About this episode
Joe Abercrombie (author of The Blade Itself and many other brilliant stories) joins me to discuss the opening chapters from his new book, The Devils. This is an in-depth deep dive into the techniques Joe uses to hook readers, introduce characters, and develop an interesting fantasy world. Click here to get my free 5-day character course.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction01:23 - Writing a great opening hook10:59 - Does Joe read aloud during editing? 12:05 - What makes 'good prose'? 13:34 - Deep dive into Diaz’s character 22:53 - Chapter transitions and pacing 25:01 - Introduction of Alex 30:03 - Using familiar tropes in fresh ways 34:45 - Making metaphors multilayered 41:00 - Worldbuilding through POV 46:40 - Deductive vs inductive worldbuilding 49:55 - Abercrombie’s anti-worldbuilding approach 54:17 - How to introduce several characters at once01:02:33 - Jed's favourite character from The Devils1:04:55 - What is Joe trying to improve with his writing? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
