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 - Introduction 01:23 - Writing a great opening hook 10:59 - 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 once 01:02:33 - Jed's favourite character from The Devils 1:04:55 - What is Joe trying to improve with his writing? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
