Listening to the Jennifer Lauer episode. Less than stellar interview skills. Leave yourself out of it, stop with the “let me stop you right there” stuff, and directing/leading her on what to say. Listen to some successful podcasts and see what you can glean from how they interview. Otherwise great podcast.

As a new writer, Savannah’s wisdom and writing tips have helped me immensely. If you’re looking for a practical and applicable fiction writing podcast, this is the one!

A lot of useful information and Zoe laid out the thought process well of why writers should look to have the best possible book cover created for their work, and why her website would be very helpful in that process. One thing that was confusing was the actual final selection of your book designer. Early in the podcast, it sounded like the writer filled out a form from the website that gave potential designers all the information they would need to essentially respond to a request for proposal (ROP). That form is then sent out to designers, who respond as to whether they were interested in working with the writer. Then Zoe goes into a description of writing a letter to one of the designers who has responded to the ROP form, and it sounded like at that point the writer is pitching the designer as to why the designer should want to work with them. It sounded assbackward. I must have missed something.

I find Savannah’s advice to be useful in my novel writing. I’d like that she focuses on character and plot, using examples from other books. Although I do not write the kind of books that she mostly talks about, those books appeal to a lot of readers and also keep people turning the page and I think all writers can learn from that.

Savannah’s approach to making the writing process as easy as possible is refreshing and motivating! She gives so many tangible goals for any writer regardless of where they are in their writing journey and having other writers she’s worked with come on to share their journeys is inspiring. I cant recommend this podcast enough!

Listening to Savannah is like spending time with a good friend, learning from a skilled book coach, and having a personal cheerleader all at once. And I appreciate the freebie classes and workshops that she connects us with through her network of professionals. No matter where you are in your writing journey, I highly recommend Fiction Writing Made Easy! 📖

Not my genre(s) but so much good stuff! Worth a listen and maybe even a relisten week upon week.

I’m a published author, but of non-fiction. Now, I’m called to write novels for middle-grade children. Starting my first-ever work of fiction. I’ve immersed myself in learning about writing fiction. Hearing the stories of Notes to Novel students helped my internalize something: even with an outline, first draft is actually, me telling my story to myself; the foundation on which to build-out the details and nuances of the craft.

Loved the conversation between former writer and Savanna. I am presently on her waitlist for a one on one. I started writing a book with out an outline. I love my concept and all that goes with character development. I know I need tools in my toolbox. I believe after listening to her that she would be a great fit for me. Very interesting to listen to the process. Judy Kleinman Philadelphia, Pa USA

Super helpful! She’s helped me write my books, books that I loved writing but felt stuck on. Only one complaint, she says “that’s all for todays episode” or some form of it, like three time per episode, at least in the earlier episodes (I haven’t listened to the later ones). It’s really annoying, and for someone who’s an editor, she doesn’t seem to have edited her script 😂

I really enjoy these episodes for a variety of reasons. As a newcomer to the writing process, I had no guidelines and spent a lot of time stuck in the analysis process. She systematically breaks down the DNA of story building and lays out the best practices to follow in order to avoid losing momentum. She also explains how to pick your audience and genre before you begin writing. Which I found illuminating! Once I’ve chosen them; I can sit down and write a story that flows naturally from the idea in my mind directly towards my audience and genre. She will surprise you with hidden gems! Take lots of notes! Great podcast! I Definitely recommend it!

Savannah’s podcast has one of the absolute best breakdowns of episode content with timestamps out of all podcasts. There are times when I think I won’t be interested in an episode, but I see something in the content that makes me listen. Other podcasts should learn from her! But it was hearing her personal connection to Harry Potter that made me leave this review. Touching and relatable.

Great information conveyed in a simple way that is easy to understand. Savannah seems to genuinely want to help writers understand what they need to do to write great books. It’s delivered in bite size chunks that you can listen to when you have a few minutes. I really appreciate that she has put this excellent podcast together and the other helpful materials that she shares.

💕I find this very helpful. Keep up the good work!💕

Episodes are short and efficient and the entire podcast is comprehensive in general on the craft of writing. She also has handouts for most of her podcast episodes and other free resources on her website. Love her analysis of all things writing! Gilbo just released a new book, an in-depth deconstruction of one of the highest grossing fantasies of all time, Harry Potter (and specifically, book 1). I didn’t hesitate to preorder it—it’s sure to be a hit. I hope she considers putting together all her other nuggets of wisdom into a book on the writing craft so we can see it all in one place!

I have just found Savannah Gilbo and her terrific and very easy to understand Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcasts! I’ve learned several great tips and advice from the first few and I cannot wait to go back and listen to all that I have missed. She delivers a clear, fun and jargon-free podcast for many specific topics in writing a compelling and entertaining novel. Thank you, Savannah, keep up the great work, it is much appreciated!

Helpful podcast packed full of a lot of valuable information. I also get her newsletter. She’s good.

Just started listening to these pod cast and two episodes in, I already feel like I’ve learned some new information. I look forward to continuing my journey with writing and using the episodes to help me expand my writing.

Fiction Writing Made Easy is the best writing podcast I’ve come across! Savanna is knowledgeable and engaging. Her podcasts are to the point and she truly gives you tips you can use. No nonsense here! I love her podcasts and look forward to them every week! Thank you Savanna for making me a better writer!

One of the best and most comprehensive writing podcasts out there. Savannah gives actionable and detailed tips to improve your writing ability with summary recaps at the end of every episode. She makes writing feel achievable! Highly recommend! This is the writing course I’ve always needed!

I’m thankful I found this podcast. As a new novelist, I’ve spent several years working on my first novel. Savannah has a way of boiling down complex topics to a few easy actionable steps. I wish I had found this at the beginning of my journey. In my pursuit of knowledge about the craft of writing, this podcast has helped me more than anything else I’ve found. Thanks Savannah!

This podcast was just what I needed to get my writing back on track. I have listened to most episodes and learned a ton. Highly recommend!

Excellent writing advice! I liked Savannah’s easy-to-listen to style. She provides specific writing advice, with options, to help craft your story. Very well done!

Listened to the episode about multiple POV mistakes. She had great advice and followed up with suggestions on where we can find examples in published books. Very clear discussion and good reasoning for her 5 points. Am going to add this one to my podcast favorites. Joe G.

This is consistently the most useful writing podcast out there

I’ve listened to a bunch of writing podcasts and this one is one of the easiest to listen to. Clear and precise, with really great advice that’s not just the same old stuff. Thanks!

Ms. Gilbo’s podcasts are refreshingly straightforward and accessible. Her lessons are useful not just for writers just starting out, but they also serve as reminders of writing fundamentals for those attempting to put theory into practice. If you’re looking for clearly communicated, useful content, geared towards the real work of writing fiction, I recommend this podcast.

I find the podcast to be informative! Savannah provides chunks of depth on different writing skills, which has helped me springboard into deeper topics when I find something in my writing that needs improvement.

Savannah does exactly what an informational or educational podcast should do. Tell the topic she’s going to cover, Cover the topic in an organized way and even recaps her main points the end. There are no rabbit trails, sidebars, or any other fluff. She stays on track so the listener is always engaged and learning. I’ve turned off many podcasts because the host doesn’t stay on topic and there ends up being nothing to learn. Thank you for your hard work Savannah!

I’ve had a particular story in my head for years. In 2024 I decided it was time to get serious. I didn’t really know what I was doing so I started searching for podcasts and came across FWME and it has been an absolute game-changer for developing my story, which I thought was already completely developed. I highly recommend to anyone starting out, anyone who is stuck, or anyone needing a refresher. I love this podcast!

I have taken 19 years off from writing to be a mom. Needless to say I am a little rusty. These podcasts are a PERFECT refresher course. I am excited rather than apprehensive about writing again. Thank you!

I discovered Savannah’s podcast after writing my first draft of an MG novel. My characters were flat, I had no plot, and my theme was too subtle to notice. All I had was a clearly defined audience. I knew my characters mattered and that I had something to say for my particular audience, but my message was lost. I decided to start over but I didn’t know where to begin. Then I came across this podcast. I devoured Savannah’s podcast (and still am), bought books, and sought editorial help. This podcast took my novel from a state of cutesy vignettes to a solid MG novel with a clear plot and a compelling theme. My characters rounded out and new shape. I appreciate how this podcast has a variety of episode lengths, so I can easily digest the information whether I have 15 minutes or an hour to listen. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, Savannah!

Thank you for help with the cratt!

This show always inspires and motivates me, but beyond that, it give some actionable steps to actually do something with all of that inspiration and motivations. I love listening when I’m walking my dogs or on my commute. If you want to turn chore time into learning time, press play on this show. Fair warning, you will want to start writing once the episode is over! Love this show so much! ✨

I listened to an episode of this podcast a while back. I was not impressed. But in continuous pursuit of knowledge in the craft of writing, I happened to come across a more recent posting. I was surprised by the quality of the content and the focus of the presenter, Savanah Gilbo. She presents her topic clearly and concisely while providing the listener with a full disection of the focus from differing positions. I have found a new respect for this podcast and Ms. Gilbo and regret my previous dismissal of her endeavors. The information provided and method used to convey it to the listener provides valuable insight into areas in which writers often struggle. Much thanks and appreciation to you.

This podcast has been invaluable to me. I’ve only listened to maybe 10 episodes in each one has given me great advice that is helped me with my writing.

This podcast is pure gem! Each episode is a quick listen that’s full of marvellous tips and wisdom. If I’m struggling with sometime in my writing, this is the first stop when it comes to podcasts. And Savannah always gives credit to others and provides additional resources. So glad I found this podcast!

I found this podcast the other day and have been making my way through Savannah’s episodes. Each episode is clearly written and incredibly helpful. I especially appreciate the free downloads. The author is providing a lot of value to help others for free. I highly recommend her podcast!

All podcasts are well-organized and expertly delivered with both sound instruction, practicality and encouragement.

I’m on my second draft and I have so many questions about dialogue. I found this podcast during my quest for answers and after the first episode, I subscribed right away and I’ve been listening to the test one after another.

I recommend this podcast if you want to write a book. She shares some great information! And, she has a nice voice and her podcasts are entertaining. I listened to one writing podcast recently and it was super boring. This podcast is not boring at all.

Loved the episode on planning a book series… so helpful and actionable, just like everything that Savannah creates!

This author may be brilliant but I could not listen to more than 10 minutes because of her inflection of her voice at the end of every sentence. Her content seems great though, for sure.

I’ve dived into this podcast, listening to a few each day. Savannah’s episodes are so useful for those of us studying the craft of fiction writing! Bite-sized chunks of guidelines and insights delivered in a clear and authentic way! Thank you so much!

Savannah delivers exactly what she promises: actionable, step-by-step strategies. Her insights into all aspects of the writing process, from the big picture to the granular elements of a scene, are easy to understand and implement. She uses real-world examples from books, movies, and TV to take the mystery out of creating a good story. I need this pod on an IV drip!

Savannah gives advice and tips relevant to writers at any stage of the process and journey. Her insight is amazing and helps me consider the technical aspects of the craft as well as the creative ones. This is a great podcast for writers looking for resources to make their writing better!

This podcast has been a great resource for me to learn important skills to help me write my novel-in-progress, and hopefully many more to come. The host has a clear and pleasant voice, the episodes are well-planned and structured, and Savannah has a knack for answering just the question that is popping up as you are listening. Highly recommended.

Big fan of this podcast until she started using Fourth Wing as a reference. Famously 2 dimensional characters with thousands of plot holes, and annoyingly paternalistic love interests.

Gilbo has a succinct way of breaking down overwhelming concepts into digestible tidbits and makes the idea of writing a novel an achievable goal. No fluff, very straightforward and to the point. I’ve just started but I’m looking forward to adding this podcast to my daily routine and making the freebie exercises essential to my writing journey

Beautifully put together and packed with value. An indispensable learning tool for both aspiring and working writers.