The blog Short Story Magic Tricks is dedicated to helping would-be writers learn “tricks” from established writers. By the site’s own description, “At Short Story Magic Tricks we attempt to break down and analyze what we like about each story. . . . To that end, each post will highlight a different short story, featuring a favorite magic trick employed by its author.”

The featured Updike short story posted thus far is “Here Come the Maples,” and the “magic trick” is Updike’s capacity for “filling the story with small, razor-sharp truths.”

“In the hands of a lesser writer, this story could fall apart as a maudlin diary entry. But Updike sprinkles in all these little moments that make the reader feel the feelings of the protagonist. These details are so spot-on, the reader can’t help but relate and say, ‘Oh, yes, that’s it exactly. That’s how it was for me once too.’ The story is no longer a thinly veiled Updike autobiography; it stands in for the reader’s own personal history as well. And that’s quite a trick on Updike’s part.”

Read the full entry: “‘Here Come The Maples’ by John Updike”