Alida, Matt, and Kathryn discuss short stories in a 3 part series. In part 3, we enter the dark side of life, discussing “What it Means to Be a Man” by Ed Bok Lee. We talk about themes, twists, character’s culture and relatability, and some powerful prose.

Check out the story here.

Show Notes:

Taking a look at “What it Means to Be a Man” by Ed Bok Lee, we talk about why Alida picked this story, and what it is really all about. How do you create empathy with your readers when they may have no cultural context for your story? Or even find your subject matter repulsive? How do you choose the right narrator for the story? And what does it really mean to be a man?

What we talked about:

Why Alida chose the story. (0:17)

How did the author create empathy with characters that none of us related to? (4:13)

Why is this narrator the right choice for the story? (10:15)

What does it mean to be a man? And what is the theme of this story? (13:10)

Things we mentioned:

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Have thoughts, questions, other examples? Join the conversation at the Story Works Writers Facebook group.