• Mur and Matt come to you live from Morgan Freeman's Dojo (where we're punching Hollywood) with special guest co-host writer, director, and martial artist Lexi Alexander!
• Lexi is excited to talk about the writing side of her career as a director of films like Green Street Hooligans, Punisher: War Zone, the Oscar-nominated Johnny Flynton, and pretty much ALL of the TV series.
• How we needlessly shake the confidence of English-as-a-second-language writers in America, and how a chance encounter with Quentin Tarantino cured Lexi of that self-confidence issue.
• Lexi recounts how she began her career as a writer and filmmaker (it involves Chuck Norris. No, seriously).
• It's easier to be accepted as a woman in a martial arts/competitive combat sports environment than it is to be accepted as a woman filmmaker in Hollywood.
• Lexi talks about the many challenges women writers and directors face in the entertainment industry, including her own experiences.
• Lexi tells the Ditch Diggers about her recently sold pilot script, the process of writing it, and what inspired/motivated both.
• Lexi talks about what stopped her from writing for a long time, how she almost left the business to become a war correspondent, and what brought her back.
• Mur asks about the difference between working on your own film projects and writing/adapting the work and ideas of others, and how you survive doing both.
• Lexi takes questions from Twitter!
• Mur and Matt attempt unsuccessfully to end the show several times, but Lexi is just too damn enthusiastic and complimentary about everyone. (New goal: Get both Cory Doctorow and Lexi on the show together.)

Lexi on Twitter: @Lexialex

Lexi's website

Lexi on IMDb

• Live from Morgan Freeman's bear sanctuary, it's the Ditch Diggers with special guest co-host Tobias Buckell!
• Mur recounts Toby blowing her mind this past January at ConFusion in Detroit, which prompted his appearance on the show.
• Toby talks about accessing your inner asshole (the tactful version uses Toby's description: "the power of no") in negotiations as a freelancer.
• What happened when Toby had to stop accepting con invitations on his own dollar, and how it took him to the next level as an author and speaker.
• Toby on releasing his earlier work as a self-published book and educational tool for writers.
• Toby talks about trying out Patreon as a partial income replacement for a year, what prompted it, and how it's going.
• Twitter and email Q&A! Many of Toby's fans ask him questions ranging from professional advice to the inside scoop on characters from his Xenowealth universe.

• Mur and Matt come to you live from the mud room of Morgan Freeman's trophy solarium (because they haven't earned the right to go inside yet).
• Ditch Diggers has been nominated for a Hugo Award! You did it! Mur and Matt will go up against the likes of The Coode Street Podcast and Tea & Jeopardy in Helsinki for Best Fancast (even though we're all professionals. Because there's only one podcast category)! Thank you to all Ditch Diggers listeners who supported the show and don't forget to vote for Mur and Matt for the Hugo itself!
• It's listener's choice! Mur and Matt select questions from their listeners to address in detail as the topic of the show.
• First up, for those who write many kinds of things, which writing medium/format to focus on when you being pursuing freelance writing as a serious job. Blogging? Books? Screenwriting? Should you focus on one thing or two things or all of them?
• Secondly, Mur and Matt talk about writing prep, everything from outlining to creating playlists. What's necessary for the task ahead and how much is too much?
• Regular Twitter and email Q&A.

Sooo many questions! So many answers!

We are joined by ugly Christmas sweaters, booze, and Kameron Hurley. Happy New Year! Fuck you, 2016!

Matt and I discuss etiquette in the world of publishing. Show notes coming soon.

For the first time we have Matt and Mur, and the godparents of Ditch Diggers Gail Carriger and Howard Tayler, in the same room together!