• 38 minutes 51 seconds
    [ISBW] Magic Systems and Ruinous Creatures

    ISBW 22.11

    (There will be a giveaway of Ruinous Creatures! I'm taking entries until May 21! Email me with GIVEAWAY in the subject line! You do not need to be a paying supporter to enter.)

    Recently we welcomed Jessi Cole Jackson to the show to talk about her debut novel, Ruinous Creatures!

    We cover Jackson's unique bone-specific magic system and her inspirations, not to mention how to wrap your head around romance and spice when you've only written tame things before.

    Remember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! The next live episode is May 16.

    This post went live for supporters on May 11, 2026. If you want early and ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!

    Links:

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    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.

    May 16, 2025 | ISBW 22.11 | murverse.com "Ruinous Creatures and Magic Systems" 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.

    14 May 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 33 minutes 13 seconds
    [ISBW] Are you sure you want to injure that character?

    "If you injure somebody, that injury tells a story, and you have to decide whether that story fits the rest of your story."

    22.10 In this episode, I go into "realism" with regards to injuries and health. Are injuries for pain? For an instant of shock? To give the character a new hardship? We talk about some of Stephen King's works and how to balance realism with narrative flow.

    This post went live for supporters on April 21, 2026. If you want early and ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!

    NOTE- This coming weekend (May 1-3) I will be GoH at DemiCon!

    Remember, you can join us live on Thursdays at 3 PM Eastern on Twitch! Don't miss our next live episode!

    Links

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    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 27, 2025 | ISBW 22.10 | murverse.com "Are you sure you want to injure that character?" 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.

    28 April 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 29 minutes 20 seconds
    [ISBW] When Characters Go Rogue

    "Every character is the star of their own story."

    ISBW 22.9

    In this episode we talk about how different writers view characterization, from the ones who struggle to the ones who say the characters live in their heads. How do you manage all these wily beasts who want their stories told?

    I will also be appearing next week at Ravencon, and then the following week at Demicon!

    This post went live for supporters on April 17, 2026. If you want early and ad-free episodes, support at Patreon!

    Remember you can join us on Thursdays, 3pm Eastern on Twitch! The next live episode is April 24, when we will talk about A Year of Furious Creation.

    Links

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    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 21, 2025 | ISBW 22.9 | murverse.com "When Characters Go Rogue" 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.

    21 April 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 32 minutes 5 seconds
    [ISBW] Can Rejectomancy Save Our Sanity?

    "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

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    — 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.

    6 April 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 46 minutes 40 seconds
    [ISBW] Medicine and AI with Dr. Justin C. Key

    "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

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    — 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.

    30 March 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 36 minutes 37 seconds
    [ISBW] Regret, Spite, and shiny new book haul

    "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

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    — 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.

    24 March 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 39 minutes 24 seconds
    [ISBW] Revisiting Space Murder with Olivia Waite

    "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

    Evergreen Links

    — 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.
    16 March 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 27 minutes 9 seconds
    [ISBW] Have I changed my opinion of writing contests?

    "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

    Evergreen Links

    — 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.
    27 February 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 28 minutes 23 seconds
    [ISBW] 977 Episodes Archived: What Secrets Did I Find?

    "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

    Evergreen Links

    — 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.
    23 February 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 34 minutes 7 seconds
    [ISBW] The Art of Juggling Writers (as an assistant)

    "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

    Evergreen Links

    — 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.
    18 February 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 16 minutes 48 seconds
    [ISBW] Careful What You Pack

    "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

    Evergreen Links

    — 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.
    16 January 2026, 12:00 pm
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