Why Is This Good?

In this episode we’re joined once again by our friend, author James Zwerneman. We discuss “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” by Mark Twain.  What can we learn from Twain’s famous story? How much do we like stories about frogs? How does an introduction to a story affect the story? How does a great […]

In this episode we invited our friend James Zwerneman to join our conversation, and James suggested we discuss a chapter from The Lost World by Michael Crichton. What can we learn from a single chapter from a novel? What can a single chapter accomplish within the context of a novel? What should a scene accomplish? […]

In this episode we discuss “Gator Butchering for Beginners” by Kristen Arnett. Can Kristine and JC handle the podcast without Rob during a pandemic? What can we learn from a piece of flash fiction that’s less than 600 words? What can we learn from an extended metaphor? How can we lead the reader to make […]

In this episode, we discuss “Woodland” by Lydia Millet. What can we learn from the new genre of Climate-Change Fiction, Cli-fi? How does setting help define character? Can setting overwhelm character? How can a story’s emotion affect the needs for its structure or movement? Where does drama in a story come from?

In this episode, we discuss “The School” by Donald Barthelme. Can fiction just be fun? How do voice and rhythm help build humor? How deep into the weeds can we get talking about first and second person?

In this episode, we discuss “Cat Person” by Kristen Roupenian. Is it okay to ignore the advice to “show, don’t tell”? Why does this story succeed when it “tells” so much, and what lessons can we take from that success? How does a character’s shifting motivation propel a story? How does a story about two […]

In this episode we discuss “Baader-Meinhof” by Don DeLillo. How can characters that misunderstand one another help drive our fiction? How can both meeting a stranger and looking at art change how a character sees the world? How can we use this to improve our own fiction? What can we learn from DeLillo’s stylistics?

In this episode we discuss “Sweet on the Tongue” by Roxane Gay.  What can we learn about characterization from subtly drawn characters?  How do relationships help develop character?  What can we learn about structure from a non-linear story?

In this episode, we discuss “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” by Harlan Ellison.  What can we learn from a story that depicts some of the most horrible things we might imagine?  How can we quickly set up a story’s situation?  How do we distinguish a situation from a story?  How can we […]

In this episode, we discuss “To the Measures Fall” by Richard Powers.  What can we learn from a story written in a “Choose Your Own Adventure” style?  What can we learn about character from a story whose main character is “You”?  How can a narrative be driven by the way a character continues to find […]

In this episode, we discuss “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury.  What can we learn from a story with no apparent characters?  How can we establish a POV without characters?  How does language introduce hidden personifications? How can we use these hidden metaphors to pump up our prose? Alternate version: “August 2026: There […]

In this episode, we discuss “Black-Eyed Women” by Viet Thanh Nguyen. What can we learn from a story that features a ghost? What function can a ghost serve in a narrative? How can a strong central metaphor inform the shape and details of a story? How do our cultural conventions inform the metaphors of our […]

In this episode, we discuss “Goodbye and Good Luck” by Grace Paley.  How can a strong character voice drive a story even without a complex plot?  Can a character sketch or portrait of an attitude be a complete and fulfilling story?  How can we inform the first person narration by considering the occasion of the […]

In this episode, we discuss “Gender Studies” by Curtis Sittenfeld.  How can a stereotype become a nuanced and unexpectedly deep character?  How can a character who doesn’t understand their own desires affect or drive a story?  Why do we write in the present tense? We also mention (and spoil) “Cat Person” by Kristen Roupenian.

In this episode, we read “Lady Tigers” by Nick White.  We discuss what we can learn about the all-too-familiar writer’s advice to “show, don’t tell” and how this story helps us understand that advice.  When should we show and not tell? Also, how can we structure the deployment of background information that is necessary for […]

In this episode, we discuss “The Babysitter” by Robert Coover.  What lessons can we take from such a unique piece that takes so many chances and nevertheless succeeds wildly?

In this episode, we discuss “Closer” by Greg Egan.  What can we learn about writing fiction in general from a “Hard” Science Fiction story?  How can philosophical questions influence our fiction? Find Egan’s paper about superpermutations here: “Superpermutations” by Greg Egan.

In this episode, we discuss “Girls, At Play” by Celeste Ng.  What lessons can we draw from a story with such a startling premise?  Is there more to learn about perspective and point of view?  How do our intentions for a story affect how the story ought to unfold and what readers are meant to […]

In this episode, we discuss “Only Tourists Remember the Alamo” by Alicia D. Ortega.  How can a specific, real-life setting influence a story?  How does a non-linear structure that allows you to quickly slip in and out of scenes give you more freedom in your story?

In this episode, we discuss “Victory Lap” by George Saunders.  What can we learn about writing character and stream of consciousness and point of view from a master of characterization and perspective. Read the story here: “Victory Lap” by George Saunders