The First Draft Club

How do you get feedback without letting it derail you? The risk is real. Mary shares the single criterion she uses in deciding whether or not to take a piece of feedback.

In this short and sweet episode, Mary shares the secret to writing a book that's smarter than you (with some helpful words from George Saunders and Rufi Thorpe).

In this sneak peek into the private podcast inside The Book Incubator, Mary and Rufi discuss what they label "Newtonian Narratology" (you think we're kidding!), a.k.a. why it's better for your characters to try not to cry than to cry, and why you might not need to learn how to write that one emotion you struggle to write, after all.

Author of Thursday is the New Friday, Joe Sanok speaks with Mary about the neuroscience findings that can help aspiring authors finally finish their drafts.

There are people online selling solutions you don't need to problems that don't exist. As a writer aspiring to be published, it pays to be savvy. Mary unpacks 3 of these myths so you can avoid traps.

In this episode, Mary shares the origin story of her newest tool "A Novel in 52 Prompts" and shares the first 3 prompts so you can knock out your first 5,000 words.

Mary shares two stories about what Tom Stoppard the playwright taught her about life and creativity.

We're back for Season 7! In this first episode of the season, Mary walks us through her current daily writing routine as she balances a new novel, work, and parenting.

We interrupt this post-season break to bring you a chat between Mary and Gayle Brown, an alum of The Book Incubator whose debut novel that she wrote in the program is out this week. Learn about her writing journey, what pub day feels like, and what advice she has for getting a literary agent. You can buy A Deadly Game at Amazon ( https://shorturl.at/gsvE3 ) or Barnes and Noble ( https://shorturl.a...

In this episode, Mary builds on the 5 tips for writing stronger dialogue she shared back in the first episode of Season 5. These 3 strategies will help improve your dialogue further. ----- Season 5, Episode 1: https://thefirstdraftclub.podbean.com/e/how-to-write-compelling-diagloue/

What actually makes us call a book "good" is something Mary recently completely changed her view on. Here's how she thinks of a "good book" now, and why.

Mary shares the 3 questions she'd ask herself if deciding whether to write a true personal story or a fictionalized version based on real events. Also, join our 10,000-Word Challenge starting next week! ----- Join Mary's (FREE!) 10,000-Word Challenge starting Monday, Oct. 23rd, and write the first 10,000 words of your novel or memoir in 10 days! Visit https://maryadkinswriter.com/10k-challenge-liv...

In this episode, Mary gets very real about why most creative writing classes make you feel discouraged and directionless, and how to handle such a class.

What makes a novel count as “literary fiction?” How is it different from “upmarket” fiction? And are they both better than commercial fiction? Mary defines these categories and discusses why she believes upmarket is your sweet spot as a new novelist.

In this episode, Mary takes on the threat of AI to professional writing and discusses why she believes it will never replace human storytellers.

There's an undercurrent of literary snobbery that pervades many creative writing spaces. In this episode, Mary names it, shares personal stories of what it looks like, and talks about why it can be destructive.

Literary agent Marisa Corvisiero chats with Mary about what contract terms she tries to negotiate for her clients, why she thinks it's savvy for authors to publish both traditionally and independently, and how un-agented and self-publishing authors can get help with their contracts. Check out Marisa's Authorpreneur Workshop HERE ( https://www.corvisieroagency.com/writers-workshop.html ). First Dra...

In this first episode of Season 6, Mary shares what she's been working on during this long break between seasons and why she set aside her latest novel, never to return to it. Trigger warning: Pregnancy loss is mentioned.

After a long break, Mary is back for season 6 with more writing tips and some fun new episodes!

Mary applied for MFA programs 3 times and was accepted twice, but never went. In this episode, she shares her story, as well as what she sees as the pros and cons of an MFA in Creative Writing. Check out the video of this episode on the YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/c4VV9HX-jdQ

Literary agents: no one really knows the secret to getting one or everything they do for you once you have one. Here, Mary shares the 3 things she didn't know about getting a literary agent and working with one (until she did). Check out the video of this episode on the YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/Snvvn5As2M4

There's plenty for writers to worry about without worrying about the things we DON'T need to be concerned by. In this episode, Mary discusses the three fears writers often have that they don't need to have. Check out more on the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNkf-ON2jDRU1IdB2sb03Jw/featured

Getting a literary agent was, for Mary, the hardest part of becoming a published author. Here, she breaks down the process into actionable steps. Check out the video of this episode on the YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/tt871Fqw8_s

Publishing your first book mostly feels amazing, but there are a few surprises you may not expect. In this episode, Mary shares 5 of those surprises. Check out the video of this episode on the YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/45eLaVuDC7g

Writing a book—and not just any book, but a good book—doesn't have to take over your life or take forever. You can write a solid draft in 45 minutes a day, 5 days a week, over just a few months. Here's how. Check out the video of this episode on the YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/rS6lgWjMXhs