How to Write Your First Fantasy Novel in 2025 (Full Guide)

Here's everything I've learned from publishing my fantasy novels. Join my accountability & support community for fantasy writers: https://jedherne.com/guild?video=o0uui_RGFkA ⏲️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:00:45 - 1: PICKING YOUR IDEA 00:01:23 - Finding inspiration 00:04:34 - Trope brainstorm 00:06:49 - Narrowing down to 1 idea 00:08:34 - A harsh truth 00:12:03 - Choosing your scope 00:14:03 - Originality doesn’t exist 00:15:28 - Ideas are cheap 00:16:32 - 2: OUTLINING 00:21:03 - The purpose of outlining 00:23:38 - The Hourglass Method 00:24:12 - Exploring the suburb 00:26:01 - Finding your core (premise, theme) 00:39:47 - Guiding principles document 00:41:00 - Building character arcs 00:51:36 - 9-Point Story Structure 01:17:01 - Final thoughts on structure 01:18:06 - 3: WRITING YOUR 1st DRAFT 01:19:36 - The goal of a 1st draft 01:24:10 - Building good writing habits 01:29:23 - Track your word counts 01:32:12 - Do this when you get stuck 01:40:00 - More tips to make the 1st draft easier 01:47:37 - 4: EDITING 01:50:25 - Make notes on your 1st draft 01:53:15 - The 2nd draft (big changes) 01:54:43 - 3rd draft (specific passes) 01:58:17 - Working with early readers 02:04:29 - 4th draft (incorporate reader comments) 02:05:19 - Hire a pro editor 02:08:17 - The final draft 02:10:54 - ‘Finishing’ a book 📙 MY BOOKS: Across the Broken Stars: https://jedherne.com/acrossthebrokenstars The Thunder Heist: https://jedherne.com/thethunderheist/ Fires of the Dead: https://jedherne.com/firesofthedead Kingdom of Dragons: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jedherne/kingdom-of-dragons 🎮 MY VIDEO GAME: Siege of Treboulain: https://jedherne.com/siege-of-treboulain-details/ 🔨 USEFUL WRITING TOOLS: ProWritingAid (great editing software): https://jedherne.com/prowritingaid - 10% discount with my affiliate link.