Never Say You Can't Survive

Starred review from June 1, 2021

Since the publication of her debut novel, All the Birds in the Sky, Anders has sometimes been called the inheritor to Margaret Atwood's speculative fiction crown; this makes her the perfect author for a how-to guide to storytelling, especially in the midst of the global pandemic that has turned many of the concepts of speculative fiction into realities. In this volume's raw introduction, Anders delineates how writing helped her survive 2020 and says, "Putting any kind of story together makes you a god in your own private universe and grants you control over a whole world inside your own mind, even when the outside world feels like a constant torrent of awfulness." The ensuing guide offers strategies, interspersed with personal narratives, designed to support storytellers searching for control of those private universes we each have in our own minds. VERDICT Let Anders introduce you to the imaginary friends whose stories need to be told; provide you with tools to defeat enemies like imposter syndrome; and show you the many varied lifelines writing can offer, no matter who you are--and no matter what story you need to tell.--Emily Bowles, Lawrence Univ., WI

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2021
From celebrated speculative fiction novelist Anders comes a book of essays about the vibrant support and energy to be gleaned from the act of writing. In this packed collection, Anders gifts readers with digestible and motivating writing advice dipped in a satisfying coating of snark. Using her own life and writing career as inspiration, Anders cuts through preconceived notions of what it is to be a writer, dismissing dichotomies and spilling truths about imposter syndrome. She encourages authors to channel their anger into their writing, to reject the rugged individual trope and instead foster communities and relationships in their writing, to not dismiss works that are positive or fun. Weirdness, Anders declares, is radical: writing and imagining a different or new reality is a profoundly revolutionary act, no matter the genre or tone of the story. Through her encouraging counsel and intriguing questions, she encourages writers to keep writing and continue telling stories, brainstorming, daydreaming, listening, and to have faith in their own abilities and their heart. Anders gives both new and experienced writers questions, exercises, and encouragement that will spark ideas and keep them motivated to continue their work.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 30, 2021
Celebrated speculative fiction writer Anders (Victories Greater than Death) blends personal stories with practical genre fiction techniques in this earnest though overwrought manual for how “to write your way out of hard times.” As she writes at the book’s outset, “Putting any kind of story together makes you a god in your own private universe and grants you control over a whole world inside your own mind, even when the outside world feels like a constant torrent of awfulness.” Originally published on Tor.com during the height of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, these concise essays on writing “as an act of self-preservation” lucidly describe storycraft fundamentals (characters, plotting, worldbuilding) in welcoming, conversational prose, interspersed with anecdotes of the author’s growth from lonely first-grade daydreamer to multi-award-winning author. Anders shows keen trauma awareness, strategizing how writing practices can fit troubled times—from “embrac uncertainty” to defining success realistically and developing adaptable emotional skills. Unfortunately, the book’s lack of a cohesive through line undermines its authority: both intriguing and problematized elements—such as the genre’s overly Western idea of agency and sweeping statements on writers’ motives—are rarely explored deeply, and playful examples often get belabored, muddling the principles they illustrate. Budding genre writers questioning their voice’s value will appreciate this overview, but quickly need more.