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We had the absolute joy of sitting down with Charlie Jane Anders, the author of the book we’ve focused on for our last four episodes (All the Birds in the Sky). We talked with Anders about POV, tone, and how she played around with humor —partly by occasionally using an omniscient POV! Anders also explained how to incorporate humor and whimsy, and what it feels like to take risks as an author in today’s literary landscape.
Thing of the Week:
Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders
Homework from Charlie Jane Anders:
Take a scene you’ve already written and add five or six narrative asides that are providing information that the characters in the scene couldn’t possibly know.
Ads:
If you’re interested in the Whodunit Murder Mystery cruise (which you heard a teaser for at the start of this episode)—you can visit whodunitcruises.com to learn more! The next cruise is February 6th, 2026 and leaves from Los Angeles!
For 20% off Scrivener, you can the code “EXCUSES” for at www.literatureandlatte.com.
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal and DongWon Song. Our guest was Charlie Jane Anders. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
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We had the absolute joy of sitting down with Charlie Jane Anders, the author of the book we’ve focused on for our last four episodes (All the Birds in the Sky). We talked with Anders about POV, tone, and how she played around with humor —partly by occasionally using an omniscient POV! Anders also explained how to incorporate humor and whimsy, and what it feels like to take risks as an author in today’s literary landscape.
Thing of the Week:
Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders
Homework from Charlie Jane Anders:
Take a scene you’ve already written and add five or six narrative asides that are providing information that the characters in the scene couldn’t possibly know.
Ads:
If you’re interested in the Whodunit Murder Mystery cruise (which you heard a teaser for at the start of this episode)—you can visit whodunitcruises.com to learn more! The next cruise is February 6th, 2026 and leaves from Los Angeles!
For 20% off Scrivener, you can the code “EXCUSES” for at www.literatureandlatte.com.
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal and DongWon Song. Our guest was Charlie Jane Anders. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Join Our Writing Community!
Writing Retreats
Newsletter
Patreon
Threads
Bluesky
TikTok
YouTube
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