390: Idea to Premise to Story: Crafting a Dynamic Short Story - Interview with Charlie Jane Anders

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Charlie Jane Anders.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Charlie Jane is the author of the essay collection</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Never Say You Can’t Survive</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">along with the short story collection Even Greater Mistakes. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her other books include</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The City in the Middle of the Night</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">and</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">All the Birds in the Sky</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Her fiction and journalism have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Slate, McSweeney's, Mother Jones, the Boston Review, Tor.com, Tin House, Teen Vogue, Conjunctions, Wired Magazine, and other places. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her TED Talk, "Go Ahead, Dream About the Future" got 700,000 views in its first week. With Annalee Newitz, she co-hosts the podcast Our Opinions Are Correct.</span></p> <p> </p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this episod</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">e</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">Charlie Jane Anders and I discuss:</span></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">What makes something an “idea” versus a “story” and how to tell the difference.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">How to keep short stories contained while making them rich and deep.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Why she believes endings are hard and what she does to cross the finish line.</span></li> </ul> <p><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Plus</span><span style= "font-weight: 400;">, her #1</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">tip for writers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For more info and show notes: <a href