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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
#53: Counting Down the Best Writing Tips from FWME in 2021
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In this episode, I'm doing my own little countdown of some of the best and most listened to clips from the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast episodes in 2021. Here's a preview of what you'll hear in the episode:
[00:00] Tip #10: The more clear you are about your goals, the better chance of success you’ll have when it comes to accomplishing them.
[00:00] Tip #9: Knowing your story’s ideal reader can help you write, edit, publish, and market your book.
[00:00] Tip #8: Your point of view character needs to have a goal in each and every scene in your novel.
[00:00] Tip #7: Your point of view character needs to face a tough choice in every single scene.
[00:00] Tip #6: The theme of your story doesn’t have to be original!
[00:00] Tip #5: Focusing on writing solid scenes (vs. chapters) will allow you to finish your draft in the most efficient way (and become a better writer).
[00:00] Tip #4: If you’re stuck between multiple story ideas, ask yourself which one will help you become a better writer and start there.
[00:00] Tip #3: You need to understand your character’s backstory to give them meaningful conflict to face in the story present.
[00:00] Tip #2: Understanding the ins and outs of your genre is the fastest way to write a story that works.
[00:00] Tip #1: Focus on crafting a compelling story before you focus on writing beautiful words and sentences.
Follow & Review in Apple Podcasts
Are you following my podcast? If not, I want to encourage you to do that today so that you don't miss an episode! Especially because I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not following the show, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. So, click here to follow this show in Apple Podcasts!
If you're already a follower, and if you enjoy the show, I would be really grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts, too. These 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:
- Ep. 8 - 7 Secrets to Success Every Writer Should Know
- Ep. 4 - How to Identify Your Story's Ideal Reader
- Ep. 43 - 10 Tips for Writing Better Scenes
- Ep. 40 - How to Write a Well Structured Scene
- Ep. 5 - How t Figure Out the Theme of Your Story
- Ep. 6 - 3 Reasons You Should Write in Scenes vs. Chapters
- Ep. 3 - How to Decide Which Story Idea to Write Next
- Ep. 7 - 5 Questions to Help You Write Better Characters
- Ep. 2 - Understanding Genre: How to Write Better Stories
- Ep. 1 - The #1 Myth That Holds Writers Back
👋 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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