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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
Bonus: Conquering the Writing Blues Summit Interview with Dr. Susan Hickman
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In today's extra special bonus episode, I'm sharing my interview with Dr. Susan Hickman from the Conquering the Writing Blues Summit I took part in earlier this year. Here's a quick preview of what's included:
[02:50] What does a developmental editor do? Plus how and why I became a developmental editor and book coach.
[06:25] My take on plotting versus pantsing -- is one of them the “right way” to write?
[10:00] What does a book coach do? Plus, why book coaching is having a “moment” with the increase in self-publishing.
[12:45] Why don’t more writers choose to work with book coaches or editors?
[15:35] How to stay motivated (aka how keeping the impact that your story will have on others in mind can help fuel your writing).
[19:10] The two main areas where writers go wrong (and what to do instead).
[20:30] How I help writers who are overwhelmed and confused with all the plotting methods out there. What do you do first, second, and third?
[23:45] Why the belief that “you either have what it takes or you don’t” is not true. Plus, why there’s room for every style of writing -- each style has value and will resonate with a particular group of people.
[27:25] What to do when you get bogged down in perfectionism. Plus, 5 questions to ask yourself about your story to make sure you’re headed in the right direction.
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 3 Questions to Help You Uncover Your Story PDF
- Click here to visit Dr. Susan Hickman's website, The Write Cause.
- Are you interested in becoming a Certified Developmental Editor? Click here to learn more about Story Grid's Editor Certification Program.
- Are you interested in becoming a Certified Book Coach? Click here to learn more about Author Accelerator's Book Coach Certification Program.
👋 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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