Why Is This Good?

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 […]

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 […]

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? […]

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? If you enjoy this […]

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 […]

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? If you enjoy this episode, consider […]

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 […]

In this episode, we discuss “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce. What can we learn from a story with such a devastating twist? How can we create an engaging story out of a cheap trick that we’re usually advised to avoid? What’s a good length for a story? Is this a story? […]

In this episode, we discuss “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury. What can we learn from a quick science fiction story? How can a science fiction premise generate a story with such strong emotions? How can we show emotions in a story? What makes good science fiction? How can a simple story still […]

In this episode, we discuss “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. What can we learn from this quiet horror story? How does foreshadowing work? How can good, small-town chat help a story? How can something familiar be undermined to make it horrifying? If you enjoy this episode, consider subscribing to our newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com For daily […]

In this episode, we discuss “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett. Why did Kristine choose an old, nineteenth-century story, and what can we learn from it? How have the attention spans of readers changed over the past century? How does the character’s connection with the setting help drive the story? If you enjoy this […]

In this episode, we discuss “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang. What can we learn from this complex and heart-wrenching science-fiction story? How can we use very specific ideas from specialized fields to drive a narrative? How do we make sure the science that informs the story’s conceit helps to propel the drama of […]

In this episode, we discuss “The Girls in Their Summer Dresses” by Irwin Shaw. What can we learn from a story driven by dialogue? How does a story like this generate momentum? How is the spare writing achieved? How much can be accomplished with good dialogue? What makes dialogue feel realistic? How can we use […]

In this episode, Anna talks to eminent novelist and prolific short story writer Richard Bausch. They discuss his short story, “Isolation,” his novella, “Donnaiolo,” and what it’s like to have one’s work optioned and filmed in Hollywood. Richard will also read his recently published short story, “Trigger Warnings.” If you enjoy this episode, please consider […]

In this episode, we discuss “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates. What can we learn from this timeless story? How can we handle dialect in our stories? How can we develop good tension for a story? How can we show a character’s motivations without being specific? How can a […]

In this episode, we discuss “Herman Wouk is Still Alive” by Stephen King. What can we learn from a short story by a master storyteller? How can we develop plot in a short story? How can we establish character? If you enjoy this episode, consider subscribing to our newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com For daily writing tips, […]

In this episode, we interview Benjamin Percy. Find out more about Benjamin Percy here: https://benjaminpercy.com/ Buy The Ninth Metal here: https://www.contentbookstore.com/ If you enjoy this episode, consider subscribing to our newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com For daily writing tips, industry news, and great short fiction, join our Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/napleswritersworkshop

In this episode, we discuss “The Yellow Wall-Paper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. What can we learn from a 19th-Century Feminist short story? How does the diary-entry structure inform the way we read? How is a first-person point of view affected by the diary format? How does the horror genre help serve the story’s social commentary? […]

In this episode, we discuss “With the Beatles” by Haruki Murakami. How does structure help move the story forward and inform its themes? How do the three phases of the structure function in the story? How can ruminating on an idea propel a story? What can we learn from an ambiguous ending? How does a […]

In this episode, we discuss “The Prairie Wife” by Curtis Sittenfeld. What can we learn from a story that unspools like a stone tumbling down a hill? How can we accomplish such mind-blowing twists? How can we use unconscious cultural dispositions to create tension in a story? How does setting the action of a story […]