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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
#40: How to Write a Well-Structured Scene
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 going to walk you through how to write a well-structured scene. I'll also show you how this structure shows up in a scene from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Here's a preview of what's included:
[02:50] A scene is a unit of story that takes place in more or less continuous space and time, features a specific cast of characters, is told from one point-of-view, and contains a value shift (or change) from beginning to end.
[04:15] The first thing you need to know about writing a well-structured scene is that every scene needs to start with the point-of-view character’s goal. So, what does this person want to achieve or accomplish or learn in this scene? What are they trying to do?
[05:00] Commandment number one is that there needs to be an inciting incident. And this is really just the first thing that gets in the way of your character accomplishing his or her goal.
[05:35] Commandment number two is that there needs to be a turning point. A turning point is a moment where the conflict reaches its peak and the character can no longer go after their scene goal in the way they had originally planned.
[06:40] Commandment number three is that there needs to be a crisis moment or a moment where your character faces a decision about how to move forward. Will they do X or Y?
[08:10] Commandment number four is that there needs to be a climax or a moment where your character acts on their choice. Did they do X or Y?
[08:45] Commandment number five is that there needs to be a resolution. So, how do they feel now that they’ve acted on their choice? How did their decision work out for them?
[10:20] An example of a well-structured scene from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone including how these five commandments show up and help create a mini-arc of change.
[13:55] Key points and episode recap.
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Links Mentioned in This Episode:
- Progressive Complications: How to Write Better Conflict (article)
- Value Shifts: How to Determine if a Scene Works (article)
- 3 Reasons You Should Write in Scenes vs. Chapters (article)
- The Story Grid: What Good Editors Know by Shawn Coyne (book)
👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.
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