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The Fantasy Writing Show with Jed Herne

The Fantasy Writing Show with Jed Herne

By: Jed Herne
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About this listen

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 170+ writers in my different classes and programs.


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.


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If you want to take your writing further, check out my FREE 5-day character development course: https://jedherne.com/character-course


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Episodes
  • How to Edit Your Fantasy Novel (The Ultimate Guide)

    How to Edit Your Fantasy Novel (The Ultimate Guide)
    Sep 14 2025

    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 reviews.


    I’ve taught this process to many of the 200+ writers I’ve worked with, and today I’m going to walk you through my entire editing system to help you craft excellent stories.


    Get ProWritingAid (my favourite editing software) with a 20% discount on Yearly Premium and Premium Pro licenses: https://prowritingaid.com/pp/jed-herne?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=partner-influencer&utm_campaign=Jed-Herne-2025&utm_content=guide-to-editing-your-fantasy-novel-video&utm_term=


    ⏲️ TIMESTAMPS:


    00:00 - Introduction

    00:35 - The 2 golden rules of editing

    03:20 - What to do when you finish your 1st draft

    08:59 - 2nd draft: big structural changes

    14:54 - 3rd draft: improve characters

    20:34 - Find early readers

    27:22 - 4th draft: process reader feedback

    29:16 - 5th draft: prose polishing

    35:48 - 6th draft: proofreading and grammar

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    39 mins
  • 6 Ridiculously Simple Ways to Improve Your Fantasy Novel

    6 Ridiculously Simple Ways to Improve Your Fantasy Novel
    Jul 30 2025
    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.

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    12 mins
  • Joe Abercrombie Shows Me How He Wrote The Devils

    Joe Abercrombie Shows Me How He Wrote The Devils
    Jul 23 2025

    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 - Introduction

    01:23 - Writing a great opening hook

    10:59 - Does Joe read aloud during editing?

    12:05 - What makes 'good prose'?

    13:34 - Deep dive into Diaz’s character

    22:53 - Chapter transitions and pacing

    25:01 - Introduction of Alex

    30:03 - Using familiar tropes in fresh ways

    34:45 - Making metaphors multilayered

    41:00 - Worldbuilding through POV

    46:40 - Deductive vs inductive worldbuilding

    49:55 - Abercrombie’s anti-worldbuilding approach

    54:17 - How to introduce several characters at once

    01:02:33 - Jed's favourite character from The Devils

    1:04:55 - What is Joe trying to improve with his writing?

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    1 hr and 8 mins
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