"Try to make the world a better place. You personally are not on the hook to fix everything." - Ursula Vernon

(This post went live for supporters on January 17, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)

Transcript

S.11 Ep.1
Welcome to Season 11 of Ditch Diggers with Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon! We try to be positive and funny in this episode, but stuff happens. We cover the Neil Gaiman controversy, touch on Ursula's move, and what our goals are this year.

Also there's a duck game in the background.

We explore the challenges of self-promotion in a post-Twitter world, the art of balancing work with personal life, and the importance of setting achievable goals.

Highlights include:

• Ursula's new life in New Mexico and the joys of mountain views
• The fallout from the Neil Gaiman scandal and its ripple effects
• Resolutions for 2025: from organizing Magic cards to self-promotion strategies
• The challenges of social media and finding new ways to connect with readers
• The enduring appeal of escapism and the role of storytelling in turbulent times

Evergreen Links:

• Ursula Vernon/T. Kingfisher
• Mur Lafferty
• Mur on Focusmate!
• Mur on Instagram, Youtube
• Newsletter, The Hot Mic
• Support via Patreon! Or Substack!
• Theme song by Devo Spice

Ditch Diggers credits:
theme song by Devo Spice, art by Numbers Ninja,
site hosted by Libsyn (or Patreon).

January 13, 2024 | Season 11 Ep 1 | murverse.com
"Resolutions, Ducks, and That Elephant Is Back" by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon
is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

"Editing is where you leave the craft behind and start thinking like a business." - Mur Lafferty

"I am the person with the hat." - Ursula Vernon

Transcript

(This post went live for supporters on January 13, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)

In this final episode of season six of Ditch Diggers, Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon dive deep into the world of editing. From the trials and tribulations of editing passes to the nuances of hat confidence, Mur and Ursula share their personal experiences and industry insights.

Mur shares her recent adventures at World Fantasy Con, including a surprise upgrade experience, while Ursula reflects on the significance of hats in her identity as a writer.

Highlights include:

• The stages and emotional journey of editing a manuscript
• Hat confidence and its unexpected perks
• World Fantasy Con experiences and the allure of fabulous hats
• The intricacies of balancing writing with editing and personal life
• Community alternatives to NaNoWriMo

Links:

• Hugo Awards
• Dragon Awards
• Tor Books

Evergreen Links:

• Ursula Vernon/T. Kingfisher
• Mur Lafferty
• Mur on Focusmate!
• Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
• Newsletter, The Hot Mic
• Support via Patreon! Or Substack!
• Theme song by Devo Spice
• Check Bookshop.org for all mentioned books!

Ditch Diggers credits:
theme song by Devo Spice, art by Numbers Ninja,
site hosted by Libsyn (or Patreon).

December 30, 2024 | Season 10 Ep 6 | murverse.com
"Our Book Editing Process" by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon
is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

December 30, 2024 | Season 10 Ep 6 | murverse.com | Copyright 2024, Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License

"Sometimes you just need to chase the inspiration, even if it means working on a project nobody asked for." - Ursula

Transcript

(This post went live for supporters on October 4, 2024. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon or Substack!)

In this episode, Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon tackle the complexities of burnout, the writing hustle, and the latest controversies in the literary world. Ursula shares her battle with mortgage woes, while Mur discusses the challenges of juggling multiple podcasts and writing projects.

The duo also delves into the fallout from NaNoWriMo's recent controversies and the implications of AI in the writing community. They ponder the impact of fallen idols in the literary world and the importance of making good choices in public-facing careers.

Recorded on Twitch every other Monday at 3pm Eastern time.

Highlights include:

• The struggles of balancing writing and personal life
• NaNoWriMo's AI controversy and community backlash
• Fallen idols and the consequences of public misconduct
• The importance of community in writing challenges

Links:

• Ursula Vernon/T. Kingfisher
• Mur Lafferty
• Devo Spice
• Legends and Lattes
• Babel by RF Kuang
• Supernova Con

Evergreen Links:

• Mur on Focusmate!
• Mur on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
• Newsletter, The Hot Mic
• Support via Patreon! Or Substack!
• Theme song by Devo Spice
• Check Bookshop.org for all mentioned books!

Ditch Diggers credits:
theme song by Devo Spice, art by Numbers Ninja,
site hosted by Libsyn (or Patreon).

October 9, 2024 | Season 10 Ep 5 | murverse.com
"Elephants in the Room: NaNoWriMo, Burnout, and More" by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon
is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0