Student Spotlight: From Zero Drafts to Dream Agent While Raising 4 Kids With Madi Unruh
If you’ve ever felt like you’re just too busy to write a novel, you’re not alone.
It feels pretty overwhelming trying to fit writing time around real life. Jobs. Families. Exhaustion. Seasons where everything feels like it's competing for your attention.
Madi Unruh knows that feeling well.
She’s a mom of four. She wrote her novel through pregnancy, newborn life, and a full, busy household. She didn’t write every day or move in a straight, perfect timeline. She paused for a while, then came back.
And she finished her novel.
That book went on to help her land representation with her dream agent.
In this post, I want to walk you through what actually made that possible because Madi’s story isn’t about finding more time. But instead, having a clear roadmap that works with real life, not against it.
Writing a Novel Without “Ideal” Conditions
When Madi joined Notes to Novel, she didn’t have a lot of free time in her schedule.
She already had a full life. Multiple kids. Limited quiet time. And like many writers in similar seasons, she could see how easy it would be to keep putting her writing off until things slowed down.
But instead of waiting for the right time, she decided to work with the life she already had.
One of the biggest shifts for her was letting go of the idea that writing needed to look a certain way to count. She listened to lessons while walking, at the park, or doing everyday tasks. She took notes on her phone. When she did sit down to write, she didn’t waste time wondering what she should work on next.
She had a plan.
That mattered because when writing time is limited, clarity becomes everything. You don’t have the luxury of warming up for an hour or second-guessing your direction. You need to know exactly where you’re going when you open the document.
Why Outlining Changed Everything
Before Notes to Novel, Madi identified more as a pantser. She’d tried writing without much of a plan and found herself getting stuck, losing momentum, or questioning whether she was on the right track.
The outline gave her something to lean on without killing her creativity or boxing her in.
It answered the big questions in advance.
What story am I telling?
Where is this going?
What needs to happen next?
One phrase Madi comes back to often is this…
The outline serves you, not the other way around.
That mindset enabled her to stay flexible while still moving forward. If something wasn’t working, she could adjust. But she wasn’t starting from scratch every time she sat down to write.
This became especially important later, when life demanded her attention in bigger ways.
Writing in Seasons, Not All at Once
Madi wrote her novel in seasons.
She made strong progress early on, outlining her entire story and drafting a significant portion before her baby arrived. Then life shifted, as it does. Newborn life required her full attention, and she stepped away from the manuscript for an extended period.
This is the moment where many writers assume the story is over.
A long break often feels like failure. Like proof that you weren’t serious enough, disciplined enough, or committed enough to finish.
But Madi didn’t see it that way.
Because she had done the foundational work, she never felt like she’d abandoned the book. She knew what story she was telling. She knew where it was headed. When she was ready to come back, she didn’t have to reorient herself from scratch.
She re-listened to Notes To Novel, reviewed her outline, and picked up where she had left off.
That’s a huge distinction.
Taking a break is not the same as quitting. The difference is whether you have a roadmap waiting for you when you return.
Finishing the First Draft With Limited Time
When Madi came back to drafting, she finished the second half of her first draft relatively quickly, especially given her circumstances.
Her first draft landed at around 76,000 words.
At this stage, time was still not on her side. But she finished her first draft because the heavy thinking had already been done. She wasn’t inventing the story as she went. She was executing a plan she trusted.
This is one of the most overlooked benefits of strong preparation. When you know what needs to happen next, writing becomes simpler. Not easier, but clearer.
Clarity removes friction. And when time is limited, friction is often what stops writers in their tracks.
What Happened After the Draft
Finishing the draft wasn’t the end of Madi’s journey. It was the beginning of the next phase.
She moved on to revisions using the same structured approach she had learned earlier. Instead of tinkering endlessly or rewriting chapters at random, she followed a clear order. Big-picture issues first. Line-level changes later.
Eventually, she decided to submit her manuscript to a contest for unpublished writers.
She became a finalist.
That recognition gave her confidence that her story was working.
Later, she attended a conference and pitched her novel to agents. Both agents she pitched requested her full manuscript. From there, she entered a period of querying, received additional interest, went through a revise-and-resubmit process, and ultimately accepted an offer of representation.
She signed with her dream agent.
The takeaway is that none of this happened by accident. It happened because Madi treated her writing like something worth finishing, even when life was full.
The Real Transformation
Madi’s biggest shift wasn’t speed or productivity, but instead taking herself seriously as a novelist.
That meant investing in a process. Showing up consistently when she could. Letting go of guilt during pauses and trusting that she could come back. And believing that her story deserved structure, care, and follow-through.
This is the part of her story I see reflected in so many writers.
Wanting to have the same success as Madfi, but feeling stuck because they don’t have a clear path forward. Without that, every pause feels permanent, and every setback feels like proof that they should stop.
Madi’s story shows that it doesn't have to be that way.
What You Can Take From Madi’s Story
If you’re in a busy season of life, here’s what I want you to remember…
You don’t need more time to finish a novel. You need clarity.
You need to know what story you're telling, how it fits together, and what to work on next when you do have time.
You need a process that allows for real life. One that doesn't punish you for pauses, but supports you when you’re ready to return.
Writing in seasons is not a weakness. It’s often the most sustainable way to finish something meaningful.
Want a Roadmap Like This for Your Novel?
Madi didn't finish her novel by pushing harder or forcing herself into unrealistic routines.
She finished because she had a clear roadmap and support that worked with her life, not against it.
That’s exactly what I teach inside Notes to Novel.
Notes to Novel is my step-by-step program for helping writers turn an idea into a finished draft by building a solid foundation for their story. You learn how to plan your novel, understand what makes it work, and move forward with purpose instead of circling the same chapters. If you want to build a roadmap that helps you keep going, even when life gets busy, you can join the Notes to Novel waitlist below.
👉 Join the Notes to Novel waitlist here
Want more help right now? Check out these free resources:
- Listen to the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast for weekly writing guidance
- Take the Author Success Blueprint Quiz to get personalized next steps for your writing, editing, and publishing journey
- Grab my free guide to get five easy management strategies that'll help you in these busy seasons of life.
