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.
102: “The Worshipful Society of Glovers” by Mary Robinette Kowal
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In this episode, we discuss “The Worshipful Society of Glovers” by Mary Robinette Kowal. What can we learn from this historical fantasy story? Do fantasy stories have a steep learning curve? How can we quickly build an alternate world in a short story? How can mixing genres create exciting stories? Despite the trappings of genre, how can such stories always still be about the human condition?
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April 15th, 2023 by Naples Writers' Workshop
101: “To Build a Fire” by Jack London
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In this episode, we discuss “To Build a Fire” by Jack London. What can we learn from this classic, straightforward story? How can immediacy drive a story? How can the story’s setting be an intrinsic part of the narrative? What can we learn from the line “And then it happened”? How does point of view shape our experience of the immediacy of the story?
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April 1st, 2023 by Naples Writers' Workshop
100: “The Lady with the Pet Dog” by Joyce Carol Oates
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In our one-hundredth episode, we discuss “The Lady with the Pet Dog” by Joyce Carol Oates. What can we learn from this retelling of Anton Chekhov’s story “The Lady with the Little Dog”? How does the retelling affect our understanding of the characters? How does the non-linear narrative help the story develop? How does varied sentence structure help develop the prose style? What story would we retell?
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March 15th, 2023 by Naples Writers' Workshop
099: “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl
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In this episode, we discuss “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl. What can we learn from this classic story? How versatile can a story’s point of view be? How can subtle shifts of point of view change how we see a character moment to moment? What is the value of a great story idea? How can we use indirect dialogue?
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March 1st, 2023 by Naples Writers' Workshop
098: “The Father” by Raymond Carver
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In this episode, we discuss “The Father” by Raymond Carver. What can we learn from this very short story? How much needs to be explained? How do we know where to end a story? How can we layer character reactions and motivations upon each other in a complex dialogue? How can distilling each character’s personal story help structure complex scenes?
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February 15th, 2023 by Naples Writers' Workshop
097: “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes
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In this episode, we discuss “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes. What can we learn from this classic science-fiction story? What happens when a story is driven by plot over character? How does the changing diction help develop the story? How can we depict a character’s increasing intelligence?
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February 1st, 2023 by Naples Writers' Workshop
096: “Incarnations of Burned Children” by David Foster Wallace
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In this episode, we discuss “Incarnations of Burned Children” by David Foster Wallace. What can we learn from this work of flash fiction by a master writer? Does it matter what “really” happens at the end? How do we read fiction, and what should we expect to get out of reading? What can we learn about how style helps a story? What power does a specific, concrete action have in a story?
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January 15th, 2023 by Naples Writers' Workshop
095: “On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning” by Haruki Murakami
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In this episode, we discuss “On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning” by Haruki Murakami. What can we learn from this simple tale? How can a story be driven by hypotheticals? How can a feeling drive a story? How can a feeling inspire a story? How should we guide a reader through a story? What crazy tangent will we go on in this episode?
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January 1st, 2023 by Naples Writers' Workshop
094: “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” by Ernest Hemingway
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In this episode, we discuss “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” by Ernest Hemingway. What can we learn from a Hemingway story? How can we depict a character who isn’t experiencing reality as it really is? How can this help us get at the root of character? What is the Hemingway style? Does he really avoid adjectives?
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December 15th, 2022 by Naples Writers' Workshop
093: “Dinosaur” by Bruce Holland Rogers
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In this episode, we discuss “Dinosaur” by Bruce Holland Rogers. What can we learn from a 300-word piece of flash fiction? How does a story so short manage to depict an entire lifetime? How does it invoke such a complex emotion? How important is it to specify a time-period for a story? How can we make a lifetime into a coherent 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 1st, 2022 by Naples Writers' Workshop