The Short Story Workshop

You never know what kind of flower a podcast will become until it reaches full bloom. We descend gracefully into the night with a return to the author from our first episode.
One more episode of reminiscing is to come, and then we will be embarking on a new project with better everything. I'm so excited!

Keawe buys a bottle with an imp inside who grants as many wishes as you like. You can only sell the bottle for less than you bought it. If you possess it on your death, you will go to hell.

We discuss story stakes, consider if the imp checks the exchange rate and explain the Bottle Imp Paradox, named after this story. 

It's The Happy Prince. Look how happy he is. Aren't you glad that he's happy?

A tale of two scientists racing to find the key to invisibility. We discuss made-up science, rivalries and sandwich metaphors.

This week we talk about monsters, especially the big kind. Ray Bradbury's story is a little sad and often poignant - what makes it so effective?

We discuss breaking the fourth wall in fiction, horror vs ghost stories and more in our discussion of this ghostly tale by M.R James. 

A dubious scientist experiments on his friends with water from The Fountain of Youth in one of Nathaniel Hawthorne's most popular short stories. We discuss why you shouldn't be friends with dubious scientists.

Turns out Lovecraft can write a good story that also feels a tad more mainstream than his usual. Who knew? We talk about why many people (including Lovecraft himself) consider this one of his best stories.

We discuss why we felt guilty for laughing at Moonface, whether optimists are annoying and writing villain protagonists.

The title is funny because it's also a story about depending on others. In this episode, we attempt to explain this story as neatly as I just explained my own joke. We talk about character agency, feminine "ideals" and whether calling people bro influences your sexuality.