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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
#8: 7 Secrets to Success That Every Writer Should Know
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 share the 7 secrets to success that every writer should know. These 7 secrets will help you accomplish your goals, become a better writer, and live a writing life you love. Here's a preview:
[02:00] Secret #1: Courage. Have the courage to take action even when you're not sure where your story is going or what the next step in the process is.
[03:45] Secret #2: Confidence. Confidence is something that anyone can develop. Until you develop confidence in your skills, have confidence in that little voice inside of you that says "I was meant to be a writer" and let it fuel you.
[05:06] Secret #3: Clarity. Get clear on your goals. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? How exactly will you accomplish it? Why is this goal important to you?
[08:00] Secret #4: Consistency. Create a consistent writing habit that works for you. Can you show up every day? Once a week? Twice a month? Consistently taking action is what's going to lead to confidence and what will help you accomplish your goals.
[08:50] Secret #5: Continuing Education. Continue to educate yourself on the craft of writing. Take online classes, read books and blogs, listen to a podcast, or work with a book coach. Anyone can write a book if they have the right tools and strategies, and put in the time to do the work.
[10:40] Secret #6: Community. Find a community of like-minded individuals who share the same goals you have. Not only will you find friendship and support, but you'll become a better writer, too. Plus, it's a great way to find beta readers if you're at that stage of the process.
[12:00] Secret #7: Commitment. Commit to your writing practice and to getting better over time. Put in the work to constantly evolve yourself and your skills. These seven secrets to success will help you learn and constantly evolve as a writer.
[13:30] Key points and a recap of the episode.
Subscribe & Review in Apple Podcasts
Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode! Especially because I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. So, click here to subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts!
If you're already a subscriber, and if you enjoy the show, I would be really grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts, too. Those reviews help other writers find my podcast and they’re also super fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the show is. Thanks in advance!
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Episode Freebie: The 7 Secrets to Success That Every Writer Should Know PDF
- Need an editor for your work? Click here to learn more about my editing services.
- Need help starting or getting to "The End?" Click here to learn more about one-on-one book coaching.
- The Fiction Writing Made Easy Facebook Group
- NaNoWriMo (every November) and Camp NaNoWriMo (every April and July)
👋 FREE TRAINING: Why You Keep Getting Stuck & How to Finally Finish Your Novel - Give me 60 minutes and I'll show you how to turn your ideas into a complete first draft—without getting stuck in the middle, constantly second-guessing, or spending years rewriting instead of finishing. Click here to save your seat!
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