Tag: how to write

48. The Magician’s Workshop by Kate Heartfield – Lessons from Interactive Fiction

~ Jed Herne ~ Leave a comment

I normally analyse novels. On this episode, I’m pulling lessons from another storytelling form to see how it can improve our writing. Enjoy!

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Show Notes:

My email – send me your comments/questions/queries – I respond to every message -> jed.herne1(at)gmail.com

Twitter: @jedherne

Fires of the Dead – just $0.99 on Amazon for a limited time: https://amzn.to/39W9Xaq

The Magician’s Workshop: https://www.choiceofgames.com/magicians-workshop/

Sky Pirates of Actorious: https://www.choiceofgames.com/sky-pirates-of-actorius/

39. Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey – Grounding Stories With Characters

~ Jed Herne ~ Leave a comment

Science fiction space operas are stories told at an epic scale. How can you make such a vast world accessible to readers? How can you ground these fantastical and strange new worlds in a sense of realism?

Balancing the epic with the human is perhaps the greatest strength of Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey (first book in The Expanse). Today’s show dives deep into analysing how characters are they key to guiding readers through epic stories. 

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Show Notes:

jedherne.com/fires – get a free short story and join my email newsletter to hear about future book giveaways!

jedherne.com/question – submit your questions for the show!

anchor.fm – what I use to make my podcast for free (note: I am not sponsored by them and I make no money for this – just recommending a useful tool that I use)

34 – The Language of Dying by Sarah Pinborough – Creating Emotion

~ Jed Herne ~ Leave a comment

The Language of Dying is an elegiac, emotionally moving novella, about a woman whose father is dying. In today’s episode, I dive deep into analysing how the author crafted such a profound emotional experience. If you want your words to move your readers, this episode explains how. 

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My debut fantasy novella, Fires of the Dead, is available on amazon for pre-order! Get it here:  http://bit.ly/firesjedherne

Or use this link to read a free prequel story:https://jedherne.com/dead/

33 – A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. – Exploring Theme through Structure

~ Jed Herne ~ Leave a comment

My debut fantasy novella, Fires of the Dead, is available on amazon for pre-order! Get it here: https://amzn.to/31KMCUR

Or use this link to read a free sample chapter: https://jedherne.com/dead/

A Canticle for Leibowitz is a 1959 post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel by Walter M. Miller Jr. It’s often described as one of the first post-apocalyptic stories. Without it, there would be no Book of Eli, The Stand, or most other post-apocalyptic tales.

Don’t just take my word for it. It won the 1961 Hugo Award – one of science fiction’s highest honours. Legendary scientist Carl Sagan described it as: “so tautly constructed, so rich in the accommodating details of an unfamiliar society that [it] sweep me along before I have even a chance to be critical”.

It’s a remarkable novel. I don’t have the space in one episode to fully analyse it, so today I’m focusing on just one thing: how it uses an unconventional structure to explore the theme and emotionally gut-punch readers. Enjoy!

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Show Notes:

Fires of the Dead, by Jed Herne – https://jedherne.com/dead/

Watch my YouTube channel for writing advice every weekday:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVjB-qFoNxNbQq0S3boWxIA?view_as=subscriber  

Join my exclusive free Reader Club email newsletter to stay up to date with my writing projects:  https://jedherne.com/club/

Twitter: @jedherne

Email: jed.herne1@gmail.com

23 – The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams pt. 1 – Why Characters Don’t Matter

~ Jed Herne ~ Leave a comment

This absurdly funny sci-fi comedy is a fantastic example of how you don’t always need amazing characters to create an amazing story. Buckle up as we use Orson Scott Card’s MICE quotient to analyse what makes this novel work. And remember: don’t panic!

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***

Shownotes:

http://www.sfcenter.ku.edu/Workshop-stuff/MICE-Quotient.htm

Get my free short story! A Clockwork Prison

Want awesome short stories, bite-sized writing advice, and lists of the best books to improve your craft? Join my VIP email list!

22 – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – Finding your Perfect Prose

~ Jed Herne ~ Leave a comment

Fitzgerald’s classic chronicle of the Jazz age is often praised for its wonderful prose. In this episode, I examine what makes his prose so stylistically appealing – and we look at how you can write better prose. Keep beating on, boats against the current!

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Or click here to listen online

***

Shownotes:

Get my free short story! A Clockwork Prison

Want awesome short stories, bite-sized writing advice, and lists of the best books to improve your craft? Join my VIP email list!