Writing Queer Asian American Girlhood with Ann Zhao

On this episode of Characters Like Us, I talk with young adult author Ann Zhao about writing queer Asian American girlhood, online friendships, fandom culture, and creating stories that feel honest, messy, and deeply personal.We discuss Ann’s novel Dear Wendy, the influence of fanfiction and internet communities on storytelling, and the importance of writing queer Asian American characters with complexity, humor, and joy.✨ In this episode:Queer Asian American representation in YAFanfiction and online writing communitiesWriting friendship, identity, and girlhoodCreating authentic queer storiesThe role of the internet in modern storytelling and publishing📚 Follow Ann on Instagram @annzhao_ and check out Dear Wendy and more books on the Characters Like Us Bookshop! https://bookshop.org/shop/clu📖 Follow Characters Like Us on Instagram @characterslikeuspod https://www.instagram.com/characterslikeuspod/ and host Geetanshi @gee.tan.shi https://www.instagram.com/gee.tan.shi/If you enjoy Characters Like Us, here are a few ways to support the show: 📚 Buy books through our Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/clu 💌 Subscribe on Substack for new episodes and reflections: https://geetanshisharma.substack.com 🤝 Join our Patreon for behind-the-scenes content: https://patreon.com/CharactersLikeUs?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkSubscribe for more conversations on inclusive storytelling and diverse books.Business Email: [email protected] by Hafijur Rahman from Pixabay. Sound Effects from Pixabay.