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Fiction Writing Made Easy with Savannah Gilbo | How to Write a Novel & Writing Advice
Do you have a story you can't stop thinking about? Maybe it's still just an idea. Maybe it's half a draft you haven't opened in months, or a finished manuscript that doesn't quite work yet. Wherever you are, it can be hard to know what your story needs next.
Fiction Writing Made Easy is a podcast for aspiring fiction authors who want clear, practical guidance on what to do next with their novels. Hosted by developmental editor and book coach Savannah Gilbo, the show breaks down complicated writing concepts into simple, actionable lessons. Savannah explains why storytelling techniques work, how the different elements of a story fit together, and what that means for your own writing—often using examples from familiar books and movies.
Topics include developing your story idea, outlining a novel, creating characters readers care about, writing scenes that move your story forward, and figuring out what to fix when your draft isn't working. You'll also find genre deep dives on romance, fantasy, thrillers, and horror, mindset tips for difficult writing days, and advice on querying agents and self-publishing.
You'll also hear from editors and industry experts, as well as writers Savannah has taught who share how they finished—and often published—their books. With hundreds of episodes and over 3.8 million downloads, there's plenty to explore wherever you are with your book.
Hit follow for new episodes every week—and take the next step toward a novel you're proud of.
Fiction Writing Made Easy with Savannah Gilbo | How to Write a Novel & Writing Advice
#70: Status Genre Conventions
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In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through the conventions of the status genre. I'm also going to show you how these conventions show up in the movie The Devil Wears Prada. Here's a preview of what's included:
[01:45] Status stories center around the protagonist’s inner need for respect that manifests as a specific desire to achieve or accomplish something in the external world.
[02:55] Readers of status stories want to feel hopeful that the protagonist will succeed. They want to read about someone who works hard to improve their situation–and they want to feel a sense of triumph when that person succeeds.
[05:15] 1- The protagonist wants to gain respect, but what they need is self-esteem.
[06:05] 2- The antagonist opposes the protagonist and threatens their position.
[07:00] 3- There is a clear (and specific) definition of what it means to be successful.
[08:15] 4- The setting is public; people will witness the protagonist's success or failure.
[09:10] 5- At least one social problem or moral challenge for the protagonist to face.
[10:05] 6- At least one foil character who demonstrates a different path to success.
[10:40] 7- At least one mentor figure who guides the protagonist, for better or for worse.
[11:35] 8- At least one shapeshifter character who hinders the protagonist’s progress.
[12:15] 9- The protagonist must overcome an inner obstacle related to success.
[13:25] 10- The ending of a status story is usually bittersweet.
[14:30] Key points and episode recap.
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Links mentioned in this episode:
- Episode Freebie: Status Genre Conventions PDF Cheat Sheet
- Conventions vs. tropes: What's the difference? (podcast and article)
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