Over the last 14 years of writing, I’ve found that there are really only four causes of writers block. Today, I want to help you understand what these four causes are (and how to fix them) so that you never get stuck when you’re writing a story.

For a bit of context, over the past 14 years I’ve written 9 fantasy books, 4 of which are currently published. I’ve also released an interactive fiction novel, and I’ve also published a nonfiction book, Plotting Your Fantasy Novel, which was a #1 Amazon Best Seller during launch week.

So while I’m certainly not the most prolific writer in the world, I think I’ve generally done a good job of avoiding writers’ block, and I want to share that experience with you today.

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Have you ever struggled to find the right names for your fantasy characters? Maybe you feel like - until you find that perfect name - you can’t start writing their story? Well, over the last fourteen years I’ve been writing, I’ve felt that way plenty of times. But after publishing five books, I’ve developed a system I call the Naming Diamond, which makes it easy to create names that perfectly suit your characters. In today's episode, I'll show you how to use this tool.

Join 5,000+ writers who have taken my free 5-day character development course: https://jedherne.com/character

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Today, I'm joined by Michael Johnson. Three years ago, he joined my Story Coaching program to get my help with his first fantasy novel. That book — Children of Ziwei — is now published!

In this episode, I wanted to share Michael’s journey with you, so that you can see what it takes to go from idea to published book. Most importantly, you'll see how Michael overcame the creative challenges he faced along the way. This episode includes real clips from our coaching calls, so that you can see exactly how we fixed his story’s biggest problems and brought his book to life. So if you’re going through the process of writing a fantasy novel as well, you’re going to find this video extremely useful. 

Watch the video version of this episode.

Want my personal help with your writing? Apply for my 12-week Fantasy Writing Bootcamp.

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I wrote the first draft of The Thunder Heist in 42 days, which by my standards is a pretty quick project! But I haven't always been a fast writer. In fact, my first novel took me 360 days to write the first draft. So in today's podcast, I’m going to explain the 5 factors that helped me write the first draft so fast, so that you can speed up the time it takes to bring your own novels to life. 

Want to improve your writing even further? Read my new book, Plotting Your Fantasy Novel.

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Writing the middle of your fantasy novel is hard. Lots of people talk about how to write a great opening, or how to write a great ending. Yet hardly anyone discusses the middle, and that’s a massive problem, because not knowing what to do with your middle is maybe the biggest reason why you’ll get stuck with your story.

But that won’t happen to you, because in today's episode, I’m going to show you how to master the middle, so that you can confidently get from the start to the finish of your first draft, without giving up halfway through!

Here's what we'll cover today:

• First, I’ll explain the two common pieces of writing advice that are secretly sabotaging your middles.
• Then, I’ll explain the better approach (which I’ve taught to many of my students, helping them master the middles of their stories).
• Next, I’ll plot a new fantasy novel in real-time, so that you can see how to actually build the middle of your own story.
• Lastly, I'll cover some important mindset and troubleshooting tips for getting through the middle of your first draft.

Want to improve your writing even further? Read my new book, Plotting Your Fantasy Novel.

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In today's short episode, I share my thoughts on how to become a more consistent writer — and why most writers don't understand 'consistency' the correct way.

Read Plotting Your Fantasy Novel: www.jedherne.com/plot

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There’s 5 critical first chapter mistakes I see new fantasy writers make all the time. I know about these because when writers apply for my classes or coaching programs, they have to send me an application that includes their first chapter. I've now read 761 first chapters from these applications. That’s a lot of data for me to learn from! So today, I want to share what I’ve learned with you, so that you can avoid these mistakes and instead write an amazing first chapter that makes people beg to read the rest of your book.

Want to improve your writing even further? Read my new book, Plotting Your Fantasy Novel.

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Read my new book, Plotting Your Fantasy Novel. It just released yesterday!

After publishing four fantasy novels, and teaching hundreds of writers in my programs, I’ve realised there are 5 main differences between good fantasy plots and bad fantasy plots. I’ve been thinking about this a lot, because over the past year I’ve spent well over 1000 hours writing Plotting Your Fantasy Novel — my first non-fiction book on the craft of storytelling. If you’re writing a fantasy novel, and you want readers to be utterly captivated by your plot, it’s crucial to understand these 5 differences.

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Have you ever struggled to write about a fantasy culture that feels meaningfully different from your own?

Because of the societies we grow up in, we all have these inbuilt assumptions about the way things are.

However, the best worldbuilders know how to get outside of those assumptions, so that they can create unique, different, realistic, and immersive cultures.

My friend recently showed me a useful framework for doing this. In today's podcast, I talk about the six key dimensions of culture, and how you can use these to improve your worldbuilding.

Use the country comparison tool I mentioned: https://www.theculturefactor.com/country-comparison-tool

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There are 10 big mindset differences between pro fantasy authors and amateur ones.

I’ve noticed these from talking with world-class writers like Joe Abercrombie, Christopher Ruocchio, Adrian Tchaikovsky, and dozens more — and from coaching over 220 emerging writers in my classes and programs.

Learning these 10 mindset differences has helped me publish 4 fantasy books, and an interactive fantasy novel — which all together have sold around 25,000 copies. And between my books and this YouTube channel, I’ve been a full-time creative for over two years now!

So while I’m certainly no mega NYT-bestselling author, I am lucky enough to be living out my creative dreams, and I can credit that to learning how to think and act like a pro — not an amateur. By listening to this episode, you'll learn how to do the same.

Join my Fantasy Writers' Guild: jedherne.com/guild

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