Ditch Diggers

Mur Lafferty

Treat your writing like a blue collar job. Doctors don't get doctor block and ditch diggers don't get ditch digger block, and working writers can't get writer's block. Business and humor.

  1. [DD] Being a Pro at Conventions

    JAN 20

    [DD] Being a Pro at Conventions

    DD 12.1 Ursula and Mur are back to talk about conventions and our 2026 plans. Notable discussions: Do not use ChatGPT to vet your contracts! Ursula finished [REDACTED] book! Mur forgot to ask herself what she was working on, but it's a book. That's about it. This year Mur returns to ConFusion at the end of January. (Alas, Kameron Hurley won't be attending this one.) Ursula has changed her mind regarding where she wants to die in a ditch. We've moved from Target to Costco. LARPing as an extrovert, and how to LARP as a confident person. Write your CV! Mur is GOH of DemiCon this May! Also she'll attend WorldCon in LA. Ursula's busy year starts with a mini book tour on the east coast US, then she's going to NorWesCon, then the Celsius Festival in Spain in July, then toastmaster(!) at WorldCon, then Mile High Con, and HalCon in Nova Scotia! Find Ursula and Mur online! [podcast_subscribe id="6236"] (This post went live for supporters on January15 , 2026. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!) Evergreen Links: Ursula Vernon/T. Kingfisher Mur Lafferty Mur on Focusmate! Mur on Instagram, Youtube Support via Patreon!  Theme song by Devo Spice Support Local Book Stores! Ditch Diggers credits: theme song by Devo Spice, art by Numbers Ninja, site hosted by Libsyn (or Patreon). January 15, 2025 | Season 12 Ep 1 | murverse.com "Being a Pro at Conventions" by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

    43 min
  2. [DD] AI and the Art of Reading the Room

    06/05/2025

    [DD] AI and the Art of Reading the Room

    "If you want this to be your thing, you got to keep doing the thing." - Ursula Vernon In this episode of Ditch Diggers, Mur and Ursula dive into the chaotic world of writing, sharing their latest projects, travel plans, and ask you if that thing you wanted to say actually is the thing you want to say online. They discuss the SNAFU of the WorldCon AI controversy, the ethical considerations surrounding generative technologies, and whether it matters if the dog dies or not. Highlights: (01:15) Welcome to the Warbler Appreciation room! (05:30) Ursula's upcoming travels and book festivals (12:45) The challenges of writing while managing ADHD (20:00) Ursula's progress on the next Swordheart book (30:00) Audio quality warning—Ursula's mic issues (35:15) The ethics of AI in writing and publishing (45:00) Worldcon's controversial decision to use AI for vetting (55:30) The importance of reading the room in online discussions (01:02:15) Closing thoughts and where to find them online (This post went live for supporters on June 3, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, join our exclusive community over at Patreon!) Transcript Links:  Escape Pod Rune Factory 4 Crashlands 2 Inaturalist Worldcon Agatha Christie Evergreen Links: Ursula Vernon/T. Kingfisher Mur Lafferty Mur on Focusmate Mur on Instagram, Youtube Support via Patreon!  Theme song by Devo Spice Support Local Book Stores! Ditch Diggers credits: theme song by Devo Spice, art by Numbers Ninja, site hosted by Libsyn (or Patreon). June 4, 2024 | Season 11 Ep 5 | murverse.com "AI and the Art of Not Reading the Room" by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

    49 min
  3. [DD] Trad Marketing vs Self Marketing

    05/26/2025

    [DD] Trad Marketing vs Self Marketing

    "The best way to survive is to turn everything into hilarity." - Ursula Vernon In this episode we dive into the chaotic world of writing, marketing, and the ups and downs of self-publishing. Mur shares her recent trip to Maryland for Independent Bookstore Day, and Ursula catches us up on Swordheart's launch.  Self promotion is hard, ya'll. Highlights: (05:12) Mur's experience running a solo RPG at an independent bookstore (12:45) Ursula's updates on Swordheart and her UK marketing team (25:30) The difference between traditional marketing and self-promotion (38:15) The importance of targeted outreach to influencers (47:50) Mur's thoughts on new marketing tools and strategies (55:30) Reflections on the passage of time and creative endeavors (This post went live for supporters on May 22, 2025. Join the Fabulists if you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes!) Transcript Links:  Death of the Author (Game) Stamp Fans (Mur isn't set up there yet, but bookmark that page) Escape Pod Evergreen Links: Ursula Vernon/T. Kingfisher Mur Lafferty Mur on Focusmate! Mur on Instagram, Youtube Support via Patreon!  Theme song by Devo Spice Support Local Book Stores! Ditch Diggers credits: theme song by Devo Spice, art by Numbers Ninja, site hosted by Libsyn (or Patreon). May 19, 2024 | Season 11 Ep 4 | murverse.com "Navigating Agents, Rights, and Reality" by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

    36 min
4.8
out of 5
52 Ratings

About

Treat your writing like a blue collar job. Doctors don't get doctor block and ditch diggers don't get ditch digger block, and working writers can't get writer's block. Business and humor.

You Might Also Like