all sorts of reasons, we get the books into pretty great shape, before we send them out. And I mean, we try to, and if an editor is passing, for those reasons, they're what they're really probably saying is more along the lines of developing of an author versus, like editing an author. Links Seth's agency, Mur on ! , , Newsletter, Support via ! Theme song by (check for all mentioned books) June 21, 2023 | Season 9 Ep 7 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/27238449

[DD] Matt's Book Launch: Savage Crowns 06/20/2023

[DD] Matt's Book Launch: Savage Crowns , June 13, 2023 Below are some affiliate links that support indie bookstores and may benefit me financially with no cost to you. S9 Ep6 It's our 1001st episode (not really) and Matt is here to launch the final book in the Savage Rebellion trilogy, and it's a very honest episode. Serious Ditch Digging here, y'all. He doesn't hold back. It's publishing, warts and all. Links to Savage Crowns and other books below! Full transcript available! Matt Wallace: I was like, what if I did 'the Wire' as an epic fantasy? That was my other thought when I started it. So my mother says there are strong women characters, there are, Thank you, mom. And I was raised, but I was raised by a strong woman who's definitely a character. (I wanted to do an annotated transcript like the other two podcasts, but frankly, the others are already taking up so much time I can't do three transcripts, annotate all three, record the podcasts, AND write books.) Links Mur on ! , , Newsletter, Support via ! Theme song by (check for book links) June 13 2023 | Season 9 Ep 6 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/27186537

[DD] Premee Mohamed and our 1000th Episode (?) 05/22/2023

[DD] Premee Mohamed and our 1000th Episode (?) Matt and Mur welcome , multiple award winning author of No One Will Come Back for Us. We talk about chickens, sea cucumbers, conventions and anxiety, and there's a hair flip in there, but you can only see it if you get the video on Patreon. Links Mur on ! , , Newsletter, Support via ! Theme song by May 15, 2023 | Season 9 Ep 5 | murverse.com | Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/26893614

[DD] OG Ditch Digger Fonda Lee Is Back! 04/11/2023

[DD] OG Ditch Digger Fonda Lee Is Back! , April 3, 2023 S9 Ep4 Matt and Mur welcome , multiple award winning author of Untethered Sky. Fonda talks , starting something new after a very successful series, and more! Links Mur on ! , , Newsletter, Support via ! Theme song by April 3, 2023 | Season 9 Ep 4 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/26495754

[DD] Debut Author Advice from Mary Robinette Kowal 03/23/2023

[DD] Debut Author Advice from Mary Robinette Kowal S9 Ep3 Matt and Mur welcome , podcaster, puppeteer, former SFWA president, audiobook narrator, and Hugo Award winning writer. Mary Robinette has had blog posts helping out debut authors, so we decided to pick her brain for a few more pieces of advice, from how to run a kaffeklatch to how to write something cute into your book that isn't insufferable. Links Mur on ! , , Newsletter, Support via ! Theme song by March 13, 2023 | Season 9 Ep 3 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/26282328

[DD] AI Submissions with Valerie Valdes 03/07/2023

[DD] AI Submissions with Valerie Valdes , February 27, 2022 S.9 Ep.2 I'm joined at the last minute by Valerie Valdes, my co-editor at Escape Pod! We talk about the whole AI thing and look to shed some light on the current kerfuffle. Links Mur on ! , , Newsletter, Support via ! Theme song by February 27, 2023 | Season 9 Ep 2 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/26155329

[DD] Discussing Ethics in Publishing 02/16/2023

[DD] Discussing Ethics in Publishing S9 Ep1 , February 6, 2022 - next livestream is Feb 27, 2023 How do we, the little guys, handle things like strikes and other uncomfortable news? HarperCollins Tom Monteleone news from "" concept Links Mur on ! , , Newsletter, Support via ! Theme song by February 6, 2023 | Season 9 Ep 1 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/25928163

[DD] Close out 2022 with Matt! 02/03/2023

[DD] Close out 2022 with Matt! S8 Ep22 , December 12, 2022 Matt joins us to close down the year and send seasonal greetings! Links Mur on ! , , Support via ! Support local book stores! Get signed books from my friendly local store, Support Local Book Stores! and more! and more! December 12, 2022 | Season 8 Ep 22 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/25785501

[DD] Unexpected Solo Cast with Mur 01/31/2023

[DD] Unexpected Solo Cast with Mur Yep, I'm still behind in posting the final episodes for 2022! Here you go! S8 Ep21 , December 5, 2022 Matt can't make this episode, so Mur handles it herself! Links Mur on ! , , Support via ! Support local book stores! Get signed books from my friendly local store, Support Local Book Stores! and more! and more! December 5, 2022 | Season 8 Ep 21 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/25785615

[DD] Unexpected Solo Cast with Mur 01/31/2023

[DD] Veronica Roth Talks Messages to Past Self 10/28/2022

[DD] Veronica Roth Talks Messages to Past Self , October 24, 2022. I was thrilled to have of Divergent and Chosen Ones fame to come talk about her new book, , and what the business has taught her in her career! Links Mur on ! , , Support via ! Support local book stores! OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, 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 /episode/index/show/murverse/id/24820926

[DD] Power Dynamics and New Writers with Ursula Vernon 10/17/2022

[DD] Power Dynamics and New Writers with Ursula Vernon Matt had a family emergency so stepped in to talk about the gross topic of grooming, and whether any one person has the power to make or break your career. Links Mur on ! , , Support via ! Support local book stores! OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, schedule Oct. 17-Oct 21 (Eastern time): M 12:00p,: Ditch Diggers with Ursula Vernon T 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing with Eden Robins W 3:00pm: Gaming TBD Th 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing with Jule Selbo October 10, 2022 | Season 8 Ep 19 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/24665472

[DD] Station Eternity Launch with Cherie Priest and Chuck Wendig 10/14/2022

[DD] Station Eternity Launch with Cherie Priest and Chuck Wendig Station Eternity is out! and come on the show to celebrate with me! Links Mur on ! , , Support via ! Support local book stores! OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, schedule Oct. 17-Oct 21 (Eastern time): M 12:00p,: Ditch Diggers with Ursula Vernon T 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing with Eden Robins W 3:00pm: Gaming TBD Th 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing with Jule Selbo October 3, 2022 | Season 8 Ep 18 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/24665430

[DD] Mur and Matt and Book Launches 09/30/2022

[DD] Mur and Matt and Book Launches , September 26, 2022. Mur has a book coming out! And it's hard to think about anything else. Matt's taking a well-earned break from writing novels. Links Preorder Station Eternity! , , Matt on , , Matt's ! Mur's merch! Support via schedule for September (Eastern time): Sept 29 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing with Oct 1 7:00pm: Station Eternity LIVE! Mini Audio Drama performance on Twitch! All times EDT September 26, 2022 | Season 8 Ep 17 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/24517197

[DD] Kameron Hurley and Margaret Dunlap Decode Hollywood 09/29/2022

[DD] Kameron Hurley and Margaret Dunlap Decode Hollywood , September 23, 2022. is guest host today, and we are talking with about the enigma that is Hollywood, money, and how you keep going when so few projects actually get to the screen. Links , , Matt on , , Matt's ! Mur's merch! Support via schedule for September (Eastern time): Sept 29 3:00pm: I Should Be Writing with Oct 1 7:00pm: Station Eternity LIVE! Mini Audio Drama performance on Twitch! All times EDT /episode/index/show/murverse/id/24517230

[DD] Matt and Mur Talk Short Story Markets 09/24/2022

[DD] Matt and Mur Talk Short Story Markets S8 Ep15 It's Post-WorldCon, and Mur and Matt have stuff to talk about regarding short stories and short story markets. September 5, 2022 | Season 8 Ep 15 | Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/24431307

[DD] Kameron Hurley and Why We Do This 09/22/2022

[DD] Kameron Hurley and Why We Do This S8 Ep14 Kameron and Mur aren't bitter at all. But we do mention Nick Mamatas' . August 22, 2022 | Season 8 Ep 14 | Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/24431379

[DD] Matt Wallace Returns! Walking Many Freelance Paths 08/22/2022

[DD] Matt Wallace Returns! Walking Many Freelance Paths Matt returns. This wasn't supposed to be a "buck up little camper" pep talk for Mur, but it turned out to be. But mostly, we talk about the importance of different things to focus on as a freelancer. August 15, 2022 | Season 8 Ep 13 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/24083112

[DD] Alasdair Stuart and the DOJ vs PRH 08/17/2022

[DD] Alasdair Stuart and the DOJ vs PRH S8 Ep12 , August 8, 2022. Monopolies are bad, we all know that, and yet the "Big Six" publishers are eating each other, dwindling down, and claiming it's in the authors' best interest. We call shenanigans. Links , , Matt on , , Support via schedule for August: Monday 12pm: Ditch Diggers Tuesday 3pm: I Should Be Writing Wednesday 3pm: Gaming TBD Thursday 3pm: I Should Be Writing Thursday 8pm: Arsenic and Old Dice, A Brindlewood Bay Livestream August 8, 2022 | Season 8 Ep 12 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/24083487

[DD] Kameron Hurley and Writing Reality Shows 07/25/2022

[DD] Kameron Hurley and Writing Reality Shows S8 Ep11 , July 18, 2022. So there's talk of a writing reality show. . So we talk about that and all the things that could go wrong with it. (And how we're dying to watch the train wreck) Links , , Matt on , , Support via schedule for July: 25th Monday 12pm: Special Birthday Stream! 26th Tuesday 3pm: I Should Be Writing 27th Wednesday 3pm:Gaming TBD 28th Thursday 3pm: I Should Be Writing All times EDT July 18 2022 | Season 8 Ep 11 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/23816936

[DD] Co-starring Jennifer Udden, ex-agent, current writer! 07/22/2022

[DD] Co-starring Jennifer Udden, ex-agent, current writer! S8 Ep10 , July 11, 2022. Y'all have asked for it, and I deliver! My former agent Jen Udden joins us live to answer questions (since she isn't an agent anymore but she still has all that knowledge.) Links Jennifer Udden's podcast , , Matt on , , Support via schedule for July: 25th Monday 12pm: Special Birthday Stream! 26th Tuesday 3pm: I Should Be Writing 27th Wednesday 3pm: Gaming TBD 28th Thursday 3pm: I Should Be Writing All times EDT July 11, 2022 | Season 8 Ep 10 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/23816969

[DD] Ursula Vernon, the Lost Episode 07/12/2022

[DD] Ursula Vernon, the Lost Episode S8 Ep9 , May, 2022. Whoops, I told you I needed a break this past spring. I never got this out to folks. Recorded mid-may I believe. Links , , Matt on , , Support via schedule for July 11-15: 11th Monday 12pm: Ditch Diggers with Ursula Vernon 12th Tuesday 3pm: I Should Be Writing 13th Wednesday 3pm: Thousand Year Old Vampire Solo RPG 14th Thursday 3pm: I Should Be Writing All times EDT May something, 2022 | Season 8 Ep 9 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/23668652

[DD] Grant Baciocco, Podcaster and TikTok Star 07/08/2022

[DD] Grant Baciocco, Podcaster and TikTok Star S8 Ep8 , July 5, 2022. I'm joined by and we talk about video and TikTok and how to know what kind of content to make, if you're digging ditches! Links Toiley on , Youtube, Twitch , , Matt on , , Support via schedule for July 11-15: 11th Monday 12pm: Ditch Diggers with Ursula Vernon 12th Tuesday 3pm: I Should Be Writing 13th Wednesday 3pm: Thousand Year Old Vampire Solo RPG 14th Thursday 3pm: I Should Be Writing All times EDT July 5, 2022 | Season 8 Ep 8 | murverse.com Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/23668616

[DD] BEACHCAST With Gwenda Bond 06/27/2022

[DD] BEACHCAST With Gwenda Bond , May 23, 2022. I'm joined by , and we talk about writing at the beach and what we hope to get accomplished this week! Links and her new book, , , Matt on , , Support via or ! May 23, 2022 | Season 8 Ep 7 | Copyright 2022, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License /episode/index/show/murverse/id/23531228

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