12 - Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson - Controlling Pacing using Chapters.

This was the first Brandon Sanderson novel I read, and boy did it get me hooked. This YA Superhero story is a masterclass in pacing, and pulls readers through the novel at a ridiculous speed. Today, I'll analyse how Sanderson achieved such a fast pace. 

Shownotes:

Previous Brandon Sanderson Episode:

Twitter: @JedHerne

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11 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling - Narrative Misdirection.

This is one of my favourite books, and in today's episode I dive deep into how you can use the 2+2 rule to misdirect readers. If you want to learn more about how Rowling writes plot twists, this is the episode for you!

Twitter: @JedHerne

Andrew Stanton: The clues to a great story

Episode 3 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling - Creating Suspense Using Question Arcs

A Clockwork Prison: novelanalyst.com/prison

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10 - Mistborn The Final Empire - by Brandon Sanderson - Mastering the Grand Skill of Worldbuilding.

Sanderson is a master of creating compelling fantasy worlds. Mistborn is a perfect example - and it's one of the best novel's I've read this year. In this episode, I'll analyse different techniques Sanderson uses to craft an amazing world. 

Shownotes:

Brandon Sanderson's (Amazing!) writing lectures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4ZDBOc2tX8&list=PLH3mK1NZn9QqOSj3ObrP3xL8tEJQ12-vL 

Brandon Sanderson's Laws of Magic: https://brandonsanderson.com/sandersons-first-law/ 

Twitter: @JedHerne

Email: [email protected]

Show notes (links to books & articles I mentioned, etc.): novelanalyst.com

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9 - The Stars my Destination by Alfred Bester - Grounding the Future in the Past. 

This golden age sci-fi novel has a lot to teach - oddly enough - about realism. Bester extracts qualities from historical eras to ground his world in a sense of truth, and in this episode I explore how he does this and how you can do the same. 

Twitter: @JedHerne

Email: [email protected]

Show notes (links to books & articles I mentioned, etc.): novelanalyst.com

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8 - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - Creating Empathy for the Hero. If you want readers to keep turning pages, empathy is crucial. In this episode, I examine how Cline uses goals to make readers care about Wade Watts. 

Twitter: @JedHerne

Email: [email protected]

Show notes: novelanalyst.com/episode8

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7 - The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie - Exploring Theme. 

This is one of the best books I've read this year, and what made it strong was Abercrombie's masterful control of theme. Today, I examine how The Heroes doesn't cram a moral down readers throats, but instead uses characters, structure, and symbolism to explore how in a war it's impossible to be a hero in every way and at every time ...

Twitter: @JedHerne

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Show notes (links to books & articles I mentioned, etc.): novelanalyst.com/episode7

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Neuromancer was a 1984 genre-defining novel - and it still has a lot to teach writers today. Settle in as I pull 6 key lessons out of this ground-breaking sci-fi novel. 

Twitter: @JedHerne

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Show notes (links to books & articles I mentioned, etc.): novelanalyst.com/episode6

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5 - Gabriel Bergmoser Interview - Windmills, Boone Shepard, Movie Maintenance, and Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. 

Today I'm changing things up from my normal analysis format by interviewing Gabe Bergmoser - one of my favourite Australian authors. Gabe is the author of Boone Shepard, Boone Shepard's American Adventure, and the forthcoming Boone Sheppard: The Silhouette and the Sacrifice. He's also a prolific playwright, winner of the Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award, host of Movie Maintenance, and contributor to Movie Maintenance Presents.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

Shownotes (links to books Gabe mentioned & more): novelanalyst.com/episode5

Twitter: @JedHerne

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Done poorly, midpoints can bog down your story with annoying slowness. That's not the case in today's novel, which showcases one possible solution to avoiding the dreaded soggy middle.

Twitter: @JedHerne

Email: [email protected]

Show notes (links to books & articles I mentioned, etc.): novelanalyst.com

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Harry Potter is successful (amoung many other reasons) for Rowling's fantastic use of suspense and mystery. Today, I analyse how you can use question arcs to create suspense in your own writing, and how suspense destroys 'soggy middle syndrome.' 

Twitter: @JedHerne

Email: [email protected]

Show notes (links to books I mentioned, etc.): novelanalyst.com

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