Why Is This Good?
128 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 days ago - ★★★★★ - 18 ratingsThe Naples Writers' Workshop presents lessons from successful writing
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Episodes
126: “The Destructors” by Graham Greene
April 15, 2024 12:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast 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 […]
125: “Button, Button” by Richard Matheson
April 01, 2024 12:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Button, Button” by Richard Matheson. What can we learn from this deceptively simple story? What does it mean that a story’s ending should be surprising yet inevitable? How […]
124: “Civil Peace” by Chinua Achebe
March 15, 2024 12:00 - 15 minutes - 10.6 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Civil Peace” by Chinua Achebe. What can we learn from this own-voice story? How can a story use a refrain or leitmotif? How can a theme or exploration […]
123: “Woman at Exhibition” by E. Lily Yu
March 01, 2024 13:00 - 20 minutes - 14.5 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Woman at Exhibition” by E. Lily Yu. What can we learn from this brief story? How can real-life, historical people be incorporated into speculative fiction? How can a […]
122: “Car Crash While Hitchhiking” by Denis Johnson
February 15, 2024 13:00 - 27 minutes - 19.4 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Car Crash While Hitchhiking” by Denis Johnson. What can we learn from this great little story? What is a writer’s “eye”? How does sentence structure help develop a […]
121: “When Stars Collide” by Ottessa Moshfegh
February 01, 2024 13:00 - 25 minutes - 18.4 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “When Stars Collide” by Ottessa Moshfegh. What can we learn from this work of Flash Fiction? How do specific actions and details help define a character? How can […]
120: “The Dead” by James Joyce
January 15, 2024 13:00 - 31 minutes - 22.7 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Dead” by James Joyce. What can we learn from the story T. S. Eliot called “one of the greatest short stories ever written”? What can we learn […]
119: “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” by Alice Munro
January 01, 2024 13:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” by Alice Munro. What can we learn from this story with an unexpected but inevitable ending? How does the structure function? How […]
118: “The Library of Babel” by Jorge Luis Borges
December 15, 2023 13:00 - 27 minutes - 19.7 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Library of Babel” by Jorge Luis Borges. What can we learn from this work of Philosophical Fiction? How can a speculative story be built upon a philosophical […]
117: “Drive My Car” by Haruki Murakami
December 01, 2023 13:00 - 23 minutes - 16.8 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Drive My Car” by Haruki Murakami. What can we learn from this quietly contemplative story? What kind of structure can we find in a relatively structureless piece? How […]
116: “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut
November 15, 2023 13:00 - 23 minutes - 16.9 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. What can we learn from this classic of speculative fiction? How does its cartoonishness impact its humanity? How important is it for fiction […]
115: “The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees” by E. Lily Yu
November 01, 2023 12:00 - 29 minutes - 21.5 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees” by E. Lily Yu. What can we learn from this fanciful story? How does language help create the mood of the […]
114: “The Man Who Lost the Sea” by Theodore Sturgeon
October 15, 2023 12:00 - 31 minutes - 22.5 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Man Who Lost the Sea” by Theodore Sturgeon. What can we learn from this dreamlike science fiction story? How versatile and variable is point of view? How […]
113: “And of Clay Are We Created” by Isabel Allende
October 01, 2023 12:00 - 22 minutes - 16.2 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “And of Clay Are We Created” by Isabel Allende. What can we learn from this story based on real events? How does point of view help define the […]
112: “Spring in Fialta” by Vladimir Nabokov
September 15, 2023 12:00 - 31 minutes - 22.4 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Spring in Fialta” by Vladimir Nabokov. What can we learn from Nabokov and his ability to capture moments? How can detailed moments build up a story? How can […]
111: “The Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu
September 01, 2023 12:00 - 23 minutes - 17.2 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu. What can we learn from this affecting story with a touch of magic to it? How can we use a bit of […]
110: “This Way for the Gas Ladies and Gentlemen” by Tadeusz Borowski
August 15, 2023 12:00 - 30 minutes - 22 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen” by Tadeusz Borowski. What can we learn from this devastating account of prisoners at Auschwitz? How can a stark, simple […]
109: “Happy Endings” by Margaret Atwood
August 01, 2023 12:00 - 23 minutes - 17.5 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Happy Endings” by Margaret Atwood. What can we learn from this playful bit of metafiction? How can we be playful and experimental when writing a story? How can […]
108: “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe
July 15, 2023 12:00 - 22 minutes - 16.7 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe. What can we learn from this classic horror story? How much is needed to create the main effect of the […]
107: “How to Eat Chicken Wings” by Kristen Arnett
July 01, 2023 12:00 - 17 minutes - 12.8 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “How to Eat Chicken Wings” by Kristen Arnett. What can we learn from this fun little piece? Are chicken wings a metaphor? Can a metaphor change through a […]
106: “The Frog Prince” by Robert Coover
June 15, 2023 12:00 - 26 minutes - 18.9 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Frog Prince” by Robert Coover. What can we learn from this retelling of a classic fairy-tale trope? Should we take a story like this literally? What does […]
105: “Milkwishes” by Kristen Roupenian
June 01, 2023 12:00 - 21 minutes - 15.6 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Milkwishes” by Kristen Roupenian. What can we learn from this story that happens so much in the character’s thoughts? How can memories be the main focus of a […]
104: “Redemption” by John Gardner
May 15, 2023 12:00 - 22 minutes - 16 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Redemption” by John Gardner. What can we learn from this story based on true events from the author’s childhood? How important is it that depictions feel real? How […]
103: “A Temporary Matter” by Jhumpa Lahiri
May 01, 2023 12:00 - 25 minutes - 18.7 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “A Temporary Matter” by Jhumpa Lahiri. What can we learn from this story with such a simple premise? How can memory inform a story? How does memory differ […]
102: “The Worshipful Society of Glovers” by Mary Robinette Kowal
April 15, 2023 12:00 - 22 minutes - 16.6 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast 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 […]
101: “To Build a Fire” by Jack London
April 01, 2023 12:00 - 22 minutes - 16.4 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast 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 […]
100: “The Lady with the Pet Dog” by Joyce Carol Oates
March 15, 2023 12:00 - 27 minutes - 19.9 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast 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”? […]
099: “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl
March 01, 2023 13:00 - 19 minutes - 14.4 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast 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 […]
098: “The Father” by Raymond Carver
February 15, 2023 13:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast 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 […]
097: “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes
February 01, 2023 13:00 - 19 minutes - 14.2 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast 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 […]
096: “Incarnations of Burned Children” by David Foster Wallace
January 15, 2023 13:00 - 22 minutes - 16.9 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast 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 […]
095: “On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning” by Haruki Murakami
January 01, 2023 13:00 - 24 minutes - 18.2 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast 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 […]
094: “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” by Ernest Hemingway
December 15, 2022 13:00 - 27 minutes - 20.5 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast 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 […]
093: “Dinosaur” by Bruce Holland Rogers
December 01, 2022 13:00 - 26 minutes - 19.9 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast 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? […]
092: “The Venus Effect” by Violet Allen
November 15, 2022 13:00 - 24 minutes - 17.8 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Venus Effect” by Violet Allen. What can we learn from this work of metafiction? How can metafictional elements help a story accomplish its effects? What function can […]
091: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
November 01, 2022 12:00 - 22 minutes - 16.6 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. What can we learn from this story built around the strange premise of aging in reverse? How can […]
090: “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor
October 15, 2022 12:00 - 27 minutes - 20.5 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor. What can we learn from this classic story from a great writer? How does its structure work? How are background and flashback […]
089: “Escape from Spiderhead” by George Saunders
October 01, 2022 12:00 - 38 minutes - 29.1 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Escape from Spiderhead” by George Saunders. What can we learn from yet another great story from Saunders? What is voice, and does an author have a voice separate […]
088: “Welcome to the Medical Clinic at the Interplanetary Relay Station” by Caroline M. Yoachim
September 15, 2022 12:00 - 20 minutes - 15.7 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Welcome to the Medical Clinic at the Interplanetary Relay Station | Hours Since the Last Patient Death: 0” by Caroline M. Yoachim. What can we learn from a […]
087: “The Swimmer” by John Cheever
September 01, 2022 12:00 - 26 minutes - 19.8 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Swimmer” by John Cheever. What can we learn from this fantastic story? What can we say about the point of view? How does Neddy’s journey drive the […]
086: “Wikihistory” by Desmond Warzel
August 15, 2022 12:00 - 20 minutes - 15.5 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Wikihistory” by Desmond Warzel. What can we learn from this story set on an internet forum? How can we be creative with pseudo-paratext? How can we rely on […]
085: “The Black Phone” by Joe Hill
August 01, 2022 12:00 - 22 minutes - 17.6 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Black Phone” by Joe Hill. What can we learn from a story by one of Stephen King’s kids? How does horror work in written form? How can […]
084: “Referential” by Lorrie Moore
July 15, 2022 12:00 - 20 minutes - 15.4 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Referential” by Lorrie Moore. What can we learn from a story inspired by another famous story? What can we learn from the changes Moore makes in the story? […]
083: “Brokeback Mountain” by Annie Proulx
July 01, 2022 12:00 - 17 minutes - 12.5 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Brokeback Mountain” by Annie Proulx. What can we learn from the quiet voice of this story? How does the narrative voice represent the characters? How can the setting […]
082: “The Future is Blue” by Catherynne M. Valente
June 15, 2022 12:00 - 22 minutes - 17.4 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Future is Blue” by Catherynne M. Valente. What can we learn from this cli-fi story? What makes a great prose style? How can we make our prose […]
081: “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber
June 01, 2022 12:00 - 20 minutes - 15.9 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber. What can we learn from this happy little story and its main character’s vivid daydreams? How does the literary […]
080: “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid
May 15, 2022 12:00 - 17 minutes - 13.8 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid. What can we learn from this little story? Is it flash fiction? What is it? How can we create rich characters by presenting only […]
079: “Town of Birds” by Heather Monley
May 01, 2022 12:00 - 15 minutes - 12.2 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Town of Birds” by Heather Monley. What can we learn from this story? Does there have to be a metaphorical meaning? How can a strong image or concept […]
078: “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
April 15, 2022 12:00 - 21 minutes - 16.5 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien. What can we learn from this classic story? How does the conceit of the narration help tell the story? How does […]
077: “The Hunter’s Wife” by Anthony Doerr
April 01, 2022 12:00 - 21 minutes - 16.6 MBIf you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Hunter’s Wife” by Anthony Doerr. What can we learn from a story with a fantastical premise? What do we get from a slow-building, patient story? How do […]