The Fantasy Writing Show with Jed Herne

byJed Herne

ArtsBooksEducationHow-To

Hi! My name is Jed Herne, and on this podcast, I share the best fantasy writing advice that I've learned from publishing four fantasy novels and coaching 5,000+ writers in my live classes and self-paced courses.My books include Kingdom of Dragons, The Thunder Heist, Across the Broken Stars, and Fires of the Dead. I also wrote Siege of Treboulain, an interactive epic fantasy novel published by Choice of Games. I also created the Wizards, Warriors, & Words, and Novel Analyst podcasts.Expect to learn about plotting, character development, worldbuilding, magic systems, and lots more.***If you want to take your writing...

Episodes(40 episodes)

The Only 4 Causes of Writer's Block (And How to Fix It)

Over the last 14 years of writing, I’ve found that there are really only four causes of writers block. Today, I want to help you understand what these four causes are (and how to fix them) so that you never get stuck when you’re writing a story. For a bit of context, over the past 14 years I’ve written 9 fantasy books, 4 of which are currently published. I’ve also released an interactive fiction novel, and I’ve also published a nonfiction book, Plotting Your Fantasy Novel, which was a #1 Amazon Best Seller during launch week. S...

Published: Jul 26, 2026Duration: 21m 46s

The Easy Way to Name Your Fantasy Characters (The Naming Diamond)

Have you ever struggled to find the right names for your fantasy characters? Maybe you feel like - until you find that perfect name - you can’t start writing their story? Well, over the last fourteen years I’ve been writing, I’ve felt that way plenty of times. But after publishing five books, I’ve developed a system I call the Naming Diamond, which makes it easy to create names that perfectly suit your characters. In today's episode, I'll show you how to use this tool.Join 5,000+ writers who have taken my free 5-day characte...

Published: Jul 8, 2026Duration: 24m 29s

I Helped a Stranger Write & Publish a Fantasy Novel (Full Case Study)

Today, I'm joined by Michael Johnson. Three years ago, he joined my Story Coaching program to get my help with his first fantasy novel. That book — Children of Ziwei — is now published! In this episode, I wanted to share Michael’s journey with you, so that you can see what it takes to go from idea to published book. Most importantly, you'll see how Michael overcame the creative challenges he faced along the way. This episode includes real clips from our coaching calls, so that you can see exactly how we fixed his story’s biggest problems...

Published: Jun 19, 2026Duration: 29m 17s

I Wrote a Fantasy Novel in 42 Days (And You Can, Too)

I wrote the first draft of The Thunder Heist in 42 days, which by my standards is a pretty quick project! But I haven't always been a fast writer. In fact, my first novel took me 360 days to write the first draft. So in today's podcast, I’m going to explain the 5 factors that helped me write the first draft so fast, so that you can speed up the time it takes to bring your own novels to life. Want to improve your writing even further? Read my new book, Plotting Your Fantasy Novel. Hosted on...

Published: Jun 8, 2026Duration: 19m 17s

How to Write the Middle of Your Fantasy Novel (Detailed Guide)

Writing the middle of your fantasy novel is hard. Lots of people talk about how to write a great opening, or how to write a great ending. Yet hardly anyone discusses the middle, and that’s a massive problem, because not knowing what to do with your middle is maybe the biggest reason why you’ll get stuck with your story.But that won’t happen to you, because in today's episode, I’m going to show you how to master the middle, so that you can confidently get from the start to the finish of your fir...

Published: Jun 2, 2026Duration: 55m 49s

You’re Only Six Months Away from Finishing Your Fantasy Novel

In today's short episode, I share my thoughts on how to become a more consistent writer — and why most writers don't understand 'consistency' the correct way. Read Plotting Your Fantasy Novel: www.jedherne.com/plot Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Published: Apr 14, 2026Duration: 6m 42s

I Read 761 Fantasy First Chapters & Kept Seeing These 5 Mistakes

There’s 5 critical first chapter mistakes I see new fantasy writers make all the time. I know about these because when writers apply for my classes or coaching programs, they have to send me an application that includes their first chapter. I've now read 761 first chapters from these applications. That’s a lot of data for me to learn from! So today, I want to share what I’ve learned with you, so that you can avoid these mistakes and instead write an amazing first chapter that makes people beg to read the rest of your book.Want...

Published: Apr 11, 2026Duration: 22m 37s

Good vs Bad Fantasy Plots: The 5 Key Differences

Read my new book, Plotting Your Fantasy Novel. It just released yesterday!After publishing four fantasy novels, and teaching hundreds of writers in my programs, I’ve realised there are 5 main differences between good fantasy plots and bad fantasy plots. I’ve been thinking about this a lot, because over the past year I’ve spent well over 1000 hours writing Plotting Your Fantasy Novel — my first non-fiction book on the craft of storytelling. If you’re writing a fantasy novel, and you want readers to be utterly captivated by your plot, it’s crucial to understand these 5 diff...

Published: Mar 31, 2026Duration: 18m 10s

The 6-Dimension Framework That Creates Truly Realistic Fantasy Cultures

Have you ever struggled to write about a fantasy culture that feels meaningfully different from your own? Because of the societies we grow up in, we all have these inbuilt assumptions about the way things are. However, the best worldbuilders know how to get outside of those assumptions, so that they can create unique, different, realistic, and immersive cultures. My friend recently showed me a useful framework for doing this. In today's podcast, I talk about the six key dimensions of culture, and how you can use these to improve...

Published: Mar 4, 2026Duration: 12m 2s

What Pro Fantasy Authors Know That Amateurs Don't

There are 10 big mindset differences between pro fantasy authors and amateur ones. I’ve noticed these from talking with world-class writers like Joe Abercrombie, Christopher Ruocchio, Adrian Tchaikovsky, and dozens more — and from coaching over 220 emerging writers in my classes and programs.Learning these 10 mindset differences has helped me publish 4 fantasy books, and an interactive fantasy novel — which all together have sold around 25,000 copies. And between my books and this YouTube channel, I’ve been a full-time creative for over two years now!So while I’m certainly no mega NYT-bestse...

Published: Feb 14, 2026Duration: 34m 39s

The Secret to a Perfectly-Paced Fantasy Novel

There are seven levers that control the pacing of your fantasy novel. In today's episode, I discuss how these seven levers work, and how you can use them to create perfect pacing within your writing. Knowing how to get the right pace for your plot is a critical skill, so I think you'll find today's episode very useful.Join the waitlist for Plotting Your Fantasy Novel: www.jedherne.com/plot Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Published: Jan 25, 2026Duration: 25m 59s

How to Title Your Fantasy Novel (Follow These 5 Principles)

Your title is usually the first impression readers have of your story. So if your title sucks, readers will forget about your book without a second thought. But if your title is great, your book will stand out from the crowd and readers will be desperate to know more. After publishing four books and working with hundreds of writers in my programs, I've discovered five principles that consistently lead to great titles. Today, I’ll be covering these principles, and then I'll be critiquing several titles from the members of my Fantasy Writer’s Gu...

Published: Jan 14, 2026Duration: 25m 36s

How to Know If Your Fantasy Story Idea Is Actually Good

Most authors will tell you, “Ideas don't really matter. Any idea can be turned into a good story if you're skilled enough.” Personally, I think that’s bad advice. If you start with a weak idea, it puts flaws into your story right from the beginning, and you might only discover those flaws months later — while you’re in the middle of the first draft.After working with hundreds of writers to help them develop their fantasy novels, I’ve seen that it’s way easier to write an incredible book when you start with a strong story c...

Published: Jan 5, 2026Duration: 17m 30s

Do This Every Day in 2026 to Improve Your Fantasy Writing

There's a simple warm up and cool down routine that will help you quickly get into the flow of writing every day — along with helping you maintain long-term creativity and consistency. In this podcast, I break down the six steps behind this process. Knowing how to get into the 'writing state' every day is a big reason why I've been able to publish my fantasy novels. And from teaching this process to many of the writers I've worked with, I've seen so many writers improve their daily word counts and finish their novels faster than they ever imagined. <br...

Published: Dec 15, 2025Duration: 17m 3s

4 Tips to Write Deeply Immersive Fantasy Worlds

After reading hundreds of fantasy novels and publishing several of my own, I’ve found four key writing principles that consistently make a fantasy world feel truly immersive for readers. So if you want to write a world where readers truly feel like they are inside your setting, then you'll find today's video useful. This podcast was originally a video. Click here if you want to watch the video. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Published: Nov 30, 2025Duration: 10m 39s

Good vs Bad Worldbuilding: The 5 Key Differences

When it comes to writing a book, there are 5 key differences between good fantasy worldbuilding and bad fantasy worldbuilding. Understanding these differences will help you write more immersive, interesting fantasy worlds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Published: Nov 16, 2025Duration: 13m 41s

What My Early Days of Writing Were Like, Choosing Your POV, Writing Battle Scenes, & Overcoming Writer’s Block

In today's episode, I'm interviewed by Joe Sidery as part of ProWritingAid's Novel November challenge. We discuss my early days as a writer (including the most miserable 3-month period of my life, which served as my catalyst to pursue writing full-time), how I grew my author platform, and what I've learned from coaching 200+ writers. We also discuss many aspects of the craft: choosing the right POV, writing battle/fight scenes, overcoming writer's block, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Published: Nov 13, 2025Duration: 1h 0m 51s

12 Plot Mistakes New Fantasy Writers Make

There’s 12 big plot mistakes you might be making in your fantasy novel. After teaching over 200 fantasy writers in my programs, I’ve seen these issues so many times — and I’ve spent hundreds of hours helping writers fix them. That’s because even just one of these problems can destroy your entire story. And after publishing four books myself, I’ve certainly had to solve these issues in my own writing as well. I also just recently finished the first draft of Plotting Your Fantasy Novel: a 150,000 word non-fiction book for writers.So I'm kinda...

Published: Nov 9, 2025Duration: 37m 23s

The Correct Way to Write Fantasy Character Flaws

Flaws are the secret to making your fantasy characters relatable and interesting. Yet most new fantasy writers approach flaws the wrong way. I certainly made this mistake when I started out! However, after publishing four books and teaching over 200 writers in my programs, I’ve realised there’s a much better way to build meaningful flaws for your characters.Once you see this, you won’t be able to ever unsee it — and you’ll realise that this approach has created some of the absolute best characters you’ve ever read.<br...

Published: Nov 5, 2025Duration: 8m 11s

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Writing My 1st Fantasy Book

After publishing four fantasy novels (along with an interactive fiction novel), and coaching hundreds of writers, I've learned a lot about the craft in the past thirteen years. In today's episode, I'll share the ten biggest lessons I wish I knew before writing my first book. If I knew these lessons sooner, I would have saved myself years of struggle. So if you're looking to write a fantasy book of your own, you'll find this episode very useful. Click here to join the waitlist for my upcoming book, Plotting Your Fantasy Novel. Hosted on...

Published: Nov 3, 2025Duration: 28m 33s