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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
#23: The 6 Scenes Every Romance Novel Needs
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In today's episode, we're going to talk about the key scenes that every romance novel needs to have in order to work and to satisfy fans of the genre. Here's a preview of what's included:
[01:45] Romance novels center around two individuals falling in love despite the odds, despite the risks, and despite the opposing forces in their life. These stories usually end in "happily ever after," or at the very least, "happily for now."
[02:15] Readers choose romance novels because they want to experience all the butterflies and excitement of falling in love without the risks. They want to see love win.
[03:00] Obligatory scenes are the key events, decisions, and discoveries that move a protagonist along their journey from point A to point B. They help us writers craft a story that works AND a story that will deliver a specific emotional experience.
[04:30] Key scene #1: A scene where your characters meet or first appear on the page together. This is the global inciting incident of your story.
[05:20] Key scene #2: A scene where your characters share their first kiss or their first intimate moment. The specifics of this scene will depend on the heat level of your story.
[06:25] Key scene #3: A scene where one character confesses their feelings for the other character. It's now clear that things are no longer platonic for at least one character.
[07:45] Key scene #4: A scene where your characters break up or separate temporarily so that they can go off and learn the lesson of the story.
[09:25] Key scene #5: A scene where one or both of your characters proves their love by sacrificing something for the other character.
[11:25] Key scene #6: A scene where the lovers reunite and come back together. Plus, a glimpse at what "happily ever after" looks like.
[12:55] Key points and episode recap.
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Links mentioned in this episode:
- Episode Freebie: Romance Genre Key Scenes PDF Cheat Sheet
- Romance Obligatory Scenes: The 6 Scenes Every Romance Novel Needs (article)
- Romance Genre Conventions: The 10 Things Every Romance Novel Needs (article)
- Recommended Reading: Pride and Prejudice: The Story Grid Edition by Shawn Coyne (book)
👋 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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