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)
How to Edit Your Fantasy Novel (The Ultimate Guide)
So, you’ve finished the first draft of your fantasy novel, and now you’re thinking, “how do I turn this messy pile of words into a story someone actually wants to read?” When I finished my first fantasy novel 12 years ago, I had no idea what to do next. I spent four years trying to fix that book, and a lot of the time, it felt like I was making zero progress.But since then, I’ve developed an editing system that has helped me publish four fantasy novels and get some lovely rev...
Published: Sep 14, 2025Duration: 39m 13s
6 Ridiculously Simple Ways to Improve Your Fantasy Novel
Today I’m going to show you six ridiculously simple ways to improve your fantasy novel. What’s great about these techniques is that they only take a few minutes to implement, but they can have a massive positive impact on your readers’ experience. I know this because I’ve used them in my own published fantasy novels, and I’ve seen amazing results teaching them to many of the writers I’ve worked with. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Published: Jul 30, 2025Duration: 12m 25s
Joe Abercrombie Shows Me How He Wrote The Devils
Joe Abercrombie (author of The Blade Itself and many other brilliant stories) joins me to discuss the opening chapters from his new book, The Devils. This is an in-depth deep dive into the techniques Joe uses to hook readers, introduce characters, and develop an interesting fantasy world. Click here to get my free 5-day character course.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction01:23 - Writing a great opening hook10:59 - Does Joe read aloud during editing? 12:05 - What makes 'good prose'? 13:34 - Deep dive into Diaz’s char...
Published: Jul 23, 2025Duration: 1h 8m 26s
10 Genius Writing Lessons from the Sun Eater (My Favourite Sci-Fi Series) - With Christopher Ruocchio!
Today I'm joined by Christopher Ruocchio, author of the Sun Eater series! I share my top 5 storytelling lessons from reading this excellent series, while Christopher shares his top 5 lessons from writing it. This will be a spoiler-free discussion for the first 40 or so minutes, and I learned SO MUCH from this wonderful chat. Enjoy!00:00 – What is the Sun Eater series about?02:31 – How to write a great hook12:16 – The importance of outlining26:49 – Creating complex characters34:15 – Constraints as opportunities in writing38:59 – Don’t be afraid to make bold choices...
Published: Jul 16, 2025Duration: 1h 51m 9s
The 7 Levels of Prose Every Fantasy Writer Must Master
In this podcast, I explain the Pyramid of Prose -- a concept I wish someone had taught me when I started writing my first novel 13 years ago. Why is that? Well, 'prose' refers to the specific words you use to transmit your story from your mind into the reader's mind. It's crucial to master, because if you can't express your ideas on the page in an effective and emotionally compelling way, then none of the other elements of your story will work. So today, I'll be drawing from my experience (of publishing four fantasy books and coaching over 180 writers in...
Published: Jun 9, 2025Duration: 38m 18s
How to Outline Your Fantasy Novel (The Hourglass Method)
In over 12 years of writing fantasy novels, the Hourglass Outlining Method is the single most useful tool I’ve developed.It’s the main reason why I’ve been able to publish my four fantasy novels, and I’ve also seen this method create amazing results for the 35 writers who’ve done my 7-week Fantasy Outlining Bootcamp.“This course was revelatory for me, and it was by far the best decision I’ve ever made in my writing journey.” - Matt Fagan“This is the best investment I’ve ever made in my writing.” - Ch...
Published: May 12, 2025Duration: 40m 37s
9 Side Character Mistakes New Fantasy Writers Make
In this episode, I share 9 common side character mistakes that I often see new fantasy writers make. Learn how to avoid these, and you'll have a much better chance of creating side characters who feel realistic, interesting, and three-dimensional. If you want to write better side characters, click here to check out my free character development course: https://jedherne.com/character-course. Over 3000 writers have taken the course so far. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Published: May 5, 2025Duration: 34m 39s
8 Tips to Write Unforgettable Fantasy Cities
Today's episode is a deep dive to help you write more immersive, realistic, and unique fantasy cities. Before I became a full-time author, I was an architect. So as you can probably imagine, I've got a LOT to say on this topic - including some ideas you might not have heard before. Enjoy!Get 'The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding a Civilization' with a 10% discount: https://jedherne.com/rebuild (then use code JED10 before May 25th)Thanks to Hungry Minds Publishing for sponsoring this podcast!PS: I'd highly suggest watching the video...
Published: Apr 28, 2025Duration: 21m 23s
How to Make Any Fantasy Scene More Exciting (The SLED Method)
Have you ever found yourself writing a scene in your fantasy novel that just felt a little boring?Well, there’s a simple approach you can use to fix that and make any scene more exciting.I call this the SLED method.And it’s a technique I’ve used again and again through the last 12 years of my writing career, in which time I’ve published four fantasy novels and a video game.It hasn’t just worked for me. I’ve taught 150+ fantasy writers in my different cl...
Published: Apr 25, 2025Duration: 8m 15s
10 Dialogue Mistakes Every New Fantasy Writer Makes
There’s 10 big dialogue mistakes that new fantasy writers tend to make. I know that because I’ve now read through hundreds and hundreds of applications for the writing classes and programs I run, and I see these issues come up all the time. And from my own experience of publishing four fantasy novels and a video game, I’ve had to learn about these mistakes the hard way.So in this podcast, I’m going to show you what the mistakes are, and how to fix them, with tangible ‘before and after’ examples along the way....
Published: Apr 18, 2025Duration: 36m 48s
These 10 Cheat Codes Make Fantasy Writing Easy
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...
Published: Apr 11, 2025Duration: 15m 20s
6 Mentor Archetypes All Fantasy Writers Should Know
The fantasy genre is full of brilliant mentor characters who force protagonists to grow, teach us valuable life lessons, and serve as deeply memorable, emotionally compelling figures.These characters often become the moral spine of a story, shaping how protagonists see the world. But despite their power, mentor characters are rarely discussed.They’re either written as tired tropes, or treated as story furniture: there to deliver wisdom, die early, and disappear.What a wasted opportunity!Because when you write a mentor well, you elevate your entire st...
Published: Apr 8, 2025Duration: 14m 18s
I Taught 176 Fantasy Writers. These 10 Lessons Helped Them the Most.
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 toda...
Published: Apr 4, 2025Duration: 33m 12s
9 Worldbuilding Mistakes New Fantasy Writers Make
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...
Published: Feb 7, 2025Duration: 20m 11s
How to Write Your First Fantasy Novel in 2025 (Full Guide)
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...
Published: Feb 1, 2025Duration: 2h 16m 5s
How to Write Compelling Character Dynamics in Your Fantasy Novel
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.
Published: Nov 21, 2024Duration: 20m 39s
How to Write Unforgettable Fantasy Villains
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.
Published: Nov 8, 2024Duration: 13m 1s
Answering Your Fantasy Writing Questions (Dialogue Tips, Writing Themes, Character Development, & More)
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):
Published: Oct 25, 2024Duration: 2h 12m 16s
10 Worst Ways to Start Your Fantasy Novel
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.
Published: Sep 8, 2024Duration: 29m 30s
7 Signs Fantasy Readers Will Love Your Magic System
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.
Published: Aug 7, 2024Duration: 18m 1s