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.
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
134: “Sour Milk Girls” by Erin Roberts
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In this episode, we discuss “Sour Milk Girls” by Erin Roberts. What can we learn from this story about damaged people? Can a story explore a broken character? How can we present background as part of a scene happening in the moment? How can using a light speculative touch help a story dig into character? Can we write a story asking what a broken character would do as a result of their trauma?
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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August 15th, 2024 by Naples Writers' Workshop
133: “An Outpost of Progress” by Joseph Conrad
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In this episode, we discuss “An Outpost of Progress” by Joseph Conrad. What can we learn from this classic story? How can a story incorporate a “thesis statement”? Can we step back from a story to offer editorial commentary? How do stories explore topics and ideas? Can we adopt a nineteenth-century authorial voice into a modern show-don’t-tell style?
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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August 1st, 2024 by Naples Writers' Workshop
132: “The Island of the Immortals” by Ursula K Le Guin
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In this episode, we discuss “The Island of the Immortals” by Ursula K. Le Guin. What can we learn from this quick story that examines a philosophical question? How does perspective on the central question change through the story, even as the narration remains in first person? How can that changing perspective circle in on a central idea?
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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July 15th, 2024 by Naples Writers' Workshop
131: “Jeffty is Five” by Harlan Ellison
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In this episode, we discuss “Jeffty is Five” by Harlan Ellison. What can we learn from this nostalgic story? How does the ending wrap up the arc of the story? How can we tell which character the story is meant to change? What does it mean to suspend disbelief? How do we write a story about kids that’s for adults?
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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July 1st, 2024 by Naples Writers' Workshop
130: “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner
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In this episode, we discuss “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner. What can we learn from this richly voiced story? How can we develop a stream-of-consciousness voice for a story? How can sentence length help guide the reader’s 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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June 15th, 2024 by Naples Writers' Workshop
129: “Separating” by John Updike
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In this episode, we discuss “Separating” by John Updike. What can we learn from this vivid and careful short story? Can we say anything about the voice of this story? How does a story create its own voice? How can we handle many characters on the page and their conflicting motives through a single point of view? How does point of view influence a story’s voice?
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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June 1st, 2024 by Naples Writers' Workshop
128: “It’s Such a Beautiful Day” by Isaac Asimov
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In this episode, we discuss “It’s Such a Beautiful Day” by Isaac Asimov. What can we learn from this classic science fiction story? How can a single imagined technology inform a fictional world? How can we create apparent depth in a speculative future world? How does a story help direct the kinds of details the reader needs to build a compelling world?
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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May 15th, 2024 by Naples Writers' Workshop
127: “The Frog King” by Garth Greenwell
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In this episode, we discuss “The Frog King” by Garth Greenwell. What can we learn from this quiet portrait of a human relationship? Is there conflict in this story? Does a story need conflict? What other properties of a story can generate momentum to drive it forward?
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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May 1st, 2024 by Naples Writers' Workshop
126: “The Destructors” by Graham Greene
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In this episode, we discuss “The Destructors” by Graham Greene. What can we learn from this quick but complex story? How can group dynamics be quickly introduced in a story? How can the central action of a story produce and maintain narrative momentum? How can we keep ramping up the reader’s interest in 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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April 15th, 2024 by Naples Writers' Workshop