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.

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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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