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Rating
4.5from
This podcast has
189 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Why Is This Good?Explicit
Yes
Date created
2019/02/02
Latest episode
2026/11/01
Average duration
27 min.
Release period
16 days
Description
The Naples Writers' Workshop presents lessons from successful writing
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Check latest episodes from Why Is This Good? podcast
187: “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
2026/11/01
Interested in our novel mentorship program or have any other questions? Email us at [email protected]
If 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
You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com
In this episode, we discuss “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. What can we learn from this magical story? What kind of story can magical realism create for the reader? How does a story establish a moral stance? How can we be sure our stories focus on human concerns? What is the difference between magical realism and surrealism?
186: “The Call of Cthulhu” by H P Lovecraft
2026/10/15
Interested in our novel mentorship program or have any other questions? Email us at [email protected]
If 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
You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com
In this episode, we discuss “The Call of Cthulhu” by H. P. Lovecraft. What can we learn from this classic work of gothic horror? How does a first-person narrator help develop the dawning dread? How does the way the story is told help lend it authority and realism? How does the unfolding of the story develop an emotional arc? How does the Gothic style propel the story?
185: “An Alpine Divorce” by Robert Barr
2026/10/01
Interested in our novel mentorship program or have any other questions? Email us at [email protected]
If 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
You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com
In this episode, we discuss “An Alpine Divorce” by Robert Barr. What can we learn from this old story? How quickly can we establish the dynamics among the characters to set up the story? How can we foreshadow what will happen and keep reader interest with the twist ending? How does a distant narrator function? How can a narrator guide a reader’s expectations?
184: “Miss Furr and Miss Skeene” by Gertrude Stein
2026/09/15
Interested in our novel mentorship program or have any other questions? Email us at [email protected]
If 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
You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com
In this episode, we discuss “Miss Furr and Miss Skeene” by Gertrude Stein. What can we learn from this story written as prose poetry? What is a prose poem? How can we overload a word’s meaning to dig deeper into a situation? What does the writing gain or lose by being poetry or being prose?
183: “The Fifty-Ninth Bear” by Sylvia Plath
2026/09/01
Interested in our novel mentorship program or have any other questions? Email us at [email protected]
If 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
You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com
In this episode, we discuss “The Fifty-Ninth Bear” by Sylvia Plath. What can we learn from this story by such an accomplished poet? How well can an author get outside of themself to portray a compelling character and story? How much can we read beyond the page into the motives and feelings of the characters, and how much should we?
182: “Say Yes” by Tobias Wolff
2026/08/15
Interested in our novel mentorship program or have any other questions? Email us at [email protected]
If 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
You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com
In this episode, we discuss “Say Yes” by Tobias Wolff. What can we learn from this quick story with great depth? How can a story create depth of character without relying on backstory and character history? How can a mundane setup help focus a story on its central point? How can a story introduce the main elements it will develop right at the start?
181: “At the Clinic” by Sally Rooney
2026/08/01
Interested in our novel mentorship program or have any other questions? Email us at [email protected]
If 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
You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com
In this episode, we discuss “At the Clinic” by Sally Rooney. What can we learn from this story about characters that are also the focus of a novel? How can we set up the threads that will be woven together through a story? How does point of view help focus what a story is about?
180: “Work” by Denis Johnson
2026/07/15
Interested in our novel mentorship program or have any other questions? Email us at [email protected]
If 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
You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com
In this episode, we discuss “Work” by Denis Johnson. What can we learn from this story with a strong voice? How does the narrator shape the way we understand and experience the story? How does detachment play a part in the emotions of the story? How are connections and analogies drawn to help develop the feelings of important moments? How does the linear nature of prose writing dictate how we guide the reader through this kind of connective narrative? How can we create the right voice for our own stories?
179: “Roy Spivey” by Miranda July
2026/07/01
Interested in our novel mentorship program or have any other questions? Email us at [email protected]
If 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
You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com
In this episode, we discuss “Roy Spivey” by Miranda July. What can we learn from this delightful story of quirky characters? How can taking a character’s emotions to an absurd degree help get to the root of what it means to be human? How can we root a story in a truth about human experience?
178: “A Small Good Thing” by Raymond Carver
2026/06/15
Interested in our novel mentorship program or have any other questions? Email us at [email protected]
If 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
You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com
In this episode, we discuss “A Small Good Thing” by Raymond Carver. What can we learn from this masterful short story? How does a writer deliberately make a reader like or dislike a character? Can we deepen a character without exploring the character’s past? How does fiction employ empathy? How can we depict a character’s emotions by showing them in action?
177: “2BR02B” by Kurt Vonnegut
2026/06/01
Interested in our novel mentorship program or have any other questions? Email us at [email protected] If 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 You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com In this episode, we discuss “2BR02B” by Kurt […]
176: “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty
2026/05/15
Interested in our novel mentorship program or have any other questions? Email us at [email protected] If 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 You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com In this episode, we discuss “A Worn Path” […]
175: “Foster” by Claire Keegan
2026/05/01
Interested in our novel mentorship program or have any other questions? Email us at [email protected] If 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 You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com In this episode, we discuss “Foster” by Claire […]
174: “In the Heart of the Heart of the Country” by William H Gass
2026/04/15
Interested in our novel mentorship program or have any other questions? Email us at [email protected] If 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 You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com In this episode, we discuss “In the Heart […]
173: “Teenage Wasteland” by Anne Tyler
2026/04/01
Interested in our novel mentorship program or have any other questions? Email us at [email protected] If 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 You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com In this episode, we discuss “Teenage Wasteland” by […]
Podcast reviews
Read Why Is This Good? podcast reviews
Oscar Cobblepot, PhD 2026/04/14
The World Needs More Lit Podcasts
With all the junk out there the world needs more literature podcasts. This podcast is the exception to that rule. Look at History of Literature or How...
Horsefan101ggggg 2024/03/28
Weak analysis
Not very thorough but a decent jumping off point. They pick good stories to cover but their analysis is weak.
Jameson Mead 2023/07/15
How does this woman have a literature podcast?
I listen to this podcast because I love short stories. However, I have no clue how this woman has any authority to talk about literature. She constant...
akarras823 2021/03/10
Thoughtful commentary for writers and readers.
Kristine and John always bring fresh thoughts and thoughtful commentary to their analysis of short stories. It’s a useful and enjoyable listen for wri...
_long_time_listener 2020/07/13
For all fans of literature!
A great way to break down and understand stories/author’s intentions. Also helpful if you write your own fiction and are looking for ways to expand yo...
Hell0kitty7777 2019/02/26
Writers and Readers
Great podcast for writers and readers alike.
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