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Bonus: Making Time To Write: How 3 Busy Writers Finished Their First Drafts

• Savannah Gilbo

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What if the reason you haven't written your novel has nothing to do with how many hours are in your day?

"I don't have time to write" might be the most common excuse that stops aspiring authors before they even start. But here’s what I’ve learned after working with hundreds of writers… It’s not about how much time you have that matters. It’s about what you do with your limited time that counts.

In this episode, you'll hear from three busy writers who had every legitimate reason to put their writing dreams on hold—yet didn't. Meet Maddie, a mom of four kids aged one to six who wrote her first draft while juggling pregnancy, a newborn, and a copywriting career. Rhonda, a clinical pharmacist who transitioned from competing in 14-hour triathlons to writing an 80,000-word manuscript. And Mark, a former college administrator, worried it was too late in life to learn how to write a novel. 

None of them found magical extra hours in their day. Instead, they discovered something far more powerful: how to make their limited writing time more effective.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • [03:00] How a mom of four young children completed her first draft in just six months of actual writing time, including taking a year-long break for pregnancy and a newborn, without losing momentum
  • [06:25] Why one debut author discovered that following a proven framework didn't create a cookie-cutter novel—it actually freed him to be more creative and original
  • [09:35] The mindset shift that helped a 45-year-old clinical pharmacist transition from grueling 14-hour triathlons to completing her first 80,000-word novel
  • [13:20] Why having limited writing time can actually make you a more effective writer, when you know exactly what to write in each session

Ready to stop using "no time" as your excuse? Join Maddie, Rhonda, Mark, and hundreds of other busy writers who've discovered that you don't need more hours—you need a better plan. Get on the waitlist for the next open enrollment of my Notes to Novel course and get my complete, step-by-step framework for writing a story that works. Don’t miss your chance to turn your ideas into a finished draft you’re proud of!

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👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

Speaker 1:

I had to take a long break from my novel about a year from the end of my pregnancy, through the newborn phase, until I was ready to come back to it. But thanks to my outline that was just pressure tested and waiting for me I was able to pick right back up and write the next scene as though I hadn't taken that break, which was so helpful. So, even though I took a long break in the middle, thanks to everything I learned in notes to Novel, I was able to write my first draft in six months of actual writing time, which felt like a huge accomplishment to me.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast. My name is Savannah Gilbo and I'm here to help you write a story that works. I want to prove to you that writing a novel doesn't have to be overwhelming, so each week, I'll bring you a brand new episode with simple, actionable and step-by-step strategies that you can implement in your writing right away. So, whether you're brand new to writing or more of a seasoned author looking to improve your craft, this podcast is for you. So pick up a pen and let's get started.

Speaker 2:

In today's episode, we're tackling the number one excuse that stops aspiring authors before they even start, and that excuse is I don't have time to write a book or I'm just too busy right now to focus on my writing. If you've ever looked at your packed schedule and wondered how anyone with a real life manages to finish a book, or if you've been telling yourself that you'll start writing when things slow down, then this episode is for you. You'll hear from three writers who had every reason to put their writing dreams on hold Maddie, a mom of four kids aged one to six, who is juggling pregnancy, a newborn and a demanding schedule. Rhonda, a clinical pharmacist, who spent years competing in grueling long-distance triathlons that took over 14 hours to complete in grueling, long-distance triathlons that took over 14 hours to complete. And Mark, a former college administrator, who worried that at his age it might be too late to learn how to write a novel. Now here's what I love about these stories. None of these writers magically found more hours in their day. Instead, they learned how to make their limited writing time incredibly effective. They discovered that having a clear roadmap actually made it possible to write consistently even in small pockets of time. So if you're tired of using no time or not enough time as your excuse, if you're ready to see how real people with real responsibilities actually finish their novels, these stories will show you exactly how it's done.

Speaker 2:

But before we dive into the details, I have something super exciting to share. My Notes to Novel course is opening for enrollment very soon. This is my signature eight-week program designed to help you confidently write a story you're proud of, without the self-doubt, frustration or overwhelm that stops most writers in their tracks. So if you've been wanting to work with me on your novel and follow a step-by-step framework to turn your ideas into a finished draft, then this is your chance. I'll be sharing more details soon, but if you want to be the first to know when doors open and snag a few extra goodies in the meantime, make sure you're on the waitlist at savannahgilbocom forward slash waitlist.

Speaker 1:

Hi everyone. My name is Maddie Unruh, I am 29 years old, I live in California and I'm currently writing romance. I am actually a professional writer. I'm a copywriter for many different businesses, so writing has always been a big part of my life, but this is the first time I've ever attempted to write a novel. I always knew I wanted to do it someday. I always felt called to do it, but I had never taken that step until I started listening to Savannah's podcast and eventually joined the Notes to Novel course.

Speaker 1:

One of the biggest things that Notes to Novel gave me was really just the ability to take myself seriously as a novelist. I feel like signing up for that course was me putting a stake in the ground and saying that I believed in that call in my life and was willing to invest in it and take it seriously. So for me that was a really big step and it led to me completing my first draft, which is so exciting. Another big thing I got out of the notes novel course was the ability to outline. I had attempted a little bit of novel writing before, but I'd always attempted to pants, and it turns out that outlining was really a key to me being successful in writing a story that worked. So going through those modules in the notes to novel course was so helpful Just learning how to outline with key scenes and conventions, how to pressure test that outline. It really gave me a roadmap for my writing, which was super helpful because I have four little kids aged one to six, and so my writing time is very limited, so it was so helpful to know exactly what I needed to sit down and write at every one of my writing sessions. It helped me make really quick progress and in fact I ended up soon after taking the course, finding out that I was pregnant with my fourth and last baby and I had to take a long break for my novel about a year from the end of my pregnancy, through the newborn phase, until I was ready to come back to it. But thanks to my outline that was just pressure tested and waiting for me, I was able to pick right back up and write the next scene as though I hadn't taken that break, which was so helpful. So even though I took a long break in the middle, thanks to everything I learned in notes to novel, I was able to write my first draft in six months of actual writing time, which felt like a huge accomplishment to me. And then the last thing that I really got out of Notes to Novel that I would just is.

Speaker 1:

The biggest reason probably that I would recommend it to any aspiring novelist is how positive and fun Savannah is and just her presence and her ability to believe in you and your story so much that you believe in yourself and your story too. I really feel like she is so gifted at being a book coach and joining notes novel was just like having my own little cheerleader, not just empowering me with the tools that I needed and just so much incredible things that we needed to know to write the novel, but also the encouragement that you inevitably need along the way when you hit all those uh kind of rough spots in novel writing. So I loved the notes to novel course. I loved it so much I ended up joining the story lab afterwards and I would highly recommend it to anybody on the fence to just go for it. Take the chance, take your call on your life as a novelist seriously and join notes to novel.

Speaker 3:

Hi, I'm Mark Rosinski and I'm a former college administrator turned writer living in the Chicago area. But I started my life as first as a musician and composer, and I spent my early days playing the accordion and then the piano, and it always amazes me how you can start your life from one path and end up someplace you totally didn't plan, just by the small decisions you make along the way. Now I'm writing short and long fiction in a variety of genres, but recently I've started digging into historical mysteries, both for my reading pleasure and for writing. I so enjoy novels such as Umberto Eco's Name of the Rose and Caleb Carr's the Alienist.

Speaker 3:

I began focusing on my writing about four years ago and, being older than most debut authors, I knew I didn't have tons of time to mess around and learn through experimentation. I had this real fear it was too late for me to learn to write novels, and I was afraid of investing into something, a practice, a framework that would take me nowhere and just waste time and money. So I was looking for a no-nonsense plan to help me to put my novel together, one that would get me to the finish line with a solid work. I tried a couple other approaches, but found them either too loose or too much in the weeds. Savannah's notes to novel did it just right for me. I'd been listening to her podcast for a while and loved her direct and positive approach and knew it would be a good fit for me.

Speaker 3:

I think the biggest aha in the course was the realization there was the flexibility to create my own story. I was afraid that following any method, so to speak, I'd end up with cookie cutter, dime store novel to kind of people read in a day and then forget and toss away. The notes to the novel course were great at showing the non-negotiables, those things that made it a successful story, but also in allowing space for originality and creativity. So when I actually put my fingers to the keyboard and I drafted the novel, I just followed her framework and they didn't worry about being too rigid or formulated. The magic, if I can call it that, was that the end product was anything but so. If I had a word of advice, if I had a word of advice for anyone on the brink of starting a novel.

Speaker 3:

I'd say, trust the process or, better yet, trust Savannah's process, because it works. So what's next for me? I finished my novel a few months ago and I had some beta readers review it. Well, they loved it. At first. That was a huge relief because as writers, we know we're always writing in a vacuum and it's great to have positive feedback. Then it was exciting and then I was completely scared.

Speaker 3:

I just started querying agents and I can tell you, nothing prompts the imposter feeling like querying agents. Agents and publishers will ask so what's next? They want more than just a book. They want an author, someone who writes books, not able. So another thing I got from the notes to novel course the confidence that I can do this again. I can write another novel. There's no fear that I will be a one-hit wonder. I can honestly tell you that I can write another. The process is hard. That is full of hard work, but the path isn't a mystery. So thanks for listening and I wish you the best success in your writing. Thanks for listening and I wish you the best success in your writing.

Speaker 4:

Hi there, I'm Rhonda Eustace, and I write historical fiction. I am a late bloomer when it comes to writing. When I was a kid, I'd write plays to entertain my friends and family at Christmas and force my brothers to act in them, and after college I wrote a few murder mysteries for parties that I hosted for friends. But other than that and keeping a daily journal, I didn't write much for fun, even though I had this idea for a story that lingered in the back of my mind for years. So most of my early adult years I chased my career as a clinical pharmacist, and for several of those years I competed in long distance triathlons that monopolized pretty much all of my free time. And so at age 45, when I got injured and couldn't compete in triathlons anymore, I decided it was finally time to sit down and write this novel. So I did what as many do I bought a bunch of craft books and read everything I can get my hands on and started to write. But I found myself getting stuck and spinning my wheels trying to get this partially firm story from my head onto the page. So I knew I needed some help. When I was doing triathlon, I had worked with a great triathlon coach who got me to the finish line of more than a dozen triathlons One took me more than 14 hours to complete so I knew I had the endurance to write a novel. I just didn't know what I was doing, and so I figured I was going to need some kind of coach, but I did not know where to find one until I came across Savannah's podcast and the Notes to Novel course, and with her help and the help of this course, I was able to complete my first 80,000 words first draft. And so everything I learned in Notes to Novel was valuable.

Speaker 4:

But there were two things that the course taught me that really helped me get through this first draft. So what I found was, many times when I would sit down to write, my inner critic, that little voice inside me, would tell me you're too old to start writing, you should be doing something more practical, you don't have anything important to say. But one of the first things the Notes to Novel course taught me was to really think through why I wanted to write this story and to tap into my core message or tap into my deep level. Why, and to tap into my core message or tap into my deep level why, and once I was able to do that, I was able to uncover my story's theme and this served as kind of a golden thread that I could go back to when I got stuck when I was developing my outline and again when I was writing my scene. So I thought that was very valuable.

Speaker 4:

So the second thing that the notes to novel teaches that was a game changer for me was how to write a compelling scene. So I thought that was very valuable. So the second thing that the notes to novel teaches that was a game changer for me was how to write a compelling scene, and specifically in each scene I needed to give my point of view character agency by making sure this character is the one that's making the decision in the climactic moment of the scene. So this really helped me to streamline my writing and to create a good narrative drive that drove me to the end of the scene. So this really helped me to streamline my writing and to create a good narrative drive that drove me to the end of the story.

Speaker 4:

So the notes to novel course and the Q&A sessions with Savannah gave me the tools and the encouragement to finish this first draft of my novel. Now, I never expected my first draft to be perfect and it wasn't. But, like Savannah says, you can't edit something if it's not on the page. So through this process I discovered how incredibly fun writing can be when you find the right coach who meets you where you are and cheers you on all the way to the finish line. And, unlike with triathlon, writing has a very slim chance of causing chipping and blisters.

Speaker 2:

All right. So I hope hearing from Maddie, rhonda and Mark completely shifted how you think about your time and your writing. Whether it was Maddie's ability to complete her first draft in six months of actual writing time while raising four children, rhonda's transition from 14-hour triathlons to 80,000-word manuscripts, or Mark's proof that it's never too late to start and finish writing your book, these stories show that time isn't really the issue. So here's the key takeaway I want you to remember you don't need more time to write a novel. You need a better plan for the time that you already have. And that's because when you know exactly what to work on in each writing session, even 20 minutes can move your story forward in a big way. Now, if these stories inspired you to finally stop waiting for the perfect time to start writing, then I have some exciting news.

Speaker 2:

Notes to Novel. My signature eight-week live program is opening for enrollment on August 19th. This is the same program that gave Maddie, rhonda, mark and hundreds of other busy writers the roadmap they needed to finish their novels without adding more stress to their already packed lives. But here's the thing I want you to be prepared when doors open, because this live round always fills up fast, and that's why I've created a VIP waitlist that gives you early access before the public launch, plus some really fun and incredible bonuses while you wait. When you join the waitlist, you'll get my novel writing roadblocks guide with real stories like the ones you heard today, early bird access to notes to novel, a few free live Q&A sessions with me, quick and straightforward mindset videos to help you break through creative blocks, and inspiring stories from writers who've made the journey from stuck to unstoppable. Head over to savannahgilbocom forward slash waitlist to get on the VIP waitlist and to get early access when doors to Notes to Novel open. And if you're listening to this after August 19th, don't worry, you can still join the waitlist to be the first to know when Notes to Novel opens for enrollment again.

Speaker 2:

All right. So that's it for this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast. Head over to savannagilbocom forward slash podcast for the complete show notes, including the resources I mentioned today, as well as bonus materials to help you implement what you've learned and if you're ready to get more personalized guidance for your specific writing stage, whether you're just starting out, stuck somewhere in the middle of a draft, drowning in revisions or getting ready to publish, take my free 30-second quiz at savannahgilbocom forward slash quiz. You'll get a customized podcast playlist that'll meet you right where you're at and help you get to your next big milestone. Last but not least, make sure to follow this podcast in your podcast player of choice, because I'll be back next week with another episode full of actionable tips, tools and strategies to help you become a better writer. Until then, happy writing.

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Savannah Gilbo

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