I greatly enjoyed reading Never Say You Can't Survive - Anders' tone is warm and inviting, it feels like she's having a conversation with you. That said, the balance between personal essays and writing advice sometimes felt off-kilter - both topics were glanced over, rather than being fully explored. However, the exploration of writing as a coping mechanism for trying times was very interesting to read. Although I'm not sure who the writing advice was targeted at, this was an engaging read and I would be keen to see more nonfiction from Charlie Jane Anders.

This book was informative, heartfelt, and makes me want to create and then become an ever better creator.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I thought that this book was really great at teaching writing while also accomplishing its title - distracting away from the real world by dipping into your imagination and learning about Charlie Jane Anders' writing.

Charlie Jane Anders has created another outstanding work; this time with Never Say You Can't Survive. A perfect book to help you survive the tough times, like our current pandemic. Never Say You Can't Survive feels like Anders' give to us as readers.

The perfect craft book for remembering how to tell stories, and why we tell them, even when the world is burning down around you. Being creative isn't easy at the best of times, and these are...not those. These essays bring a delightful tone to craft and offer a pov to help you telling stories even when the world is dark.

Never Say You Can't Survive should be an instant add to any shelf for writing craft books.

I’ve filled notebooks with scribbles of made-up places and imaginary people for over thirty years. The places and people I write about today look and act very different than the ones I crafted as a newly-minted ten year old, but the fact remains — I scribble when life careens away from my expectations. Writing fiction is one way for me to try to wrangle control of what often feels like overwhelming chaos. I know I’m not alone.

I also enjoy reading about the craft of writing. I've read many books on this topic over the years and most get abandoned or merely skimmed because they all feel the same after a while. I can't remember one that has stopped me in my tracks and had me taking notes and adding my own comments from the very first page.

Anders new book, Never Say You Can't Survive, has done that. While it began as a series of blog posts that first appeared at tor.com in 2020 the collection is much more than that. It's not just a handbook of writing advice. Nor is it simply a memoir of writing through various struggles of identity, family, or the world at large. It is a map of storytelling treasures providing anecdotes, tips, and insights.

Amid heartbreak and stress, Anders shows how you can write to save and discover yourself. And have fun at the same time.

This book is about using your personal struggles to write. It referenced the pandemic, and the way it has changed the way we write. Some people were more creative and inspired last year, while others couldn’t write at all. Writing can be a therapeutic way to express your feelings, or it can be an act of resistance.

I appreciated how current the writing tips were in this book. There were many references to the way our lifestyles have changed in the past year. Even if they weren’t personally impacted by Covid, everyone had to alter some part of their lifestyle. Though I’m not ready to read a fictional book set during the pandemic, this writing book was so informative for writing in 2021.

There were references to a variety of types and styles of stories. There were plenty of science fiction examples, such as Doctor Who and Star Trek, but there were other types of stories as well, like The Baby-Sitter’s Club. A wide range of authors were also mentioned, from Neil Gaiman to Alyssa Cole. I loved seeing all of these familiar works referenced in this writing book.

There were so many great writing tips in this book. I highlighted many passages in my digital copy, which I’ve never done before. I will have to get a physical copy to reference while I write, because I know I will be returning to this book again and again during my writing career.

Never Say You Can’t Survive is a fabulous writing book!

Thank you Tor for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book made me want to work on a project I'd shelved for a long time, and I think that's the highest praise I can possibly give it. I feel like it's accessible to writers at all "levels" (and frequently reminds you that "levels" as such as nonsense) and helps to remind the reader, who is presumably also a writer, why writing is fun, not a chore, and can sometimes-- often-- be a survival mechanism and a way of life. It's joined my collection of essential books on writing.

I was super excited to find out that Charlie Jane Anders wrote a book about writing! And it was perfect timing for me to read it now, between struggling to be creative during what she refers to as “the present emergency” and the fact that I love the imagination and emotional depth of her sci-fi stories. For some time, I’ve been curious about her creative approach and about her as a person, so Never Say You Can’t Survive was a treat.

This book is an excellent resource for writers who want to put more of themselves into their art. One thing that surprised me was how applicable her advice is to all kinds of writing, even creative nonfiction centered on real events and people from the actual past. Charlie Jane is masterful at channeling emotional dynamics into her characters and prose, and she’s just as articulate about how other writers can do the same. For that reason alone, I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants their stories to connect with readers on an emotional level. And if you liked Anne LaMott's Bird by Bird, I think you'll love Never Say You Can't Survive.

The book’s introduction stands alone as its own essay (don’t skip it!) about how escaping into your imagination can be an important act of resistance, and the stories you create can inspire others to look at the world differently. I love this idea, which provides a foundation for the themes of creative permission and heartfelt encouragement that permeate all the sections of the book.

The essays in each of the five sections give a lot of insight into how Charlie Jane approaches creating characters, identifying which ideas to turn into stories, channeling your present emotions into your writing, how to work with the political angles that stories inevitably have, and using tricks from the writing toolbox to tell the story you want to tell.

Beyond the great craft advice, I so appreciated the sense of play that comes through when she talks about writing. From trying out lots of ideas like they’re first dates, to getting to be someone else for awhile when you connect with your characters, I loved how she demonstrated the senses of openness and acceptance you can wrap yourself in when you’re being creative.

While I did receive an ARC from Macmillan-Tor/Forge & Tordotcom (thank you!!), I liked the book enough to buy a hard copy to keep handy and use an Audible credit so I could listen in the car. And Charlie Jane reads the audiobook, which I’d also recommend if you’re interested but don’t feel you have time to sit and read.

I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
All opinions my own.

I am not a writer, nor I aspire to be one but I will gladly read everything that Charlie Jane ever publishes because I am a proper fangirl and I am committed to be the best fangirl possible.

If you think this book is not going to be for you because it’s just about “how to be a writer” let me already tell you that you are wrong. To describe this book like that would be to lie as it is so much more. Truth is, I was very moved and inspired by it. I found myself reading with growing interest and commitment and I am pretty sure that any person who undergoes hardships would. It is very easy to extrapolate Charlie’s advice and life experiences with yours and is heart warming to let yourself to be enveloped in a nice and comfy blanket of understanding without judgement.

Each chapter of the book is formed by essays, that are sometimes divided in smaller fragments of text. The essays are rich and complex but without being dense to read or understand. They are full of ideas and reflections, but at the same time, she is such a great writer and has such dominion over the written language, that makes her own views easy to understand by the reader. It isn’t one of those books where you have to take break because of how condensed and confusing its ideas may be. I found myself wanting to stop just to make notes, underline phrases and re reading paragraphs by sheer pleasure of doing so.

Not only I absolutely adored this book, but I will be buying copies for all of my friends who are (aspiring) writers or just creative persons. Because they may not know it jet, but they will want to read this book.

An excellent offbeat addition to writing craft books. A recommended purchase for public and HS collections where creative writing titles are popular.

I was a few years out of college and working on my first novel when 9/11 happened. I wondered whether my silly ghost story mattered in such a world. Most artists feel like this at some point because the world is always on fire. That’s not to say that the last 18 months haven’t been…special.

Charlie Jane Anders argues in Never Say You Can’t Survive that writing (or making any art) isn’t just essential because it adds value to the world, but can be the thing that keeps a writer sane. Artists, and writers especially, are in the position to create their own worlds around them, not only as a form of escapism, but to present better worlds. It’s a form of hope and activism, even if those things are translated onto a worlds of space ships, dragons, or zombies.

I was surprised at how much of this book was nuts and bolts writing advice. As with any advice, your mileage will very. I had quite a few moments of “oh, I guess that’s a way to do it” which is never a bad thing. Many of the chapters started as blog post at tor.com and much of the language is contemporary and colloquial. Anders obviously loves writing and that comes through in these essays. If anything, reading what someone has to say about something they love is always a pleasure for me.

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.

Never Say You Can't Survive is a lovely, warm hug of a book. As an amateur writer I got a lot out of this writing manual, but there was a lot in here just about life, survival and community in a way that reminds me of Sabrina Chap's Live Through This anthology but tailor made for 2021. If you've read the blogs as they went up and think you can pass on this book, think again because they pack an even bigger punch read back to back.

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).

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.

Probably the best book on writing I've ever read. Charlie Jane Anders makes the common fun and the uncommon seem easy, and the book is a gentle but needed push for writers who've felt tapped out by current events/the pandemic/life.

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.

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.

We 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.

I 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.

What 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.