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.
076: “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” by J. D. Salinger
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In this episode, we discuss “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” by J. D. Salinger. How can a simple presentation provide such a complex story? What’s the effect of a third-person, psychically distant point of view? How do we know what a character is thinking if we never see their thoughts? What should we as writers provide for readers to see the bigger picture?
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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March 15th, 2022 by Naples Writers' Workshop
075: “Sweethearts” by Richard Ford
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In this episode, we discuss “Sweethearts” by Richard Ford. What can we learn from this story? How can a character’s emotions create tension in a story? How can a story’s premise wind up the tension? How can we establish an authoritative voice for the narrator?
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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March 1st, 2022 by Naples Writers' Workshop
074: “This Is Pleasure” by Mary Gaitskill
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In this episode, we discuss “This is Pleasure” by Mary Gaitskill. What can we learn from a story with two first-person narrators? How can physical description help characterize a character? How do the feelings point-of-view characters have about something frame a story’s overall perspective? What’s the difference between a story and a character sketch?
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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February 15th, 2022 by Naples Writers' Workshop
073: “Snow” by Dale Bailey
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In this episode, we discuss “Snow” by Dale Bailey. What can we learn from this action-packed apocalyptic survival story? How much does a story like this rely on our familiarity with the genre? How do we determine what a story should focus on? How can we use refrains or motifs to represent the building pressures on a character’s decision? How can punctuation and line breaks help build the style of a scene?
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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February 1st, 2022 by Naples Writers' Workshop
072: “Leaf by Niggle” by J. R. R. Tolkien
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In this episode, we discuss “Leaf by Niggle” by J. R. R. Tolkien. What can we learn from this little tale? Is this a religious allegory? How does an allegorical framework limit how we understand or how we might write a story? What are the limitations of interpretive criticism? How is this story so much more than an allegory? What do we want to accomplish with fiction?
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 15th, 2022 by Naples Writers' Workshop
071: “This is How You Fail to Ghost Him” by Victoria McCurdy
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In this episode, we discuss “This is How You Fail to Ghost Him” by Victoria McCurdy. What can we learn from a piece of flash fiction? How can flash fiction satisfy us? What can be accomplished in such limited space? How does flash fiction allow us to try things out, like unusual points of view?
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, 2022 by Naples Writers' Workshop
070: “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver
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In this episode, we discuss “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver. What can we learn from a paradigm example of a short story? How can we fit an emotionally satisfying character arc into a short story? How can we craft great dialogue? How can we achieve a legitimately moving ending 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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December 15th, 2021 by Naples Writers' Workshop
069: “Ghosts and Empties” by Lauren Groff
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In this episode, we discuss “Ghosts and Empties” by Lauren Groff. What can we learn from a ruminative story with very little plot? How can we turn our own real experiences into fiction? How does a story differ from a personal essay? How does fiction establish a character’s state of mind by paying attention to what they notice and respond to? How does that method contrast with the device of using fictive elements to embody inner conflicts?
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, 2021 by Naples Writers' Workshop
068: “The Country of the Blind” by H. G. Wells
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In this episode, we discuss “The Country of the Blind” by H. G. Wells. Can a story be based on an aphorism? How does the Utopian tradition affect the telling? How would modern storytelling styles impact the structure and narration? What are we meant to take away from it?
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, 2021 by Naples Writers' Workshop
067: “Sea Oak” by George Saunders
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In this episode, we discuss “Sea Oak” by George Saunders. What can we learn from this crazy, hilarious story? How can fiction bring internal conflict into concrete reality? How can we create a concrete representation of a character’s self-reflective feelings? How can we create a satirical tone that is true to character? How do we imagine characters that are different than we are? How as writers can we do weird, memorable stuff and have fun?
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, 2021 by Naples Writers' Workshop