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

Last refreshed: June 6th, 2026 at 4:27 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

#20: 5 Strategies for Getting Unstuck While Writing

In today's episode, I'm sharing my five favorite strategies for getting unstuck while writing . Here's a preview of what's included: [01:30] If you need help pushing past the first few pages of your novel, I have a brand new workshop just for you! It's called How to Hook Readers in Your First Five Pages. Click here to learn more about the workshop or to enroll for $47. [02:00] Strategy #1: Zoom out and look at the big picture of your story before making any micro-level changes. Answer these thre...

Aug 12, 2020•15 min•Ep. 20

#19: Thriller Genre Conventions

In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through the conventions of the thriller genre. I'm also going to show you how these conventions show up in the movie The Silence of the Lambs. Here's a preview of what's included: [01:25] Thrillers combine all the criminality and suspense of a good mystery novel with the life and death stakes of an action or horror story. [01:50] Readers choose thriller novels because they want to experience the thrill of trying to outsmart and stop the villain before he...

Aug 04, 2020•17 min•Ep. 19

#18: 5 Mistakes Writers Make in Their Opening Pages

In today's episode, I'm going to talk about the five most common mistakes I see writers make in their opening pages. Here's a preview of what's included: [01:00] Details about my brand new workshop called “How to Hook Readers in Your First 5 Pages.” In this workshop, I'll walk you through the five key elements that you need to include in your first five pages AND I’ll show you how these five key elements manifest in the first five pages of The Hunger Games . If you want to sign up, or if you wan...

Jul 21, 2020•12 min•Ep. 18

#17: The 6 Scenes Every Horror Novel Needs

In today's episode, we're going to talk about the key scenes that every horror novel needs to have in order to work and to satisfy fans of the genre. Here's a preview of what's included: [01:10] In horror novels, bad things happen to good people. There are life and death stakes, a monster intent on death and destruction, claustrophobic settings, and a major fight for survival. [02:25] Readers choose horror novels because they want to feel the thrill and the terror of being in a life and death si...

Jul 14, 2020•17 min•Ep. 17

#16: Conventions vs. Tropes: What's the Difference?

In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through the difference between genre conventions and tropes. Here's a preview of what's included: [01:28] Genre conventions are story elements such as character archetypes, key events, and settings that are commonly found in a specific genre. These conventions define each specific genre and readers' expectations of a story in that genre. [03:10] Tropes are a specific way of delivering those genre conventions or obligatory scenes in your novel. They are s...

Jul 07, 2020•19 min•Ep. 16

#15: How to Figure Out the Shape of Your Story

In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through how to figure out the big-picture shape of your story. Here's a preview of what's included: . [02:45] Each genre asks a specific story question. For example, in an action story, the central story question is some version of, "Will the protagonist defeat the antagonist and survive the encounter?" (This article has the start and end points by genre) [03:45] The central story question helps you create a framework for your story. That's because these...

Jun 23, 2020•16 min•Ep. 15

#14: How to Handle Character Backstory in Your Novel

In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through my top three tips for weaving your character's backstory into your novel in a way that engages the reader without bogging them down. Here's a preview of what's included: [01:20] What is character backstory? Character backstory is everything that has ever happened in your character's life that has helped to influence and shape who they are today, in the "story present." [02:20] The biggest mistake writers make when it comes to handling a character...

Jun 16, 2020•15 min•Ep. 14

#13: 5 Things That Kill Narrative Drive (and How to Fix it)

In today's episode, I'm continuing last week's discussion on narrative drive or that "thing" that hooks a reader's interest and pulls them through the story. Here's a preview of what's included: [01:10] What is narrative drive? Why should writers care? (Check out last week's episode for some tips on creating narrative drive in your story). [01:20] A story with "broken" narrative drive feels like it's going nowhere. [02:00 ] Mistake #1: Putting in too much exposition or backstory or worldbuilding...

Jun 09, 2020•13 min•Ep. 13

#12: 3 Ways to Create Narrative Drive in Your Story

In today's episode, I'm exploring narrative drive or that "thing" that hooks a reader's interest and pulls them through the story. Here's a preview of what's included: [01:25] What is narrative drive? Here's a quick definition. [01:35] According to Robert McKee, narrative drive is sustained when a story plays on two primary needs within the reader -- an intellectual need (curiosity) and an emotional need (concern). [01:50] Curiosity is the intellectual need to find answers to questions. [02:20] ...

Jun 02, 2020•13 min•Ep. 12

#11: 10 Tips for Writing Better Love Triangles

In today's episode, I'm sharing my top 10 tips for writing better, more compelling love triangles. Here's a preview of what's included: [01:30] A love triangle is a relationship that takes place between three or more characters. Character A has to choose between character B and character C. [01:50] Three examples of popular love triangles from Pride and Prejudice , Twilight , and The Hunger Games . [02:15] Tip #1: Fully develop all three characters involved in the love triangle. [03:10] Tip #2: ...

May 19, 2020•15 min•Ep. 11

#10: How to Create Memorable Characters Using Hooks

In today's episode, I'm going to show you how to create unique and memorable characters using "hooks." Here's a preview of what's included: [01:15] What are character hooks? How do they help readers? [02:25] Hook #1: Give your character a unique accent or way of speaking. [03:20] Hook #2: Give your character an identifiable physical feature. [04:25] Hook #3: Give your character their own body language. [05:25] Hook #4: Give your character a human or an animal counterpart. [06:20] Hook #5: Give y...

May 12, 2020•17 min•Ep. 10

#9: Value Shifts: The Quickest Way to Determine if a Scene Works

In today's episode, we're going to talk about value shifts. Specifically, how understanding the concept of value shifts can help you write an edit a story that works. Here's a preview: [01:10] What are value shifts and why do I need to care about them? [01:40] What does it mean to create a mini-arc of change in each scene? [02:10] How value shifts can help you create a better story outline and write impactful scenes that work. [03:50] Each genre has a core value at stake. For example, in a roman...

May 05, 2020•15 min•Ep. 9

#8: 7 Secrets to Success That Every Writer Should Know

In today's episode, I share the 7 secrets to success that every writer should know. These 7 secrets will help you accomplish your goals, become a better writer, and live a writing life you love. Here's a preview: [02:00] Secret #1: Courage . Have the courage to take action even when you're not sure where your story is going or what the next step in the process is. [03:45] Secret #2: Confidence. Confidence is something that anyone can develop. Until you develop confidence in your skills, have con...

Apr 21, 2020•18 min•Ep. 8

#7: 5 Questions to Help You Write Better Characters

In this episode, I'll walk you through five questions that will help you write compelling characters. I highly recommend using these questions to flesh out both your protagonist AND your antagonist, but you can also use these questions to help you develop your secondary characters, too. Here's a preview of what we'll cover: [01:45] Question 1: What does your character want? Your character's goal will help you shape the external plot of your story as well as each of your story's scenes. [05:00] Q...

Apr 14, 2020•16 min•Ep. 7

#6: 3 Reasons You Should Write in Scenes vs. Chapters

In today's episode, I'm going to give you three reasons why you should write your draft in scenes instead of chapters. Here's a preview of what we'll cover: [01:20] The difference between scenes and chapters and how they each play a different role in your story's pacing. [02:45] 3 reasons why you should write in scenes instead of chapters: [02:55] Reason #1: It's easier to plan out your first draft because you can break down your total target word count into a target number of scenes that's appr...

Apr 07, 2020•12 min•Ep. 6

#5: 3 Ways to Figure Out the Theme of Your Story

In today's episode, I'll walk you through three different ways to figure out the theme of your story. Here's a preview of what we'll cover: [00:50] What is a story's theme? And why do you need one? [01:30] How identifying your story's theme upfront can help you write a stronger draft. [02:40] 3 different questions to help you uncover the theme of your story. [03:00] Question 1: What do you have to say about life? What do you care about? [05:00] Question 2: How will your protagonist change from t...

Mar 31, 2020•15 min•Ep. 5

Bonus: Ask Savannah (Listener Q&A)

In today's extra special bonus episode, I'm going to answer some questions from you guys! Here's a quick overview of what we talk about in this episode: [01:30] Joe Larkin asks, "Do you have a general rule of thumb for how long a scene should be?" [02:45] Margo Geary asks, "Your job sounds really awesome! How do you become an editor or book coach?" [04:45] Julia Pentrose asks, "I get why info-dumping isn't a good idea, but how do you get your character's backstory or worldbuilding details in you...

Mar 24, 2020•17 min

#4: How to Identify Your Story's Ideal Reader

In this episode, we're going to talk about your story's ideal reader -- or the one person who is going to love your book just as much as you do. Here's a quick overview of what we talk about in this episode: [01:00] What is an ideal reader? And why does your ideal reader matter? [02:20] How understanding your ideal reader can help you write with purpose and edit with focus. [03:15] How understanding your ideal reader can help you when it comes time to pitch agents and market your book. [04:45] M...

Mar 24, 2020•18 min•Ep. 4

#3: How to Decide Which Story Idea to Write Next

In this episode, we're going to talk about how to choose between multiple story ideas, or how to decide which story idea to write next. Here's a quick overview of what we talk about in this episode: [01:20] Two reasons why taking the time to flesh out your story ideas before you start writing a single word will save you time, energy, and frustration. [02:15] 5 questions to help you decide between two or more story ideas. [03:15] An example from a real-life writer who was torn between a "for fun"...

Mar 17, 2020•13 min•Ep. 3

#2: How to Choose the Best Genre for Your Story

In this episode, we're going to talk about genre -- specifically how to choose the primary (or global) genre for your story. Here's a quick overview of what we talk about in this episode: [01:30] What's the difference between commercial genres and content genres (aka the reader's genre and the writer's genre)? And why you should care about BOTH. [05:00] What's the difference between plot-driven stories and character-driven stories? And what are the 12 content genres? [07:00] A special note for s...

Mar 17, 2020•23 min•Ep. 2

#1: The #1 Myth That Holds Writers Back

In this episode, we're going to talk about the biggest myth that holds writers back and what to do about it if you're falling prey to this myth. Here's a quick overview of what we talk about in this episode: [01:00] How do you know if you're falling prey to this myth? Here are 3 scenarios that might signal to you that you need to address the belief at the root of this myth. Which scenario best describes your writing practice? [03:00] The #1 myth that holds writers back (it's probably not what yo...

Mar 17, 2020•16 min•Ep. 1

Introducing the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast!

Weekly writing tips from a developmental editor and book coach. My name is Savannah Gilbo and I'm a fiction editor and book coach. Every day, I help people, just like you, write, edit, and publish their books. I started this podcast because I want to prove that writing a novel doesn't have to be scary and overwhelming. Every week, I'll bring you a brand new episode with simple, actionable, and step-by-step strategies that you can implement in your writing right away. So, whether you're brand new...

Mar 10, 2020•3 min

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