Content warning: since Spread Me is erotic horror, this episode has an explicit tag. I wrote it to have fun because I have written a lot of books that were not fun to write... -Sarah Gailey In this episode, we welcome Hugo winning author Sarah Gailey, author of Spread Me , as we explore the wild world of erotic horror. Sarah shares their journey of writing a novel that takes inspiration from John Carpenter's classic film, The Thing, blending horror and erotica and humor. We dive into the creativ...
Sep 05, 2025•36 min•Season 21Ep. 15
You have to celebrate your friends who are more successful than you. ~Jim Kelly In this special 20th anniversary episode of I Should Be Writing, recorded live at Worldcon 2025, I reunite with my mentor and long-time friend, James Patrick Kelly. We talk about the last two decades of writing, the evolution of our careers, and the ever-changing landscape of storytelling. We still face bullies like self-doubt and shiny new ideas, but we also explore strengths like community support and celebrating e...
Sep 05, 2025•46 min•Season 21Ep. 16
I think I was a very... particular kind of undergraduate workshop student. -Dan Kois In this episode, I welcome my old classmate from UNC, Dan Kois, Slate editor and author of Hampton Heights. W e dive into our journey from college classmates to published authors. Both pro writers, we each took a very different path. Dan shares the inspiration behind Hampton Heights, a thrilling adventure featuring four kids selling newspapers and encountering monsters unexpected relatives, and more. Of course w...
Aug 29, 2025•27 min•Season 21Ep. 14
'Reformed Pantser' is one of the most difficult things to be. -Seth Haddon In this episode, we welcome Seth Haddon, the talented Australian author behind Volatile Memory . We cover hybrid publishing, writing routines, and pursuing nuns. Volatile Memory explores themes of transhumanism and identity within a corporate-dominated future. Also haunted masks. And love. (This post went live for supporters on August 25, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreo...
Aug 26, 2025•27 min•Season 21Ep. 13
"Nothing's easy, man; being an adult sucks." -Mur Lafferty In this episode, we dive deep into Bully #5: The Nap. We discuss the sneaky ways the Nap can derail our writing plans. Rest is vital, but The Nap isn't rest. It's escape. We also discusses the importance of sleep hygiene and how to combat the allure of a cozy nap when creativity calls. We touch on the other bullies we've encountered along the way, including Bart, The Blade, The Sponge, and Despair, each representing unique obstacles in t...
Aug 22, 2025•42 min
"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 ...
Jun 18, 2025•23 min•Season 21Ep. 11
"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 ...
Jun 09, 2025•44 min•Season 21Ep. 10
"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 j...
May 26, 2025•52 min•Season 21Ep. 9
"We contain multitudes; you can be happy and jealous at the same time." -Mur Lafferty (This post went live for supporters on May 21, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack !) We're back! In this episode, we talk about the bullies that can sap our confidence and creativity again, today's bully is the Blade, a stern knife that can cut deep. (I also announce my new cozy fantasy, it's real now! I am of course stressing over storytelling comp...
May 23, 2025•26 min•Season 21Ep. 8
"The bully loves pantsers because it can insult your outline." -Mur Lafferty (This post went live for supporters on April 23, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack !) (Also, I had a microphone glitch near the end, which is why it ends abruptly. Apologies.) In this episode, we launch our series on the bullies that live in your head, rent free. This week we talk about my original bully, Bart (a potato). He's ugly and mean as a snake, but ...
Apr 29, 2025•23 min•Season 21Ep. 7
S21 Ep6: From Medieval Fashion to Modern Writing with Natania Barron "Stories are how I make sense of the world." -Natania Barron (This post went live for supporters on March 27, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack !) In this episode, I talk a little about the JoCo Cruise and how it reminded me of the importance of community and creativity. I forgot how good it felt to surrounding myself with fellow creatives. Then I talk to Natania B...
Mar 31, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 21Ep. 6
S21 Ep5: Crafting Tales Through Holiday Themes "Engaging with the holidays definitely feels like a way to develop world and character." -Mur Lafferty (This post went live for supporters on March 24, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack !) In this episode, I dive into the significance of holidays in storytelling and how they can shape character development and plot progression. With no guest this week, I talk about my own projects, crea...
Mar 27, 2025•34 min•Season 21Ep. 5
S21 Ep4: Taking a Machete to Creative Blocks with Premee Mohamed "My characters would be wandering around the field with me going like, hey, I just found a rare orchid." -Premee Mohamed (This post went live for supporters on March 21, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack !) (recorded February) In this episode we welcome prolific, brilliant Premee Mohamed, a Nebula and Aurora award-winning author to talk about her new book, One Message ...
Mar 24, 2025•33 min•Season 21Ep. 4
S21 Ep3: Rachel Howzell Hall on Balancing Thrillers and Fantasy "I will try this new thing and I will learn how to do it." -Rachel Howzell Hall (This post went live for supporters on March 18, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack !) (recorded February) In this episode of I Should Be Writing, we dive into the chaotic world of creativity with acclaimed author Rachel Howzell Hall, thriller writer turned fantasy writer. She discusses her n...
Mar 21, 2025•29 min•Season 21Ep. 3
S21 Ep2: Mental Health and Creativity "Nothing is 100% original. It's what you do with it that counts." -Elaine M. Will (This post went live for supporters on February 13, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack !) Ever-looming existential dread, but we keep going. Then there's the challenge of navigating creativity amidst mental health struggles. I also reflect on a fear of failure. I'm not proud. I'm human. And then we welcome to the sh...
Feb 17, 2025•44 min•Season 21Ep. 2
S21 Ep1: In Which Evil Mur Delivers a Message of Hope "It's time to just... quit." -Evil Mur (Do not listen to Evil Mur) Welcome to a new season of I Should Be Writing, where the notorious Evil Mur takes the reins to deliver a unique message of hope for the new year. TL;DR, it's time to quit. In this episode, we explore the idea of quitting writing and the liberation that can come with making a definitive choice. Evil Mur, the alter ego of Mur Lafferty, delves into the emotional rollercoaster of...
Jan 20, 2025•19 min•Season 21Ep. 1
[NOTE- even though I remember editing, this is still an all over the place episode. And apparently I said I wasn’t going to swear and then did it anyway. Pretty accurate ending to 2024, actually.] "You need to come up with terrible ideas. And once you come up with terrible ideas, you will start developing good ideas." -Mur In this episode, I talk about my writing journey, the challenges of ADHD, and shares ten terrible ideas that might just spark something wonderful. From comic book scripts to p...
Jan 08, 2025•35 min•Season 20Ep. 35
S20 Ep34: In Which Mur Looks Into The Pit of Despair and Sees a Tiger [Explicit] "Don't talk yourself out of being creative, because that really is the biggest thing that stops us is ourselves." (This post went live for supporters on November 14, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack !) NOTE: It occurs to me that I have three explicit episodes--32, 33, 34--in a row. But one was a casual interview, one was rage, and one was despair. So w...
Dec 02, 2024•37 min•Season 20Ep. 34
S20 Ep33: In Which Mur and Jen Udden Discuss World Fantasy Con, Fan Fiction, and the Ever-Changing Publishing Landscape [Explicit] "I think we're about 10 minutes away from reinventing urban fantasy and paranormal romance." - Jennifer Udden (This post went live for supporters on November 12, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack !) (NOTE: It occurs to me that I have three explicit episodes--32, 33, 34--in a row. But one was a casual int...
Nov 25, 2024•38 min•Season 20Ep. 33
S.20 Ep.32: In Which Mur and Valerie Discuss NaNoWriMo Alternatives, Writing Tools, and Community Building [Explicit] "The spirit of NaNoWriMo was to do something big, bold, and show what you're capable of." - Valerie Valdes (This post went live for supporters on November 13, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack !) (NOTE: It occurs to me that I have three explicit episodes--32, 33, 34--in a row. But one was a casual interview, one was ...
Nov 18, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 20Ep. 32
S.20 Ep.31: In Which Mur and Gwynne Garfinkle Discuss Short Stories, Anthologies, and the Joy of Fanfiction "I write about what I know, and what I know is family." - Gwynne Garfinkle (This post went live for supporters on November 12, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack !) Join me as I welcome back author Gwynne Garfinkle to discuss her anthology of short stories and the art of writing across different lengths. We dive into Gwynne's j...
Nov 15, 2024•43 min•Season 20Ep. 31
S20 Ep30: In Which Mur and Stacy Sivinski Discuss Cozy Fantasy, Sensory Writing, and Sisterhood "The senses are actually connected, and the way we describe sensation and prioritize sight and sound is actually attached to social biases that need to be reconstructed." - Stacy Sivinski (This post went live for supporters on November 12, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack !) In this episode, we welcome debut author Stacy Sivinski to disc...
Nov 14, 2024•43 min•Season 20Ep. 30
S20 Ep29: In Which Mur and Cat Rambo Discuss Writing, Accountability, and Intelligent Spaceships "I think that right now there are so many very interesting and original voices that can never be replicated." - Cat Rambo Join me in welcoming author, community builder, former SFWA president, and all around awesome person Cat Rambo. We dive into Cat’s writing journey, discussing their latest series featuring intelligent spaceships and former mercenaries turned restaurateurs. Cat shares their unique ...
Oct 28, 2024•37 min•Season 20Ep. 29
S20 Ep28: In Which Mur and Sarah Pinsker Discuss Reality Shows, Workshops, and Writing Patience "I love the bingo card measure of success rather than the ladder of success." - Sarah Pinsker (This post went live for supporters on October 11 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack !) In this episode, Mur welcomes the award-winning author Sarah Pinsker to discuss her latest book, Haunt Sweet Home. They dive into the fascinating world of real...
Oct 21, 2024•41 min•Season 20Ep. 28
S20 Ep27: In Which Mur and Anamely Salgado Reyes Discuss Magical Realism and Writing Journeys "I write about what I know, and what I know is family." - Anamely Salgado Reyes In this episode, I chat with Anamely Salgado Reyes about her debut novel, My Mother Cursed My Name , and the intricacies of writing magical realism. We explore the differences between magical realism and fantasy, the significance of family stories, and the emotional journey of getting published. Anamely shares her unique pat...
Oct 14, 2024•32 min•Season 20Ep. 27
S20 Ep26: In Which Mur and S.B. Divya Discuss Worldcon, Accessibility, and Future Worlds NOTE- I will be doing a giveaway for signed copies of Meru and Loka on October 31, 2024! Details on how to win are inside the podcast! I'm delighted to welcome welcome my longtime friend, S.B. Divya, to discuss Divya’s new book, Loka . We dive into our experiences at Worldcon, the intricacies of accessibility at large conventions, and the unique challenges faced by those with disabilities. Divya shares her j...
Oct 07, 2024•53 min•Season 20Ep. 26
S20 Ep25: In Which Mur Interviews Wole Talabi and Sung-Il Kim at Worldcon "Leave with more connections than you came with." - Wole Talabi In this special episode, Mur Lafferty returns with interviews recorded at Worldcon, featuring Wole Talabi and Sung-Il Kim. Apologies for audio issues, but I really wanted to get these to you because interviews with these writers can’t be missed. First, I chat with Wole Talabi, the author of Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon and the short story collection ...
Oct 02, 2024•48 min•Season 20Ep. 25
[Please note that this podcast is explicit with a few swear words and CW- parental death discussed.] S20 Ep24: In Which Mur and Tanya DePass Discuss Fanfic, Diversity Consulting, and Creative Journeys Recorded ON ISBW's birthday, in Glasgow, y'all. Nineteen years. I'd drop the mic, but it seems I'm committed now. I think people who turn up their nose at Fanfic are really A: missing out and B: being snobs. - Tanya DePass Transcript (This post went live for supporters on August 23, 2024. If you wa...
Aug 26, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 20Ep. 24
S20 Ep23: In Which Mur and Waubgeshig Rice explore post-apocalyptic worlds. It's like, ultimately, words are expendable. You just pick different ones. - Waubgeshig Rice Transcript (This post went live for supporters on August 21, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack !) In this episode. Mur chats with award-winning author and journalist Waubgeshig Rice about his latest book, Moon of the Turning Leaves. They delve into the challenges and...
Aug 23, 2024•36 min•Season 20Ep. 23
S20 Ep22: In Which Mur Chats with MJ Wassmer and Discusses Debut Novels and the Writing Journey "You can't think yourself into better actions, but you can act yourself into better thoughts." - MJ Wassmer Transcript Join Mur as she welcomes MJ Wassmer, author of Zero Stars Do Not Recommend , to discuss the ups and downs of debuting in the publishing world, writing speculative comedy, and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with finishing a book. MJ shares his personal journey, from working in ...
Aug 05, 2024•35 min•Season 20Ep. 22
