221 reviews for:

Never Say You Can't Survive: How to Get Through Hard Times by Making Up Stories

Charlie Jane Anders

4.24 AVERAGE

quickspells's review

4.25

challenging funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

reading_tea's review against another edition

5.0

informative inspiring lighthearted

saholst's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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A real dream of a writing book: funny, courageous, encouraging, creative. Felt like a friend.

stardustrohrig's review

4.0

hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

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I really enjoyed reading this. There was a lot of great writing advice in this book, with a lot of details and explanations. I also liked that the author included her own experiences in the book to help explain things. It's not quite a memoir, but it's also more than simply a guidebook on how to write good stories.  The author also did a good job talking about why it can be important to write stories during hard times, as stories can get us through those times. While I'm not a fiction writer (yet), I did enjoy reading all of the advice, and I think it will be helpful in figuring out what I do want to work on writing. 

benwerd's review against another edition

5.0

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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I appreciated the writing advice, but more than that, the personal insights from Charlie Jane. This is a book about writing, but it’s also kind of a memoir about being a writer; she expertly uses her own experiences, and most importantly, mistakes, to make points that always land on the affirming and inspirational side of the rhetorical garden. It’s a warm book, written by someone who very obviously cares, and very obviously wants to help. That counts for a lot.

w_timmes's review against another edition

medium-paced

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This book felt relevant to what’s going on in my writing as well as the current landscape.

However, that being said, she (hope I’m using her pronouns right) goes too much into the wonder of writing and how it can it can go wrong, rather than giving practical advice I can use and implement in my process. When she actually does so, there have been moments like “how am I supposed to use this?”

I think there’s plenty of good ideas in this book, it could’ve hit the mark, but it only gets halfway there.

numbat's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny hopeful informative medium-paced

mnkraft's review against another edition

4.0

funny informative inspiring medium-paced

anydaytmmrwisnt's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH

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i think just not for me right now, will come back to in the future

devrose's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 33%

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I’m not a writer. I was looking for more memoir and less how to plot.