The Fantasy Writing Show with Jed Herne

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 my different programs) to walk you through the seven levels of this pyramid to perfect your prose, with lots of examples along the way.Get ProWritingAid (my favourite editing tool) with a 20% discount: https://prowritingaid.com/pp/jed-herne?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=partner-influencer&utm_campaign=Jed-Herne-2025&utm_content=7-levels-of-prose-video&utm_term= (Use the code JED20 to activate the discount.)Thanks to ProWritingAid for sponsoring this episode!Note: The code 'JED20' is valid for 20% off Yearly Premium and Premium Pro licenses. It does not apply to monthly or Lifetime licenses. 

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.” - StephSo 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

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.

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.

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.***Get my free 5-day character development course: www.jedherne.com/character-course

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.***Get my free 5-day character development course: www.jedherne.com/character-course

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

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.***Join the Fantasy Writer's Guild - my accountability, support, and peer feedback community. 

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