Fiction Writing Made Easy with Savannah Gilbo | How to Write a Novel & Writing Advice

Have you ever Googled things like “ how many words should be in a novel? ” Or “ how many scenes should a novel have? ” If so, you’ve probably gotten answers like “80,000 words.” Or “somewherre between 40 and 60 scenes.” Easy enough, in theory…But if you’re like most of the writers I’ve worked with, you’ve probably also had trouble sticking to these guidelines because there’s just so much stuff tha...

How do you know if you’re actually getting better at writing? In this episode, my guest, Tim Grahl, the CEO of Story Grid and the author of multiple books, both fiction and non-fiction, shares his answer to this question. Tim believes that his new book, The Shithead , is the best book he’s ever written —and I happen to agree with him! So, how did he get here? What did he do to become a better writ...

Want a peek behind the scenes into my work week? 👀 In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes and sharing what I do as a developmental editor and book coach.  I’ll talk through the projects I’m working on, what I’m excited (or not excited) about, what’s coming up in the next few weeks, what I learn from the writers I work with , and basically anything else that happens during the week! Tun...

Would you believe me if I said social media could make you a better writer? If you’re shaking your head NO, you’ll want to check out this episode. My guest, Lara Ferrari , is an Instagram marketing specialist who has helped hundreds of writers grow engaged communities of readers online (and have FUN while doing it). In this episode, she’s sharing how you can use social media to increase your creat...

Earlier this year, I published my first book , The Story Grid Masterwork Analysis Guide to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone —and I learned soooo much about book marketing. Tune into this episode to hear the ten surprising lessons I learned from  my first book launch , including things like: [03:10] What I learned about asking for Amazon reviews —and how asking for favors was the most uncomfor...

Do you ever wish you could see a behind-the-scenes look at how other people write?  In this episode, you’ll get to hear directly from five of my Notes to Novel students as they share how they brainstormed, outlined, and wrote their books inside the Notes to Novel course. I asked each of them to share the biggest thing that helped them get to “The End” of their drafts , and that’s exactly what they...

As someone who’s worked with hundreds of authors, I see people making the same mistakes over and over and over again. Mistakes that are easily avoidable once you know they’re mistakes. In this episode, I’m sharing some of these mistakes. Specifically, the 10 things that will NOT make you a better writer —and oh boy is it a juicy episode! In it, you’ll hear me talk about: [01:27] Why waiting until...

“I think your story has a genre identity crisis . That’s probably why you’re not getting responses from agents.” ← That’s what I told my new friend, Jac Sahlin, about the duology she’s currently querying . Tune into this episode to hear Jac and I talk through her query letter and first five pages —and to hear my thoughts on why she hasn’t received any requests from agents . Although Jac isn’t tech...

“How many scenes are in the Diagon Alley chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone?” Believe it or not, this is one of the most frequently asked questions I get from writers when they hear I’ve written a book breaking apart this mega best seller scene by scene. And it’s a valid question! This chapter was the hardest chapter for us to analyze when putting together The Story Grid Masterwork A...

How did Rowling deliver on the life-and-death stakes an action story requires, but in a way appropriate for middle-grade readers? How did she consistently weave together the external plot and Harry’s character arc in such a way that they’re inseparable? Tune into this episode to hear Abigail K. Perry and I talk through the plot structure of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone using the Story Gri...

Rowling is a master at weaving the external plot with Harry’s internal character arc —and using the external plot events to help Harry grow and change. In this episode, you’ll hear Abigail K. Perry and I talk through the big-picture plot structure of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone using the Story Grid’s Five Commandments of Storytelling. We’ll also discuss how this story fits in the Action...

J.K. Rowling is the master of layering things within her scenes . She’s also fantastic at raising the stakes from scene to scene, too. But how does she do it Tune into this episode to hear Abigail K. Perry and I talk to Tim Grahl (the CEO of Story Grid) about what it was like to study Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone — what we learned from J.K. Rowling about writing scenes and so much more....

Ever wonder how Rowling created such a fantastic, three-dimensional story world for her Harry Potter series? That’s exactly what you’ll hear in this week’s brand-new podcast episode! Join me, Abigail K. Perry, and Tim Grahl, as we discuss the world-building in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone —and what we learned from our analysis of this mega best seller. You’ll hear us talk about things lik...

Plot catalysts make it difficult for a character to achieve their goals. If you’re writing an Action story, there are three main plot catalysts you’ll want to include in your book—a speech in praise of the villain, a deadline or ticking clock, and one or more set-piece action sequences. Tune into this episode to hear a sneak peek from my new book , The Story Grid Masterwork Analysis Guide to Harry...

Ever wonder how Rowling created such a wonderful cast of quirky and relatable characters in the Harry Potter series?  If so, tune into this episode to hear Abigail K. Perry, Tim Grahl, and me talk about the characters in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.  You’ll hear us talk about things like: [02:32] How to think about the number of characters you include in your story (and what we can learn...

What made Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone a worldwide bestseller ? Why does this story still resonate with readers almost thirty years later? And why did Abigail and I agree to spend so much time dissecting every single scene and page to find out how and why it works?! Tune into this episode to hear Abigail K. Perry and I talk to Tim Grahl (the CEO of Story Grid) about what it was like to st...

Ever wish you could understand exactly what makes your favorite stories so lovable? Me too! So much so that I deconstructed every single scene in the first Harry Potter book to see how and why it worked.  And today, I’m super excited to share with you that my brand-new book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: A Story Grid Masterwork Analysis Guide, is officially available for pre-order right n...

Antagonists can make or break a story—both for the writer and the reader.  Writers who don’t spend time developing their antagonists tend to write drafts that fall apart in the middle. Anyone who reads a story with a weak or unconvincing protagonist is unlikely to finish it.  So, how do we go about making our antagonists just as compelling as our protagonists? How do we write an antagonist with im...

“Never wonder if readers will love your story again.” This is exactly what Theodora Taylor teaches you how to do in her book 7 FIGURE FICTION: How to Use Universal Fantasy to SELL Your Books to ANYONE. Despite writing fiction in a niche genre (interracial romance), Theodora Taylor has grown a fanbase of rabid readers and fans through the power of something she calls Universal Fantasy—aka “the ingr...

Want a peek behind the scenes into my work week? 👀 In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes and sharing what I do as a developmental editor and book coach. I’ll talk through the projects I’m working on, what I’m excited (or not excited) about, what’s coming up in the next few weeks, what I learn from the writers I work with , and basically anything else that happens during the week! Tune...

If you’ve ever felt frustrated with your progress (or lack of progress) , it’s probably time to take a step back from your writing and consider your mindset. To help you do just that, I’m sharing a conversation in today’s podcast episode with April Dávila, an award-winning author, speaker, and writing coach who specializes in teaching writers to integrate mediation into their writing practice. Tun...

Crafting compelling backstories for your fictional characters is critical to developing a cohesive story, but it’s sometimes easier said than done. There are endless options when it comes to which details you can include in your character’s backstory, and what you do include will influence everything that happens in your story—from the plot events to your character’s motivations to your own abilit...

Have you ever heard someone say that the only difference between a published author and an unpublished author is that the published author never gave up ? I wholeheartedly believe this, and my guest today proves it’s true. Savannah Carlisle writes heartwarming romance novels that transport readers to fun and quirky small towns where friends feel like family . And her debut novel, The Library of Se...

“Human beings want to hear the stories of other human beings. And that's exactly what podcasts do.” - Michelle Glogovac You have a finished book, now what? Learn how to pitch yourself to podcasts (and create your own podcast book tour!) in this episode.  Here’s a preview of what’s included: [04:47] What is a podcast book tour? And what are the benefits of doing one? [12:20] How to pitch yours...

“I recommend working on your query letter as soon as you feel good enough about the overall shape of your story.” - Savannah Gilbo Agents and editors must sort through hundreds of query letters to find an outstanding story. So, how do you write a query letter that catches their attention and makes them want to read more? Tune into this episode to learn how to write a query letter that works! Here’...