Good Writing Podcast

Today on the Good Writing Podcast we are joined by flash fiction author Brett Bieble. Topics discussed include the ways in which flash fiction approaches "perfection," the advantages of brevity, the ways that stories utilize objects, and comma patrol. Josephine Rowe's "The Vending Machine at the End of the World" Brett's Twitter Brett's story "Big Red Nation" Good Writing is a podcast where two MFA friends read like writers and lay out craft ideas for fellow writers to steal. Co-hosted by Emily Donovan and Benjamin Kerns. Twitter: @goodwritingpod  Email: goodwritingpodcast@gmail.com

Texas poet Esteban Rodriguez joins us to discuss an excerpt from Thomas Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49 (1965). We talk about writing about stuff you hate and combining long and short sentence lengths for realism and momentum. Esteban recommends The Folly by Ivan Vladislavic (2015), An Explanation of the Birds by António Lobo Antunes (translated by Richard Zenith) (1981), and Rapture by Susan Mitchell (1992) Follow Esteban Rodriguez on Twitter at @estebanjrod11 Emily recommends Melissa Febos’s new craft essay “A Big Shitty Party: Six Parables of Writing About Other People” in Kenyon Review Good Writing is a podcast where two MFA friends read like writers and lay out craft ideas for fellow writers to steal. Co-hosted by Emily Donovan and Benjamin Kerns. Twitter: @goodwritingpod  Email: goodwritingpodcast@gmail.com

John-Paul Hurley joins us to discuss an excerpt from Sabbath’s Theater by Philip Roth. How can writers make the readers feel lost in memories? We also discuss unlikeable protagonists. Other links from this week: Follow J.P. Hurley on Twitter here Hear about how a fantasy writer raised $31M on Kickstarter to self-publish four books on the Print Run Podcast here Good Writing is a podcast where two MFA friends read like writers and lay out craft ideas for fellow writers to steal. Co-hosted by Emily Donovan and Benjamin Kerns. Twitter: @goodwritingpod  Email: goodwritingpodcast@gmail.com

We always bring ourselves with us wherever we go, even into our writing. Even if we think that writing is about something completely other to ourselves, it is impossible for that wherever to escape whoever we are. Megan Boyle takes this to the farthest extent in her autofiction piece Liveblog in which she attempted to write down every single thing that happened to her over the course of a few months. The result is a deeply personal, funny, moving and intellectually fearsome book that is completely unlike anything else. Buy Liveblog here. Good Writing is a podcast where two MFA friends read like writers and lay out craft ideas for fellow writers to steal. Co-hosted by Emily Donovan and Benjamin Kerns. Twitter: @goodwritingpod  Email: goodwritingpodcast@gmail.com

The co-editors in chief of Alien Literary Magazine join us to talk about two of their favorite pieces from a recent issue. We talk about the magazine’s reading process and two elements of craft that made these submissions stand out: momentum and juxtaposition. “Pilgrimage” by Brett Biebel in Alien Literary Magazine “Rave” by Esteban Rodriguez in Alien Literary Magazine Other links from this week: Read essays and short stories published from our guest Matthew Hawkins here Read short stories published from our guest Claire Martin here Read Alien Lit Mag’s submission guidelines or buy a sticker and follow them on Twitter Good Writing is a podcast where two MFA friends read like writers and lay out craft ideas for fellow writers to steal. Co-hosted by Emily Donovan and Benjamin Kerns. Twitter: @goodwritingpod  Email: goodwritingpodcast@gmail.com

Emily has Ben read an Anton Chekhov short story about a sad lady’s sad day and discuss occasion for story. Why is this the day that you tune into your character’s life? How can we as writers make a story feel complete? On the way, Ben and Emily get derailed by a difference of opinion sparked by George Saunders’s analysis of the story. Should you consider the reader’s interpretation and anticipate the reader’s reaction to your story as you’re writing? Ben says no. Emily says absolutely yes. Tune in for the pros and cons! Read a different translation of “In the Cart” by Anton Chekhov Buy George Saunders’s writing craft book A Swim in a Pond in the Rain (and his short story collection Tenth of December) Catch up on the viral writer conversation of Parul Sehgal’s “The Case Against the Trauma Plot” Other recommendations from this week: Out to Lunch, a jazz album by Eric Dolphy Owed, a poetry collection by Joshua Bennett Good Writing is a podcast where two MFA friends read like writers and lay out craft ideas for fellow writers to steal. Co-hosted by Emily Donovan and Benjamin Kerns. Twitter: @goodwritingpod  Email: goodwritingpodcast@gmail.com

We discuss Richard Brautigan’s novel Trout Fishing in America and the way he seems to have no interest in following any sort of rule when he’s writing. The phrase “Trout Fishing in America” can be anything; a character, a place, the phrase itself, or maybe even something more, something spiritual. Ben and Emily talk about why that’s cool and why it’s weird. Trout Fishing in America (1967) - buy it here (or read a weird PDF of it here.) Read Jenette Winter’s (as well as few others) ten rules for writing here. You can rent Jaspar Mall on Amazon, but I don’t want to link that so here’s a link to the film’s official twitter Here’s where you can buy John Darnielle’s new novel, Devil House. Good Writing is a podcast where two MFA friends read like writers and lay out craft ideas for fellow writers to steal. Co-hosted by Emily Donovan and Benjamin Kerns. Twitter: @goodwritingpod  Email: goodwritingpodcast@gmail.com

How can we make sure our readers pick up on key information when our narrator is cagey or not willing to admit the full truth? We look at how a master, Sofia Samatar, does it in her short story "Walkdog." It has both a reluctant narrator ("Emilybait") and a weird form ("Benbait"). We also discuss the "line" between "literary fiction" and "science fiction and fantasy." Read Sofia Samatar’s short story “Walkdog” Other links from this episode: Buy Sofia Samatar's short story collection Tender (2017) so you can read her hilarious and inexplicable short story "How I Met the Ghoul" Listen to a craft interview with Sofia Samatar on Storyological or read one with Uncanny Magazine Ben’s other podcast Three Lokos for music, movies, and pals hanging out Good Writing is a podcast where two MFA friends read like writers and lay out craft ideas for fellow writers to steal. Co-hosted by Emily Donovan and Benjamin Kerns. Twitter: @goodwritingpod  Email: goodwritingpodcast@gmail.com