I Should Be Writing cover art

I Should Be Writing

I Should Be Writing

By: Mur Lafferty
Listen for free

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 - 2025 Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • [ISBW] Tango with the Tenacles, DESPAIR

    [ISBW] Tango with the Tenacles, DESPAIR
    Jun 18 2025

    "Despair is the overprotective parent going, 'oh, it's okay that you lost that game. We'll protect you by never letting you play again.'" -Mur Lafferty

    In this episode, we talk about Bully #4, Despair. Despair wants to hug you and join you when it's raining. It's nice to feel sorry for yourself for a moment, but you can't listen to it.

    Mur is candid about feeling overwhelmed and the challenges of maintaining a connection to the outside world amidst creative struggles and personal challenges.

    We explore some ways to combat despair, including the helpful practice of listing accomplishments and breaking down projects into manageable steps. And get a little fussy.

    (This post went live for supporters on June 11, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!)

    Transcript

    • Joco Cruise
    • Escape Pod
    • Brindlewood Bay
    • Mari Naomi
    • John Hodgman

    Evergreen Links

    • See all books from Season 21
    • Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
    • Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
    • Theme by John Anealio
    • Savor 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!

    —
    "Tango with the Tentacles, DESPAIR" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon!

    Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!

    CREDITS
    Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.

    June 18, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 11 | murverse.com
    "Tango with the Tentacles, DESPAIR" 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
    23 mins
  • [ISBW] Writing Between the US and Peru with K.M. Huber

    [ISBW] Writing Between the US and Peru with K.M. Huber
    Jun 9 2025
    "If you feel you have something to say, just put the time into saying it." -K.M. Huber In this episode, we welcome K.M. Huber, the author of Call of the Owl Woman, about her journey from writer to published author. K.M. talks about how her years in Peru, including extensive exploration and research into local mythology, affected her writing and her new book. Call of the Owl Woman is heavily influenced by those years, and is written for her daughter (who asked for it many years ago.) (This post went live for supporters on June 5, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!) Transcript [podcast_subscribe id="6238"] Links K.M. HuberCall of the Owl WomanMadeleine L'Engle Evergreen Links See all books from Season 21Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, FocusmateTheme by John AnealioSavor I Should Be Writing tea blendsSupport 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! — "Writing Between the US and Peru with K.M. Huber" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon! Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please! CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. June 8, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 10 | murverse.com "Writing Between the US and Peru with K.M. Huber" 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
    44 mins
  • [ISBW] Dancing Through Genres with S.A. Barnes and Bully 3, The SPONGE

    [ISBW] Dancing Through Genres with S.A. Barnes and Bully 3, The SPONGE
    May 26 2025
    "Get [your book] all the way to the end. You learn so much that way that you will not learn in any other way."- S.A. Barnes (This post went live for supporters on May 23, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!) In this episode, we talk about the creative process with guest author S.A. Barnes. We discuss her latest release, Cold Eternity, a space horror novel, and her upcoming work, Death's Daughter, set to release in May, 2026. Stacey shares her journey of balancing writing with her teaching career and we discuss the trial of writing sequels and crafting compelling narratives. We explore the nuances of genre blending, the emotional stakes in horror, and the importance of getting to the end of a draft, no matter how messy it may be. Join us as we also discuss Bully #3, the Sponge, who only wants your house to be clean and then it will let you write. Transcript Links S.A. BarnesCold EternityBecca SymeEvent Horizon (movie)Aliens (movie)Ghost Ship (movie) Evergreen Links See all books from Season 21Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.My newsletter, The Hot Mic, and the community of Fabulists over at Patreon. Supporting either of those will get you perks like access to the discord, exclusive content, and early, ad-free episodes.Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, FocusmateTheme by John AnealioSavor I Should Be Writing tea blendsSupport 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! — "Dancing Through Genres with S.A. Barnes and Bully 3, The SPONGE" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon! Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please! CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon. May 20, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 9 | murverse.com "Dancing Through Genres with S.A. Barnes and Bully 3, The SPONGE" 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
    52 mins
No reviews yet