Fiction writers from the Naples Writers' Workshop read successful stories and ask "Why Is This Good?"
We discuss how fiction works, the craft of writing, literary art, and what we can learn from examples of excellent writing.
Join us twice each month for our workshop podcast.
Why Is This Good? is hosted by Kristine Gill, J. C. Bronsted, and Rob Curtin.
144: “The Werewolf” by Angela Carter
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In this episode, we discuss “The Werewolf” by Angela Carter. What can we learn from this quick, little take on a folktale? How can setting help characterize a story? How can the prose reflect the mood of a setting or character?
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January 15th, 2025 by Naples Writers' Workshop
143: “Zombie” by Joyce Carol Oates
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In this episode, we discuss “Zombie” by Joyce Carol Oates. What can we learn from this portrait of a real-life serial killer? How do we feel about a portrait of a monster? Why do we write fiction in the first place? What creates forward momentum in a story? How can we control the focus of a reader’s empathy? Should writers try to write from perspectives outside their personal experience?
For daily writing tips, industry news, and great short fiction, join our Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/napleswritersworkshop
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January 1st, 2025 by Naples Writers' Workshop
142: “The Wind” by Lauren Groff
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In this episode, we discuss “The Wind” by Lauren Groff. What can we learn from this tense, action-packed story? How can we make a story so gripping? How can a removed point of view help reveal more depth in a story? How can we enrich a story?
For daily writing tips, industry news, and great short fiction, join our Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/napleswritersworkshop
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December 15th, 2024 by Naples Writers' Workshop
141: “These Golden Cities” by K. David Wade
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In this episode, we discuss “These Golden Cities” by K. David Wade. What can we learn from this story about taking an acid trip? How does the story guide us through the character’s experience? How do the character’s thoughts and perspective interact with the narrative point of view? How can a story explore a common yet pivotal life experience? How does a story gain power from being of the current cultural moment?
For daily writing tips, industry news, and great short fiction, join our Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/napleswritersworkshop
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December 1st, 2024 by Naples Writers' Workshop
140: “Non-Zero Probabilities” by N. K. Jemisin
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In this episode, we discuss “Non-Zero Probabilities” by N. K. Jemisin. What can we learn from this bit of speculative fiction? How can world-building be personal to a character? Can we set up the reader to infer the nature of the world based on details we provide? How can changing the variables in a situation help develop a story?
For daily writing tips, industry news, and great short fiction, join our Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/napleswritersworkshop
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November 15th, 2024 by Naples Writers' Workshop
139: “A Telephone Call” by Dorothy Parker
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In this episode, we discuss “A Telephone Call” by Dorothy Parker. What can we learn from this intense interior monologue story? How does this nearly 100-year-old story still reflect modern reality? How does the representation of a spiraling, fixating mind still produce forward momentum? How can paragraphing and punctuation help guide the reading experience?
For daily writing tips, industry news, and great short fiction, join our Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/napleswritersworkshop
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November 1st, 2024 by Naples Writers' Workshop
138: Curtis Sittenfeld vs ChatGPT
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In this episode, we discuss Curtis Sittenfeld vs ChatGPT. What can we learn from this experiment in comparing a literary author with an AI-generated story? How would we critique the ChatGPT story? What makes the Sittenfeld story human? What can we learn from the way the two versions summarize conversations? What about the cliches? How good is ChatGPT’s writing?
For daily writing tips, industry news, and great short fiction, join our Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/napleswritersworkshop
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October 15th, 2024 by Naples Writers' Workshop
137: “The Husband Stitch” by Carmen Maria Machado
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In this episode, we discuss “The Husband Stitch” by Carmen Maria Machado. What can we learn from this exploration of a familiar horror scenario? How can we expand on a common symbol in a story? How can we structure a story that comprises a lifetime? How do we focus such a story?
For daily writing tips, industry news, and great short fiction, join our Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/napleswritersworkshop
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October 1st, 2024 by Naples Writers' Workshop
136: “The Celestial Omnibus” by E. M. Forster
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On this episode, we discuss “The Celestial Omnibus” by E. M. Forster (starts page 54). What can we learn from this literary version of a fairy-story? How does the story pit pedantry against ingenuousness? Does it pick a winner? How does the story mimic the voices of its literary characters?
For daily writing tips, industry news, and great short fiction, join our Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/napleswritersworkshop
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September 15th, 2024 by Naples Writers' Workshop
135: “The Complete” by Gabriel Smith
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In this episode, we discuss “The Complete” by Gabriel Smith. What can we learn from this story made up of semi-connected snippets? How can disconnected pieces of narrative connect with one another to create interwoven threads? How many first-parson narrators can a story have? How much should a story rely on the reader’s own story-external experience of things?
For daily writing tips, industry news, and great short fiction, join our Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/napleswritersworkshop
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September 1st, 2024 by Naples Writers' Workshop