I Should Be Writing
"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.
Episodes
"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 overwhel...
"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 O...
"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 la...
"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 ...
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 ...
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 prol...
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...
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 navigat...
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 ...
[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...
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!)
NO...
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: I...
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 ...
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 a...
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 sometime...
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 i...
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 aw...
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 fam...
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