"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 us and considering her expertise, I've invited Valerie Valdes back for a candid discussion about the recent demise of NaNoWriMo and what it means for writers. We delve into the challenges of maintaining community and motivation without the established infrastructure of the once-beloved event. Valerie shares her insights as a former municipal liaison and offers alternatives for writers looking to stay engaged during November. We cover Nano 2.0, Shut Up and Write, and 4 The Words. Community is one of the most important parts of this month, and we make sure people know that they're still not alone! (This post went live for supporters on November 4, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at <a href= "http://www.patreon.com/mightymur" rel= "noopener noreferrer nofollow">Patreon</a>!) <a href= "https://murverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/isbw-s21-ep21.docx"> Download Transcript</a> Links <ul> <li><a href="http://valerievaldes.com">Valerie Valdes / Lia Amador</a></li> <li><a href="https://escapepod.org">Escape Pod</a></li> <li><a href="https://nano2.org/">NaNoWriMo 2.0</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.shutupwrite.com/">Shut Up and Write</a></li> <li><a href="https://4thewords.com/">4thewords</a></li> <li><a href="https://dreamfoundry.org/">Dreamfoundry</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.worldanvil.com/">World Anvil</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.worldanvil.com/w/game-of-tomes">Game of Tomes</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.twitch.tv/katecavanaughwrites">Kate Cavanaugh's Livestream</a></li> </ul> Evergreen Links <ul> <li><a href= "https://bookshop.org/lists/i-should-be-writing-season-21" rel= "noopener noreferrer nofollow">See all books from Season 21</a></li> <li>Like the podcast? Get the book! <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Should-Be-Writing-Writers-Workshop-ebook/dp/B079TLDQTQ/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">I Should Be Writing</a>.</li> <li>Socials: <a href="http://mightymur.bsky.social/" rel= "noopener noreferrer nofollow">Bluesky</a>, <a href= "https://www.instagram.com/mightymur2" rel= "noopener noreferrer nofollow">Instagram</a>, <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/murlafferty" rel= "noopener noreferrer nofollow">YouTube</a>, <a href= "https://www.focusmate.com/i/eFYhRYYxW7" rel= "noopener noreferrer nofollow">Focusmate</a></li> <li>Theme by <a href="https://johnanealio.bandcamp.com/" rel= "noopener noreferrer nofollow">John Anealio</a></li> <li><a href= "https://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/group.html?group=18371" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends</a></li> <li>Support local book stores! <a href= "https://bookshop.org/contributors/mur-lafferty" rel= "noopener noreferrer nofollow">Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!</a></li> <li>OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, <a href= "https://www.flyleafbooks.com/mur-lafferty-signed" rel= "noopener noreferrer nofollow">Flyleaf Books!</a></li> </ul> — "NaNoWriMo's Ghosts and New Beginnings" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on <a href= "http://www.patreon.com/mightymur" rel= "noopener noreferrer nofollow">Patreon</a>! Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please! CREDITS Theme song by <a href="https://johnanealio.bandcamp.com/music" rel= "noopener noreferrer nofollow">John Anealio</a>, art by <a href= "http://ko-fi.com/numbersninja/commissions" rel= "noopener noreferrer nofollow">Numbers Ninja</a>, and files hosted by <a href="https://signup.libsyn.com/?promo_code=MUR" rel= "noopener noreferrer nofollow">Libsyn (affiliate link).</a> Get archives of the show via <a href= "https://www.patreon.com/mightymur" rel= "noopener noreferrer nofollow">Patreon.</a> November 6, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 21 | <a href="https://murverse.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-link-auto="">murverse.com</a> "NaNoWriMo's Ghosts and New Beginnings" by <a href= "http://murverse.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Mur Lafferty</a> is licensed under <a href= "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/?ref=chooser-v1" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">CC BY-NC-SA 4.0</a> In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast 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.

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