Seriously. Avoid it.

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Read my debut fantasy book, Fires of the Dead: https://amzn.to/33yyvn7

“The perfect read for someone looking to be quickly immersed in a magic system unlike anything else.” – Nicole Wallace, editor of Synopses by Sarge.

Questions? Episode requests? Comments? Email me at: jed.herne1(at)gmail.com . I love hearing from you, and I read and respond to every email.

Is this the key to great fantasy novels? In my experience: yes.

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Read my debut fantasy book, Fires of the Dead: https://amzn.to/33yyvn7

“The perfect read for someone looking to be quickly immersed in a magic system unlike anything else.” – Nicole Wallace, editor of Synopses by Sarge.

Questions? Episode requests? Comments? Email me at: jed.herne1(at)gmail.com . I love hearing from you, and I read and respond to every email.

The Mistborn trilogy is one of the finest epic fantasy series of all time. This episode examines how Sanderson crafted a sequel that was arguably better than the first.

If you want more Mistborn analysis, I did another podcast episode on book 1: https://novelanalyst.com/2018/10/30/episode10/

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Read my debut fantasy book, Fires of the Dead: https://amzn.to/33yyvn7

“The perfect read for someone looking to be quickly immersed in a magic system unlike anything else.” – Nicole Wallace, editor of Synopses by Sarge.

Questions? Episode requests? Comments? Email me at: jed.herne1(at)gmail.com . I love hearing from you, and I read and respond to every email.

Revision tips from Gareth Hanrahan, author of The Gutter Prayer.

My podcast analysing The Gutter Prayer: https://novelanalyst.com/2019/09/17/the-gutter-prayer/

My interview with Gareth: https://novelanalyst.com/2019/09/19/gareth/

Wrong words = remove

Wrong order = keep and reorder

‘Asking yourself “how do I fix this?” implies that the text is a problem, and that the simplest solution is replacing it. Asking “how do I make this work?” makes you think of the text as a machine that’s clogged, or misaligned, and you’ve got to unjam it. ‘ – Gareth Hanrahan

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Read my debut fantasy book, Fires of the Dead: https://amzn.to/33yyvn7

“The perfect read for someone looking to be quickly immersed in a magic system unlike anything else.” – Nicole Wallace, editor of Synopses by Sarge.

Intrigue + sympathetic investment = a gripping opening.

Read my debut fantasy book, Fires of the Dead: https://amzn.to/33yyvn7

Read my debut fantasy book, Fires of the Dead: https://amzn.to/33yyvn7

This is a powerful question that helps you get to the heart of a character. Let me know your answer(s) in the comments below!

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Join my Reader Club email newsletter for free sci-fi & fantasy stories, and to keep updated about my writing!

https://jedherne.com/club/

***

Website: https://jedherne.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/61535985-jed-herne
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JedHerne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jedhernewriter [use my automated messenger bot to play a choose your own adventure story right in the app 😉 ]

My first fantasy book, Fires of the Dead, just released TODAY! (Which is why this video is a few hours late – sorry!) Get it here: https://jedherne.com/firesofthedead

When I’m struggling to write, rather than giving it all up, I often change my approach. Coming at a story from another angle can free you, and help produce your best writing even when you don’t feel like it.

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Join my Reader Club email newsletter for free sci-fi & fantasy stories, and to keep updated about my writing!

https://jedherne.com/club/

***

Website: https://jedherne.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/61535985-jed-herne
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JedHerne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jedhernewriter [use my automated messenger bot to play a choose your own adventure story right in the app 😉 ]

If it’s an interesting process/journey/event, then you should show it in your story.

If the process isn’t compelling and you just need readers to know the outcome, then you may consider telling.

Neither approach is better. It’s about picking the best one for each specific scene.

Read my debut fantasy novella! https://amzn.to/33yyvn7

***

Join my Reader Club email newsletter for free sci-fi & fantasy stories, and to keep updated about my writing!

https://jedherne.com/club/

***

Website: https://jedherne.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/61535985-jed-herne
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JedHerne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jedhernewriter [use my automated messenger bot to play a choose your own adventure story right in the app 😉 ]

Do you need it? If you don’t, then maybe don’t waste time worrying about it.

If you want to see this writing lesson in action, read my debut fantasy novella, Fires of the Dead: https://amzn.to/33yyvn7

***

Join my Reader Club email newsletter for free sci-fi & fantasy stories, and to keep updated about my writing!

https://jedherne.com/club/

***

Website: https://jedherne.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/61535985-jed-herne
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JedHerne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jedhernewriter [use my automated messenger bot to play a choose your own adventure story right in the app 😉 ]

Understanding the difference is the key to creating captivating character arcs.

Read my debut fantasy novella! https://amzn.to/33yyvn7

***

Join my Reader Club email newsletter for free sci-fi & fantasy stories, and to keep updated about my writing!

https://jedherne.com/club/

***

Website: https://jedherne.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/61535985-jed-herne
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JedHerne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jedhernewriter [use my automated messenger bot to play a choose your own adventure story right in the app 😉 ]