Podcast
The First Draft Club
Hosted by By Mary Adkins | Author & Book Writing Coach · EN
A podcast to help you overcome resistance and write with more joy, clarity, and confidence. If you’re working on a novel or memoir, stick around. Whether you haven’t written a word since your 5-paragraph essay days or you have an MFA in Creative Writing, this podcast is now your weekly coffee date on your journey to finish your first draft. Visit maryadkinswriter.com for more resources.
32episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
S10 E22 When to Tell and When to Show: Lessons from Rufi Thorpe & Shel Silverstein
1w ago00:08:42Tap to summarizeOf all the writing adages I tend to whine about, "show, don't tell" is probably at the top of the list—because it just isn't true. Good writing involves plenty of telling. The actual craft question is: When is it best to tell, and when is it best to show? My colleague Rufi Thorpe—author of Margo's Got Money Troubles and the best writing teacher I've ever had—came up with an amazing answer. And that's what this episode is all about. Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review! For more resources, visit thebookincubator.com. Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @book.incubator Happy writing! — Mary ======================== RESOURCES: Learn my Four Notebooks Method & get your free template: http://bit.ly/3wGmMTc A Novel in 52 Prompts - A scene-by-scene blueprint for writing your novel: https://www.thebookincubator.com/novel-in-52-prompts Ready to write your dream book? Apply for The Book Incubator in just 5 minutes with no obligation to enroll and get my free 60-minute training HOW TO WRITE YOUR DREAM BOOK WITH A FULL-TIME JOB (AND A LIFE): https://bit.ly/3wEwrJQ ======================== Hi, I'm Mary! I'm the author of the novels When You Read This (Indie Next Pick and “Best Book of 2019” by Good Housekeeping), Privilege (Today.com “Best Summer Read”), and Palm Beach (New York Post “Best Book of 2021” and “like a sandy beach, equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable” according to the Associated Press). My memoir, You Might Feel A Little Pressure, was released by Third Rail Press in 2025. My books have been published in 13 countries, and I've written for the New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, and more. I founded an MFA-alternative, The Book Incubator, which has now helped hundreds of writers finish their books over 12 months and continues supporting them through publication (yes, forever!). When I’m not writing, I’m probably building a fort with my 7-year-old son Finn or bathing with an overpriced Lush bath bomb. I live in Dallas, where I spend my free time trying to domesticate a stubborn tabby and shamelessly watching reality TV. ======================== Social: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/book.incubator
Transcribe →S10 E21 How to Write a Book During Summer
2w ago00:14:24Tap to summarizeBook ideas have their own timeline. They can be persistent, demanding, and impatient—like a kid begging to go to Dave & Buster's. If you sit on an idea too long, it might just leave and find another writer to collaborate with (as Elizabeth Gilbert says). So what if you decided to grab your idea by the tail this summer and actually write the draft? In this episode, I'm sharing five features of summer that can work FOR you as a writer. Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review! For more resources, visit thebookincubator.com. Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @book.incubator Happy writing! — Mary ======================== RESOURCES: + Learn my Four Notebooks Method & get your free template: http://bit.ly/3wGmMTc + A Novel in 52 Prompts - A scene-by-scene blueprint for writing your novel: https://www.thebookincubator.com/novel-in-52-prompts + Ready to write your dream book? Apply for The Book Incubator in just 5 minutes with no obligation to enroll and get my free 60-minute training HOW TO WRITE YOUR DREAM BOOK WITH A FULL-TIME JOB (AND A LIFE): https://bit.ly/3wEwrJQ ======================== Hi, I'm Mary! I'm the author of the novels When You Read This (Indie Next Pick and “Best Book of 2019” by Good Housekeeping), Privilege (Today.com “Best Summer Read”), and Palm Beach (New York Post “Best Book of 2021” and “like a sandy beach, equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable” according to the Associated Press). My memoir, You Might Feel A Little Pressure, was released by Third Rail Press in 2025. My books have been published in 13 countries, and I've written for the New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, and more. I founded an MFA-alternative, The Book Incubator, which has now helped hundreds of writers finish their books over 12 months and continues supporting them through publication (yes, forever!). When I’m not writing, I’m probably building a fort with my 7-year-old son Finn or bathing with an overpriced Lush bath bomb. I live in Dallas, where I spend my free time trying to domesticate a stubborn tabby and shamelessly watching reality TV. ======================== Social: + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/book.incubator
Transcribe →S10 E20 NEW TOOL: The Real-Time Outline, a.k.a. an Outline I Can Actually Stomach
3w ago00:17:14Tap to summarizeA new outlining tool for writers who hate outlining. Outlining a novel feels to me like writing a novel by spreadsheet. I'm not an outliner. But I also learned early on that pure pantsing doesn't work for me, either. I need some structure—some scaffolding for my story. So recently, while revising my novel, I invented something I'm calling The Real-Time Outline. It's simple. It's blowing my mind how effective it's been. And I'm breaking it down in detail in this episode. Resources mentioned: Calin Duke's new book, How to Upcycle Nearly Everything for the Outdoors https://www.calinduke.com/ What Kind of Writer Are You? A NEW TYPOLOGY! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzm3bQCqQN4 Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review! For more resources, visit thebookincubator.com. Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @book.incubator Happy writing! — Mary ======================== RESOURCES: + Learn my Four Notebooks Method & get your free template: http://bit.ly/3wGmMTc + A Novel in 52 Prompts - A scene-by-scene blueprint for writing your novel: https://www.thebookincubator.com/novel-in-52-prompts + Ready to write your dream book? Apply for The Book Incubator in just 5 minutes with no obligation to enroll and get my free 60-minute training HOW TO WRITE YOUR DREAM BOOK WITH A FULL-TIME JOB (AND A LIFE): https://bit.ly/3wEwrJQ ======================== Hi, I'm Mary! I'm the author of the novels When You Read This (Indie Next Pick and “Best Book of 2019” by Good Housekeeping), Privilege (Today.com “Best Summer Read”), and Palm Beach (New York Post “Best Book of 2021” and “like a sandy beach, equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable” according to the Associated Press). My memoir, You Might Feel A Little Pressure, was released by Third Rail Press in 2025. My books have been published in 13 countries, and I've written for the New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, and more. I founded an MFA-alternative, The Book Incubator, which has now helped hundreds of writers finish their books over 12 months and continues supporting them through publication (yes, forever!). When I’m not writing, I’m probably building a fort with my 7-year-old son Finn or bathing with an overpriced Lush bath bomb. I live in Dallas, where I spend my free time trying to domesticate a stubborn tabby and shamelessly watching reality TV. ======================== Social: + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/book.incubator
Transcribe →S10 E19 Hot Take on Book Marketing Advice that Makes Me Want to Claw Out My Eyes
4w ago00:19:15Tap to summarizeIf you've Googled "how to market my book," you've probably come across the same advice: show up on Instagram, film yourself, build a following, cultivate your author brand. Here's the thing: most of that advice is not going to work. I've sensed this for a long time, but I didn't have a better alternative—until I realized something based on my experience as a reader, an author, and someone who watches other authors promote their books online. Resources mentioned: Book Marketing 101: One Thing You Should Never Do, and What to Do Instead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKaH_M8Y2G4&t=5s Jenn DePaula: https://www.instagram.com/jenndepaulabookmarketing/ Our marketing director at The Book Incubator, Stephanie Webb: https://www.instagram.com/heystephwebb/ Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review! For more resources, visit thebookincubator.com. Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @book.incubator Happy writing! — Mary ======================== RESOURCES: + Learn my Four Notebooks Method & get your free template: http://bit.ly/3wGmMTc + A Novel in 52 Prompts - A scene-by-scene blueprint for writing your novel: https://www.thebookincubator.com/novel-in-52-prompts + Ready to write your dream book? Apply for The Book Incubator in just 5 minutes with no obligation to enroll and get my free 60-minute training HOW TO WRITE YOUR DREAM BOOK WITH A FULL-TIME JOB (AND A LIFE): https://bit.ly/3wEwrJQ ======================== Hi, I'm Mary! I'm the author of the novels When You Read This (Indie Next Pick and “Best Book of 2019” by Good Housekeeping), Privilege (Today.com “Best Summer Read”), and Palm Beach (New York Post “Best Book of 2021” and “like a sandy beach, equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable” according to the Associated Press). My memoir, You Might Feel A Little Pressure, was released by Third Rail Press in 2025. My books have been published in 13 countries, and I've written for the New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, and more. I founded an MFA-alternative, The Book Incubator, which has now helped hundreds of writers finish their books over 12 months and continues supporting them through publication (yes, forever!). When I’m not writing, I’m probably building a fort with my 7-year-old son Finn or bathing with an overpriced Lush bath bomb. I live in Dallas, where I spend my free time trying to domesticate a stubborn tabby and shamelessly watching reality TV. ======================== Social: + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/book.incubator
Transcribe →S10 E18 The Small Thing You Can Ask Beta Readers That Makes All the Difference
May 2000:12:54Tap to summarizeThere's a kind of feedback that fills you with relief and gratitude, and there's a kind that leaves you with low-grade anxiety—even when the feedback is good and you want to use it. The difference is just one simple thing most readers don't do by default. I've had dozens of readers and editors over the years. And I've realized that even among professionals—agents, editors, trusted writer friends—there's feedback that's incredibly helpful and feedback that makes you want to eat a pint of ice cream and give up. In this episode: • The one rule that separates good feedback from "guess what I'm thinking" feedback • Why my HarperCollins editor was so easy to work with (and I didn't realize it until now) • How a novelist friend sent me notes that made me want to send her 18,000 Crumbl cookies • What to ask your beta readers so you're not playing a scavenger hunt with your manuscript Episode mentioned: Season 10 Ep 2: The #1 Reason Feedback is Stressful Is Not Even a Real Thing (https://open.spotify.com/episode/7dCqcaEG6OcVW129sXw1AG?si=cc4NHJS1TcaPBgLyPpHawA) Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review! For more resources, visit thebookincubator.com. Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @book.incubator Happy writing! — Mary ======================== RESOURCES: + Learn my Four Notebooks Method & get your free template: http://bit.ly/3wGmMTc + A Novel in 52 Prompts - A scene-by-scene blueprint for writing your novel: https://www.thebookincubator.com/novel-in-52-prompts + Ready to write your dream book? Apply for The Book Incubator in just 5 minutes with no obligation to enroll and get my free 60-minute training HOW TO WRITE YOUR DREAM BOOK WITH A FULL-TIME JOB (AND A LIFE): https://bit.ly/3wEwrJQ ======================== Hi, I'm Mary! I'm the author of the novels When You Read This (Indie Next Pick and “Best Book of 2019” by Good Housekeeping), Privilege (Today.com “Best Summer Read”), and Palm Beach (New York Post “Best Book of 2021” and “like a sandy beach, equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable” according to the Associated Press). My memoir, You Might Feel A Little Pressure, was released by Third Rail Press in 2025. My books have been published in 13 countries, and I've written for the New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, and more. I founded an MFA-alternative, The Book Incubator, which has now helped hundreds of writers finish their books over 12 months and continues supporting them through publication (yes, forever!). When I’m not writing, I’m probably building a fort with my 7-year-old son Finn or bathing with an overpriced Lush bath bomb. I live in Dallas, where I spend my free time trying to domesticate a stubborn tabby and shamelessly watching reality TV. ======================== Social: + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/book.incubator
Transcribe →S10 E17 Why You're Burnt Out on Your Book (And How to Fix It)
May 1300:12:57Tap to summarizeComing in with a hot take today: You're allowed to write what's fun. You're allowed to have a good time, to be silly, to write oddball, funny, quirky stuff that brings you pleasure—even if it isn't what would have earned you an A in your creative writing class or warrants an author photo with an "I'm a suffering artist" expression on your face. Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review! For more resources, visit thebookincubator.com. Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @book.incubator Happy writing! — Mary ======================== RESOURCES: + Learn my Four Notebooks Method & get your free template: http://bit.ly/3wGmMTc + A Novel in 52 Prompts - A scene-by-scene blueprint for writing your novel: https://www.thebookincubator.com/novel-in-52-prompts + Ready to write your dream book? Apply for The Book Incubator in just 5 minutes with no obligation to enroll and get my free 60-minute training HOW TO WRITE YOUR DREAM BOOK WITH A FULL-TIME JOB (AND A LIFE): https://bit.ly/3wEwrJQ ======================== Hi, I'm Mary! I'm the author of the novels When You Read This (Indie Next Pick and “Best Book of 2019” by Good Housekeeping), Privilege (Today.com “Best Summer Read”), and Palm Beach (New York Post “Best Book of 2021” and “like a sandy beach, equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable” according to the Associated Press). My memoir, You Might Feel A Little Pressure, was released by Third Rail Press in 2025. My books have been published in 13 countries, and I've written for the New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, and more. I founded an MFA-alternative, The Book Incubator, which has now helped hundreds of writers finish their books over 12 months and continues supporting them through publication (yes, forever!). When I’m not writing, I’m probably building a fort with my 7-year-old son Finn or bathing with an overpriced Lush bath bomb. I live in Dallas, where I spend my free time trying to domesticate a stubborn tabby and shamelessly watching reality TV. ======================== Social: + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/book.incubator
Transcribe →S10 E16 The Psychology Trick that Helps Writers Finish Their Books
May 600:16:19Tap to summarizeYou're allowed to bribe yourself to finish your book. In fact, you should. In this episode, I'm sharing the story of the Goal Reward—a surprisingly powerful tool I've used to finish three published novels and now teach inside The Book Incubator, my MFA-alternative program for novelists and memoirists. The Goal Reward is simple: Pick something you want (as small as an ice cream cone or as big as a house), decide on it before you finish your draft, and don't give it to yourself until you're done. It harnesses the power of desire to help you show up to write when your creative motivation flags—which it will. Giving an object a role in your creative life can imbue it with meaning you can't even foresee yet. Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review! For more resources, visit thebookincubator.com. Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @book.incubator Happy writing! — Mary ======================== RESOURCES: Learn my Four Notebooks Method & get your free template: http://bit.ly/3wGmMTc A Novel in 52 Prompts - A scene-by-scene blueprint for writing your novel: https://www.thebookincubator.com/novel-in-52-prompts Ready to write your dream book? Apply for The Book Incubator in just 5 minutes with no obligation to enroll and get my free 60-minute training HOW TO WRITE YOUR DREAM BOOK WITH A FULL-TIME JOB (AND A LIFE): https://bit.ly/3wEwrJQ ======================== Hi, I'm Mary! I'm the author of the novels When You Read This (Indie Next Pick and “Best Book of 2019” by Good Housekeeping), Privilege (Today.com “Best Summer Read”), and Palm Beach (New York Post “Best Book of 2021” and “like a sandy beach, equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable” according to the Associated Press). My memoir, You Might Feel A Little Pressure, was released by Third Rail Press in 2025. My books have been published in 13 countries, and I've written for the New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, and more. I founded an MFA-alternative, The Book Incubator, which has now helped hundreds of writers finish their books over 12 months and continues supporting them through publication (yes, forever!). When I’m not writing, I’m probably building a fort with my 7-year-old son Finn or bathing with an overpriced Lush bath bomb. I live in Dallas, where I spend my free time trying to domesticate a stubborn tabby and shamelessly watching reality TV. ======================== Social: Instagram: @book.incubator
Transcribe →S10 E15 How to Keep Writing When You Don’t Know What to Write Next
Apr 2900:07:41Tap to summarizeYou're in the middle of writing a scene. Everything's flowing. Then suddenly—you stop. You don't know how your character is going to react to what someone just said. Or you're about to write what you planned to write next, but suddenly it doesn't feel right. So you stare at the blank page. Then you spot your dirty cereal bowl. Might as well rinse that. Next thing you know, you're doing yard work and you haven't written your scene. I've been experimenting with a new way to handle these moments, and it's been working really well. Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review! For more resources, visit thebookincubator.com. Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @book.incubator Happy writing! — Mary ======================== RESOURCES: Learn my Four Notebooks Method & get your free template: http://bit.ly/3wGmMTc A Novel in 52 Prompts - A scene-by-scene blueprint for writing your novel: https://www.thebookincubator.com/novel-in-52-prompts Ready to write your dream book? Apply for The Book Incubator in just 5 minutes with no obligation to enroll and get my free 60-minute training HOW TO WRITE YOUR DREAM BOOK WITH A FULL-TIME JOB (AND A LIFE): https://bit.ly/3wEwrJQ ======================== Hi, I'm Mary! I'm the author of the novels When You Read This (Indie Next Pick and “Best Book of 2019” by Good Housekeeping), Privilege (Today.com “Best Summer Read”), and Palm Beach (New York Post “Best Book of 2021” and “like a sandy beach, equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable” according to the Associated Press). My memoir, You Might Feel A Little Pressure, was released by Third Rail Press in 2025. My books have been published in 13 countries, and I've written for the New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, and more. I founded an MFA-alternative, The Book Incubator, which has now helped hundreds of writers finish their books over 12 months and continues supporting them through publication (yes, forever!). When I’m not writing, I’m probably building a fort with my 7-year-old son Finn or bathing with an overpriced Lush bath bomb. I live in Dallas, where I spend my free time trying to domesticate a stubborn tabby and shamelessly watching reality TV. ======================== Social: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/book.incubator
Transcribe →S10 E14 What to Do with Scenes You Don’t Want to Write (but “Have to”)
Apr 2200:10:09Tap to summarizeYou know those scenes you're dreading? The ones that feel like a slog, where you're just "filling in the blanks" between the parts you're actually excited about? Here's what you need to know: just because something has to happen in your story doesn't mean it has to be a scene. In this episode, I'm answering a question from Cynthia, a fantasy writer in The Book Incubator: "Should I write scenes in order, even the boring ones? Or skip to the fun stuff and come back later?" My answer might surprise you. Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review! For more resources, visit thebookincubator.com. Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @book.incubator Happy writing! — Mary ======================== RESOURCES: + Learn my Four Notebooks Method & get your free template: http://bit.ly/3wGmMTc + A Novel in 52 Prompts - A scene-by-scene blueprint for writing your novel: https://www.thebookincubator.com/novel-in-52-prompts + Ready to write your dream book? Apply for The Book Incubator in just 5 minutes with no obligation to enroll and get my free 60-minute training HOW TO WRITE YOUR DREAM BOOK WITH A FULL-TIME JOB (AND A LIFE): https://bit.ly/3wEwrJQ ======================== Hi, I'm Mary! I'm the author of the novels When You Read This (Indie Next Pick and “Best Book of 2019” by Good Housekeeping), Privilege (Today.com “Best Summer Read”), and Palm Beach (New York Post “Best Book of 2021” and “like a sandy beach, equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable” according to the Associated Press). My memoir, You Might Feel A Little Pressure, was released by Third Rail Press in 2025. My books have been published in 13 countries, and I've written for the New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, and more. I founded an MFA-alternative, The Book Incubator, which has now helped hundreds of writers finish their books over 12 months and continues supporting them through publication (yes, forever!). When I’m not writing, I’m probably building a fort with my 7-year-old son Finn or bathing with an overpriced Lush bath bomb. I live in Dallas, where I spend my free time trying to domesticate a stubborn tabby and shamelessly watching reality TV. ======================== Social: + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/book.incubator
Transcribe →S10 E13 14 “Out of the Box” Fixes for Your Novel
Apr 1500:17:39Tap to summarizeSometimes the simplest solution to a revision problem is something you've forgotten you're allowed to change. This is the forest-for-the-trees phenomenon. It's normal. It's human. But it can suck a bunch of energy when you're trying to fix problems that require way less effort than you think. In this episode, I'm sharing 14 fixes you might not be thinking about as possibilities—from cutting entire characters to setting your book in a different year to dropping the first third of your draft and starting in the middle. Some of these sound obvious. The whole point is they're not obvious when you're stuck. Here's the link to the episode I mentioned, Season 10 Episode 2: The #1 Reason Feedback is Stressful is Actually Not Even a Real Thing: https://youtu.be/P_6kcB5CU98 Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review! For more resources, visit thebookincubator.com. Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @book.incubator Happy writing! — Mary ======================== RESOURCES: + Learn my Four Notebooks Method & get your free template: http://bit.ly/3wGmMTc + A Novel in 52 Prompts - A scene-by-scene blueprint for writing your novel: https://www.thebookincubator.com/novel-in-52-prompts + Ready to write your dream book? Apply for The Book Incubator in just 5 minutes with no obligation to enroll and get my free 60-minute training HOW TO WRITE YOUR DREAM BOOK WITH A FULL-TIME JOB (AND A LIFE): https://bit.ly/3wEwrJQ ======================== Hi, I'm Mary! I'm the author of the novels When You Read This (Indie Next Pick and “Best Book of 2019” by Good Housekeeping), Privilege (Today.com “Best Summer Read”), and Palm Beach (New York Post “Best Book of 2021” and “like a sandy beach, equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable” according to the Associated Press). My memoir, You Might Feel A Little Pressure, was released by Third Rail Press in 2025. My books have been published in 13 countries, and I've written for the New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, and more. I founded an MFA-alternative, The Book Incubator, which has now helped hundreds of writers finish their books over 12 months and continues supporting them through publication (yes, forever!). When I’m not writing, I’m probably building a fort with my 7-year-old son Finn or bathing with an overpriced Lush bath bomb. I live in Dallas, where I spend my free time trying to domesticate a stubborn tabby and shamelessly watching reality TV. ======================== Social: + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/book.incubator ======================== #writingtips #bookwriting #writer #authortube
Transcribe →