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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
#75: Crime Genre Conventions
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In today's episode, I’m covering the conventions of the crime genre. This includes the character roles, settings, and events that need to be present in a crime story in order for it to work and satisfy fans of the genre. Here’s a preview of what’s included:
[01:30] Crime stories are all about the quest to either solve or commit a crime. So, these stories start with a crime, build with an investigation (or a completion of the crime), and end with identifying and bringing the criminal to justice (or not).
[05:15] 1. There’s a crime with at least one victim that launches the investigation.
[06:15] 2. The protagonist is intelligent and determined to solve the crime.
[08:15] 3. There’s an equally smart or crafty antagonist who seems to be a step ahead of the protagonist the whole time.
[09:15] 4. There is a closed circle of suspects, each with a credible motive and a reasonable opportunity to commit the crime.
[10:30] 5. There’s a MacGuffin (or a very specific thing the antagonist wants).
[11:30] 6. A sidekick character who acts as a sounding board for the protagonist.
[12:25] 7. There are clues and red herrings that help (or hurt) the investigation.
[13:40] 8. There’s a ticking clock by which the protagonist must solve the crime.
[14:37] 9. There’s a speech in praise of the antagonist that shows their brilliance.
[15:48] 10. There’s at least one shapeshifter character.
[16:42] Key points and episode recap
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Links mentioned in this episode:
- Episode Freebie: Crime Genre Cheat Sheet
- The 6 Key Scenes Every Crime Story Needs (article)
- What are Obligatory Scenes and Conventions? (article)
- Understanding Genre: How to Write Better Stories (article)
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