Never Say You Can't Survive
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- Create Date：2021-08-19 01:19:03
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Charlie Jane Anders
- ISBN：B08JK8XD1N
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Summary
From the internationally bestselling and critically-acclaimed writer Charlie Jane Anders comes Never Say You Can't Survive， a nonfiction manual about writing and life…
Reviews
Courtney
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I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 Never Say You Can’t Survive is the most unique and personal writing craft book I’ve ever read。 While containing a wealth of advice on the various facets of writing， from the basic character and plot to defining your author identity and being yourself instead of trying to copy someone else， I loved the mix of personal anecdotes with the writing advice。 And when so much of the advice wr I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 Never Say You Can’t Survive is the most unique and personal writing craft book I’ve ever read。 While containing a wealth of advice on the various facets of writing， from the basic character and plot to defining your author identity and being yourself instead of trying to copy someone else， I loved the mix of personal anecdotes with the writing advice。 And when so much of the advice writers get feels doled out in absolutes， and can make those who aspire to the craft feel demotivated， I loved how Anders maintains a sense of positivity and encouragement throughout， with acknowledgment to the unprecedented times we’re living in， as well as the life stresses that can complicate writing life。 。。。more
Rachel
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Charlie Jane Anders is an instant love of mine from her podcast Our Opinions are Correct。 This book was amazing and I could just hear her voice narrating it as I read （no audio actually included）。
Stephanie
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Don't make the mistake I did when I started reading this book in a public place - because for the first time in my life， a book on writing made me cry， and it happened in public！ The introduction is just so powerful and resonant as it addresses the question of how and why we can manage to write through global fear and stress and personal overwhelm。 I loved the whole book， and I'd wholeheartedly recommend it to writers at every stage of their career。 The actual craft tips （which will be very usef Don't make the mistake I did when I started reading this book in a public place - because for the first time in my life， a book on writing made me cry， and it happened in public！ The introduction is just so powerful and resonant as it addresses the question of how and why we can manage to write through global fear and stress and personal overwhelm。 I loved the whole book， and I'd wholeheartedly recommend it to writers at every stage of their career。 The actual craft tips （which will be very useful for new writers） may not be new or needed by long-time writers， but it's still helpful to be reminded of them - and Anders devotes a lot of the book to the psychological game behind the writing， which is hugely valuable no matter how long any writer has been working。 A really wonderful book to read and also to keep for re-reading some very powerful reminders of why it's worth it to keep going and how we can get through our worst times and stay creative （or come back to our creativity） after all。 。。。more
Alana
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Never Say You Can't Survive is the best book on writing I've ever read。 Written during the pandemic and originally published as a series of essays， it's ostensibly about writing during times of crisis， but ultimately is the most readable， obvious-but-mindblowing advice and explanations I've ever read。 Charlie Jane can tell you something about writing that on its surface you could probably explain yourself， definitely you knew that， and yet the way she words things unlocks something in you， leavi Never Say You Can't Survive is the best book on writing I've ever read。 Written during the pandemic and originally published as a series of essays， it's ostensibly about writing during times of crisis， but ultimately is the most readable， obvious-but-mindblowing advice and explanations I've ever read。 Charlie Jane can tell you something about writing that on its surface you could probably explain yourself， definitely you knew that， and yet the way she words things unlocks something in you， leaving you scrambling to your own work in a fit of inspiration—or at least， it has for me， which is amazing。 My latest manuscript now has twice the depth than last week because of maybe fifty pages of advice。I recommend it for every writer， especially those on the newer or aspiring side。 。。。more
Sahitya
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I have actually not read any of the author’s books before， maybe just a few short stories。 But I love her podcast with Annalee called Our Opinions are Correct and when I saw the idea of this book， I was very intrigued。 I don’t even know if I’m the right audience， because other than writing reviews， I have no other writing background or aspirations。 I’m also not much of a creative or imaginative person - so I feel no way eligible to judge this book for it’s content， specifically all the wonderful I have actually not read any of the author’s books before， maybe just a few short stories。 But I love her podcast with Annalee called Our Opinions are Correct and when I saw the idea of this book， I was very intrigued。 I don’t even know if I’m the right audience， because other than writing reviews， I have no other writing background or aspirations。 I’m also not much of a creative or imaginative person - so I feel no way eligible to judge this book for it’s content， specifically all the wonderful craft related ideas and messages the author gives。 But I loved the theme of how writing a story that one really wants to tell， channeling our fears and concerns and rage into characters and stories， can really help us deal with our issues or maybe just feel a bit better for a while。 I found so many quotes and lines in this book that would apply for many troubling situations， not just for a writer but for any person， and I think that’s the beauty of this book - how universal it is in its messaging while also catering to the specific needs of writers trying to put forth their work in times when the world around us is going to hell。 And I thought even though the book is for writers and other creative people， it was quite helpful for me as a reader and reviewer as well， and I feel it will definitely have a positive impact in the way I consume and analyze stories from now on。 I think this will be a book I will look towards many times in the future， especially when I’m feeling a bit down。 Hopefully I’ll buy the paperback when it releases and highlight it a lot。 。。。more
Liz （Quirky Cat）
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I feel like Never Say You Can't Survive is the novella that many fans and writers alike have been waiting for。 Written by Charlie Jane Anders， this novella talks about well， surviving difficult times through writing。tWe all need coping mechanisms in our lives。 Some people bake cookies （guilty）， some people work out， and others write。 Writers can turn their anxiety and stress into fantastic worlds that will then become an escape for their readers。 It's a delightful cycle， come to think of it。tI l I feel like Never Say You Can't Survive is the novella that many fans and writers alike have been waiting for。 Written by Charlie Jane Anders， this novella talks about well， surviving difficult times through writing。tWe all need coping mechanisms in our lives。 Some people bake cookies （guilty）， some people work out， and others write。 Writers can turn their anxiety and stress into fantastic worlds that will then become an escape for their readers。 It's a delightful cycle， come to think of it。tI love Charlie Jane Anders's worlds: All the Birds in the Sky， The City in the Middle of the Night， etc。 Seeing how directly they tied into events and emotions in her life was actually quite fascinating and inspiring。tWhat I loved the most about Never Say You Can't Survive is that it really makes you think。 More than that， it makes it seem like anyone can turn to writing as a way to cope， and that is a beautiful thing right there。 Thank you， Charlie Jane Andres。 Both for this book and everything else that you do。Thanks to Tor。com for making this book available for review。 All opinions expressed are my own。Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks 。。。more
Saiem_reader
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saiem ahmed
Melissa
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“When you’re telling the story， you get to draw all the lines。”As an aspiring writer， this book was so powerful。 I was only 15% in when I found myself writing down tons and tons of quotes。 Charlie Jane Anders wrote this book in a simple， non-condescending way that really gave me the kick I need to start my story。Write whatever the fuck you want。 It’s your story to tell。Thank you to Net Galley， Tordotcom， and Charlie Jane Anders for this advanced review copy！ Never Say You Can’t Survive releases “When you’re telling the story， you get to draw all the lines。”As an aspiring writer， this book was so powerful。 I was only 15% in when I found myself writing down tons and tons of quotes。 Charlie Jane Anders wrote this book in a simple， non-condescending way that really gave me the kick I need to start my story。Write whatever the fuck you want。 It’s your story to tell。Thank you to Net Galley， Tordotcom， and Charlie Jane Anders for this advanced review copy！ Never Say You Can’t Survive releases on August 17th。 。。。more
Em
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There's so much in this book that isn't just about writing & process， but about life in general--I have to make this clear because this is a wonderful book for everyone "who wants to" do anything challenging。 I hope workshop leaders find it and make required reading。。。but I hope everyone else finds it too。 There's so much in this book that isn't just about writing & process， but about life in general--I have to make this clear because this is a wonderful book for everyone "who wants to" do anything challenging。 I hope workshop leaders find it and make required reading。。。but I hope everyone else finds it too。 。。。more
Jackson
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One of the things that marks my writing experience are periods of existential loneliness， times when I think I’m fooling myself about this whole author thing。 Then a friend， an article， or a Tweet will come at me from left field saying “I got you。 You *are* a writer。 Feeling weird is normal。 I believe in you。” Those moments help me go on， and they’re one of the three reasons you’ll love “Never Say You Can’t Survive” by Charlie Jane Anders。 This book is full of those moments。I’m not a professiona One of the things that marks my writing experience are periods of existential loneliness， times when I think I’m fooling myself about this whole author thing。 Then a friend， an article， or a Tweet will come at me from left field saying “I got you。 You *are* a writer。 Feeling weird is normal。 I believe in you。” Those moments help me go on， and they’re one of the three reasons you’ll love “Never Say You Can’t Survive” by Charlie Jane Anders。 This book is full of those moments。I’m not a professional book reviewer， I’m just a guy trying to be a professional writer。 So when Anders put the offer out to let me review her new book on Netgalley， I jumped at it。 It was important for me to know what she could teach me about my own journey。 Never Say You Can’t Survive is chock-full of stoic wit， and there are three reasons you’ll love it as soon as you start reading。Three Reasons You'll Love "Never Say You Can't Survive"Make no mistake， however。 This might be be a book by and for writers， but everyone else should read it， too。 Anders captures the discomfort， weirdness， and rollercoasters of emotion you travel on your journey to feel comfortable in your own skin。 ‘Weirdness gives me the strength to keep going，’ she says as a chapter title， and peppers the book with great music references that I thought only I knew。 It’s her way of saying ‘you are seen。’ That was very comforting to me， and it’ll make you feel good， too。 Are you othered？ Different？ Just to the left of normal？ Never Say You Can’t Survive is a party and you’re invited。 That’s the first reason you’ll love this book。The second reason is that along the way to Whoville， Anders offers helpful tidbits about the process of writing that I found insightful。 I’m always on the lookout for ways to hack the work， but as Anders brings out in ‘Find Your Voice and Make It Loud，’ writing style is not an austere matter。 As you develop your writing style， don’t be afraid to experiment， be expressive， write about what makes you feel good no matter what anyone else says。 Your writing style should be a snuggly blanket that keeps you safe and warm from the inhospitable outside world。 After all， it is painful to have to pretend that the world makes sense。 We all know it doesn’t， but Anders isn’t afraid to say that quiet part out loud。 A third and perhaps the largest reason you’ll love Never Say You Can’t Survive is the idea that you must be you， in order to be you。 You cannot write the book that feels close to your heart if you aren’t in touch with your heart。 Writing is an act that forces you to peer into the abyss， and let the abyss peer into you。 Writing is an act that forces you to uncover what you’re really trying to say， and what that says about you。 That can be a scary， difficult， and yes， a liberating process。 Don’t run from it， Anders says。As Robert Mailer says in his novel ‘Boonville，’ it’s never easy to be yourself。 Never Say You Can’t Survive acknowledges this hardship， while refusing to be shackled to it。 Yes， it’s hard， Anders wants you to know。 But that is what makes it good。 The struggle is real。 You’re getting closer to who you’re supposed to be。 Welcome the struggle。 There are many reasons you’ll love Never Say You Can’t Survive， but these three will help you get started。 。。。more
Jeannette
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Full Disclosure: I received a copy of Never Say You Can't Survive by Charlie Jane Anders from Tordotcom via Netgalley in exchange for possibly providing my feedback。 Confession: I had already started reading it when it was published as a series of articles on Tor。com， so getting a copy of the book was a bonus。 I'm not a writer。 I'm a reader。 If you read my reviews， you know this。 I am not necessarily the target audience of this book。 HOWEVER， I am here to tell you that you don't need to be a wri Full Disclosure: I received a copy of Never Say You Can't Survive by Charlie Jane Anders from Tordotcom via Netgalley in exchange for possibly providing my feedback。 Confession: I had already started reading it when it was published as a series of articles on Tor。com， so getting a copy of the book was a bonus。 I'm not a writer。 I'm a reader。 If you read my reviews， you know this。 I am not necessarily the target audience of this book。 HOWEVER， I am here to tell you that you don't need to be a writer or a want-to-be writer to enjoy this book。 I LOVE pretty much anything that Charlie Jane Anders writes and getting insight into her writing process was a fun experience。 I enjoyed all the behind-the-scenes details of her books。 And， all the nerdiness/geekiness warmed my heart。 It felt like have a conversation with a friend about good writing。 You don't have to be a writer to enjoy that。Bonus points for Charlie Jane writing a book that makes you feel like you can conquer the world by just being you。 。。。more
Joe Jungers
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Anders' collection of essays is entertaining & nudges me to ponder what I like about the things I read （& other bits I've occasionally written）。 Anders' collection of essays is entertaining & nudges me to ponder what I like about the things I read （& other bits I've occasionally written）。 。。。more
Michelle Terry
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Disclaimers: I was given an advanced reading copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway。 I also only write for fun， not professionally， and I've never read a book about about writing before so I can't really compare it to other books about writing。 That said， I think it was a great book on writing for me to start with。 It's more than just some very helpful essays on how to create stories from one of my favorite authors， it also addresses why we should create stories， and how creating stories Disclaimers: I was given an advanced reading copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway。 I also only write for fun， not professionally， and I've never read a book about about writing before so I can't really compare it to other books about writing。 That said， I think it was a great book on writing for me to start with。 It's more than just some very helpful essays on how to create stories from one of my favorite authors， it also addresses why we should create stories， and how creating stories can help us get through hard times。 It's part writing advice， part self help， part memoir。 I already feel more inspired to create， and I feel like I have more tools at my disposal to do so。 I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys writing fiction， particularly if the events of 2020 made you feel like your writing didn't matter， that you should be writing something more "serious" to respond to the moment， or just sucked away all of your creative energy。 Spoiler alert: write the stories that only you could write！ Both you and the world may need it more than you realize。 。。。more
Suz Jay
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This wonderful writing book includes five sections which cover getting started， what to write about， what constitutes a story， feelings， and writerly tricks。 Some of the individual topics include imposter syndrome， uncertainty， creating characters， voice， ideas， endings， emotion， revision， plotting， common story problems， character change， world building， weirdness， writing about other experiences， and relationships。The book is a compilation of writing essays written for Tordotcom to share advic This wonderful writing book includes five sections which cover getting started， what to write about， what constitutes a story， feelings， and writerly tricks。 Some of the individual topics include imposter syndrome， uncertainty， creating characters， voice， ideas， endings， emotion， revision， plotting， common story problems， character change， world building， weirdness， writing about other experiences， and relationships。The book is a compilation of writing essays written for Tordotcom to share advice for writing despite obstacles such as the COVID-19 pandemic。 The book includes plenty of examples and exercises and Charlie Jane Anders’ encouragement is like having a personal cheerleader。 Each essay has a conversational tone making the information more palatable than a typical writing craft book。 I especially liked the chapters on keeping writing fun， writing about different experiences/cultures， and writing the story only you can tell。While Anders is a speculative fiction writer and some of the craft advice relates specifically to storytelling， NEVER SAY YOU CAN SURVIVE is an excellent resource for all writers whether they write genre， literary， non-fiction， or poetry。 I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 Thanks to Tordotcom for providing an Advance Reader Copy。 。。。more
Jon
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（This review made possible by an Advance Reading Copy through NetGalley。 NetGalley: Read Tomorrow's Books Today！）A collection of essays on writing and life from the delightful Charlie Jane Anders。 Excellent advice for both when the Real World is going poorly， and contains amusing snark。 To wit:Lately people keep asking me one question: how can we avoid writing burnout， when everything is one big trash-volcano？ Okay， two questions。 People also want to know the best way to make tiny pro-wrestler c （This review made possible by an Advance Reading Copy through NetGalley。 NetGalley: Read Tomorrow's Books Today！）A collection of essays on writing and life from the delightful Charlie Jane Anders。 Excellent advice for both when the Real World is going poorly， and contains amusing snark。 To wit:Lately people keep asking me one question: how can we avoid writing burnout， when everything is one big trash-volcano？ Okay， two questions。 People also want to know the best way to make tiny pro-wrestler costumes for their thumbs—because thumb-wrestling is getting seriously artisanal lately。So yes。 Two thumbs up， would but that I had more thumbs。 。。。more
Emmalita
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I felt a little guilty when I was notified that I had been granted an advance reader copy of Charlie Jane Ander’s essay collection， Never Say You Can’t Survive。 I am not a writer and I have no aspirations to be a writer。 I have no qualifications for judging this book。 However， I have never let a lack of qualifications get in my way of judging things。 The short version is， I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to any creative person。I have always enjoyed listening to people talk about their c I felt a little guilty when I was notified that I had been granted an advance reader copy of Charlie Jane Ander’s essay collection， Never Say You Can’t Survive。 I am not a writer and I have no aspirations to be a writer。 I have no qualifications for judging this book。 However， I have never let a lack of qualifications get in my way of judging things。 The short version is， I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to any creative person。I have always enjoyed listening to people talk about their creative process， and Never Say You Can’t Survive is that – a writer talking about the craft of writing。 Anders frames her essays around using writing to survive hard times。 As a non writer， this was the piece that was the most interesting to me。 Through the chapters of the book， she melds the elements of the storytelling with surviving a harsh world with your soul intact。 Do you feel out of control in the world you live in？ As an author， you are the god of your own world。 Are you being swamped with rage at injustice？ Channel that rage into a story。 The joy of the book is when she gets into the details of the why and the how to construct that soul saving story。 Anders uses examples from her own books， and other works to illustrate her points。 I feel like Never Say You Can’t Survive is going to make me a better reader and reviewer。The essays are dense and rich。 If I had a physical copy， which I will at some point， it would have looked like one of my grad school text books with passages highlighted， underlined， and sticky notes jutting from the pages。 There are points when I was reading that I would replace the word writer with the word adult and the advice worked。 If I could， this review would be a series of quotes that resonated with me as a person and as a reader， and quotes I want to stick in front of the creative people I know who doubt their own brilliance。I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Ana W
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Charlie Jane Anders is one of my favorite authors。 This is the first nonfiction book I've read of hers。 It is a book about the writing process。 Anders focuses on how writing can be helpful during difficult times and then on how to write。 I read this on my kindle and found myself constantly bookmarking sections that I wanted to go back and reread。 There is just so much practical information about writing: developing characters， revisions， plots， writer's block。 But what I think sets this book apa Charlie Jane Anders is one of my favorite authors。 This is the first nonfiction book I've read of hers。 It is a book about the writing process。 Anders focuses on how writing can be helpful during difficult times and then on how to write。 I read this on my kindle and found myself constantly bookmarking sections that I wanted to go back and reread。 There is just so much practical information about writing: developing characters， revisions， plots， writer's block。 But what I think sets this book apart （and above）， is how Anders wrote it as if giving advice to a friend。 It's as if， she is sitting in a coffee shop sharing wisdom with a friend。 Her writing is personal and funny and helps to remove the mystique from writing。 I think that anyone interested in writing， either in appreciation of books in general or in writing their own stories would enjoy Never Say You Can't Survive。 I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Natasha Glen
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This was a great book about writing！ So many craft books are fairly dry and focused on the mechanics of story。 This is a book about the heart of writing and what story means - both to readers and writers。 This is a very special book。 I highly recommend it， especially to writers who are struggling with the more abstract parts of writing。 I love how much the author talks about her own experiences。 I love the author’s voice in this - she’s lively and it’s a wonderful read。 And I love that she talks This was a great book about writing！ So many craft books are fairly dry and focused on the mechanics of story。 This is a book about the heart of writing and what story means - both to readers and writers。 This is a very special book。 I highly recommend it， especially to writers who are struggling with the more abstract parts of writing。 I love how much the author talks about her own experiences。 I love the author’s voice in this - she’s lively and it’s a wonderful read。 And I love that she talks about how revisions strengthen the story， and how a story has to suit the characters and vice versa。 Wonderful book about writing and very much a product of the world we are all in right now。 。。。more
Heather Jones
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I didn't read this book because I want to write。 I've written， a bit， and decided not to pursue it seriously because it seriously cuts into my reading time。 I read this book because I really like Charlie Jane Anders。What I learned was， this wasn't the right reading choice for me， because it actually is about exactly what it says - how to write。 Anders provides encouragement， inspiration， and solid， specific strategies， so for a person who does want to write， this will be exactly the right book f I didn't read this book because I want to write。 I've written， a bit， and decided not to pursue it seriously because it seriously cuts into my reading time。 I read this book because I really like Charlie Jane Anders。What I learned was， this wasn't the right reading choice for me， because it actually is about exactly what it says - how to write。 Anders provides encouragement， inspiration， and solid， specific strategies， so for a person who does want to write， this will be exactly the right book for you。 For me。。。 I decided I'd rather reread "Victories Greater than Death，" so that's what I'm doing now。 。。。more
Linda
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This was the most fun book on writing I've read， and I've read a lot of books on writing。 Charlie Jane Anders avoids saying the same-ol-same-ol that so many how-to-write books say。 Where most books tell the reader to finish something， absolutely finish stuff， she'll compare unfinished work to blind dates where the chemistry didn't click。 In other words， Anders doesn't make the reader feel guilty for all the pages that never went anywhere。Even when giving advice the reader has heard before， she m This was the most fun book on writing I've read， and I've read a lot of books on writing。 Charlie Jane Anders avoids saying the same-ol-same-ol that so many how-to-write books say。 Where most books tell the reader to finish something， absolutely finish stuff， she'll compare unfinished work to blind dates where the chemistry didn't click。 In other words， Anders doesn't make the reader feel guilty for all the pages that never went anywhere。Even when giving advice the reader has heard before， she makes it amusing。 I know I've picked up other how-to-write books and lost interest halfway through， partly because they say nothing new and partly because the writing is less than inspiring。 All through Never Say You Can't Survive I kept coming up with new ideas。 This book made me want to write。Thanks to Netgalley， Ms。 Anders， and Tor for allowing me to read this digital ARC in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Nina Harrington
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Never Say You Can't Survive is a lot more than a manual about writing and life – it is solid gold sprinkled with fairy dust。I am a bestselling published author in three genres， and a totally story structure geek， and I can honestly say that this is the first book that I have read in a long time that made me stop in my tracks， think hard about the writing process， and come out the other side inspired and motivated。I took five pages of detailed notes on everything from characterisation and the psy Never Say You Can't Survive is a lot more than a manual about writing and life – it is solid gold sprinkled with fairy dust。I am a bestselling published author in three genres， and a totally story structure geek， and I can honestly say that this is the first book that I have read in a long time that made me stop in my tracks， think hard about the writing process， and come out the other side inspired and motivated。I took five pages of detailed notes on everything from characterisation and the psychology of community support systems to the power of positive literature in a time of international crisis。 It is difficult to select specific examples from a book where every page seems to have a unique thought-provoking insight into story development， but I particularly enjoyed the chapters on using plot devices and turning points and how to leverage the ending to drive the revision process。 Also， how to use the power or emotion and sensory description to add layers of interest to any scene。 The chapter on worldbuilding was remarkable！I would heartily recommend this book to any writer who wants to develop their story craft and build amazing works of fiction – and have fun doing it。 。。。more
Howard
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I read the collection of essays that were published on tor。com prior to actual publication。I found these essays very inspiring。 They made me jazzed to start writing my own fiction， even giving me food for ideas and knocking a few loose。I only hope that more work goes into refining them as a book before publishing。 Some parts just needed a bit more light editing。 However， the theme of using writing as a respite or therapy for bad times was a bit heavy on the Trump presidency， which will be over f I read the collection of essays that were published on tor。com prior to actual publication。I found these essays very inspiring。 They made me jazzed to start writing my own fiction， even giving me food for ideas and knocking a few loose。I only hope that more work goes into refining them as a book before publishing。 Some parts just needed a bit more light editing。 However， the theme of using writing as a respite or therapy for bad times was a bit heavy on the Trump presidency， which will be over for more than six months when this goes to print as a book。 The idea of dealing with bad times still applies。 I only hope the focus is a bit broader and more timeless。 。。。more
Dean Reviews Books
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I read this book as a series on blog essays on Tor。com。 I learned a lot from - and really enjoyed - reading it！ I took notes that I will be going back to as I write。 Thank you for writing this book， Charlie！
A。M。
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Each chapter was posted weekly online at Tor。But lately， I’ve been realizing that I haven’t actually gotten any better at finishing the stories I start。 Instead， I’ve just gotten quicker to realize that something’s not panning out， and it’s time to jump tracks。 When I was putting together my upcoming short story collection， I went back and looked through all the stories I wrote when I was starting out—and somehow， I had forgotten that for every story I finished， there were five or six that I did Each chapter was posted weekly online at Tor。But lately， I’ve been realizing that I haven’t actually gotten any better at finishing the stories I start。 Instead， I’ve just gotten quicker to realize that something’s not panning out， and it’s time to jump tracks。 When I was putting together my upcoming short story collection， I went back and looked through all the stories I wrote when I was starting out—and somehow， I had forgotten that for every story I finished， there were five or six that I didn’t。 And I found tons of notes and other evidence of me banging my head against the same wall over and over。I had to learn to stop thinking of leaving a story unfinished as an admission of defeat， or thinking that it reflected on me as a writer。 I had to give myself permission to move on。 Oh yes…And this one:To utterly misquote Hunter S。 Thompson， when the going gets weird， the weird become paladins。 That’s the spirit。4 stars 。。。more
adeservingporcupine
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