Fiction Writing Made Easy Savannah Gilbo

“I recommend working on your query letter as soon as you feel good enough about the overall shape of your story.” - Savannah GilboAgents and editors must sort through hundreds of query letters to find an outstanding story. So, how do you write a query letter that catches their attention and makes them want to read more? Tune into this episode to learn how to write a query letter that works! Here’s a preview of what’s included:[01:31] What are query letters, and why are they important?[03:46] ...

“The object itself didn't cause the conflict. The person who made the choice with the object caused the conflict.” - Randy EllefsonIn today’s episode, we’re going to cover something really fun—how to create believable monsters. And I have a special guest joining me today—someone that knows way more about creating monsters than I do. His name is Randy Ellefson, and he is the author of The Art of World Building. Here’s a preview of what’s included:[03:48] Randy gives us his definition of ...

“We need to advance the plot and we need to develop the character. When you can marry the two, you have a strong scene.” - Abigail K. PerryWe’re taking a deep dive into Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins to see how and why it works. Join me and Abigail K. Perry as we break down this first chapter of the third book of The Hunger Games trilogy to see how it hooks our interest and pulls us into the story! Here's a preview of what's included: [04:03] Chapter summary: This opening chapter sets up...

Telling a story through multiple viewpoints can be a great way to create a more expansive (and objective) look at your characters, world, plot, and/or theme. But with each additional viewpoint character you add to your story, the more room there is for mistakes. In this episode, I'm sharing the 5 most common multi POV mistakes writers make and how to avoid them in your draft.Here’s a preview of what’s included:[2:10] Mistake #1: Including too many POV characters without an intentional reason ...

“Writing is a creative project. It's not an earthquake, but the thoughts and the worries can feel similar. If I can have a positive association or feel prepared for an earthquake, surely I can do that for writing.” - Rhonda DouglasEver found yourself staring at the blank page, trying to write but unable to find the right words? You’re not alone! Tune in to hear Rhonda Douglas share strategies for managing creative anxiety and writer’s block. Here’s a preview of what’s included[01:29] Wh...

“Focus your pre-writing and drafting and revising efforts on the present moment of your story.” - Daniel David WallaceI asked five of my peers to share one of their favorite writing tips, and boy, did they deliver! Tune in to hear 5 editors and coaches talk about their favorite tip and why it’s so helpful. Here’s a preview of what’s included:[01:40] Tip #1: Fully embrace scene structure in your storytelling process because the narrative will flow seamlessly from beginning to end.[06:12] Tip #...