Welcoem to posts!!
in the future - u will be able to do some more stuff here,,,!! like pat catgirl- i mean um yeah... for now u can only see others's posts :c
Just got this lovely email from a reader of Across the Broken Stars ... if you would also like to be emotionally destroyed, give the book a read!
"I finished it earlier today and I can now add you to the list of writers who emotionally destroyed me this year. Leon was very different from me, but I still saw so much of myself in him (especially when he slept in till noon instead of going on a mission with Elena) and I wanted him to {redacted for spoilers}. But I think this was his âhappy endingâ and I donât think any other conclusion wouldâve fit his character arc as perfectly as this one did."
Get the book here: bit.ly/across-the-broken-stars-book
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I'm planning to write a non-fiction book, titled 'Plotting Your Fantasy Novel.' Which subtitle would make you more likely to read the book? (Feel free to explain your answer in the comments!)
1. Plotting Your Fantasy Novel: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Captivating Stories
2. Plotting Your Fantasy Novel: How to Write a Story That Readers Canât Stop Reading
3. Plotting Your Fantasy Novel: Master the Art of Structure, Conflict, and Suspense
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I'm planning to create more in-depth resources to help you improve your plotting. Let me know what you want me to cover by filling out this quick survey: forms.gle/5juMUJfRa8LxK5mn9
PS: At this point, I'm strongly considering writing a non-fiction book titled 'Plotting Your Fantasy Novel' - but before I commit to such a major project, I want to make sure that enough of you will find this useful! I hope this survey will help me get a better understanding of what youâre struggling with, so that I can help you if I do decide to write a book on the topic.
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The best fantasy novels have a riveting Engagement Engine.
This keeps you glued to the page even if some aspects of the story (spelling, realism, pacing, prose, etc.) might be weak.
For example: if youâre writing an urban fantasy story about a detective trying to solve a supernatural crime in modern-day Venice, the mystery is the centrepiece of your Engagement Engine.
Even if your characters feel one-dimensional...
And even if your prose is sloppy...
If that central mystery is interesting enough, then readers will rip through the pages like thereâs no tomorrow.
Another example: letâs say youâre writing a coming-of-age story where a young woman trains as monster-collector under the grumpy (but wise) guidance of an older mentor character.
Maybe your pacing is slow...
And maybe the other characters feel a bit boring and under-developed.
But if you get that mentor/apprentice dynamic right, with good banter and an interesting character arc for your plucky young monster-collector â then readers will still love your book.
(If you want to see how I wrote a fun mentor/apprentice dynamic, check out my space fantasy novel, Across the Broken Stars.)
Obviously, you want every part of your story to be great...
...but when you think about the novels you love the most, itâs usually because the author has a crystal-clear idea of the central Engagement Engine.
They introduce it early in the first chapter to hook readers.
And they do everything they can to double-down on it.
More Engagement Engine examples:
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie: in this grimdark classic, the Engagement Engine mainly revolves around seeing how many messed-up, twisted, brutal things we can see the characters do. When one of your main characters is a torturer, what else can you expect?
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch: in this heist novel, the Engagement Engine is all about seeing the clever ways that Locke and his crew outwit and outsmart their foes through various cons.
Harry Potter and the Philosopherâs Stone by J. K. Rowling: here, the Engagement Engine revolves mainly around the fun of exploring, training, and learning at Hogwarts â along with the burgeoning friendship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Your fantasy story doesnât have to do everything.
But it does need to be really, really good at one thing.
And once you get that core of your Engagement Engine right â everything else will follow.
Q: Whatâs the Engagement Engine of your current novel? Let me know in the comments below.
PS: I share practical fantasy writing advice (just like this) every week in my email newsletter.
You can sign up (and get a free 5-day course on writing better characters) here: bit.ly/character-crash-course
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When I started writing my first book about 12 years ago, I had no idea what I was doing.
I felt very much like a bumbling scientist gleefully setting off random explosions in his shed.
Was it a lot of fun?
Absolutely!
Was all my work producing something worth reading?
Absolutely not!
Five years of writing (and re-writing) later, I realised that I just couldn't untwist the knot of this book.
So I moved onto another project.
This time, I actually wrote an outline before I started.
With a clear plan for my story, I finished the first draft in sixty days.
The book was later published as Across the Broken Stars, and it launched my entire author career.
Fast-forward to today, and I've now published four fantasy novels.
I'm lucky enough to be a full-time author and story coach, with a YouTube channel (of over 100,000 subscribers!) where I natter away about storytelling. On top of that, I've also worked with 80+ writers over the last two years to help them improve their fantasy books.
I feel so lucky to be living out my creative dreams.
And the skeleton key that unlocked all of this was learning how to effectively outline.
I knew I had to share this system with other writers.
So a year ago, I ran the first cohort of my Fantasy Outlining Bootcamp: a 7-week program where I would share everything I knew about planning a great fantasy novel.
Since then, I've run three cohorts of this program, with 22 writers so far, and I've seen incredible results from the students I've worked with.
"This course was revelatory for me, and it was by far the best decision Iâve ever made in my writing journey. My perspective on outlines and the purpose they serve was completely stripped bare and rebuilt correctly. Now I have a firm understanding of how to actually approach storytelling." - Matt Fagan, Fantasy Outlining Bootcamp student
"It probably has saved me months or years of wandering with this story. This is the best investment Iâve ever made in my writing, and Iâll be referring to the recordings again and again. So if youâre looking to level up your writing and develop a clear path to a finished manuscript, I cannot recommend this bootcamp highly enough." - Christine Row, Fantasy Outlining Bootcamp student
When writers come into the program, they're full of amazing ideas and talent. Yet they often struggle to bring those ideas together in a cohesive and resonant way.
It brings me so much joy to work with my students.
Watching authors gain major epiphanies about their story, get unstuck, and understand new insights into their characters and plot - it's an incredible feeling.
This is the program I wish I had when I started writing.
Not only do you get my 12+ years of writing wisdom compressed down into 7 weeks...
But you'll also join an incredible community of dedicated fantasy writers to give you support and the accountability to push through on those tough days.
Cohort 4 of the Fantasy Outlining Bootcamp starts on October 21st.
Applications close on Monday 14th October at 6pm Perth time. (That's under three days from now.)
So if you want to work with me personally to improve your writing (and to set yourself up to craft a great fantasy novel in 2025), then click this link to learn more and apply:
bit.ly/fantasy-bootcamp-4
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Well, you guys did it! The channel just crossed over 100,000 subscribers, so to celebrate I'll be doing a big ask-me-anything video. Send me your question here: forms.gle/Mo1BLFD6XRPfi3gQ7
Honestly, it blows my mind to see how big the channel has become. I love the craft of storytelling so deeply - as both a writer and a teacher. Having this as my full-time job is an incredible blessing. It's amazing to know that so many people are interesting in writing great fantasy novels.
I've had so many people tell me that my videos have helped them overcome writers block, finish their first books, and even get published. Whenever I hear stories like that, it always fills me with joy and gives me so much inspiration.
Whether you've been a subscriber since day 1, or whether you've just come across the channel more recently, thank you so much for helping me live out my creative dreams. I hope you've found my videos useful.
Plenty more great stuff to come.
Keep writing, and keep striving,
- Jed
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What do you struggle with more? (Obviously these things are deeply interrelated ... but I'm curious to know which one you feel like you've got a better handle on). Feel free to elaborate in the comments!
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What stage of your writing journey are you currently in?
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Another lovely review for my First Chapter Mastery course! Sign up here: bit.ly/first-chapter-course
"Amazing. Jed is a great person with a strong knowledge of his craft and a distinctive respect for his students. I loved how this course alternated theoretical concepts, real first chapter analysis, and practical questions that every author will ask themselves at one point in their writing lives. If you hesitate taking this course tell yourself one thing: no one achieves mastery without seeking the support/feedback of a professional. Not only is Jed a professional, but he teaches his art with such passion and clarity, you can't be disappointed. I highly recommend." - Ludovic
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I'm going through your responses for my '10 best/worst ways to start your fantasy novel' survey - and I just wanted to say: thank you for the insane volume of answers you sent in. We got over 51,000 words of responses for this, which is crazy. So much good data to share in the next video!
Here's part 1:
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Helping you write better fantasy books!
On this channel, I share the best fantasy writing advice that I've learned from publishing four novels and a bestselling video game.
My published books include Kingdom of Dragons, The Thunder Heist, Across the Broken Stars, Fires of the Dead. I also wrote Siege of Treboulain - an epic fantasy video game.
I've also worked personally with over 80 fantasy writers to help them improve their stories. For some of these writers, I've edited their entire novels; for others, I have helped them outline and structure their stories. On top of that, I've done well over 150+ coaching calls with authors as well.
All of this coaching experience has given me a lot of insight into the most common struggles that new fantasy writers face. I run this channel to share my learnings to help you improve as an author.
For business enquiries, please contact me using the email below.