Just Get Bored, and You'll Write Better Fantasy Books

In a world of endless stimulation, here's how boredom will elevate your writing.

⏲️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Intro
01:09 - Understand the two outcomes of boredom
04:05 - The Neil Gaiman gaze
05:53 - Become a watchful waiter
08:18 - Get off the cocaine pellet dispenser
11:44 - Occasionally select the low stimulation option
14:26 - Fill the boredom with notes & ideas

📙 MY BOOKS:

🎮 MY VIDEO GAME:

🧑 ABOUT ME:
Hi! My name's Jed. I'm a fantasy author with three published novels and a bestselling video game. On this channel, I draw from my 10+ years of writing experience to help you become a better writer.

[Jed_Herne]

(There's a ton of student reviews on this page, which will help you decide whether or not the course is right for you.)

[BolognaBuck]

This actually makes sense because when you’re bored your brain seeks things to cure your boredom therefore making you more creative and writing better

[Gaia_Gaistar]

Boredom is kind of what fueled my artistic endeavors when I was younger. I legit stopped pursuing them because entertainment is so readily at my fingertips. The power was out for me all day last week and I sat down and read half of Neuromancer. I haven't read that much in like two years.

[bennusmagnus]

One night when I was trying to sleep, I started trying to figure out how various fairytale kingdoms could fit into one royal family line. After a ton of revisions, that idea became the founding idea of what I'm trying to write now.

[talkswithsylvia]

I got so bored in 2020 i tried my hand at writing. Now, i have four published books on Amazon. Boredom works

[anthonywritesfantasy]

"Boredom is the bedrock of creativity." This is one of my core principles! Love that you made this video, Jed.

[dashfire]

My brain when not bored: "So yeah the villain is on a quest for power"
My brain when bored: "HE IS TRYING TO SLAY ALL GODS AND BECOME LORD OF THE WORLD TO BRING PEACE AND STOP WAR" (essentially the plot of my new book)

[jacobpeters]

Jed my dude, you nailed it right on the head. I got bored and tried to make a tabletop game. That did not work because I felt the story should come first. I had been working on the story for a long time and now I have published my first book. I Love noveling =D

[ashurean]

I would split boredom into two types. The first kind is what you're talking about, where you're able to engage with your headspace and be creative. But there's another kind, where either the environment or an event has your mind occupied or scattered, such that you can't really use your headspace. In this situation, having something external to focus on can be helpful. It cuts through the mental noise and can help get you out of that state.
I can't speak for everyone, but i find that when I'm experiencing writer's block, I'm also experiencing that second kind of boredom. And I need to do something else to regather my mind. In general, it's best to do things that occupy your body, not your mind, like doing the dishes, ortaking your dog for a walk, or, if you're a custodian like i am, just go to work. It's like a refresh button, it lets your mind run but can shake off whatever pattern your brain got into and allow you to use your mental energy productively again.

[jerrysstories]

11:44 At a school where I volunteered, an old visiting teacher tried to have the philosophy students do an exercise of sitting together in total silence and stillness for an hour. The younger teachers warned him they couldn't possibly do that, so he agreed to have them try just 15 minutes of silent stillness. The students was squirming constantly, and several had to be reminded not to reach for their phones. Afterwards they carried on about how awful and difficult if was. Later on, several with long hair or hoodies admitted they had to sneak in their earbuds. That was the first time I realized how bad things had gotten.

[Sarah_ZeCreator]

so glad 10 year old me started off drawing when i'm bored

sure it ain't writing

but now i'm 15 and planning on writing my first fantasy novel, with most of the characters already drawn and a massive world-building and storyline just chilling in my head rent free

[raytrix]

I deleted social media off of my phone in 2022 for mental health reasons, and as a result my attention span increased drastically. I thought I’d miss it so much, and that it’d be so hard, but it really wasn’t. Our brains don’t need that kind of stimulation to function!

[LetsReadPodcast]

It’s funny because I saw a meme earlier of a guy comparing the feeling of being away from your phone for 5 minutes to that of Golem desiring the one ring. To imagine we’d never have such a masterpiece of fiction if Tolkien wasted his boredom on instant gratifications

[tripmracek]

I agree. Boredom is a very important thing. Gives you time to think.

[TheDoomKnight]

So as soon at this video finished, I put it to practice. I turned everything off and let my mind wander. After it played several songs and a full blown movie, my mind finally ventured into creativity mode. I now have a general idea of a new novel to write. Still needs tweaking, but that's one more story idea I can add to the ever-growing pile. Thanks, and I hope maybe one day, you'll read my book when it comes out. =)

[DavidTucker]

One of my biggest hobbies is running, cycling and triathlon. I've never worked out with music and always use those long training sessions to just watch the world and think. My friends think I'm crazy but the amount of creativity I generate during that time is amazing

[DanielleOutLoud]

I’ve never noticed this but it’s fascinating to think about how true it is. If I find myself with no music in the car I always wind up world building or plotting some kind of story, or daydreaming about a story scene.

I need to give myself more room to do this.

[wavetactics]

Yeah, long drives or walks are usually the best times for me to come up with something. Usually I just let my mind wander around until I stumble on to an idea or character concept to toy with.

[kayceeisonfire]

These principles are exactly what I needed to hear, not just to help my writing but to improve my productivity in general. I constantly get stuck in a cycle of needing constant stimulation and then never having enough energy or will power to do the things that aren't as stimulating, but this video has given me so many good ideas on how to get better at that! Thanks Jed!

[swiftsabre]

Ive always walked without listening to anything and scenes just slip into my head all the time. It’s such a good way of being creative easily and painting a vivid picture of what you can’t normally visualise at home.