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.
Episodes
284 episodes
#129: Overcoming The Fear Of Marketing With Alexa Bigwarfe
“Work on being a better writer and work on your craft and the other stuff will follow. As long as you have a great book, marketing comes a lot easier.” - Alexa BigwarfeIn today’s brand-new episode, I’m sharing a con...
#128: What Are Obligatory Scenes And Conventions?
“When a story doesn't include these key scenes and conventions of its genre, it's just not going to work.” - Savannah GilboWant a framework for your entire story? Learn what readers expect from a story like yours, and then u...
#127: First Chapter Analysis: The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom
“It might seem strange to start a story with an ending, but all endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time.” - Abigail K. PerryIn this episode, we’re talking about The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mi...
#126: Save The Cat! Troubleshooting Common Plot Problems With Jessica Brody
“Every time you write something hard, it changes you as a writer, and it makes you a better writer.” - Jessica BrodyToday I'm sharing a conversation with Jessica Brody where we talk about some of the most common mis...
#125: Novel Writing Pitfalls: Don't Make These 5 Mistakes
“ The purpose of a first draft is not to come up with something that's perfect. Instead, the purpose is to explore your story and get it out of your head.” - Savannah GilboTransform your writing as I reveal 5 all-too-common ...
#124: Student Spotlight: 5 Lessons Learned from Notes to Novel (Season 3)
“That's how much my writing's improved. But not just the writing, it's the ease. It's not a struggle when I sit down in front of the laptop to write. Everything just seems a lot easier.” - Morgan SchrockIn today's episode, I...
#123: How To Overcome The 5 Types Of Imposter Syndrome
“Try learning new skills and then putting what you learn into practice right away, because, at the end of the day, you can only really learn through doing anyway.” - Savannah GilboIs imposter syndrome holding you back from w...
#122: Counting Down The Best Writing Tips From FWME In 2023
“My point is that you have to do the work to make the mistakes and learn.” - Savannah GilboThe past year on Fiction Writing Made Easy has been a treasure trove of insights, expert advice, and creative hacks, all neatly bundled u...
#121: 5 Takeaways From Coaching Writers in 2023
“The more work you do up front and the more you get your mindset right, the more likely your chances of success are.” - Savannah GilboIn this episode, I'm giving you a glimpse behind the scenes and sharing some of the key ta...
#120: First Chapter Analysis: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
“I think that's really important at the end of every time that you write a scene. Ask yourself, how can I raise the stakes even more?” - Abigail K. PerryJoin us today as we embark on a thrilling literary journey through the ...
#119: Student Spotlight: How Fern Bernstein Wrote A Dual Timeline Novel Based On The Edies of Grey Gardens
“It's the inciting incident, the turning point, the crisis moment, the climax, and the resolution, and each scene really needs to have that to move the story forward.” - Fern BernsteinIn today's episode, I’m sitting down for...
#118: How To Find The Major Dramatic Question Of Your Story
“Every story has one main question that it raises in the beginning and answers by the end.” - Savannah GilboIn this latest podcast episode, we'll explore a fundamental element of storytelling: the Major Dramatic Question (MD...
#117: Exploring the World of Beta and Sensitivity Reading with Julie Taylor from The Spun Yarn
“As I kid I was like, I would love to get paid to read.” - Julie TaylorIn today’s episode, I’m sitting down to chat with Julie Taylor, Chief Operating Officer at The Spun Yarn - a company that offers paid beta reading and se...
#116: First Chapter Analysis: Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
“In every story, you want to have that internal change because, without internal change, there is no character change.” - Savannah GilboIn today’s episode, both Abigail K. Perry and I talk about the intriguing worl...
#115: Student Spotlight: How Anne Mortensen Went From Inspiration to Publication (& Indie Published Her Novels)
“I tried to ignore it, but when inspiration strikes, sometimes the inspiration keeps striking, and it just didn't want to go.” - Anne MortensenIn today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Anne Mortensen to talk through what it ...
#114: 3 Common Dialogue Mistakes (And How To Fix Them)
“Dialogue is a form of action. We can utilize what's happening around the dialogue to assist what's being said.” - Savannah GilboToday, I'm thrilled to talk about the intricate art of dialogue with you once more. W...
#113: First Chapter Analysis: The Magicians by Lev Grossman
“I feel that emotional connection, the emotional struggles here are going to be a big gameplay in how the story is executed.” - Abigail K. PerryMagic has always fascinated us, hasn't it? The mere thought of a world where the imp...
#112: 5 Questions Your Reader Shouldn't Have To Ask
You need to get readers asking questions to hook them into your story, but you don’t want them asking the wrong questions or being so confused that they stop reading altogether. In this episode, I share 5 questions your readers should never...
#111: Student Spotlight: From Messy First Draft to Publishing His Debut Novel With Edward J. Cembal
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Edward J. Cembal to talk through what it was like to write, edit, and publish his debut novel, The Monsters In Our Shadows. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [04:00] A quick introducti...
#110: Is A Writing Course Really Worth it For Beginners?
In today’s episode, I’m sharing my thoughts on writing courses—including 5 things that make a fiction writing course worth your time and money. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [02:15] A good writing course should provide you...
#109: 5 Common Scene Issues (And How to Fix Them)
In today’s episode, I’m sharing 5 of the most common “scene level” issues to look for when editing your draft. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [02:44] Issue #1: The scene isn’t properly structured and it feels flat...
#108: Why Your Capacity For Zero is Crucial As A Writer
In today’s episode, I’m sharing one of my favorite mindset tips—and it all has to do with your ability (and willingness) to start from scratch. I call it strengthening your capacity for zero. Here’s a preview of what’s included: ...
#107: Email List Building Essentials For Authors
In today’s episode, I’m sharing 3 steps to help you get started with list building. Here’s a preview of what’s included:[1:45] Having an email list is one of the best ways to build relationships with your readers over time. It’s ...
#106: 5 Steps to Building Your Author Platform
In today’s episode, I’m sharing 5 steps to building an author platform. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [00:59] Your author platform is the foundation for all your future book marketing efforts. You can start building it...
#105: First Chapter Analysis: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
In today’s episode, Abigail K. Perry and I take a deep dive into the first chapter of Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Here’s a preview of what we talk about:[03:17] A very quick summary of the first two chapters[06:3...