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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
#41: The 6 Scenes Every Action Novel Needs
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In today's episode, we're going to talk about the key scenes that every action story needs to have in order to work and to satisfy fans of the genre. Here's a preview of what's included:
[01:25] Action stories are about life and death, and good versus evil. They’re about a character who has to rise up, overcome great obstacles, defeat forces of evil, and maybe even save the world. But that being said, these stories aren’t always about superheroes.
[02:35] Readers choose action stories to experience the excitement of the life and death stakes and situations that the protagonist is presented with. But it’s not just about that -- we choose these stories because they inspire us to become the best versions of ourselves, too.
[03:30] 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.
[05:10] Key scene #1: A scene in which there's a life-threatening attack made by the antagonist.
[06:35] Key scene #2: A scene in which the protagonist half-commits to going against the antagonist or engaging in the conflict.
[07:45] Key scene #3: A scene in which the protagonist understands what the antagonist wants (and why), and/or what the true nature or purpose of the antagonist is.
[09:05] Key scene #4: A scene in which the protagonist's initial strategy for defeating the antagonist fails and he or she reaches an all is lost moment. They must change their approach in order to survive.
[10:15] Key scene #5: A scene in which the protagonist is at the mercy of the antagonist and only one of them can win. In order to survive, the protagonist has to "unleash" their special gift, talent, or skill.
[11:45] Key scene #6: A scene in which the protagonist's sacrifice is rewarded.
[13:15] Key points and episode recap.
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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: Action Genre Key Scenes PDF Cheat Sheet
- Action Obligatory Scenes: The 6 Scenes Every Action Novel Needs (article)
👋 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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