How To Academy Podcast Joe Hill - The One With the Dragons
Nov 21, 2025
Joe Hill, acclaimed author and son of Stephen King, dives into the craft of storytelling, discussing his latest novel, King Sorrow. He explains why horror is important for catharsis and how it mirrors real-life threats. Hill shares insights on creating lovable yet hateable characters and the importance of witty banter. He reflects on his literary upbringing and reveals how his family has influenced his writing. Expect intriguing discussions on the art of genre blending and the unique role of modern horror in today’s society.
57:37
Rotate Writing Forms To Renew Craft
- Joe Hill practices 'crop rotation' across forms: comics, screenplays, novellas and novels to avoid creative burnout and learn from each form.
- He says skills from one form (dialogue-driven screenplays) and another (character depth from novels) create a virtuous cycle.
Horror As Rehearsal And Release
- Hill references Matthias Clausen's evolutionary view that horror rehearses worst-case scenarios and offers adaptive value.
- Horror lets readers rehearse responses to threats safely, making frightening stories both useful and pleasurable.
Raised In A Storytelling Household
- Joe Hill grew up in a household where the family read aloud nightly and dinner conversations revolved around books and writing.
- He began writing daily at age 13 and completed his first novel at 14, shaped deeply by his parents' example.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app 1 chevron_right 2 chevron_right 3 chevron_right 4 chevron_right 5 chevron_right 6 chevron_right 7 chevron_right 8 chevron_right 9 chevron_right 10 chevron_right 11 chevron_right 12 chevron_right 13 chevron_right 14 chevron_right 15 chevron_right 16 chevron_right 17 chevron_right 18 chevron_right
Intro
00:00 • 22sec
Three-year writing span and family life
00:22 • 59sec
Working across forms: comics to screenplays
01:21 • 5min
Why horror matters
06:17 • 5min
Family influence and reading rituals
11:08 • 5min
Ad break
15:55 • 26sec
Keeping his pen name and early publishing
16:20 • 27sec
Stephen King Easter eggs and influence
16:47 • 8min
Ad break
25:00 • 23sec
From The Fireman to King Sorrow
25:24 • 2min
Casting the dragon's voice
27:40 • 3min
Screenwriting, healthcare, and personal stakes
30:39 • 4min
Ad break
34:10 • 40sec
Donna Tartt and The Secret History influence
34:50 • 4min
Hooking readers: peril, banter, concept
39:11 • 2min
Writing characters we love to hate
41:20 • 9min
Contemporary horror recommendations
50:31 • 30sec
Outro
51:01 • 5min
#
The Very Nervous Person's Guide to Horror Films
Matthias Clausen
#
Rovers
Richard Lange
#
Tell Me I'm Worthless
Alison Rumfitt
#52126
The Reformatory
Tananarive Due
string
#44510
Coffin Moon
Keith Rosson
#393
• Mentioned in 73 episodes
The Lion, The witch and the Wardrobe
C.S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a portal fantasy novel that follows the story of four English siblings - Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy - who are evacuated to the countryside during World War II. While exploring the large, old house of Professor Kirke, Lucy discovers a wardrobe that serves as a portal to the land of Narnia.
In Narnia, they encounter various magical creatures and the evil White Witch, who has cast a spell to keep Narnia in perpetual winter.
The siblings soon learn that they are part of an ancient prophecy to save Narnia, aided by the lion Aslan.
The story is an allegory of Christianity, with Aslan's sacrifice and resurrection mirroring the story of Jesus Christ.
The novel also incorporates elements from Germanic, classical Greek and Roman, and Celtic mythology.
#6
• Mentioned in 536 episodes
The Lord of the Rings
J.R.R Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings, written by J.R. R.
Tolkien, is an epic high fantasy novel set in Middle-earth.
The story follows Frodo Baggins, a hobbit who inherits the One Ring from his uncle Bilbo.
The Ring, forged by Sauron, holds the power to control all other Rings of Power and must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom to prevent Sauron's return.
Frodo is joined by a fellowship of other characters, including Gandalf the Grey, Samwise Gamgee, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Boromir, as they embark on a dangerous quest across Middle-earth.
The novel explores themes of good vs.
evil, the corrupting influence of power, and the struggle between fate and free will.
#
20th Century Ghosts
Joe Hill
#2351
• Mentioned in 19 episodes
True grit
Charles Portis
Set in the Old West of 1870s Arkansas and the Indian Territory, 'True Grit' tells the story of Mattie Ross, a determined and independent 14-year-old girl who seeks to avenge her father's murder.
With the help of Marshal Reuben J. 'Rooster' Cogburn and a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf, Mattie embarks on a perilous journey to capture the killer, Tom Chaney.
The novel explores themes of justice, vengeance, sacrifice, perseverance, and redemption, and is known for its vivid characters and its blend of humor, adventure, and historical context.
#68
• Mentioned in 226 episodes
The great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Published in 1925, 'The Great Gatsby' is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life during the Jazz Age. The novel is narrated by Nick Carraway, who moves to Long Island and becomes entangled in the lives of his wealthy and mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby, and Gatsby's obsession to win back his first love, Daisy Buchanan.
The story delves into themes of honesty, the temptations of wealth, and the struggle to escape the past, ultimately reflecting on the disintegration of the American Dream.
#122
• Mentioned in 155 episodes
The Hobbit
or There and Back Again
J.R.R Tolkien
Published in 1937, 'The Hobbit' is a children's fantasy novel that introduces readers to the richly imagined world of Middle-earth.
The story follows Bilbo Baggins, a home-loving hobbit, who is persuaded by Gandalf to join Thorin and his twelve dwarves on a quest to reclaim their treasure from the dragon Smaug.
During the journey, Bilbo encounters various creatures, including trolls, goblins, and the mysterious Gollum, and discovers a magical ring that renders the wearer invisible.
The novel is a prequel to 'The Lord of the Rings' and explores themes of personal growth, courage, and unexpected heroism.
#6107
• Mentioned in 8 episodes
The Dead Zone
Stephen King
The Dead Zone follows Johnny Smith, who after a car accident, falls into a coma lasting nearly five years.
Upon waking, Johnny discovers he has developed the ability to see into the past and future through touch.
He struggles with the burden of his new power, especially when he envisions a disastrous future involving a ruthless politician, Greg Stillson.
Johnny must navigate his new reality, help solve a serial killer case, and ultimately try to prevent a nuclear war.
The novel explores themes of missed opportunity, belief, and the sacrifices one must make to alter the course of events.
#3779
• Mentioned in 13 episodes
The Gunslinger
Stephen King
The Gunslinger is a dark-fantasy novel that blends elements of Western fiction, science fiction, and horror.
It tells the story of Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger, who is on a quest to catch the man in black, a sorcerous figure.
The novel is set in a world similar to the Old West but in an alternate timeframe or parallel universe.
Roland's journey involves encounters with various characters, including a boy named Jake, and flashbacks that reveal his past and his brutal training as a gunslinger.
The story is inspired by Robert Browning's poem 'Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came' and other influences such as Milton's 'Paradise Lost' and the Western films of Sergio Leone.
#1024
• Mentioned in 37 episodes
The Secret History
Donna Tartt
#3203
• Mentioned in 15 episodes
Watership Down
Richard Adams
Watership Down is an adventure novel that tells the story of a group of rabbits who flee their warren after one of them, Fiver, has a premonition of impending disaster.
Led by Hazel and Bigwig, the rabbits face numerous perils, including hostile rabbit communities and human threats, as they search for a new home.
The novel explores themes of leadership, freedom, and survival, contrasting the democratic and caring leadership of Hazel with the authoritarian rule of General Woundwort.
The story is rich in anthropomorphic details, including the rabbits' own culture, language, and mythology, and it provides deep insights into the trials and triumphs of life through the eyes of its rabbit characters.
#
Why Horror Seduces
Mathias Clasen
#579
• Mentioned in 55 episodes
Lonesome Dove
Gene Walden
Lonesome Dove is a classic Western novel that follows the journey of two former Texas Rangers, Augustus McCrae and Woodrow F. Call, as they embark on a cattle drive from Texas to Montana.
The novel is renowned for its vivid descriptions of the American West, its exploration of themes such as friendship, loyalty, and the decline of the Old West, and its well-developed characters.
It is the third book in the Lonesome Dove series and is widely regarded as McMurtry's magnum opus.
#9450
• Mentioned in 5 episodes
Nosferatu
Henrik Galeen
Bram Stoker
F. W. Murnau
#19208
• Mentioned in 3 episodes
Dr. Sleep
Stephen King
#19798
• Mentioned in 3 episodes
King Sorrow
Joe Hill
#30040
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
The Fireman
Joe Hill
'The Fireman' is an apocalyptic novel where a deadly virus causes people to spontaneously combust.
Harper Grayson, a pregnant nurse, contracts the disease but learns to control it, becoming known as the Fireman.
She seeks refuge in a camp of similarly infected individuals while navigating a world consumed by fear and destruction.
The novel explores themes of survival, community, and the power of hope amidst chaos.
It combines elements of horror, science fiction, and social commentary.
The son of Stephen and Tabitha King and brother of Owen King, Joe Hill was raised in a uniquely gifted literary family and has long established a reputation of his own as a first rate storyteller across prose fiction, comics, TV and film. Drawing on influences as diverse as The Secret History, The Hobbit, and his father's dark fantasy classic The Gunslinger, his new novel King Sorrow follows six friends as their Faustian pact with the deliciously cruel eponymous dragon unravels over many decades.
Why is horror good for us? How do you write characters readers with fall in love with - and those they will love to hate? Who are the real monsters in American life? Joe Hill reveals the answers to all of these questions and more in this episode of the podcast.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices