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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
#71: Student Spotlight: How She Wrote a Novel in 6 Months (and Landed an Agent 10 Months Later) with Stefanie Medrek
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In today's episode, I’m sitting down with Stefanie Medrek to talk through her incredibly inspiring story of how she went from having an idea for a story to landing an agent. Here’s a preview of what’s included:
[05:00] The exact moment Stefanie had the idea for her story—and how she just knew it wouldn’t let her go until she put pen to paper
[08:00] A quick description of Stefanie’s story
[09:35] Stefanie’s initial reaction to my advice to throw out all 40,000 of the words she had written, and what happened when she did
[12:00] A few of the key takeaways Stefanie learned from re-writing her first draft
[15:00] What the editing process was like (and how long it took)
[17:35] How and when Stefanie knew she was ready to start querying
[19:00] Stefanie’s reaction to getting a heart on her #PitMad pitch (IYKYK)
[22:30] The moment Stefanie almost gave up on writing… and then got a call from her (now) agent an hour later
[25:00] How having a fleshed out outline helped Stefanie avoid spiraling into overwhelm
[27:00] What happened when Stefanie got the offer of representation
[28:00] What it was like to get feedback (and suggested changes) from her agent
[30:00] A quick look into what writing book two looks like
[34:00] Stefanie’s thoughts on 1:1 coaching vs. the Notes to Novel course
[38:00] Final words of wisdom and advice from Stefanie
Rate + Review + Follow on Apple Podcasts
"I love the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast!" ← If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing this show! Your rating and review will help other writers find this podcast, and they're also super fun for me to go in and read. Just click here, scroll all the way to the bottom, tap five stars to rate the show, and then select "Write a Review." Be sure to let me know what your favorite part of the episode was, too!
Also, if you haven't done so already, make sure you're following the podcast! I'll be adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed, and if you're not following the show, there's a good chance you'll miss them. Click here to follow now!
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Stefanie Medrek’s website
- Follow Stefanie on Instagram
- The doors to my Notes to Novel course are closing for the rest of 2022 very soon! If you want my proven roadmap for writing a first draft that works, click here to enroll so that you can get started today!
- Click here to sign up for my FREE TRAINING: The 5 Little-Known Mistakes Most Writers Make (& What to Do Instead)
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