There are moments when writers who are just starting out may be intimidated to write about certain subjects. Scratch that, there are moments when writers who have been writing for…
How does one choose what to write about? Think about it. The page sitting there. Empty.In "The Darling" by Anton Chekhov, he writes about a woman who has no opinion. …
In "Birdsong," Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie does a good job describing the characters in ways that make them come alive. The story starts with a young woman stuck in traffic in…
"Drinking Coffee Elsewhere" by ZZ Packer is a story that embraces the voice of its narrator and uses it to push the story from beginning to end. It takes place…
Through the Tunnel" by Doris Lessing is a great example of how perspective shifts a story and ways in which tension can be exploited. The story focuses on a young…
Out of the stories publicized under the "20 under 40" media affair, "The Landlord" by Wells Tower makes for one of the better reads. Sure, as a short story it…
Enemies by Anton Chekhov is a story that revolves around grief, need, and up to a point, communication. The tension in the story is due to two forces pulling on…
While reading an, "Arranged Marriage" by Nell Freudenberger, something didn't sit right. It seems as though there is a trend in contemporary literary fiction (e.g. The New Yorker) to embrace…
"The Science of Flight" by Yiyun Li is a story driven by a concept: lies. The concept story is nothing new. Someone gets a cool idea in their head, and…
"Second Lives" by Daniel Alarcón is a good story to investigate point of view and perspective. Why do we write from one character's point of view and not another character's? …