Ditch Diggers
Episodes
[DD] Can Mur do ALL the things?
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"You can pull it off if you write like an angel. I do not write like an angel." - Ursula Vernon (T. Kingfisher) In this episode of Ditch Diggers, hos...
[DD] Dusty Hats and Burnt Out Pokemon Trainers
09 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"The point of a planner is to make your life easier, not be a source of guilt and stress." - Ursula Vernon (T. Kingfisher) Mur Lafferty and Ursula V...
[DD] AI Settlements and NaNoWriMo
08 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"You should absolutely always write spite books." - Ursula Vernon (T. Kingfisher) Unfortunately, this was recorded some time ago, but the Ditch Digge...
[DD] Ursula's Year of Multiple Whales
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Genre is a marketing tool, just like a book cover." - Mur Lafferty In this episode of Ditch Diggers, Mur and Ursula rant about genre expectations, ...
[DD] AI and the Art of Reading the Room
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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...
[DD] Trad Marketing vs Self Marketing
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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,...
[DD] Navigating Agents, Rights, and Reality
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"If you can tolerate the boring and lonely, then hopefully you'll be rewarded on the other side." - Ursula Vernon In this episode of Ditch Diggers, ...
[DD] Weeping Bunkers and Writing Woes; Surviving the Creative Chaos
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Sometimes the best way to survive is to turn everything into hilarity." - Ursula Vernon Transcript S.11 Ep.2 In this episode of Ditch Diggers, join ...
[DD] Ducks, Resolutions, and That Elephant Again
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 J...
[DD] How Mur and Ursula Edit
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 Tra...
[DD] Elephants in the Room: NaNoWriMo, Burnout, and More
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"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 ...
[DD] Worldcon 2024 Debrief (AKA how have I not released this yet???)
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Networking is just meeting people and having them remember you exist." - Ursula Vernon Transcript (This post went live for supporters on October 2, ...
[DD] Recorded back when Mur still had a Gallbladder
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"If you, you know, give ten writers an idea, you get eleven different books." - Ursula Transcript (This post went live for supporters on July 30, 20...
[DD] Book Tours, TikTok, and Twitter Tantrums
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Being on BookTok will not give you a career if you don't have one. Do what makes you happy." - Ursula Transcript (This post went live for supporter...
[DD] Ursula Vernon Takes Over- New Beginnings and No More Cancer!
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"If you want to make money, you have to think about it like a job."- Mur Transcript (This post went live for supporters on June 26, 2024. If you want...
[DD] Birthdays and Gail Carriger 2, Electric Boogaloo
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This was recorded back in July, but time and things and travel got away with me. Actually what happened was the fact that I can't spread podcast pro...
[DD] Data Wonking with Podmother Gail Carriger
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Streamed live, July 10, 2023 Below are some affiliate links that support indie bookstores and may benefit me financially with no cost to you. S9 Ep8 H...
[DD] Author/Agent Seth Fishman Answers Our Questions
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
S9 Ep7 Recorded live on Twitch! Mur's agent Seth Fishman joins us to take your questions, and we fill up an hour FAST. Full transcript available! Set...
[DD] Matt's Book Launch: Savage Crowns
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Streamed live, June 13, 2023 Below are some affiliate links that support indie bookstores and may benefit me financially with no cost to you. S9 Ep6 I...
[DD] Premee Mohamed and our 1000th Episode (?)
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt and Mur welcome Premee Mohamed, multiple award winning author of No One Will Come Back for Us. We talk about chickens, sea cucumbers, conventions...
[DD] OG Ditch Digger Fonda Lee Is Back!
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Streamed live, April 3, 2023 S9 Ep4 Matt and Mur welcome Fonda Lee, multiple award winning author of Untethered Sky. Fonda talks Patreon, starting som...
[DD] Debut Author Advice from Mary Robinette Kowal
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
S9 Ep3 Matt and Mur welcome Mary Robinette Kowal, podcaster, puppeteer, former SFWA president, audiobook narrator, and Hugo Award winning writer. Mary...
[DD] Do AIs Dream of Electronic Submissions?
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Streamed live, February 27, 2022 S.9 Ep.2 I'm joined at the last minute by Valerie Valdes, my co-editor at Escape Pod! We talk about the whole AI thin...
[DD] Discussing Ethics in Publishing
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
S9 Ep1 Streamed live, February 6, 2022 - next livestream is Feb 27, 2023 How do we, the little guys, handle things like strikes and other uncomfortabl...
[DD] We close out 2022
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
S8 Ep22 Streamed live, December 12, 2022 Matt joins us to close down the year and send seasonal greetings! Links Mur on Focusmate! Mur on Twitt...
[DD] Unexpected Solo Cast with Mur
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Yep, I'm still behind in posting the final episodes for 2022! Here you go! S8 Ep21 Streamed live, December 5, 2022 Matt can't make this episode, so Mu...
[DD] Veronica Roth Talks Sending Messages to Past Self
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Streamed live, October 24, 2022. I was thrilled to have Veronica Roth of Divergent and Chosen Ones fame to come talk about her new book, Poster Girl,...
[DD] Ursula Vernon Talks Power Dynamics and New Writers
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Matt had a family emergency so Ursula stepped in to talk about the gross topic of grooming, and whether any one person has the power to make or break...
[DD] Station Eternity Launch with Cherie Priest and Chuck Wendig
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Station Eternity is out! Cherie Priest and Chuck Wendig come on the show to celebrate with me! Links Mur on Focusmate! Mur on Twitter, Insta...
[DD] Mur and Matt and Book Launches
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Streamed live, September 26, 2022. Mur has a book coming out! And it's hard to think about anything else. Matt's taking a well-earned break from ...
[DD] Kameron Hurley and Margaret Dunlap Decode Hollywood
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Streamed live, September 23, 2022. Kameron Hurley is guest host today, and we are talking with Margaret Dunlap about the enigma that is Hollywood, mon...
[DD] Matt and Mur Talk Short Story Markets
24 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
S8 Ep15 It's Post-WorldCon, and Mur and Matt have stuff to talk about regarding short stories and short story markets. Matt has new merch! ...
[DD] Why We Do This, with guest host Kameron Hurley
22 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
S8 Ep14 Kameron and Mur aren't bitter at all. But we do mention Nick Mamatas' Starve Better. Kameron Hurley's site August 22, 2022 | Season 8 E...
[DD] Matt Wallace Returns! Walking Many Freelance Paths
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Matt returns. This wasn't supposed to be a "buck up little camper" pep talk for Mur, but it turned out to be. But mostly, we talk about the importance...
[DD] Guest Host Alasdair Stuart and the DOJ vs PRH
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
S8 Ep12 Streamed live, August 8, 2022. Monopolies are bad, we all know that, and yet the "Big Six" publishers are eating each other, dwindling down, ...
[DD] Kameron Hurley and Writing Reality Shows
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
S8 Ep11 Streamed live, July 18, 2022. So there's talk of a writing reality show. No really. So we talk about that and all the things that could go w...
[DD] Co-starring Jennifer Udden, ex-agent, current writer!
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
S8 Ep10 Streamed live, July 11, 2022. Y'all have asked for it, and I deliver! My former agent Jen Udden joins us live to answer questions (since she ...
[DD] Ursula Vernon, the Lost Episode
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
S8 Ep9 Streamed live, May, 2022. Whoops, I told you I needed a break this past spring. I never got this out to folks. Recorded mid-may I believe...
[DD] Grant Baciocco, Podcaster and TikTok Star
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
S8 Ep8 Streamed live, July 5, 2022. I'm joined by Grant Baciocco and we talk about video and TikTok and how to know what kind of content to make...
[DD] BEACHCAST With Gwenda Bond
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Streamed live, May 23, 2022. I'm joined by Gwenda Bond, and we talk about writing at the beach and what we hope to get accomplished this week! Links ...
[DD] Alasdair Stuart and Publishing Trashfires
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I'm joined by Alasdair Stuart and we talk about burnout and how it's hurting writers as well as publishing at large. But we manage to find some hope w...
[DD] Imposter Syndrome and Censorship
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I talk about Imposter Syndrome and how it can mess with my career, and then Matt and I discuss book banning and censorship as our politicians attack l...
[DD] Kameron Hurley and Social Media, Pt. 2 (!!audio is not good)
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Please note the audio is terrible. I did what I could. See if you can fast forward through me and just listen to Kameron! Kameron Hurley is back playi...
[DD] Some Kickstarters rise while magazines fall
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Matt and I discuss how some Kickstarter have made millions, and smaller magazines are shutting down. Links Mur on Twitter, Youtube Matt on Twitter, Y...
[DD] The Market HUNGERS, with guest host Ursula Vernon
17 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Streamed live, April 11, 2022. Ursula was recently asked "what's selling right now?" and we discuss that and why we HATE that question. Next week: Mat...
[DD] The Return
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Streamed live, April 4, 2022. Matt and I have fun talking about publishing, and catching up for the last several months. Next week: Ursula Vernon co-h...
[DD] How Many Kidneys Does Ursula Vernon Have?
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ursula joins me and we talk about body organs and just how important they are to a writing career. We reference this debacle. HEY check out my Speake...
[DD] What Does John Milton Have To Do With YA?
08 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Yup, we're talking, a little late, about the YA Ratings debacle, but through the lens of dead white guy John Milton. Yeah, he was a cranky old man, wr...
[DD] Gail Carriger and What Do You Do When Your Books Don't Sell?
23 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mur and Matt welcome back the Godmother of Ditch Diggers herself, Gail Carriger! Gail wanted to talk about what happens when you're a pro and your boo...
[DD] Guest Hosts Ursula Vernon and Diana Rowland Talk Writing Tools
16 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I had some last minute changes come up, but the awesome authors Ursula Vernon and Diana Rowland ended up calling in and hanging out to talk about the ...
[DD] Exiled to Discord!
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt and Mur return to Discord instead of Twitch, since we were taking a day off Twitch in solidarity with the streamers getting harassed on the platf...