Ditch Diggers

DD 12.9 AO3 is in trouble, it seems. So we talk about fanfic, legalities (we are not lawyers), and more! Then we get on the topic of NaNoWriMo replacements and their pros and cons. Happy November! (Next live show is Nov 16, 3pm EST!)   This post went live for supporters on November 5! If you want early, ad-free episodes, support at Patreon! So Many Links! Fanfic.net ao3.org (when it works) wattpad.com Books by T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon), Mur Lafferty, Valerie Valdes (writing as Lia Amador), Vivan Shaw, Arkady Martine Dressmaker game Whiskerwood game 4thewords (referral link from Mur!) NaNo2.0 Patreons to follow for writing communities: Mur's, Mary Robinette Kowal, Cat Rambo, Sandra Tayler Trackbear One Hundred Hours of Writing (And follow Valerie on Twitch to join her stream on Nov 16!) 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). November 10, 2025 | Season 12 Ep 9 | murverse.com "Ursula's Brutal Re-education Services" by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Mur and Ursula are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. And "AI" or large language models is wretched and we hate it so very much.  If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet. Some links are affiliate.

DD 12.8 Ursula has returned from New York ComicCon, and takes some time to talk about her adventures, the launch of Astarion, and parasocial relationships that can be handled well or clumsily. Then we cover ARCs and their purpose. ARCs stand for "Advanced Reader's Copy" by the way. We also discuss some of the less memorable parts of The Neverending Story. Hence the episode name.  We wish for you to have an appropriate encounter with your heroes/fans. This post went live for supporters on October 30! If you want early, ad-free 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). November 3 , 2025 | Season 12 Ep 8 | murverse.com "Parasocial Nipple Gryphons" by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Mur and Ursula are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. And "AI" or large language models is wretched and we hate it so very much.  If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet. Some links are affiliate.

DD 12.7 Ursula and Mur talk about Worldcon, and how great Ursula was, and how terrible Mur's experience was. (Hint, after 6 years, COVID finally caught Mur.) We talk about what Ursula did as a Toastmaster, and what Toastmasters do in general.  Then we talk censorship and what you can do if the overwhelming despair is threatening to consume you.  This post went live for supporters on September 14! If you want early, ad-free episodes, support at Patreon! To fight censorship:  ALA: American Library Association FTRF: Freedom to Read Foundation CBLDF: Comic Book Legal Defense Fund 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). Sept 16, 2025 | Season 12 Ep 7 | murverse.com "Worldcon Report, Censorship, and more!" by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Mur and Ursula are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. And "AI" or large language models is wretched and we hate it so very much.  If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet. Some links are affiliate.

DD 12.6 No, it's not dirty. Ursula is back from adventures in Spain (and adventures with a translator.) We talk about third book difficulties, travel, regal vs unregal elves, and, most importantly, the newest ethics rules the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA) have adopted.  This post went live for supporters on August 7! If you want early, ad-free 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). August 12, 2025 | Season 12 Ep 6 | murverse.com "Lovecraft and Boobs" by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Mur and Ursula are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. And "AI" or large language models are wretched and we hate it so very much.  If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet. Some links are affiliate.

DD 12.5 If you haven't heard, Ursula (T. Kingfisher) is writing the prequel novel for ASTARION, the most popular Baldurs Gate 3 character. So of course we have to talk about work for hire, why you do it, what you receive from it, and how to get these jobs. Also you can preorder Astarion! Even if you're not a Baldur's Gate fan, work for hire is likely to come up in your writing career, and you should still check out the episode! This post went live for supporters on May 8! If you want early, ad-free 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). May 8, 2025 | Season 12 Ep 5 | murverse.com "Ultimate Work for Hire Job: ASTARION" by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Mur and Ursula are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.

"Take the chance to talk to an author or hang out with them, because they die like any other people." DD 12.4 In this episode of Ditch Diggers, hosts Mur Lafferty and T. Kingfisher (Ursula) share our unfiltered thoughts on lessons learned from mistakes and regrets in our careers. We cover pen names, self promotion, and agent relationships. This post went live for supporters on May 9, 2026. If you want early, ad-free 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). April 23, 2025 | Season 12 Ep 4 | murverse.com "Mistakes, Regrets, and Lessons Learned" by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Mur and Ursula are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.

"We need to write the weird stuff because that's what makes us unique." ~ T. Kingfisher DD 12.3 In this episode of Ditch Diggers, hosts Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon (T. Kingfisher) discuss Ursula's upcoming release of her southern gothic horror novel, Wolf Worm, and then attack Mur with a double dog dare to finally write the weird stories of her heart. This post went live for supporters on March 25, 2026. If you want early, ad-free 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). March 27, 2025 | Season 12 Ep 3 | murverse.com "Dare You to Write Something Weird" by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

"I am LARPing as an extrovert." DD 12.2 Yeah, we know that K-Pop Idols have looks, style, and music and dance abilities--but what ELSE do they have that we don't? Support and guidance in dealing with fans. Ursula is back from three signings, and we talk about how to deal with long signing lines and more. [podcast_subscribe id="6236"] This post went live for supporters on February 17, 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). February 20, 2025 | Season 12 Ep 2 | murverse.com "What Do KPop Idols Have That We Don't?" by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

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

We present a casual and chatty Ditch Diggers where we close up the year with discussions of 2026 prep, spicy Christmas romances, and New Years' traditions. And maybe future us doesn't need the apology that we haven't been consistent. (This post went live for supporters on December 23, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!) Spicy Christmas romances: Good Spirits by B.K. Borison A Christmas Notch by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (3 book series, begins with: Merry Little Meet Cute) We hope you have a safe and happy holiday season with people you love, and that your pets eat zero things that sends them to the emergency vet. See you next year! 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). December 15, 2025 | Season 11 Ep 10 | murverse.com "Looking to 2026, Feast and Famine" by Mur Lafferty and Ursula Vernon is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0