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.
161: “A Manual for Cleaning Women” by Lucia Berlin
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In this episode, we discuss “A Manual for Cleaning Women” by Lucia Berlin. What can we learn from this story? How can we use a repeating structure in a story? How can the emotional shape of a story influence its structure? How does a story’s themes suggest structural features?
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October 1st, 2025 by Naples Writers' Workshop
160: “Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor
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In this episode, we discuss “Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor. What can we learn from one of O’Connor’s best parables? How do details make a story richer? What does it mean for a story to have a meaning? How can detailed, concrete characters help a story find insights through drama?
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, 2025 by Naples Writers' Workshop
159: “Wood Sorrel House” by Zach Williams
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In this episode, we discuss “Wood Sorrel House” by Zach Williams. What can we learn from this story? Do we need to interpret what the story means? Is there a metaphor? How can interior psychology be presented by external conflicts? How can we make sure our stories are understood as we intend? How can concrete details ground a story’s concerns? What makes a perfect detail?
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, 2025 by Naples Writers' Workshop
158: “The Garden of Forking Paths” by Jorge Luis Borges
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In this episode, we discuss “The Garden of Forking Paths” by Jorge Luis Borges. What can we learn from this seminal work? How does the Garden of Forking Paths function in the story? How can a story maintain momentum while shifting the reader’s expectations? How can a story explain something novel?
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, 2025 by Naples Writers' Workshop
157: “Found Objects” by Jennifer Egan
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In this episode, we discuss “Found Objects” by Jennifer Egan (second story in this PDF). What can we learn from this story? How can plot serve character and character serve plot? How can a character be both a device and a character? Can a scene be developed as both a present scene and a memory at the same time? How does the character’s experience drive the reader’s understanding of 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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August 1st, 2025 by Naples Writers' Workshop
156: “Two Words” by Isabel Allende
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In this episode, we discuss “Two Words” by Isabel Allende, originally “Dos Palabras”. What can we learn from this story translated from Spanish? How can we use our writing eye in descriptions? How can a story feel like a legend or myth? How does mythic storytelling influence how the narrative views its characters? How can a story leave an unanswered question and yet remain entirely satisfying?
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, 2025 by Naples Writers' Workshop
155: “The Piano Teacher’s Pupil” by William Trevor
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In this episode, we discuss “The Piano Teacher’s Pupil” by William Trevor. What can we learn from this short, well-crafted story? How can backstory help build the present moment? How can we establish throughlines? How are well-rounded characters developed?
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, 2025 by Naples Writers' Workshop
154: “Nine Lives” by Ursula K. Le Guin
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In this episode, we discuss “Nine Lives” by Ursula K. Le Guin. What can we learn from another great story from a master of speculative fiction? How can we portray unusual experiences that are nonetheless fundamentally human? How can we keep our focus on what it means to be human even in wildly speculative 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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June 15th, 2025 by Naples Writers' Workshop
153: “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury
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In this episode, we discuss “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury. What can we learn from this story of dangerous technology? How can a mystery drive a story? How can a future-looking story remain timeless? What are some ways a story can focus its concerns on humans and humanity? How wrong should things go 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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June 1st, 2025 by Naples Writers' Workshop
152: “How to Be an Other Woman” by Lorrie Moore
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In this episode, we discuss “How to Be an Other Woman” by Lorrie Moore. (Read First Section and Second Section.) What can we learn from this mock self-help instructional story? How are emotional moments developed? How do the second person and imperative mood function? How do keen imagery and highly metaphorical descriptions function?
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, 2025 by Naples Writers' Workshop