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“ 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. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:44] What is chemistry? [03:01] The first thing we need to do when creating chemistry between two characters is to have fully fleshed-out characters with their own goals, motivations, and inner obstacles. [03:42] Capitalize on opportunities for opposition and harmony between your characters. [07:41] The 3 key ingredients of chemistry are vulnerability, desire, and resistance [09:14] Examples from Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. [17:51] Writing romantic tension between romantic and non-romantic characters [22:56]  If you want to master crafting irresistible chemistry and tension, I highly recommend studying your favorite stories. This is the best way to improve your writing. You can ask yourself questions like: What do I like about the chemistry and tension between these two characters?How did the author play on each character’s vulnerabilities within the relationship?What does each character like (or desire) about the other (physically, mentally, and emotionally)?How did the author create resistance between the characters? Why do the characters not want the relationship to move forward?What can I replicate in my own writing?And if you need help getting started with your story, check out my FREE Story Starter Kit: 5 Questions To Ask Before You Start Writing. This fillable workbook will help you build out the foundational elements of your story: genre, character, setting, plot, and theme. Grab your free copy here! Links mentioned in this episode: 5 Questions to Help You Write Better CharactersFourth Wing by Rebecca YarrosInterested in becoming a certified book coach who specializes in memoirs? Click here to check out Author Accelerator's memoir certification course and save $500 if you sign up before the end of February! Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast, please rate, review, and follow this show! Follow me on Instagram @savannah.gilbo

“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. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [3:55] Where should new writers market their books? [05:14] Alexa advises on what to do if you're afraid of marketing your book. [09:06] How soon should writers start thinking about marketing their books? [14:16] After writing 14 non-fiction books, what is it like for Alexa to now be in the fiction world? [22:22] Alexa shares her ideas for marketing the second book of her series. [35:56] Alexa talks about the Women In Publishing Summit, a virtual conference for authors of all experience levels to learn and connect with others in the industry. Links mentioned in this episode: Women In Publishing Summit  Alexa's Instagram  Interested in becoming a certified book coach who specializes in memoirs? Click here to check out Author Accelerator's memoir certification course and save $500 if you sign up before the end of February! Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast, please rate, review, and follow this show! Follow me on Instagram @savannah.gilbo

“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. 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 scenes and conventions for your story's genre. [10:31] Savannah breaks out most of the required scenes and conventions, which you can download by visiting the blog post for this episode. [13:58] How to handle the obligatory scenes and conventions of your subplots vs. the main storyline. [16:51] Final thoughts: If you don’t do the work to understand your genre, you’ll have a hard time getting your books into the hands of readers. And without readers, your story will never be experienced. That’s a terrible thought, right? To avoid this, know your genre and give your readers what they’re expecting in a new and exciting way. Give them the emotional experience they’re looking for, and you’ll earn loyal fans for life. Links mentioned in this episode: Ep. 2: Understanding Genre: How to Write Better StoriesEp. 95: How to Start Writing Your Sci-Fi or Fantasy NovelSTORY by Robert MckeeThe Story Grid by Shawn CoyneInterested in becoming a certified book coach who specializes in memoirs? Click here to check out Author Accelerator's memoir certification course and save $500 if you sign up before the end of February! Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast, please rate, review, and follow this show! Follow me on Instagram @savannah.gilbo

“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. Here's a preview of what's included:   [02:40] Chapter summary: Abigail reads a summary of the first chapter and talks about how (and why) the author gives away the ending of the story upfront. [15:52] Macro analysis: We talk through the 7 Key Questions as laid out by Paula Munier in her book, The Writer's Guide to Beginnings, and how the chapter serves as a compelling opening for a character-driven story. [21:42] Abigail talks about how this story is a great example of a novel with a unique voice. [45:46] Micro analysis: We talk through the structure of the scene using the 5 Commandment scene framework as laid out by Shawn Coyne at The Story Grid, including the use of “postcard scenes”—a term they borrowed from Donald Maass. [58:30] Final thoughts: The first chapter is essential in driving the story forward so writers should ensure that they are delivering enough of the big picture to engage readers. Click here to check out the LitMatch Podcast with Abigail Perry! You can also get in touch with Abigail through her website or on Instagram @abigailkperry. Interested in becoming a certified book coach who specializes in memoirs? Click here to check out Author Accelerator's memoir certification course and save $500 if you sign up before the end of February! Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast, please rate, review, and follow this show! Follow me on Instagram @savannah.gilbo

“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. 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. [04:00] Savannah asks Jessica about marrying the external plot of a story to the protagonist's internal arc. Savannah sees a lot of writers focus solely on the external plot events and not enough on character growth and development. Jessica shares her thoughts on how to make sure you're balancing both plot and character as you write. [11:45] Savannah asks Jessica to talk about two important multi-scene beats—the Fun and Games beat and the Bad Guys Close In beat. Jessica shares her thoughts on breaking these longer beats down into smaller, more manageable chunks. [18:00] Savannah asks Jessica about being too rigid with the Save The Cat! structure. Specifically, what happens if your beats don't line up with the percentages recommended? Jessica shares her thoughts. [21:50] Jessica talks about how she had a hard time with the All Is Lost beat and the Dark Night Of The Soul beat until she figured out a very important distinction. [30:40] Jessica talks about some things to consider in terms of your first 25-50 pages when it comes time to query agents. Links mentioned in this episode: Learn more about Jessica Brody on her website or connect with her on InstagramCheck out Jessica's craft books to go deeper into the STC! method—Save the Cat! Writes a Novel and Save the Cat! Writes a YA NovelJoin Jessica's membership, The Writing Mastery Academy, and get $20 off your annual membership using code 'FWME'Interested in becoming a certified book coach who specializes in memoirs? Click here to check out Author Accelerator's memoir certification course and save $500 if you sign up before the end of February! Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast, please rate, review, and follow this show! Follow me on Instagram @savannah.gilbo

“ 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. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:20] Having gratitude for every mistake encountered and acknowledging that they served as valuable lessons. The repetition of these errors helped Savannah develop numerous solutions, contributing to her growth as a writer, editor, and book coach [05:38] The essence of a story lies in how external events impact someone striving for a challenging goal and the subsequent transformation they undergo. The narrative's power lies in the underlying story, not just the eloquence of words. Without a compelling story, the manuscript lacks substance. [11:07] Common worries and self-doubt faced by writers often revolve around questioning one's capability and self-worth. Shift to tackling these concerns by identifying the content genre of the story, offering a pathway to navigate and overcome these common anxieties in writing. [17:53] Advice to choose one or two writing methods that resonate with writers and focus on them. Whether it's scene structure or character development, selecting a preferred approach like scene and sequel or goal-motivation-conflict is encouraged. Links mentioned in this episode: How to Outline Your Novel with Save the Cat!How to Write a Well-Structured SceneNotes to NovelInterested in becoming a certified book coach who specializes in memoirs? Click here to check out Author Accelerator's memoir certification course and save $500 if you sign up before the end of February! Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast, please rate, review, and follow this show! Follow me on Instagram @savannah.gilbo

“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 very fun for you to hear how they did it plus some of their biggest takeaways. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:26] Lindsay Sfara shares her experience where she initially faced challenges with an insufficiently detailed outline, leading to a lack of direction in her superhero fantasy novel. She highlights her struggles and the transformative impact of the Notes to Novel course. [07:56] Liya Gray has been working on a YA series since 2015, facing challenges and halting progress. She credits Savannah’s course for unlocking a new understanding of her story's structure, and realizing the difference between scenes and chapters. [12:43] Ami Blackford talks about her insights into the Notes to Novel course and its impact on her writing journey. Amy, initially felt there were missing pieces in her eighth novel's outline but she highlights four significant takeaways from the course regarding theme, content genre vs. commercial genre, structured scenes, and fast first draft and magical edits. [18:46] Tanja Fabsits shares her experience with her first novel, and a significant realization during the course was related to scene structure, but her favorite takeaway was the overall feeling of relaxing into the outlining process. [20:56] Morgan Schrock, with a background in scientific writing for journals, decided to write a fiction novel. Her most significant realization was that the middle of her story felt boring, and she identified the problem as a lack of agency for her main character. The course's outlining technique proved to be a game-changer for her. Links mentioned in this episode: Lindsay Sfara  - InstagramLiya Grey - Website, Instagram, FacebookAmi Blackford - Website, Instagram, FacebookTanja Fabsits - BookMorgan Shrock - X, InstagramFree Workshop - The Confident Writer's RoadmapInterested in becoming a certified book coach who specializes in memoirs? Click here to check out Author Accelerator's memoir certification course and save $500 if you sign up before the end of February! Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast, please rate, review, and follow this show! Follow me on Instagram @savannah.gilbo

“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. Here’s a preview of what’s included:  [01:28] What exactly is imposter syndrome? How can you conquer it? [06:18] How overindulgence in work can drain the creativity and enjoyment from crafting a novel and may even jeopardize your relationships. [11:06] Overly independent writers tend to reject assistance or input from others, even when it is necessary, out of the fear of being perceived as incompetent. [14:13] Writers who believe that continually reading more craft books, enrolling in additional training, or rewriting the opening chapter repeatedly, might eventually amass enough knowledge to create a flawless novel. Links mentioned in this episode: Ep. 122 - Counting Down The Best Tips From FWME In 2023The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women by Dr. Valerie YoungUnlock Your Story ChallengeAll podcast episodes are available here. Interested in becoming a certified book coach who specializes in memoirs? Click here to check out Author Accelerator's memoir certification course and save $500 if you sign up before the end of February! Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast, please rate, review, and follow this show! Follow me on Instagram @savannah.gilbo

“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. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:00] Savannah’s favorite ways to brainstorm subplots and then layer them into your story in an organic way. [13:34] The best technique to write quality fiction that readers will connect to. [21:30] Being willing as writers to put things out there that aren’t perfect. [35:09] As a writer, create your milestone list from one to ten. Links mentioned in this episode: Tip 10: Episode #98: How to Add Subplots to Your NovelTip 9: Episode #90: How to Choose the Best Point of View for Your StoryTip 8: Episode #109: 5 Common Scene Issues (And How to Fix Them)Tip 7: Episode #82: Show, Don't Tell: What This Advice Really MeansTip 6: Episode #79: 3 Things to Focus on if You're a Brand New WriterTip 5: Episode #88: Perfectionism vs. Procrastination: What’s REALLY Going On?Tip 4: Episode #96: 5 Worldbuilding Tips for Sci-Fi & Fantasy WritersTip 3: Episode #104:10 Tips for Writing Better DialogueTip 2: Episode #102: 3 Common Interiority Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)Tip 1: Episode #108: Why Your Capacity for Zero is Crucial as a WriterAll podcast episodes are available here. Interested in becoming a certified book coach who specializes in memoirs? Click here to check out Author Accelerator's memoir certification course and save $500 if you sign up before the end of February! Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast, please rate, review, and follow this show! Follow me on Instagram @savannah.gilbo

“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.  Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:50] It's easier to make progress when surrounded by a community of like-minded writers. [05:48] Before your query letter and submission materials, you should have a finished draft of your synopsis and get outside feedback from a developmental editor or beta readers. [09:53] Why do more writers seem to be choosing self-publishing over traditional publishing? [15:04] Savannah’s recommendation of starting a story at a different place and how perfectionism has also impacted almost every writer I worked with this year. Links mentioned in this episode: Episode #66: The Pros and Cons of Traditional PublishingFREE Story Starter KitJane Freedman's Hot Sheet NewsletterNotes to Novel Unlock Your Story Interested in becoming a certified book coach who specializes in memoirs? Click here to check out Author Accelerator's memoir certification course and save $500 if you sign up before the end of February! Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast, please rate, review, and follow this show! Follow me on Instagram @savannah.gilbo

“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 I'm thrilled to have you 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. Here's a preview of what's included:   [05:42] Chapter summary: The first chapter of Fourth Wing leaves readers hanging on the edge, both emotionally and figuratively, setting the stage for a tale brimming with intrigue, familial conflict, and the high stakes of a world defined by war and loyalty. [11:53] Macro analysis: This novel aims to captivate readers with its combination of action, fantasy, and romance within the new adult framework. The novel features a skillful balance between internal character development and external conflicts, seeking approval from parents, creating a rich narrative that explores both the character's inner struggles and the broader context of a war-torn world filled with secrets and conspiracies. [32:54] Micro analysis: Discussing differing views on the crisis and turning point, a debate about whether to consider the author’s writing as one scene or split it into multiple scenes, and understanding the protagonist’s goal and actions and decisions within it. Also, there is the effectiveness of putting a crisis on the page, illustrating the character's internal struggle and the stakes involved. [53:08] Final thoughts: The balance between setup and resolution in scenes, emphasizing the need for purposeful content that propels the plot forward, and the careful construction of scenes, focusing on character development, plot progression, and the effective integration of stakes and conflicts. Links mentioned in this episode: "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros“The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings: How to Craft Story Openings That Sell” by Paula MunierInterested in becoming a certified book coach who specializes in memoirs? Click here to check out Author Accelerator's memoir certification course and save $500 if you sign up before the end of February! Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast, please rate, review, and follow this show! Follow me on Instagram @savannah.gilbo

“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 history and unanswered questions around the Edie’s, how they inspired Fern’s book, and the character work and story structure Fern worked through with Savannah about these wonderful women of Grey Gardens, East Hampton, New York. [21:11] Going through the outline, having consecutive drafts, and the balancing act of taking the reader through a particular emotional journey through two different timelines. [32:37] How beta readers impacted Fern’s opinion of her writing and being open to feedback and constructive criticism as a writer. Links mentioned in this episode: Fern Bernstein's WebsiteFern Bernstein's Amazon PageFern Bernstein on InstagramFern Bernstein on FacebookGrey Gardens Podcast With Fern BernsteinMah Jongg Mondays PodcastFern Bernstein on XGrey Gardens (movie)The Spun YarnInterested in becoming a certified book coach who specializes in memoirs? Click here to check out Author Accelerator's memoir certification course and save $500 if you sign up before the end of February! Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast, please rate, review, and follow this show! Follow me on Instagram @savannah.gilbo