#225. Student Spotlight: From Zero Drafts to Dream Agent While Raising 4 Kids With Madi Unruh

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

Savannah Gilbo

Writing, How To, Bestseller, Writing Tips, Writing Fiction, Writer, Writing Community, Novel, How To Write Fiction, Fiction, How To Write A Book, Author, Arts, Education, Books

4.9 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 23 December 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Learn how a busy parent finished a novel by following a clear roadmap that made it possible to pause, return, and keep moving forward. Between raising four kids, navigating pregnancy and newborn life, and juggling everything that comes with being a busy parent, Madi didn't exactly have ideal writing conditions. And yet, she finished her novel. In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Madi, a former Notes to Novel student, to talk about what it actually looked like to write a book in the midd...

Transcript

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0:00.0	If you've been dreaming about writing your novel, the new year is the perfect time to finally make it happen.
0:05.2	My Notes to Novel Program has helped nearly a thousand writers break free from the cycle of starting
0:10.4	and stalling, and I want to help you do the same. The wait list is open now, and when you join,
0:15.3	you'll get early access before the public launch, free writing tools delivered to your inbox,
0:20.3	and exclusive VIP bonuses.
0:22.7	So if you're ready to make 2026 the year you actually finish your book, save the date because
0:27.6	doors open on January 22nd and spots fill up fast. Head over to savannahgilbo.com forward
0:33.9	slash waitlist to save your spot. One more time, that's savannah gilbo.com forward slash waitlist.
0:40.1	I knew where I wanted to get. And I didn't necessarily have a time frame. I gave myself tons of
0:44.6	grace, but I knew I want to have a finished book and I want to publish it, whatever that ended up
0:51.0	looking like. And so these are the steps that I have to take to get there. And then I just worked backwards and put that in there. And I think absolutely anyone can do that. And I'm so excited with how my journey has gone and I'm so honored, but I'm not so much better. I'm not like a specifically just really gifted and talented writer. And it's amazing. I mean, I had never written a book before this. So I think just to be encouraged
1:11.2	that this time last year, I didn't even have a finished draft yet. And now I have an agent,
1:16.4	my dream agent. Welcome to the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast. My name is Savannah Gilbo,
1:24.4	and I'm here to help you write a story that works. I want to prove to you
1:28.1	that writing a novel doesn't have to be overwhelming. So each week I'll bring you a brand new
1:32.5	episode with simple, actionable, and step-by-step strategies that you can implement in your writing
1:38.0	right away. So whether you're brand new to writing or more of a seasoned author looking to improve
1:42.4	your craft, this podcast is for you.
1:44.7	So pick up a pen and let's get started.
1:48.2	In today's episode, we're going behind the scenes of one writer's journey to hear how she went
1:53.2	from a 30,000 word draft that didn't work to signing with her dream literary agent.
1:58.9	My guest's name is Maddie Unru, and she's a mama four,
	...

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