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 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 - Introduction00:35 - The 2 golden rules of editing03:20 - What to do when you finish your 1st draft08:59 - 2nd draft: big structural changes14:54 - 3rd draft: improve characters20:34 - Find early readers27:22 - 4th draft: process reader feedback29:16 - 5th draft: prose polishing35:48 - 6th draft: proofreading and grammar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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.
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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 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 once01:02:33 - Jed's favourite character from The Devils1:04:55 - What is Joe trying to improve with his writing? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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 choices48:02 – Design to your strengths1:02:06 – How to write soft magic1:25:03 – Borrowing expertise to improve authenticity1:27:50 – How to write a terrifying antagonist1:41:59 – You don’t trust your readers enough Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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. ***If you want to take your writing further, check out my FREE 5-day character development course: https://jedherne.com/character-course Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
New Zealand