SWRT 280| Writers Book Club: Ethan Frome

September 14, 2023

person typing on MacBook Pro on brown wooden table during daytime photo

This week we’re back from summer break with a new season and a new format. In addiction to the regular conversations about craft, we’ll be reading a short prose text each month and discussing it as writers. Would you like to join the book club? Next month we’re talking about Junot Diaz’ short story “Fiesta 1980.”

This week, we delve into Edith Wharton’s brilliant novella, Ethan Frome. What makes this work enduring? What can we learn by reading it and possibly emulate in our own writing? Prepare to be amazed.

I suggest you read the story before listening if you aren’t already familiar with it. We spoil everything, because that’s the only way to benefit from a conversation about the writing behind this truly great American story.

Get Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

VIDEO

AUDIO

SHOW NOTES

What We Talked About:

Introduction to Ethan Frome – what were our impressions? (4:45)

The constraints of a story. (7:30)

Studying the Character. (12:30)

The climax and the tree. (14:30)

Zeena (21:18)

Mattie and Ethan’s one evening. (30:35)

Mood and Tone. (36:10)

The Ending. (43:40)

Our takeaways. (1:08:55)

LINKS

Get Alida’s Writing Tips here.

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

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About Your Hosts

Alida Winternheimer is an award-winning author with an MFA in writing from Hamline University. She pursues her fervor for all things story as a writing coach, developmental editor, and teacher. Two of her short stories were nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She is the author of The Story Works Guide to Writing Fiction Series. Alida lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her Golden Retriever, Seva the Wonder Dog. She camps, bikes, and kayaks in her free time. Unless it’s winter, in which case she drinks chai by the fire. You can find more at www.alidawinternheimer.com.

Kathryn Arnold writes fantasy and anything else that sparks her creativity from her home in Kingston, Washington. She currently earns her living as an insurance underwriting assistant, where she also creates marketing and web copy. When not writing, she plays (and teaches) piano and keyboard in a band (or two), and is working on starting a ministry team with her husband. You can find Kathryn at www.skyfirewords.com.

Robert Scanlon was born in Australia, but whisked off to England when only a baby. After many years complaining about the weather, he did the sensible thing and moved back to Australia. Despite a career in the music industry, followed by decades teaching public speaking, Robert is an introvert who adores reading. Robert grew up on a diet of sci-fi masters, eventually discovering he had read the library’s entire science fiction section. Now he has to write his own. Robert is the author of Constellation, book one of the Blood Empire space opera series. Find out more at www.RobertScanlon.com