142 | Charlie Jane Anders on Stories and How to Write Them

<p>Telling a story seems like the most natural, human thing in the world. We all do it, all the time. And who amongst us doesn’t think we could be a fairly competent novelist, if we just bothered to take the time? But storytelling is a craft like any other, with its own secret techniques and best practices. Charlie Jane Anders is a multiple-award-winning novelist and story writer, but also someone who has thought carefully about all the ingredients of a good story, from plot and conflict to characters and relationships. This will be a useful conversation for anyone who tells stories, reads novels, or watches movies. Maybe you’ll be inspired to finally write that novel.</p><p><em>Support Mindscape on&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.patreon.com/seanmcarroll" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Patreon</em></a><em>.</em></p><p>Charlie Jane Anders studied English and Asian literature at Cambridge University. She is the author of over 100 published works of short fiction and several novels, including the new Young Adult book&nbsp;<a href="https://www.charliejaneanders.com/victories-greater-than-death" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Victories Greater Than Death</em></a>. She was co-founder of the website&nbsp;<a href="https://io9.gizmodo.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">io9</a>, a blog about science and science fiction. She is a frequent event organizer, including the monthly&nbsp;<a href="http://writerswithdrinks.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Writers With Drinks</a>. Among her accolades are Hugo, Nebula, Locus, Sturgeon, and Crawford awards. She is the co-host, with Annalee Newitz, of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Our Opinions Are Correct</a>&nbsp;podcast. Later this year she will publish&nbsp;<a href="https://www.charliejaneanders.com/never-say-you-cant-survive" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Never Say You Can’t Survive: How to Get Through Hard Times by Making Up Stori