The Riff Raff Podcast #49 - Jenny Zhang

You only have to take one look at the goofy expression on my face in below picture to understand just how delighted Rosy and I were to have Jenny Zhang appear at The Riff Raff.

(Photo: Alice Lubbock)

They say you should never meet your heroes...well, I beg to differ!

In Episode 49, we chat to Jenny about how her short story collection came to life and the various iterations it took before finally becoming what it is today. We discuss how to approach writing complicated relationships, how to represent a group of people who've experienced similar things via their various anxieties and ticks, and how to really master your endings.

We also chatted about coming-of-age stories, whether you can ever write something that avoids all autobiographical aspects completely - and how to play around with your stories to keep them interesting and to toy with your readers' expectations.

This is a real belter.