What Makes a Story Feel Complete? Chekhov, George Saunders, and Occasion for Story

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: [email protected]