Protests & Protagonists: Malavika Kannan on Queer Girlhood and YA Fiction

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 YA * Fanfiction and online writing communities * Writing friendship, identity, and girlhood * Creating authentic queer stories * The 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 [https://bookshop.org/shop/clu] 📖 Follow Characters Like Us on Instagram @characterslikeuspod https://www.instagram.com/characterslikeuspod/ [https://www.instagram.com/characterslikeuspod/] and host Geetanshi @gee.tan.shi https://www.instagram.com/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 [https://bookshop.org/shop/clu] 💌 Subscribe on Substack for new episodes and reflections: https://geetanshisharma.substack.com [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=copyLink [https://patreon.com/CharactersLikeUs?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink] Subscribe for more conversations on inclusive storytelling and diverse books. Business Email: characterslikeusspod@gmail.com [characterslikeusspod@gmail.com] Music by Hafijur Rahman from Pixabay. Sound Effects from Pixabay.

Maya Prasad on Writing Beyond Stereotypes

In this episode of Characters Like Us, I talk with children’s and young adult author Maya Prasad about representation in literature and what it means to write beyond one-dimensional portrayals of identity. We discuss creating complex, multidimensional characters, writing multiple perspectives, and why meaningful representation is about more than inclusion—it’s about complexity. ✨ In this episode: * Representation in literature * Writing diverse and inclusive stories * South Asian identity in fiction * Character development and multiple perspectives 📚 Follow Maya on Instagram @msmayaprasad [https://www.instagram.com/msmayaprasad/] and check out all her 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 [https://geetanshisharma.substack.com/] for new episodes and reflections * 🤝 Join our Patreon [https://patreon.com/CharactersLikeUs?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink] for behind-the-scenes conten Subscribe for more conversations on inclusive storytelling and diverse books. Business Email: characterslikeusspod@gmail.com [characterslikeusspod@gmail.com] Music by Hafijur Rahman from Pixabay. Sound Effects from Pixabay.

Protests & Protagonists: Malavika Kannan on Queer Girlhood and YA Fiction

On this episode of Characters Like Us, we’re joined by author and multi-hyphenate creative Malavika Kannan for a conversation about queer girlhood, radical storytelling, and writing at the intersection of the personal and political. Malavika reflects on her journey from self-publishing in high school to releasing her YA debut All the Yellow Suns, a novel shaped by her experiences as a queer South Asian American growing up in Florida. We talk about what it means to write boldly when you don’t see yourself in books, how her Stanford years and journalism career shaped her voice, and what she’s working on now—including her upcoming adult novel set during the COVID-19 pandemic. From zines to sapphic supper clubs, this episode is a celebration of craft, community, and coming of (r)age. 🎙️ Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations on inclusive storytelling! Follow Malavika on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/literarymal/ [https://www.instagram.com/literarymal/] and check out her debut YA novel ALL THE YELLOW SUNS on our Bookshop Page! https://tinyurl.com/clubookshopATYS [https://tinyurl.com/clubookshopATYS] ⏳ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Introduction 02:39 - Numbered Narratives Segment 05:46 - Malavika's Journey to Becoming an Author 09:14 - Malavika's Writing Practice 11:52 - Transition to Full-time Writing 12:28 - Writing First Novel During the Pandemic 15:11 - Malavika's Approach to Reading as a Writer 22:29 - Exploring Nonfiction and Essay Writing 23:01 - Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Embracing Authenticity 27:20 - Advice for Emerging Writers 32:17 - Reflecting on Early Work 39:05 - Navigating Cancel Culture and Online Criticism 48:32 - Closing Segment 50:32 - Closing This video comes with captions and a transcript. Characters Like Us is a podcast dedicated to exploring the craft of diverse and inclusive writing in the books that we read and write. 💫 Enjoyed this episode? 💫 Join our Patreon / https://patreon.com/CharactersLikeUs [https://patreon.com/CharactersLikeUs] Buy Malavika's book on our bookshop / https://bookshop.org/shop/clu [https://bookshop.org/shop/clu] 🌻 Follow Geetanshi 🌻: Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/gee.tan.shi/ [https://www.instagram.com/gee.tan.shi/] YouTube / https://www.youtube.com/@Geetanshi-Sharma [https://www.youtube.com/@Geetanshi-Sharma] 📚 Follow Characters Like Us 📚: Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/characterslikeuspod/ [https://www.instagram.com/characterslikeuspod/] Business Email: characterslikeusspod@gmail.com [characterslikeusspod@gmail.com] Music by Hafijur Rahman from Pixabay. Sound Effects from Pixabay. #MalavikaKannan #AllTheYellowSuns #CharactersLikeUs #QueerWriters #SouthAsianAuthors #YAfiction #InclusiveStorytelling #ComingOfAge #DebutAuthor

Earthly Gods, Survival Songs: Jessica Nirvana Ram on Queer Diasporic Poetics

On this episode of Characters Like Us, I speak with poet Jessica Nirvana Ram about finding voice, navigating the margins, and writing the poems that won’t let you go. Jessica shares her path to poetry, what it was like pursuing an MFA, and how writing from a place of layered identity—queer, Indo-Guyanese, South Asian—shapes both her creative work and her experience in the literary world. We talk about claiming space in a landscape that doesn’t always feel like it was made for us, building community, and writing through the feeling of not having “permission,” but knowing you have something to say. From survival songs to earthly gods, Jessica’s work is a testament to the power of naming what hurts—and what heals. 🎙️ Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations on inclusive storytelling. Follow Jess on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rewritingdestiny/ [https://www.instagram.com/rewritingdestiny/] and check out her debut poetry collection EARTHLY GODS on our Bookshop Page! https://tinyurl.com/earthlygods [https://tinyurl.com/earthlygods] ⏳ TIMESTAMPS ⌛️ 00:00 - Introduction 03:46 - Numbered Narratives 04:35 - Queerness and Bisexuality 10:46 - Jessica's Writing Journey 16:36 - Queer Media and Representation 19:37 - Queerness, Family, and Cultural Context 24:49 - Jessica's Writing Process 36:44 - Spoken Word Poetry 38:03 - Indo-Caribbean Identity 43:09 - MFA Programs 50:14 - Finding Writing Community on Social Media 53:25 - Closing Thoughts and Conclusion This video comes with captions and a transcript. Characters Like Us is a podcast dedicated to exploring the craft of diverse and inclusive writing in the books that we read and write. 💫 Enjoyed this episode? 💫 Join our Patreon / https://patreon.com/CharactersLikeUs [https://patreon.com/CharactersLikeUs] Buy Jessica's book on our bookshop / https://bookshop.org/shop/clu [https://bookshop.org/shop/clu] 🌻 Follow Geetanshi 🌻: Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/gee.tan.shi/ [https://www.instagram.com/gee.tan.shi/] YouTube / https://www.youtube.com/@Geetanshi-Sharma [https://www.youtube.com/@Geetanshi-Sharma] 📚 Follow Characters Like Us 📚: Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/characterslikeuspod/ [https://www.instagram.com/characterslikeuspod/] Business Email: characterslikeusspod@gmail.com [characterslikeusspod@gmail.com] Music by Hafijur Rahman from Pixabay. Sound Effects from Pixabay.

Breaking the Form: Tara Sidhoo Fraser on Memory, Disability, & the Craft of Memoir

On this episode of Characters Like Us, I speak with author Tara Sidhoo Fraser about crafting memoirs that break the mold and speak truth to the complexities of identity, disability, and memory. Tara opens up about the nonlinear process behind her powerful memoir When My Ghost Sings, exploring what it means to write about amnesia, queerness, and disability without centering recovery as the end goal. We talk form, inspiration, and the importance of making space for stories that don’t fit the usual narrative. This is a conversation about writing from the margins—with honesty, artistry, and care. 🎙️ Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations on inclusive storytelling! Follow Tara on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tara_sidhoo_fraser/ [https://www.instagram.com/tara_sidhoo_fraser/] and check out her memoir WHEN MY GHOST SINGS on our Bookshop Page! https://tinyurl.com/CLUBookshopTara [https://tinyurl.com/CLUBookshopTara] ⏳ TIMESTAMPS ⌛️ 00:00 - Introduction 01:23 - Numbered Narratives 04:28 - Tara's Writing Journey 10:45 - Writing During the Pandemic 17:26 - Writing Process for 'When My Ghost Sings' 26:31 - The Impact of Amnesia 29:38 - Stereotypes Surrounding Amnesia and Disability 31:15 - Physical Changes and Identity 36:29 - Connecting with Your Past Self and "Crip Time" 46:36 - Writing a Memoir: Memory and Perspective 48:24 - Advice for Writers 50:00 - Upcoming Projects 51:42 - Closing This video comes with captions and a transcript. Characters Like Us is a podcast dedicated to exploring the craft of diverse and inclusive writing in the books that we read and write. 💫 Enjoyed this episode? 💫 Join our Patreon / https://patreon.com/CharactersLikeUs [https://patreon.com/CharactersLikeUs] Buy Tara's book on our bookshop / https://bookshop.org/shop/clu [https://bookshop.org/shop/clu] 🌻 Follow Geetanshi 🌻: Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/gee.tan.shi/ [https://www.instagram.com/gee.tan.shi/] YouTube / https://www.youtube.com/@Geetanshi-Sharma [https://www.youtube.com/@Geetanshi-Sharma] 📚 Follow Characters Like Us 📚: Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/characterslikeuspod/ [https://www.instagram.com/characterslikeuspod/] Business Email: characterslikeusspod@gmail.com [characterslikeusspod@gmail.com] Music by Hafijur Rahman from Pixabay. Sound Effects from Pixabay.