Fiction Writing Made Easy | Top Creative Writing Podcast for Fiction Writers & Writing Tips

Savannah Gilbo, an experienced writer, takes us on a week in her life, including coaching writers, growing her email list, and learning from successful book launches. She shares her daily activities, such as crafting emails, attending virtual classes, and recording podcast episodes, offering insights into balancing multiple projects and evolving in her career.

Delve into the captivating world of 'The Hunger Games' with a focus on survival, rebellion, and power dynamics. Explore the intricate narrative structure, character interactions, and thematic depth within the first chapter. Analyze the scene involving Katniss and Gale for its impact on the story's progression. Uncover the layers of character dynamics, conflicts, and societal critique in this dystopian sci-fi narrative.

Learn about the 5 essential steps to plan your book series, the different categories of book series, analyzing character journeys in popular series like Hunger Games, exploring the strategic implications of a villain's plot, a helpful exercise for generating plot ideas, and tips for enhancing worldbuilding. Planning a book series is a complex process that requires time and dedication, but these insights will help you get started on the right track.

Dive into the secrets of crafting sizzling romantic chemistry and tension between characters! Discover how fully developed personalities drive compelling interactions. Learn to balance opposition and harmony for maximum impact. Explore the key ingredients of vulnerability, desire, and resistance that fuel attraction. Case studies from popular stories reveal how to infuse your writing with authentic tension. Plus, gain insights into characters' desires and motivations to elevate your storytelling!

Expert in marketing books and helping writers overcome the fear of marketing, Alexa Bigwarfe shares tips on where to market books, how to tackle marketing fears, when to start marketing, transitioning from non-fiction to fiction writing, marketing strategies for book series, and details about the Women In Publishing Summit.

Learn about the importance of obligatory scenes and conventions in storytelling. Discover how to find these elements for your story's genre and how to handle them in subplots. Understand the significance of comp titles and creating a list of obligatory scenes.

Literature enthusiast Abigail K. Perry and host dissect Mitch Albom's novel 'The Five People You Meet In Heaven' in this episode. They discuss how the story starts with the ending, the unique voice of the novel, the structure of the scene, and the importance of engaging readers in the first chapter.

“Every time you write something hard, it changes you as a writer, and it makes you a better writer.” - Jessica BrodyToday 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.Read the blog post here!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' Support the show👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

Explore the most common mistakes made in novel writing, including prioritizing prose over story, self-doubt, and following every writing method. Emphasize the importance of cohesion and selecting preferred writing approaches. Break down the writing process, seek guidance, and take action to avoid pitfalls.

Guest Morgan Schrock and other students from the Notes to Novels Season 3 program share insights on improving their writing process and overcoming challenges. Topics include the importance of detailed outlining, understanding story structure, and the impact of structured scenes on writing success.