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

In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Jamie Varon to talk through her incredibly inspiring story of how she went from writing the first draft of her novel to landing her dream agent. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [04:15] A quick introduction to Jamie Varon (including a timeline of her writing, editing, and publishing journey) as well as a summary of her novel, Main Character Energy [17:...

In today’s episode, I’m going to walk you through how to choose the best point of view and tense for your story. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:35] Point of view is the lens through which your story is told. It’s whose eyes the reader will experience your story through. [01:56] In first person point of view, your protagonist is the narrator. They’re telling the story in their own words,...

In today's episode, I’m sitting down with Pauline Yates to talk through how she used short stories to hone her craft and publish her debut novel. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [03:05] An introduction to Pauline Yates and her story, Memories Don’t Lie. [03:55] How she used short stories to hone her craft and practice submitting her work to publishers (and spoiler alert: she’s now publis...

In today’s episode, I’m talking about how perfectionism is really just another form of procrastination. I also share some words of wisdom to help you get back on track and moving forward with your writing again. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [02:20] My two cents on how perfectionism and procrastination are linked and what to do if you find yourself stuck in a neverending loop of procrastina...

In today’s episode, we’re taking a deep dive into the first chapter of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. Join me and fellow developmental editor, Abigail Perry, as we talk through the first chapter of this popular fantasy novel. Here’s a preview of what we talk about: [03:45] A very quick summary of the first chapter [16:45] A macro analysis of the first chapter using 7 key questio...

In today’s episode, I’m taking you behind-the-scenes with me throughout my entire week, and I’m going to share what I’m working on, what big projects I’m focused on right now, and basically, anything that happens during the week.  I'm always curious as to how people set up their day and what they're working on and how they choose what they're going to actually work on that week. So,...

In today's episode, I’m sitting down with Jennifer Lauer to talk through how she overcame her fear of the blank page and indie published her debut novel. Here’s a preview of what’s included:  [03:00] An introduction to Jennifer Lauer and her story, The Girl in the Zoo [09:30] What the beginning of the writing process looked like for Jennifer—and when she finally realized that her fear of the...

In today’s episode, I’m covering the key scenes that every status story needs. I’ve also included examples of how they show up in the movie The Devil Wears Prada. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:40] Status stories center around the protagonist’s inner need for respect that manifests as a specific desire to achieve or accomplish something in the external world. [02:40] Readers of status st...

In today's extra special bonus episode, I'm going to answer some questions from my listeners! Here's a quick overview of what we talk about in this episode: [01:15] Ame says, “Would you be able to talk more about the coming of age genre, specifically how to develop a good plot and the aim of the book?” [02:50] Emme says, “I have a really compelling story idea, characters, and full o...

In today's episode, we’re going to talk through the different types of editors you might need to work with to get your book ready to publish . Here's a preview of what's included:  [01:40] A developmental editor is someone who is concerned with the overall content and structure of your manuscript, and whether or not your story “works.” They focus on things like character development...

In today’s episode, I’m sharing what the advice to “show, don’t tell” really means (and spoiler alert: it’s probably not what you think!). We’ll also talk about how to reveal your character’s emotions on the page, too. Here’s a preview of what’s included:  [01:20] In general, the advice to “show, don’t tell” means that a writer should relate information to readers through sensory details and actio...

In today’s episode, we’re taking a deep dive into the first chapter of Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover. Join me and fellow developmental editor, Abigail Perry, as we talk through this popular contemporary romance. Here’s a preview of what we talk about: [03:30] A very quick summary of the first chapter [05:30] A macro analysis of the first chapter using 7 key questions from Paula Munier's book Th...

In today’s episode, I asked five of my Notes to Novel students to share their biggest lessons learned while working through their first drafts. Here’s a preview of what’s included:  [02:00] Kelsey Evans on how understanding her genre’s framework made the biggest difference in her ability to finally finish her first draft [06:35] Stefanie Medrek and her favorite advice for battling writer’s block [...

In today’s episode, I’m going to share the three things to focus on if you’re a brand new writer—or if I was coaching someone who was brand new to writing. Here’s a preview of what’s included:  [02:17] Getting your mindset right is super important! Don’t expect to write the perfect first draft. Instead, consider your first draft the “discovery draft” and have fun with it! [04:50] Figure out your s...

In this episode, I'm doing a little countdown of some of the best and most listened-to clips from the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast in 2022. Here's a preview of what you'll hear in the episode: [01:40] Tip #10: Test out your idea by writing a 1-2 sentence summary of your entire story, focusing on the main story thread. [04:15] Tip #9: Create a scene-by-scene roadmap for your ent...

In today’s episode, I’m sharing some of the key takeaways I learned from coaching writers in 2022. Here’s a preview of what’s included:  [01:30] Takeaway #1: Don’t be afraid to try new things! Plus, the story of how two different writers tried something new—and had surprisingly good results. [05:10] Takeaway #2: Writing interiority is hard for almost every writer. And in my opinion, it’s not talke...

In today's episode, I’m sitting down with James Beswick to talk through his incredibly inspiring story of how he finished his first draft in three months. Here’s a preview of what’s included:  [03:30] An introduction to James Beswick and how he decided to write a book [05:30] How James carved out writing time in his calendar, while working a full time job [06:30] What James’s Notes to Novel e...

In today's episode, I’m covering the conventions of the crime genre. This includes the character roles, settings, and events that need to be present in a crime story in order for it to work and satisfy fans of the genre. Here’s a preview of what’s included:  [01:30] Crime stories are all about the quest to either solve or commit a crime. So, these stories start with a crime, build with an inv...

In today's episode, I’m covering the difference between writing in scene versus writing in summary. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:45] Scenes are concrete moments that unfold in real time. Readers “watch” the characters move across the setting, interact with other characters or the setting, and speak as if everything’s taking place in the real world, in real time. [02:55] Summaries...

In today's episode, we’re going to talk about how to edit your messy first draft without slipping into overwhelm. Here’s a preview of what’s included:  [01:50] The very first thing you should do when you finish a first draft  [04:15] A quick overview of the four editing phases, and how breaking your edits down into these phases will help you reduce overwhelm. [05:45] Phase 1: The “Story Level...

In today's episode, I’m covering the key scenes that every morality story needs. I’ve also included examples of how they show up in the movie Flight. Here’s a preview of what’s included:  [01:45] Morality stories center around a protagonist with a moral compass that’s about to change, for better or for worse. They’re either seeking redemption from past mistakes or they want to silence their i...

In today's episode, I’m sitting down with Stefanie Medrek to talk through her incredibly inspiring story of how she went from having an idea for a story to landing an agent. Here’s a preview of what’s included:  [05:00] The exact moment Stefanie had the idea for her story—and how she just knew it wouldn’t let her go until she put pen to paper [08:00] A quick description of Stefanie’s story [0...

In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through the conventions of the status genre. I'm also going to show you how these conventions show up in the movie The Devil Wears Prada. Here's a preview of what's included: [01:45] Status stories center around the protagonist’s inner need for respect that manifests as a specific desire to achieve or accomplish something in the ex...

In this episode, we're taking a deep dive into the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. Join me and fellow developmental editor, Abigail Perry, as we nerd out about the seventh book in the Harry Potter series. Here’s a preview of what we talk about: [07:45] A very quick summary of the first chapter [11:40] A macro analysis of the first chapter using 7 key que...

In this episode, we're taking a deep dive into the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. Join me and fellow developmental editor, Abigail Perry, as we nerd out about the sixth book in the Harry Potter series–here’s a preview of what we talk about: [05:45] A very quick summary of the first chapter [07:15] A macro analysis of the first chapter using 7 key ques...