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

Books · Savannah Gilbo

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

by Savannah Gilbo

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. — 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

Chart trend

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

#19
all-time peak
366
days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

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
18 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
29 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
22 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
40 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
25 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
22 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
17 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
15 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
40 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
25 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
24 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
23 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
34 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
48 min

#249. 5 POV Mistakes That Pull Readers Out of Your Story

Most fiction writers are making at least one of these point of view mistakes. Find out which one could be hiding in your draft. You know that feeling when a scene isn&ap

May 26
31 min

#248. From Meet-Cute to HEA: How to Connect the Key Scenes of Your Romance Novel

Learn how to write the lead-up and reaction scenes between your key romance plot points so your story flows naturally from meet-cute to HEA without stalling in the middle

May 19
46 min

#247. 5 Secrets to Writing YA Fiction (That Actually Feels Like YA)

Learn the five craft secrets to writing young adult fiction that actually feels like YA—so when you sit down to write your own, you know exactly what to aim for. You kno

May 12
23 min

#246. Story Mapping: How to Map Your Novel With Sticky Notes (With Danyel Nicole)

What if getting stuck on your novel has nothing to do with your story and everything to do with HOW you're seeing it? Story mapping coach Danyel Nicole found that ou

May 5
22 min

#245. 5 Ways to Show Worldbuilding in Your Novel Without Info-Dumping

Master these 5 worldbuilding techniques to immerse readers in your fictional world without infodumping or overwhelming them. If you've ever sat down to write a scen

Apr 28
20 min

#244. How to Create Characters Readers Will Love (5 Essential Elements)

Readers don't fall in love with likable characters. They fall in love with characters who want something specific, stand to lose something personal, and can't q

Apr 21
22 min

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, Sep 10, 2026).

#80 ▼ 4 Books US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Helpful advice with good audio quality and without the annoyance of constant commercials.

Annmuss · Oct 2025

Her warm friendly voice makes listening easy to follow and fun to discover new ideas to get your ideas on paper.

avid reader1223 · Aug 2025

Savannah’s Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast is accessible for writers at any stage and who write in any genre. I enjoy using the blog to look for specific areas in which to grow or scouring the podcast topics for an inspiring listen. The examples from popular commercial fiction, the accompanying tools tailored to each podcast, and Savannah’s words of wisdom have been more significant to me than most paid regional or national writing conferences. It has been my goal to listen to every single episode because I don’t want to miss out on any tips she has.

LizHwrites · Aug 2025

Savannah Gilbo delivers on her promise to continually give useful, actionable steps to improve your writing. Relatable tales of other writers’ struggles or problem solving give you hope that you, too can finish your draft—and keep moving toward publication. This podcast doesn’t waste your time with silly banter—it simply offers you tested steps toward personal success.

EvensongManor · Aug 2025

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.

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About Fiction Writing Made Easy with Savannah Gilbo | How to Write a Novel & Writing Advice on Reason.fm

Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Fiction Writing Made Easy with Savannah Gilbo | How to Write a Novel & Writing Advice, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.

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