Fiction Writing Made Easy with Savannah Gilbo | How to Write a Novel & Writing Advice
Fiction Writing Made Easy is your go-to creative writing podcast for practical, no-fluff tips on how to write, edit, and publish a novel—from first draft to finished book.
Hosted by developmental editor and book coach Savannah Gilbo, this show breaks down the fiction writing process into clear, actionable steps so you can finally make progress on your manuscript and write a novel you’re proud of.
Whether you’re a first-time author, an aspiring novelist, or a seasoned writer looking to strengthen your craft, each episode will help you understand what makes a story work at the deepest level—so you can stop second-guessing your ideas and start building a stronger novel from the inside out.
You’ll learn how to develop your premise, structure your plot, create compelling characters, write stronger scenes, world-build without infodumping, revise your draft, and navigate your publishing options with more clarity and confidence.
If you’ve ever wondered things like...
How do I write a novel if I’ve never done this before?
What’s the best way to structure a story that works?
How do I develop strong characters readers will care about?
How do I build an immersive world without info-dumping?
How do I write scenes that move the story forward?
How do I edit my first draft?
How do I know when my book is ready to publish?
Should I pursue self-publishing or traditional publishing?
…you’re in the right place.
New episodes drop weekly to help you simplify the novel-writing process, strengthen your storytelling skills, and get your book into readers’ hands.
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Popular Episode Topics Include: Fiction Writing Tips, Story Structure, Plotting a Novel, Character Development, Writing Stronger Scenes, World Building, Novel Revision, Story Development, How to Outline a Novel, Character Arcs, Genre Fiction, Editing a Novel, Fiction Writing Mistakes to Avoid, Revision Strategies, Writing Advice
Fiction Writing Made Easy with Savannah Gilbo | How to Write a Novel & Writing Advice
#85: Student Spotlight: How She Overcame Her Fear of the Blank Page (and Indie Published Her Novel) with Jennifer Lauer
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In today's episode, I’m sitting down with Jennifer Lauer to talk through how she overcame her fear of the blank page and indie published her debut novel. Here’s a preview of what’s included:
[03:00] An introduction to Jennifer Lauer and her story, The Girl in the Zoo
[09:30] What the beginning of the writing process looked like for Jennifer—and when she finally realized that her fear of the blank page was preventing her from writing
[14:45] What happened when Jennifer finished the first draft of her book (and changed her genre from love to action)
[26:00] Jennifer’s experience entering a Twitter pitch contest—and how it gave her the courage to submit her pages for a critique on TSNOTYAW podcast
[30:35] Why Jennifer ultimately decided to indie publish her novel (even after getting a positive response from a few industry professionals)
[43:35] The 3 biggest lessons Jennifer learned from this experience (and the advice she’d give to her past self when embarking on this writing journey)
[47:00] Final words of wisdom and advice from Jennifer
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Links mentioned in this episode:
- Visit Jennifer’s website or follow her on Instagram @jenniferleelauer
- Jennifer’s debut novel, The Girl in the Zoo on Amazon
- Jennifer’s fiction podcast The Strange Chronicles
- The Spun Yarn Beta Reader Service
- The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Podcast
- Dyna Kau (cover designer) and Barbie at Monocle Editing
- Joanna Penn’s website
- Jane Friedman’s website
- Want to learn more about my Notes to Novel course? Click here to sign up for my FREE TRAINING: The 5 Little-Known Mistakes Most Writers Make (& What to Do Instead)