PodParadise
I Should Be Writing cover

Podcast

I Should Be Writing

Mur Lafferty

"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.

Log in to follow Publisher site

Episodes

50

I Should Be Writing · Aug 19, 2026

[ISBW] AMA and Silly Notebook Problems

ISBW 22.17 So much to talk about! Worldcon is looming, and we take listener questions. How do you handle writing after a long break? What books do you recommend for writing fight scenes? Books …

33:31

I Should Be Writing · Aug 9, 2026

[ISBW] What does "confidence" even mean?

ISBW 22.16 I finished the book, I started a short story, and I have been looking at the concept of confidence a bit lately. Also been enjoying Charisma on Command videos. So let's talk …

35:10

I Should Be Writing · Jul 29, 2026

[ISBW] 2026 Book Giveaway (#1)

ISBW 22.15 I want a lot of books. I buy a lot of books. I get sent a lot of books. I can't with all these books. So you get to benefit! I'm discussing …

22:46

I Should Be Writing · Jul 24, 2026

[ISBW] Scams, scams, and more scams!

ISBW 22.14 The scammers are getting wilier, and we have to keep up, folks. They want you to pay to join book clubs, they catfish you to make you fire your agent and take …

35:54

I Should Be Writing · Jun 26, 2026

[ISBW] Dance Like Nobody's Watching

ISBW 22.13 Believe it or not, we got a feedback question to answer! We talk about how to get moving when you've stalled out on your writing routine, and a few of my secret …

46:50

I Should Be Writing · Jun 22, 2026

[ISBW] SUBLIMATION with Isabel J. Kim

ISBW 22.12 Happy Pride! Recently we welcomed Isabel J. Kim to the show to talk about her debut novel, Sublimation! We not only talk about her mind-bending Severence-like novel, but her use of point …

31:46

I Should Be Writing · May 14, 2026

[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 …

38:51

I Should Be Writing · Apr 28, 2026

[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 …

33:13

I Should Be Writing · Apr 21, 2026

[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 …

29:20

I Should Be Writing · Apr 6, 2026

[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 …

32:05

I Should Be Writing · Mar 30, 2026

[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 …

46:40

I Should Be Writing · Mar 24, 2026

[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 …

36:37

I Should Be Writing · Mar 16, 2026

[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 …

39:24

I Should Be Writing · Feb 27, 2026

[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 …

27:09

I Should Be Writing · Feb 23, 2026

[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 …

28:23

I Should Be Writing · Feb 18, 2026

[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 …

34:07

I Should Be Writing · Jan 16, 2026

[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 …

16:48

I Should Be Writing · Dec 26, 2025

[ISBW] Research or Procrastination?

"You tell them enough information to show that you know 10% of what you're talking about, and your reader will assume you know the other 90%." In this episode, Mur discusses the seemingly innocuous …

34:39

I Should Be Writing · Dec 19, 2025

[ISBW] Gifting Books to the Reader in Your Life

"It's a definitely a giftable type thing for the Tolkien lover in your life." In this somewhat festive episode we talk about all the books we weren't able to feature over the year, to …

26:17

I Should Be Writing · Nov 26, 2025

[ISBW] The Journey from Ideas to Anarchy with Cadwell Turnbull

"You want to preserve your experience of the work. You want to preserve the doing of the art." ~Cadwell Turnbull Amazing author Cadwell Turnbull joins us to dives deep into the creative process and …

30:43

I Should Be Writing · Nov 6, 2025

[ISBW] NaNoWriMo Ghosts with Valerie Valdes

"Anytime someone starts a sentence with, 'why don't you just,' immediately stop listening to them." ~Valerie Valdes (Lia Amador) While it hasn't been a long time for podcast listeners, it's been a while for …

32:31

I Should Be Writing · Nov 5, 2025

NaNoWriMo Rerun Day 0 (2023)

I'm going over some daily episodes from the past this month! Get the whole 2025 NaNoReRun over at Patreon free for all followers! Do not listen to Evil Mur. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, all other …

11:21

I Should Be Writing · Oct 20, 2025

[ISBW] Nostalgia and Climate Fic with Tim Chawaga

[Worldcon] was my first convention where I went to panels, gave a reading, and had a big party. It made my sweet little book feel like the huge thing it is in my heart …

28:36

I Should Be Writing · Oct 16, 2025

[ISBW] Chinaza Bado and Moving From Romance to Epic Fantasy

Even writing badly will get you to writing well eventually. - Chinaza Bado S21 Ep17 In this episode, we sit down with Chinaza Bado, author of Birth of a Dynasty, to discuss the challenges …

29:46

I Should Be Writing · Sep 5, 2025

[ISBW] Happy 20th ISBW! With James Patrick Kelly at Worldcon

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 …

46:17

I Should Be Writing · Aug 29, 2025

[ISBW] Chasing Monsters: A Journey Through Hampton Heights

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. We …

26:56

I Should Be Writing · Aug 26, 2025

[ISBW] The Haunted Mask: Exploring Volatile Memory with Seth Haddon

'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 …

26:52

Prefer another app? Listen on Apple Podcasts