Fiction Writing Tips: How To Write A Novel | Savannah Gilbo

 

Every fiction writer is trying to build the same thing: characters that readers love. The kind of characters that keep someone up past midnight because they need to know what happens next. The kind whose presence lingers for days after readers close the book. And the kind that evoke a strange sort of grief when the story ends.

You already know what that feels l...

 

If you've been wondering what line editing actually involves—when you need it, what the process looks like, and how to find the right person to help you—you're not alone. It's one of the most asked-about topics in the fiction writing community, and honestly, one of the most misunderstood stages of the entire revision process.

Most writers a...

 

Maybe you just typed "The End" for the first time. You survived the blank page, the middle-of-the-book crisis, and approximately forty-seven moments where you were convinced the whole thing was garbage. But you pushed through—and for a minute, it felt amazing.

Or maybe you finished your draft a while ago, and that proud feeling is a distant memory. You've been ...

 

Do I need to hire a book editor before I query literary agents?

If you’ve been in online writing communities lately, you’ve probably seen some version of this conversation floating around.

Maybe it was on Threads. Maybe it was in a Facebook group or on Instagram. But the advice tends to sound the same:

Don’t hire an editor before queryin...