The Fantasy Writing Show with Jed Herne

Writing your fantasy novel can be hard. But after publishing four of my own fantasy novels, and after helping lots of other writers finish their books, I’ve found 10 simple cheat codes that make the process easier and more enjoyable — while also helping you craft better stories. ***Join the Fantasy Writer's Guild: my community where fantasy writers get weekly accountability, peer feedback, and my direct support - so that you can write a better book and have more fun along the way:www.jedherne.com/guild Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Explore the fascinating world of mentor archetypes that enhance fantasy narratives. Discover how broken mentors, like Hamish and Geralt, add emotional depth and moral ambiguity to stories. Learn about the transformative learning mentor, who evolves alongside their apprentice, creating a rich bond that highlights hope and redemption. These character dynamics not only drive character growth but also elevate the overall storytelling experience. Dive into how well-crafted mentors can leave a lasting impression on readers long after they're gone.

In the last two years, I’ve coached over 170 fantasy writers in my various programs, passing on everything I’ve learned from publishing my own four fantasy novels.This has helped a lot of writers finish their first drafts, achieve major breakthroughs with their stories, and some of them — like Peter Christensen and Michael Johnson — are even planning to publish their debut novels in the next few months.I recently surveyed these 170 writers to ask:What’s the most useful writing lesson you gained from working with me?And today, I’ll be sharing their top 10 most impactful lessons……some of which actually surprised me.***Join the Fantasy Writer's Guild: my community where fantasy writers get weekly accountability, peer feedback, and my direct support - so that you can write a better book and have more fun along the way: www.jedherne.com/guild Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’re writing a fantasy novel, there’s a good chance you’re making one of these nine critical worldbuilding mistakes — and the problem is that any one of these could ruin your story. I know that because after working with over 90 fantasy writers in my coaching programs, I see the same worldbuilding mistakes come up again and again — and from my own experience as an author, I’ve had to learn about these mistakes the hard way. But the good news is that once you know how to avoid them, you can instead craft a world that feels utterly captivating and immersive for your readers.***Get 'The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding a Civilization' with a 10% discount: https://jedherne.com/rebuild (then use code JEDBOOK10). Thanks to Hungry Minds Publishing for sponsoring this podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I share my full step-by-step process for writing a great fantasy novel. After publishing four fantasy books (and after helping many other writers finish their own stories), I've got a lot of share when it comes to the craft of storytelling. This podcast compresses the most critical lessons I've learned from 12 years of experience so far. Enjoy!Join my accountability & support community for fantasy writers: https://bit.ly/fantasy-guildTimestamps:00:00:00 - Introduction00:00:45 - 1: PICKING YOUR IDEA00:01:23 - Finding inspiration00:04:34 - Trope brainstorm00:06:49 - Narrowing down to 1 idea00:08:34 - A harsh truth00:12:03 - Choosing your scope00:14:03 - Originality doesn’t exist00:15:28 - Ideas are cheap00:16:32 - 2: OUTLINING00:21:03 - The purpose of outlining00:23:38 - The Hourglass Method00:24:12 - Exploring the suburb00:26:01 - Finding your core (premise, theme)00:39:47 - Guiding principles document00:41:00 - Building character arcs00:51:36 - 9-Point Story Structure01:17:01 - Final thoughts on structure01:18:06 - 3: WRITING YOUR 1st DRAFT01:19:36 - The goal of a 1st draft01:24:10 - Building good writing habits01:29:23 - Track your word counts01:32:12 - Do this when you get stuck01:40:00 - More tips to make the 1st draft easier01:47:37 - 4: EDITING01:50:25 - Make notes on your 1st draft01:53:15 - The 2nd draft (big changes)01:54:43 - 3rd draft (specific passes)01:58:17 - Working with early readers02:04:29 - 4th draft (incorporate reader comments)02:05:19 - Hire a pro editor02:08:17 - The final draft02:10:54 - ‘Finishing’ a book Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I share a 7-step framework for writing interesting character relationships in your fantasy novel. If you would like my personal help to write a great fantasy novel, check out my Fantasy Outlining Bootcamp: https://jedherne.com/outline Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Jed Herne shares five principles to write better antagonists in your fantasy novel. Want to write better characters? Check out Jed's free 5-day course: https://jedherne.com/5-day-course Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To celebrate my YouTube channel reaching over 100,000 subscribers, I'm answering 42 of your fantasy writing questions. Enjoy!Join my free 5-day course to write better fantasy characters: https://jedherne.com/5-day-courseJoin my First Chapter Mastery program: https://firstchaptermastery.com/Apply for my 7-week Fantasy Outlining Bootcamp: https://jedherne.com/outlineJoin my Easy Writing Habits course: https://easywritinghabits.com/Freewrite Traveller (distraction-free writing laptop): https://getfreewrite.com/?rstr=6485 - use my affiliate link for a 5% discount.ProWritingAid (great editing software): https://jedherne.com/prowritingaid - 10% discount with my affiliate link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I surveyed 367 fantasy readers to ask: what's the worst way to start a fantasy novel? In this episode, I share the top 10 most common responses - along with my tips for avoiding these bad opening mistakes. Want to write a great first chapter in your fantasy novel?Then check out my First Chapter Mastery program: https://firstchaptermastery.com/This program also includes the option to get my personal feedback on your writing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I cover seven principles that will make sure readers love your magic system. This is based on my experience of publishing four fantasy novels, and from critiquing hundreds of magic systems from other writers over the last few years. Get my 'Limitations, Weaknesses, & Consequences' inspiration resource: https://jedherne.com/magiclimits Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.