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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.” - Christine
“It has been immensely helpful in ways that I couldn’t even imagine.” - Steph
So in this podcast, I’m going to show you how to use the Hourglass Outlining Method to plan your fantasy book, so that you can write captivating characters and gripping plots — along with enjoying a few other storytelling advantages that you might not expect.
Watch the video version of this on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6MwsZsjyoc&ab_channel=JedHerne
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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.
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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 version of this on my YouTube channel, because there's a lot of maps, artwork, and other graphics I use throughout. Click here to watch the video.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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 classes and programs, and this has given me a lot of experience of using the SLED method to troubleshoot scenes and help to improve them.
So today, I’ll show you how to use it to make any scene more exciting, because knowing how to write great scenes is the foundation of writing a great novel.
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Get my free 5-day character development course: www.jedherne.com/character-course
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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.
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Get my free 5-day character development course: www.jedherne.com/character-course
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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.
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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.
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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 story. You create someone readers remember, even when they're no longer on the page.
So in today’s podcast, I’m breaking down six mentor archetypes that can help you do exactly that.
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Join the Fantasy Writer's Guild - my accountability, support, and peer feedback community.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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-guild
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:00:45 - 1: PICKING YOUR IDEA
00:01:23 - Finding inspiration
00:04:34 - Trope brainstorm
00:06:49 - Narrowing down to 1 idea
00:08:34 - A harsh truth
00:12:03 - Choosing your scope
00:14:03 - Originality doesn’t exist
00:15:28 - Ideas are cheap
00:16:32 - 2: OUTLINING
00:21:03 - The purpose of outlining
00:23:38 - The Hourglass Method
00:24:12 - Exploring the suburb
00:26:01 - Finding your core (premise, theme)
00:39:47 - Guiding principles document
00:41:00 - Building character arcs
00:51:36 - 9-Point Story Structure
01:17:01 - Final thoughts on structure
01:18:06 - 3: WRITING YOUR 1st DRAFT
01:19:36 - The goal of a 1st draft
01:24:10 - Building good writing habits
01:29:23 - Track your word counts
01:32:12 - Do this when you get stuck
01:40:00 - More tips to make the 1st draft easier
01:47:37 - 4: EDITING
01:50:25 - Make notes on your 1st draft
01:53:15 - The 2nd draft (big changes)
01:54:43 - 3rd draft (specific passes)
01:58:17 - Working with early readers
02:04:29 - 4th draft (incorporate reader comments)
02:05:19 - Hire a pro editor
02:08:17 - The final draft
02:10:54 - ‘Finishing’ a book
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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.
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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.
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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-course
Join my First Chapter Mastery program: https://firstchaptermastery.com/
Apply for my 7-week Fantasy Outlining Bootcamp: https://jedherne.com/outline
Join 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.
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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.
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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.
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In this episode, I share 15 advanced worldbuilding techniques I learned from publishing four fantasy books, along with my interactive fantasy novel, Siege of Treboulain. I consider these techniques ‘advanced’ because I don’t often hear them discussed. However, I have found them extremely powerful, so by the end of this podcast, you should have lots of inspiration for your own writing.
Get my free 5-day character writing course: https://jedherne.com/5-day-course
Get ProWritingAid (10% discount with my affiliate link): https://jedherne.com/prowritingaid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode, I'll show you how to lengthen a fantasy novel that's too short, without making it feel boring or slow-paced.
Join my free course on writing better fantasy characters: https://jedherne.com/5-day-course
Watch my 70-minute video on writing character arcs: https://youtu.be/wfoV-e7RMRo?si=sGnBX1m9HkyzEZ0E
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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There’s six huge mistakes that will kill your fantasy novel on page one. I know this because I’ve edited fantasy novels for 34 writers over the last year and half. Plus, I’ve read through hundreds of opening pages from other writers who have applied to work with me — and I see these same mistakes over and over again.
I've also personally published four fantasy novels, and over the 12+ years I’ve been writing, I’ve had to learn about many of these mistakes the hard way.
The good news? Once you know how to avoid these 6 errors, you’ll be able to instantly hook your readers on the first page and leave them no choice but to binge through the rest of your novel.
Join my First Chapter Critique workshop: https://jedherne.com/character-workshop
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode, Jed Herne explains a simple 1-minute habit that helped him write over 1 million words as a fantasy author.
Get my Writing Tracker here: https://jedherne.com/tracker
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This is a full guide to writing captivating character arcs in your fantasy novel.
Apply for my Fantasy Outlining Bootcamp: https://jedherne.com/outline
Get my '5 Days to Better Fantasy Characters' course: https://character-course.carrd.co/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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