"You tell them enough information to show that you know 10% of what you're talking about, and your reader will assume you know the other 90%."

In this episode, Mur discusses the seemingly innocuous action of research, and how it can become a trap that distracts from actual writing.

Advent calendar info and AI complaints are free additions!

Links

• Kim Stanley Robinson

• Cory Doctorow

• The Sociopath Next Door

• Master of Malt Advent Calendars

Evergreen Links

• See all books from Season 21

• Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.

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CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.

December 4, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 24 | murverse.com "Research or Procrastination?" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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.