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

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

by Savannah Gilbo

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.

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

#268. 5 Thriller Mistakes That Weaken Suspense (& How to Fix Them)

You’ve finished the first draft of your thriller, and it has plenty of action. But when you read it back, it’s not as gripping as you’d hoped, and it’s hard to say why. U

Nov 10
26 min

#267. Ask Savannah: How Do I Fix a Plot Hole in My Story? (Plus Balancing Writing With Life & Hiding Plot Twists)

How do you fix a plot hole in your novel? What if your beta readers figure out your big plot twist too early? And how are you supposed to find time to write when life kee

Oct 27
26 min

#266. How to Get Back Into Writing Your Novel After a Long Break

If you’ve stepped away from your novel for a few weeks, or even a few months, getting back into writing can feel a lot harder than it should. Maybe you open your draft,

Oct 20
16 min

#265. What Is Cozy Fiction? 10 Characteristics Cozy Writers Need to Know

Learn what makes cozy fiction work—and how to balance warmth, tension, character growth, and community to create the hopeful reading experience cozy readers expect. You

Sep 29
25 min

#264. First Draft Mistakes: Jessica Brody & Savannah Gilbo Compare Notes

What are the most common first-draft mistakes writers make—and which ones actually need your attention while you’re drafting? In this episode, I’m joined by Jessica Brod

Sep 22
28 min

#263. How Emily Henry Hooks Readers in Chapter One of Book Lovers

Your first chapter needs to hook the reader—but that doesn’t mean you need a huge plot twist, dramatic action, or a flashy meet-cute on page one. The first chapter of Em

Sep 15
21 min

Bonus: How 3 Writers Found a Clear Path Through All the Writing Advice

If you’ve read the craft books, listened to hundreds of podcast episodes, and studied all kinds of writing advice—but still sit down at your desk wondering, okay, what am

Sep 1
17 min

#262. 10 Tips to Make Your Enemies to Lovers Romance Feel Believable

If you're writing an enemies to lovers romance, getting your characters from “I can't stand you” to “I love you” takes more than chemistry. Here’s how to write

Aug 25
28 min

#261. 5 Mistakes Writers Make Using the Save the Cat! Beat Sheet

If you’re using the Save the Cat! beat sheet to outline your novel but your story still feels flat, disconnected, or hard to draft, one of these five common mistakes may

Aug 18
21 min

#260. Student Spotlight: From Stuck at 25k Words to a Finished Draft With Lindsay Sfara

After stalling out on a draft she'd already outlined chapter by chapter, Lindsay Sfara discovered the story development work that has to come before an outline—and t

Aug 11
39 min

#259. How to Finish a Novel With Kids at Home & Limited Writing Time

You don't need a perfect writing schedule (or a quiet house) to finish your novel. Here are five ways to keep making real progress on your book with kids at home and

Aug 4
24 min

#258. 5 Myths Keeping You From Finishing Your First Draft

If you keep working on your novel but never seem to get closer to “The End,” these five novel writing myths may explain why—and show you what to do differently. If you&a

Jul 28
21 min

#257. Stuck in Chapter One or the Messy Middle? What Your Stuck Point Reveals

Stuck writing your novel? Wherever your draft stalls out—chapter one, 20,000 words, the messy middle—that spot isn't random. It's a clue that tells you exactly

Jul 21
16 min

#256. Why “Just Start Writing” Can Be Terrible Advice for New Writers

Everyone tells you to just start writing. Nobody tells you when. And if you keep starting your novel and stalling out a few chapters in, that missing piece might be exact

Jul 14
14 min

#255. Student Spotlight: How Grace Draven Learned to Write Faster (Without Sacrificing Quality)

Can a lifelong discovery writer write faster and embrace structure without losing the magic? Bestselling author Grace Draven wrote 62,000 words in 21 days and says absolu

Jul 7
39 min

#254. How to Outline Your Novel With the Hero’s Journey

Learn how to outline your novel using the Hero’s Journey—without mistaking this classic framework for a complete story blueprint. The Hero’s Journey is one of the most w

Jun 30
24 min

#253. 5 Common Mistakes That Make Your Character Feel Flat

If your protagonist feels vivid in your head but flat on the page, this episode will help you diagnose what’s missing—and fix the specific piece of character development

Jun 23
23 min

#252. Value Shifts: How to Tell if a Scene Is Working (or Falling Flat)

If you’ve got a scene that feels flat and you can’t figure out why, this episode will help you diagnose what’s really going on—so you know whether the scene is working, n

Jun 16
22 min

#251. Student Spotlight: 5 Lessons Learned from Notes to Novel (Season 8)

What does it look like to go from feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure about your novel…to finally making real progress? In this episode, I'm sharing five clips fr

Jun 9
33 min

#250. Why Your First Draft Doesn't Match the Book in Your Head (with Gala Russ)

A book coach who's written 15 novels pulls back the curtain on what's really happening when your messy first draft disappoints you.  Ever finished a chapter, r

Jun 2
47 min

Chart trend

Position in the Books chart (US), last 90 days.

#19
all-time peak
377
days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where Fiction Writing Made Easy with Savannah Gilbo | How to Write a Novel & Writing Advice ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Nov 13, 2026).

#144 ▼ 6 Arts US
#49 ▲ 1 Books US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

I laughed out loud at how accurately Savannah described my writing life in episode 259, and I don’t even write fiction. Whether you’re writing novels, nonfiction, articles, or whatever is currently blinking accusingly at you from an empty Google Doc, there’s a lot to learn from this show.

Courtney @ PodLaunch · Aug 2026

I’ve felt that the information in the episodes I’ve listened to useful, informative, and practical. Savannah provides relatable examples to move forward in your writing process.

rjonard · Jul 2026

Savannah Gilbo’s writing advice and lessons are full of so many helpful scenarios of what works and doesn’t work and why. She explains how to get out of a writing slump and why you might even be in one. Some of her most helpful (to me) advice involves her checklists for various areas of my novel. If I haven’t answered all the questions on the list, I’m probably struggling in that scene. Thank you, Savannah!

ZombieMama21 · Jul 2026

I look forward to the release of every episode. Savannah Gilbo's advice and author interviews inspire me to improve my craft. As the author of seven independently published thriller and mystery novels and a full time gynecologist physician, I am currently pitching the completed manuscript of an eight thriller based on a true crime committed in the Deep South in the early 1980s. This episode detailing the Hero's Journey is particularly helpful to me in pulling together the acts and external/internal motivations of my protagonist in my current work-in-progress. Thank you. Savannah!

Lovin' Podcasts · Jul 2026

I’d been an avid listener of this podcast for a long time. Even when I realized that Savannah supported JK Rowling’s work, a known transphobic and harmful person, I could still see past it and find the content valuable. But on episode 236 she had a guest and they were inviting authors to use AI to write their books and spreading misinformation about how editors in traditional publishing use it to edit books. Then the guest went on to say authors needed to get over the “original sin” and get on with it, as if authors hadn’t just gotten stolen loads of money from rights sales (and no the settlement money is not enough to go on forgiving them). To hear Savannah agree and support this was incredibly disappointing and heartbreaking. I have slept on this but find that I can no longer listen to this podcast and will be removing it from all my recommended resources.

Nat3656 · Mar 2026

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