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

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

2026-10-2727:24

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 keeps getting in the way? In today's episode, I'm doing something a little different! Five listeners sent in questions about challenges they're facing with their novels, and I'm answering each one as if we were working together in a coaching session. Here's what we cover: [02:07] How to fix plot holes in your novel by getting cl...

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

2026-10-2017:26

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, scroll through a few pages, and wonder where you were even going with the story. Maybe you feel like you need to reread your entire manuscript before you can write a single new word. Or maybe you keep doing the math on all the writing time you missed, and now you feel pressured to catch up. Here’s what I want you to know: you ...

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

2026-09-2926:41

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 know the feeling a cozy book gives you—warm, safe, like a world you don't want to leave. But when you sit down to write one, "just make it cozy" can be maddeningly hard to pin down. Is it the setting? The pacing? The lower stakes? In this episode, I'm breaking down the 10 characteristics of cozy fiction and how each one contri...

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

2026-09-2229:58

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 Brody, author of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel and Page One to Done, to compare the mistakes we see writers make when writing a first draft. The fun part? We each brought our own list and didn’t compare notes before hitting record. From underdeveloped antagonists and vague character goals to revision spirals and focusing on chapter...

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

2026-09-1522:55

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 Emily Henry’s Book Lovers is mostly two sisters walking through New York and talking. There’s plenty of banter, interiority, description, and backstory—but the big plot development doesn’t arrive until fairly late in the chapter. So how does Emily Henry make an opening chapter like this feel so engaging and full of momentum—and ...

#box-pro-ellipsis-179333527446098{-webkit-line-clamp:2;}Fiction Writing Made Easy with Savannah Gilbo | How to Write a Novel & Writing Advice

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