“Just Finish the First Draft” Is Usually Bad Writing Advice

Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, Jon talks about the frustrating gap between recognizing that your work could be better and actually knowing how to improve it. He breaks revision down from the scene level to the paragraph and sentence levels, explains why developing an “ear for story” diffe…

The Problem With “TV Brain Prose”

Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we unpack what happens when you approach a novel like a TV show that hasn’t been filmed yet. Jon digs into “TV brain prose,” a common problem among aspiring fiction writers whose scenes rely on camera-like description, character blocking, visual information,…

How to Hook Readers in the First Page of Your Fantasy Novel

Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re breaking down a first‑page excerpt from the fantasy writing subreddit and asking a deceptively simple question: what actually makes an opening work? Jon reacts in real time to a dark fantasy opening, unpacking why beautifully written prose can still fa…

How to Write Humorous Dark Fantasy (Like Terry Pratchett!)

Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we're responding to an email from a listener who wants to know how they can incorporate humor and levity in their dark fantasy novel. They specifically reference Terry Pratchett, so I take a close look at how this works and why it seems far more effortless t…

How to Write Fantasy in the Age of Short Attention Spans

Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re digging into a question a lot of fantasy writers are quietly wrestling with: has modern fantasy been reshaped by short attention spans? Using Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness as a jumping‑off point, Jon talks about why “hook them on page o…

How to Know if Your Fantasy is Young Adult, Adult, or New Adult

Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we're answering a pretty thorny question. When it comes to young adult and adult fantasy, what are the real differences? There are a lot of rules and exceptions to the rules, so it can be a little tricky figuring out how to market your book to the right read…

How to Know When Horror Counts as Fantasy

Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re answering a spooky-good question! Does horror count as fantasy? Jon dives into how genres overlap, why dark fantasy works best when it steals from horror’s toolset, and how to write sinister bargains, magical villains, and terrifying atmospheres that f…

How to Avoid Chapters Where Characters Just Talk

Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re answering a hot-button question from the fantasy writing subreddit: is it bad if most of your novel is just people talking? Jon digs into why dialogue-heavy scenes can tank your pacing, when they actually work, and how to build a more dynamic scene str…

How to Reveal Backstories without Boring Flashbacks

Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re tackling a listener email about how writers can unfold a character’s past without overwhelming the reader. Jon breaks down when to use flashbacks effectively, plus how you can handle offscreen POVs. And we reference authors like Robin Hobb to engage wi…

How to Write Travel Montages

Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re answering a listener email about one of the trickiest parts of writing epic fantasy: the dreaded travel montage. How do you keep the story moving when your characters are literally just…moving? Jon dives into the dos and don’ts of long journeys, how to…