“Focus your pre-writing and drafting and revising efforts on the present moment of your story.” - Daniel David Wallace I asked five of my peers to share one of their favorite writing tips, and boy, did they deliver! Tune in to hear 5 editors and coaches talk about their favorite tip and why it’s so helpful. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:40] Tip #1: Fully embrace scene structure in your storytelling process because the narrative will flow seamlessly from beginning to end. [06:12] Tip #...
Apr 09, 2024•32 min•Ep. 137
“Usually stakes start personal and they become public. That's a way of raising stakes, regardless of the genre.” - Savannah Gilbo We’re diving deep into Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins to see how and why it works. Join me and Abigail K. Perry as we break down this first chapter to see how it hooks our interest and pulls us into the story! Here's a preview of what's included: [05:22] Chapter summary: This chapter focuses on Katniss, who is navigating life after winning the Hunger Games. There is...
Apr 02, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 136
“You, the writer, have a bigger sphere of knowledge. You know more things than the narrator necessarily knows.” - Gabriela Pereira In today’s episode, I ask Gabriela Pereira of DIY MFA for her thoughts on some of the most commonly asked questions I get about point of view and voice—and she shares some of her favorite tips and strategies for mastering POV and voice in your writing. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [1:51] What's Gabriela’s advice for writers trying to choose the "right" point ...
Mar 26, 2024•42 min•Ep. 135
“It's really important to focus on the big picture story first and not worry about granular details that you can figure out later.” - Savannah Gilbo Get more done in less time, overcome procrastination, and become a master at time management with these 5 super simple productivity tips that I’ve been using daily for the last 10 years. Read the blog post here! Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:07] What is productivity and why does it matter? [04:44] How to time block your days in a way that...
Mar 19, 2024•29 min•Ep. 134
“Sometimes it's easy to take feedback to mean that your story's broken when it's not.” - Savannah Gilbo I’m taking you behind the scenes with me throughout my entire work week! You’ll see how I plan my days, what projects I work on, what I learn from the writers I work with, and so much more! Read the blog post here! Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:48] Sunday Update - This week will be a mixed bag. I’m taking a 2-day online course from Laura Belgray, who’s sharing a behind-the-scenes lo...
Mar 12, 2024•34 min•Ep. 133
“In stories that feel society dominant, is survival even worth it if you don't have freedom?” - Abigail K. Perry We’re taking a deep dive into The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins to see how and why it works. Join me and Abigail K. Perry as we break down this first chapter to see how it hooks our interest and pulls us into the story! Read the blog post here! Here's a preview of what's included: [04:39] Chapter summary: In the opening chapter, the author employs a tight focus on Katniss's perspect...
Mar 05, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 132
“The key to making books within a series work is to grow, escalate, and complicate the conflict and stakes from book to book.” - Savannah Gilbo A good book series allows readers to immerse themselves in a world and stay there. But how do you write a series that works? To start, here are 5 steps to help you start planning your book series. Read the blog post here! Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:42] Savannah discusses the the three primary categories of book series—static, dynamic, and a...
Feb 27, 2024•34 min•Ep. 131
“ Flat or boring characters who are underdeveloped are never going to light up a scene, no matter how many tricks you pull.” - Savannah Gilbo If you’re writing romance, the chemistry and tension between your characters can make or break your story. Let’s explore how to create romantic chemistry between two characters in an authentic and compelling way to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Read the blog post here! Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:44] What is chemistry? [03:01] The f...
Feb 20, 2024•25 min•Ep. 130
“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 Bigwarfe In today’s brand-new episode, I’m sharing a conversation with Alexa Bigwarfe about how writers can overcome the fear of marketing their books and what you can do right now to kickstart your marketing efforts. Read the blog post here! Here’s a preview of what’s included: [3:55] Where should new writers market their books? [05:14] ...
Feb 13, 2024•43 min•Ep. 129
“When a story doesn't include these key scenes and conventions of its genre, it's just not going to work.” - Savannah Gilbo Want a framework for your entire story? Learn what readers expect from a story like yours, and then use these obligatory scenes and conventions as a framework to craft a story that works. Read the blog post here! Here’s a preview of what’s included: [03:47] What are obligatory scenes and conventions (and why are they important)? [06:58] 3 steps to finding the obligatory sce...
Feb 06, 2024•18 min•Ep. 128
“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. Perry In this episode, we’re talking about The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom to see how and why it works. Join Abigail K. Perry and me as we break down this first chapter to see how it hooks our interest and pulls us into the story. Read the blog post here! Here's a preview of what's included: [02:40] Chapter summary: Abigail reads a summar...
Jan 30, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 127
“Every time you write something hard, it changes you as a writer, and it makes you a better writer.” - Jessica Brody Today I'm sharing a conversation with Jessica Brody where we talk about some of the most common mistakes writers make when outlining, writing, and editing their books using the “Save the Cat” method. Read the blog post here! Here's a preview of what's included: [02:30] Jessica introduces herself and shares her experience writing fiction using the Save The Cat! plotting method. [04...
Jan 23, 2024•41 min•Ep. 126
“ 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 Gilbo Transform your writing as I reveal 5 all-too-common mistakes that plague writers. Learn the savvy strategies to sidestep these blunders and discover my top-notch tips for rectifying them if you've already fallen prey. Read the blog post here! Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:20] Having gratitude for every mistake enco...
Jan 16, 2024•26 min•Ep. 125
“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 Schrock In today's episode, I reached out to some of my Notes to Novels Season 3 students and asked them to share the number one thing they learned about writing a first draft. You're going to get to hear from real writers who are in the trenches, actively working on their novels and I think it'll be ve...
Jan 09, 2024•29 min•Ep. 124
“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 Gilbo Is imposter syndrome holding you back from writing a novel? Here are the EXACT action steps you can take right now to combat your feelings of self-doubt, inadequacy, and fear—and to overcome imposter syndrome for good. Read the blog post here! Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:28] What exactly is imposter syndr...
Jan 02, 2024•19 min•Ep. 123
“My point is that you have to do the work to make the mistakes and learn.” - Savannah Gilbo The past year on Fiction Writing Made Easy has been a treasure trove of insights, expert advice, and creative hacks, all neatly bundled up in amazing podcast episodes and interviews. Today, we dive into a delightful countdown, revisiting the very best tips that get into the heart of fiction writing, and uncovering the gems that made 2023 an inspiration for writers. Read the blog post here! Here’s a previe...
Dec 26, 2023•42 min•Ep. 122
“The more work you do up front and the more you get your mindset right, the more likely your chances of success are.” - Savannah Gilbo In this episode, I'm giving you a glimpse behind the scenes and sharing some of the key takeaways I learned from coaching writers this year. I hope that you'll be able to reap some of the benefits of these lessons so that you can move forward with your writing in the most efficient way possible. Read the blog post here! Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:50...
Dec 19, 2023•23 min•Ep. 121
“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. Perry Join us today as we embark on a thrilling literary journey through the fantastical world of Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yaros. In this episode, I'm joined by Abigail K. Perry and I encourage you to read this mesmerizing tale, peel it apart with us, and participate in our analysis of it. Read the blog post here! Here's a preview of what's included: [...
Dec 12, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 120
“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 Bernstein In today's episode, I’m sitting down for a conversation with Fern Bernstein to talk about her debut novel, Staunch: The Edie's of Grey Gardens . Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:44] Savannah reads the back cover of Staunch: The Edie's of Grey Gardens to get context for today’s discussion. [12:14] The histo...
Dec 05, 2023•46 min•Ep. 119
“Every story has one main question that it raises in the beginning and answers by the end.” - Savannah Gilbo In this latest podcast episode, we'll explore a fundamental element of storytelling: the Major Dramatic Question (MDQ). From the outset of your story, readers should be gripped by this central question. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:31] Savannah talks about why the major dramatic question (MDQ) of a story is a helpful question for writers and how you can find the MDQ of your st...
Nov 28, 2023•12 min•Ep. 118
“As I kid I was like, I would love to get paid to read.” - Julie Taylor In 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 sensitivity reading services to authors. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [06:15] How does The Spun Yarn create a perfect matching system between its authors and its beta readers? [15:37] When would an author need this type of service? How is it different than working with...
Nov 21, 2023•59 min•Ep. 117
“In every story, you want to have that internal change because, without internal change, there is no character change.” - Savannah Gilbo In today’s episode, both Abigail K. Perry and I talk about the intriguing world of "Anxious People" by Frederick Backman. Buckle up, because this first chapter exploration is different from any other you've encountered before. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [05:08] Chapter summary: an unnamed narrator describes a plot involving idiots, bad decisions, and ...
Nov 14, 2023•56 min•Ep. 116
“I tried to ignore it, but when inspiration strikes, sometimes the inspiration keeps striking, and it just didn't want to go.” - Anne Mortensen In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Anne Mortensen to talk through what it was like to write, edit, and publish not one, but two of her books. You'll also get an exclusive look at her experience working alongside a developmental editor and book coach (that's me!) to bring her stories to life. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [02:05] Anne introd...
Nov 07, 2023•47 min•Ep. 115
“Dialogue is a form of action. We can utilize what's happening around the dialogue to assist what's being said.” - Savannah Gilbo Today, I'm thrilled to talk about the intricate art of dialogue with you once more. We're going to explore three common pitfalls that often lurk in dialogue and learning how to navigate these challenges can truly elevate your storytelling. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [02:34] Savannah explains the meaning of attributions and what to do when you doubt if someth...
Oct 31, 2023•18 min•Ep. 114
“I feel that emotional connection, the emotional struggles here are going to be a big gameplay in how the story is executed.” - Abigail K. Perry Magic has always fascinated us, hasn't it? The mere thought of a world where the impossible becomes possible, where spells are cast, and extraordinary adventures unfold, has captivated readers for generations. In the realm of adult fantasy novels, one name stands out – Lev Grossman and his masterpiece, "The Magicians." Today, both Abigail K. Perry, host...
Oct 24, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 113
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 have to ask—here's a preview of what's included: [01:58] Who is this person? [03:35] Where is the scene taking place? [04:50] Who else is in the scene? [06:15] What's the point of this? [07:55] Why should I care? [10:25] Final thoughts and episode recap Links...
Oct 17, 2023•13 min•Ep. 112
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 introduction to Edward J. Cembal (including a timeline of his writing, editing, and publishing journey) as well as a summary of his debut dystopian novel, The Monsters In Our Shadows [09:00] Edward describes what it’s like working with a book coach, an editor, and beta readers—inc...
Oct 03, 2023•33 min•Ep. 111
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 with more than just “tactics and templates.” It should move you beyond just learning and get you into action. [04:45] A good writing course should provide you with a community of like-minded writers who share similar goals and access to a mentor who can support you. [08...
Sep 26, 2023•11 min•Ep. 110
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. [03:59] Issue #2: The POV character doesn’t have enough agency. [05:57] Issue #3: There’s too much extra stuff crowding the scene. [07:50] Issue #4: There’s not enough interiority on the page. [09:35] Issue #5: The POV is inconsistent (aka there's head hopping) [11:22] Final tho...
Sep 20, 2023•13 min•Ep. 109
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: [01:25] Your capacity for zero describes how willing you are to start over if something you’re outlining or writing doesn’t work. [04:45] What happened when I told one of the writers I work with that she had to start over after writing a 40,000-word first draft [11:00] H...
Sep 14, 2023•14 min•Ep. 108
