PODCAST · arts
The Novel Analyst Podcast: Creative Writing Advice & Author Interviews
by Jed Herne
Fantasy author Jed Herne analyses his favourite stories to help you become a better writer. Jed is the author of The Thunder Heist, Fires of the Dead, Across the Broken Stars, and Siege of Treboulain. He also hosts Wizards, Warriors, & Words: A Fantasy Writing Advice podcast. Find out more about Jed on his website: www.jedherne.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
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Introducing: Wizards, Warriors, & Words - my new fantasy writing advice podcast!
Hey there! I'm stoked to finally reveal my latest podcast: Wizards, Warriors, & Words. Jointly hosted by myself, Michael R. Fletcher, Dyrk Ashton, and Rob J. Hayes, each episode we explore an element of writing, editing, publishing, and marketing, with a focus on fantasy stories. Between us…
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55. [Book Review] Shadows of Self - Mistborn 5 - by Brandon Sanderson
My in-depth thoughts on Shadows of Self (Mistborn, #5) by Brandon Sanderson. Email: [email protected] Booknest Reviews: https://booknest.eu/review-2/jed --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/novelanalyst/message Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Q & A with Jed - why I write fantasy, why did I self-publish, and the state of the fantasy genre
I was recently interviewed by Lavender Lass Books about Across the Broken Stars - my entry into this year's Self-Published Fantasy Book-Off, run by Mark Lawrence. This episode is the audio version of that interview. Enjoy! Twitter: @JedHerne Email: jed(at)jedherne.com --- Send in a voice message:...
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54. [Interview] Gabriel Bergmoser talks about The Hunted, adapting his book into a major movie, and how to write gripping stories
Gabriel Bergmoser and I sat down to discuss The Hunted (his latest thriller novel) in depth. This is the third time I've interviewed him, and somehow he keeps getting better. The Hunted is my favourite book of his and it was enthralling to dive into the mind of its creator. Enjoy! Buy The Hunted...
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Q & A with Jed Herne - My favourite character, the books that inspired me to start writing, and more
I recently did a live video in the Grimdark Fantasy Readers & Writers group, answering Qs about my writing. It was a lot of fun! Here's the audio replay - enjoy! novelanalyst.com And if you have any other questions, I love talking with you listeners - email me at: jed(at)jedherne.com --- Send in…
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53. [Interview] Rob J. Hayes – Writing a Fantasy Trilogy, Overcoming Doubts, and The War Eternal
I chat with Rob for the second time to discuss his latest grimdark fantasy trilogy, The War Eternal. The trilogy follows Eska, a young magician struggling to reconcile her urges for revenge with her longing for human connection. The books include: Along the Razor’s Edge The Lessons Never Learned...
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52. [Interview} S. Andrew Swann - Lessons learned from publishing 26 fantasy and sci-fi books
S. Andrew Swann is the pen name of Steven Swiniarski. He has published over 26 novels since 1993. His recent works include Sword of the Slayer – an interactive fiction story from Choice of Games. Show Notes: Steven's website: sandrewswann.com Twitter: @SAndrewSwann Facebook:...
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51. Red Country by Joe Abercrombie - Concrete and Specific Setting Descriptions
Red Country is an innovative and captivating work, merging the fantasy and western genres into something new and fresh. A big part of its success are Abercrombie's vivid and immersive descriptive language. This episode dissects how to write setting descriptions that make readers feel like they're...
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50. Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie - A Simple Way to Craft Compelling Characters
Use this technique to generate compelling, flawed, three-dimensional characters. Show Notes: Fires of the Dead - available in audiobook, ebook, & paperback. Link to all formats here: jedherne.com/firesofthedead Link to the audiobook deal: bit.ly/FOTDchirp Episode 2 - The Blade Itself by Joe...
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49. [Interview] Kate Heartfield - Interactive Fiction and The Magician's Workshop
What does it take to write stories where readers' decisions affect the outcome? Kate Heartfield is an author of several historical fantasy and interactive fiction stories, including The Road to Canterbury, and The Magician’s Workshop, published by Choice of Games. Her fiction has won or been...
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48. The Magician's Workshop by Kate Heartfield - Lessons from Interactive Fiction
I normally analyse novels. On this episode, I'm pulling lessons from another storytelling form to see how it can improve our writing. Enjoy! Show Notes: My email - send me your comments/questions/queries - I respond to every message -> jed.herne1(at)gmail.com Twitter: @jedherne Fires of the Dead…
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47. [Interview] Rob J. Hayes on Viking Martial Arts, Achieving Success as a Self-Published Fantasy Author, and Turning Messy Drafts into Great Stories
Rob J. Hayes is the author of the Amazon Best Selling The Heresy Within, the SPFBO-winning piratical swashbuckler Where Loyalties Lie, and the critically acclaimed Never Die. Website: www.robjhayes.co.uk Twitter: @RoboftheHayes Show Notes: My grimdark fantasy novella, Fires of the Dead, just…
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Fires of the Dead is FREE for the next 4 days!
My fantasy novella, Fires of the Dead, is free on Amazon for the next 4 days! Check it out here: https://amzn.to/32BIwjC During its free period, it's reached: #1 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Kindle Store) #1 in Action & Adventure Fantasy (Kindle Store) #1 in Alternative History It's only free in eBook…
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46. Never Die by Rob J. Hayes - Choreographing Excellent Ensemble Casts
In this episode, I analyse the brilliant dynamics behind Rob J. Hayes' eclectic crew in his wonderful grimdark fantasy book, Never Die. Enjoy! Show Notes: Listen to me read chapter 1 of my latest fantasy novel, Across the Broken Stars:...
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Book Launch Party for Across the Broken Stars by Jed Herne
Buy Across the Broken Stars here: jedherne.com/acrossthebrokenstars Today's episode features the audio recording from my latest book launch. Enjoy! 00:00 - 10:20 - Jed's thoughts on how to become more creature 10:20 - 21:12 - Jed reads scene 1 from Across the Broken Stars 21:12 - onwards - Q & A...
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[Announcement] Across the Broken Stars by Jed Herne is out today!
Buy a copy here: https://jedherne.com/broken And if you buy a copy before midnight Feb 9th, email your receipt to [email protected] to receive free bonuses, including: The unedited first draft (which was 20 000 words shorter than the final novel) My original outline A free companion short…
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45. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin - Crafting a Slow-Burning Narrative
The Left Hand of Darkness is a visionary sci-fi story about a lone human ambassador to Winter, an alien world whose inhabitants’ biology allows them to choose—and change—their gender. His goal is to facilitate Winter's inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge...
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44. Master of Sorrows by Justin Call - Crafting Compelling Magic Systems
An in-depth look at creating interesting, cohesive magic that improves your story in meaningful ways. Show Notes: My interview with Justin, author of Master of Sorrows: https://novelanalyst.com/2020/01/07/justin-call-interview/ My upcoming space fantasy book, Across the Broken Stars:...
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[Sneak Peek] - Chapter 1 of Across the Broken Stars - My Upcoming Space Fantasy Novel
To celebrate the upcoming release of my epic space fantasy novel, Across the Broken Stars, I'm sharing chapter 1 of the book. The actual book releases on Feb 3rd, 2020. Click here to learn more: jedherne.com/acrossthebrokenstars Leon has a secret. He was once an angel – a winged warrior sworn to...
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43. [Interview] Justin Call - Author of Master of Sorrows - board games, fantasy, and the creative life
Justin Call graduated from Harvard University in 2012 with a Master's in Literature and Creative Writing. He has studied fantasy literature for almost two decades and is the author of Master of Sorrows, Book 1 of The Silent Gods tetralogy. Justin is also the CEO of Broomstick Monkey Games and...
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8 Top Writing Lessons From 8 Years of Writing
It's been 8 years since I started writing in 2012. Here's the 8 biggest lessons I've learned. Show Notes: Across the Broken Stars - goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49125250-across-the-broken-stars > Best writing advice resources: Anything by K. M. Weiland Brandon Sanderson's online...
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42. A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix - The Triumph of Humanity
Cohesion and resonance. More than anything else, they're what will elevate your story above the rest, and leave readers thinking long after the final page. Show Notes: Send me your questions: https://jedherne.com/question/ Or: jed.herne1[at]gmail.com Listen to my in-depth analysis of an amazing...
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41. The Ember Blade by Chris Wooding - Nailing the Opening 48 Pages
A masterclass in writing beginnings that make readers reach your endings. Check out my shiny new instagram account for a behind-the-scenes look into my writing life: https://www.instagram.com/jedherne/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/novelanalyst/message Hosted on Acast. See...
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40. Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy - Writing an Amazing Series
For months, I’ve been struggling with how to write a series. See, most of my ideas come to me as stand-alone books, but this current project felt like something bigger than one novel.A few weeks ago, I had an epiphany.Now, I think I’ve cracked the code on writing a series.And today I’ll share it...
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39. Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey - Grounding Stories With Characters
Science fiction space operas are stories told at an epic scale. How can you make such a vast world accessible to readers? How can you ground these fantastical and strange new worlds in a sense of realism? Balancing the epic with the human is perhaps the greatest strength of Leviathan Wakes by…
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38 - Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson - Giving Readers Chills
Words of Radiance is the second book in The Stormlight Archive, an epic fantasy series of incredible ambition - and superb execution. What's remarkable about WOR isn't just the world building, the twisting plot, or the amazing characters (although they're all great). No, what made this book...
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[Announcement] Win a signed copy of Fires of the Dead + send me your questions!
Hey podcast! Use this link to enter the Fires of the Dead giveaway (closes Oct 30th): jedherne.com/win And use this link to leave a question for me to answer on the show: jedherne.com/question (There's also a text form, if you'd rather type instead of talking. However, I'll prioritise voice...
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37 - Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling – Disguising Exposition
Subtly conveying information to readers is a delicate skill. It's one that Rowling mastered in the Harry Potter series, where all the information is available to readers well before it's needed, but only coalesces at the required moment. In today's episode, I describe the 4 M's of subtle...
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36 - [Interview] Gareth Hanrahan: World Building, Writing Advice, and Creating a Successful Writing Career
Stoked to interview Gareth Hanrahan, author of The Gutter Prayer - which I analysed on the show just a few days ago. We had an excellent in-depth chat about his book, how writing for role-playing games has helped him as an author, and lots more. Enjoy! Show Notes: Gareth's top books/resources:...
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35 - The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan - World Building for Fantasy Cities
In today's episode, I outline a guide for world-building amazing fantasy cities - like the one Hanrahan created in The Gutter Prayer. Here's my key world-building lessons learnt from this book: 1. Consider the first scene as a microcosm 2. The first scene sets the tone 3. Explore your interests…
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Special sneak peek! Chapter one of my debut fantasy novella, FIRES OF THE DEAD
Hey podcast! My debut fantasy novella, Fires of the Dead, releases in 10 days on September 20th! It'll be available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook forms. I'm so stoked to share it with the world :). Can't wait to hear what you think! Blurb: Wisp is a Pyromancer: a magician who draws energy…
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34 - The Language of Dying by Sarah Pinborough - Creating Emotion
The Language of Dying is an elegiac, emotionally moving novella, about a woman whose father is dying. In today's episode, I dive deep into analysing how the author crafted such a profound emotional experience. If you want your words to move your readers, this episode explains how. My debut…
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33 - A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. - Exploring Theme through Structure
My debut fantasy novella, Fires of the Dead, is available on amazon for pre-order! Get it here: https://amzn.to/31KMCUR Or use this link to read a free sample chapter: https://jedherne.com/dead/ A Canticle for Leibowitz is a 1959 post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel by Walter M. Miller Jr. It's often...
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32 - Gabriel Bergmoser Interview - lessons learnt from book deals, movie deals, and becoming a full-time writer
Gabriel Bergmoser is a Melbourne based author and playwright. He's written the Boone Shepard trilogy (I analysed book 3 in this episode of the podcast) along with multiple plays. His latest novel is The Hunted (aka Sunburnt Country in the UK), which comes out in mid-2020 from HarperCollins. It…
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[Announcement] I'm giving away 7 Joe Abercrombie novels for FREE!
Enter the free contest to win 7 Joe Abercrombie fantasy novels: http://bit.ly/firstlawgiveaway (Contest ends on 12th August, 2019, so get in quick!) Join my email newsletter to stay updated with my upcoming book launch: https://jedherne.com/club/ To build buzz for the launch on my debut fantasy...
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31 - Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - Using the Relationship Axes to Create Interesting Character Dynamics
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is a gritty YA fantasy heist story. It's got a racing plot, an interesting setting, and amazing characters. In this episode, I analyse the relationship between Kaz and Inej, using Mary Robinette Kowal's 6 relationship axes: Mind - Both people have similar levels of...
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30 - Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - Writing Twists
After Dale from The Reading Gorilla podcast sent in a listener request, who was I to ignore it? This is an episode about Orson Scott Card's sci-fi classic, Ender's Game. Specifically, I examine how he crafted such an amazing twist. Enjoy! And if you want to request an episode, or just have any...
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29 - The Way of Kings - Stormlight Archive book 1 - by Brandon Sanderson - Crafting Epic Fantasy
What does it mean to craft epic fantasy? How is it different that other forms of fantasy? What are it's unique strengths, and potential pitfalls? All those questions and more answered in today's episode, which focuses on The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. Enjoy! Check out my new youtube…
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Talk isn’t cheap - Quick Storytelling Tips 005
Let me know what you think of these short bonus episodes by emailing [email protected]. Also, if you want free sci-fi and fantasy stories written by me, go to jedherne.com/club. It’ll let you join my brand new Reader Club, and when you do that I’ll send you 5 free short stories, plus exclusive...
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28 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling - Meaningful Supporting Characters
Today’s episode is all about secondary characters. What constitutes a great secondary character? How can us writers create amazing side characters that improve the quality of our stories? Show notes: 3 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling - Creating Suspense Using Question…
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… But really, I hated them - Quick Storytelling Tips 004
Let me know what you think of these short bonus episodes by emailing [email protected]. Also, if you want free sci-fi and fantasy stories written by me, go to jedherne.com/club. It’ll let you join my brand new Reader Club, and when you do that I’ll send you 5 free short stories, plus exclusive...
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Truth in writing - Quick Storytelling Tips 003
Let me know what you think of these short bonus episodes by emailing [email protected]. Also, if you want free sci-fi and fantasy stories written by me, go to jedherne.com/club. It’ll let you join my brand new Reader Club, and when you do that I’ll send you 5 free short stories, plus exclusive...
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27 - Skulduggery Pleasant - Death Bringer by Derek Landy - The Gap
27 - Skulduggery Pleasant - Death Bringer by Derek Landy - The Gap Backstories matter, but they can be hard to execute. This episode deconstructs how Landy uses the idea of the Gap to create intriguing character backstories that readers crave to learn. Enjoy! Shownotes: 19 - Skulduggery Pleasant…
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Theme is not preaching - Quick Writing Tip 002
Let me know what you think of these short bonus episodes by emailing [email protected]. Also, if you want free sci-fi and fantasy stories by yours truly, go to jedherne.com/club. It’ll let you join my brand new Reader Club, and when you do that I’ll send you 5 free short stories, plus some...
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Stay off the nose - Quick Writing Tip 001
Starting a new series! In addition to your normal Novel Analyst episodes, for the next month I’ll be posting a Quick Writing Tip episode every Monday. Let me know what you think and if you want more of them, email [email protected] or hit me up on twitter @JedHerne. Also, if you want free…
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26 - Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone by J. K. Rowling - Ring Structure
26 - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling - Ring Structure I've wanted to do this for a long time, and it's finally here: an analysis of one of my top novels of all time ... In this episode, I dive super deep into the circular structure of Rowling's masterpiece. Be warned…
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25 - Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo - The Art of Setting Descriptions
25 - Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo - The Art of Setting Descriptions. In this fantastic YA fantasy novel, the town of Ketterdam is a living, breathing, three-dimensional creation: as much a character as any of the other (brilliant) characters in this story. Bardugo is a master of making a...
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24 - The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams pt. 2 - How to Write Funny
24 - The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams pt. 2 - How to Write Funny. In the second part of my analysis of Hitchhikers I extract micro and macro techniques for creating comedy. (You don't need to have listened to the 1st part for this to make sense). Enjoy! Shownotes:...
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23 - The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams pt. 1 - Why Characters Don't Matter
23 - The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams pt. 1 - Why Characters Don't Matter. This absurdly funny sci-fi comedy is a fantastic example of how you don't always need amazing characters to create an amazing story. Buckle up as we use Orson Scott Card's MICE quotient to analyse what...
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22 - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Finding your Perfect Prose
22 - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Finding your Perfect Prose. Fitzgerald's classic chronicle of the Jazz age is often praised for its wonderful prose. In this episode, I examine what makes his prose so stylistically appealing - and we look at how you can write better prose. Keep...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Fantasy author Jed Herne analyses his favourite stories to help you become a better writer. Jed is the author of The Thunder Heist, Fires of the Dead, Across the Broken Stars, and Siege of Treboulain. He also hosts Wizards, Warriors, & Words: A Fantasy Writing Advice podcast. Find out more about Jed on his website: www.jedherne.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Jed Herne
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Novel Analyst Podcast: Creative Writing Advice & Author Interviews have?
The Novel Analyst Podcast: Creative Writing Advice & Author Interviews currently has 72 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Novel Analyst Podcast: Creative Writing Advice & Author Interviews about?
Fantasy author Jed Herne analyses his favourite stories to help you become a better writer. Jed is the author of The Thunder Heist, Fires of the Dead, Across the Broken Stars, and Siege of Treboulain. He also hosts Wizards, Warriors, & Words: A Fantasy Writing Advice podcast. Find out more about...
How often does The Novel Analyst Podcast: Creative Writing Advice & Author Interviews release new episodes?
The Novel Analyst Podcast: Creative Writing Advice & Author Interviews has 72 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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Who hosts The Novel Analyst Podcast: Creative Writing Advice & Author Interviews?
The Novel Analyst Podcast: Creative Writing Advice & Author Interviews is created and hosted by Jed Herne.
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