Ever wondered if you could write your novel while taking a walk? In this episode, Mary shares her honest experiment with dictation writing—how she wrote nearly half of her latest manuscript (around 50,000 words) using nothing but her iPhone and daily neighborhood walks.

Mary breaks down her journey from being "dictation curious" to discovering a writing method that increased her productivity without sacrificing quality. She shares the exact tools she tested, the surprising learning curve, and whether dictated prose actually sounds different from typed writing.

If you're a busy writer struggling to find time for your creative work, this episode might just revolutionize your approach to novel writing.

• Why Mary became interested in dictation as a writing method
• The challenge of balancing writing with parenting, work, and exercise
• Testing different dictation apps and why the free option won
• How to handle character names and punctuation while dictating
• Overcoming the social conditioning around silence and pauses
• Real productivity results: words per hour comparison
• Whether dictated writing differs from typed writing in tone and quality
• Tips for integrating dictation into your existing routines

✅ The best dictation app turned out to be free (iPhone Notes app)

✅ Dictation can produce significantly more words per hour than typing

✅ Speaking punctuation becomes automatic after about a week

✅ Extended silences while walking actually improve the creative process

✅ Dictated prose can be indistinguishable from typed prose in the final draft

✅ Dictation allows writers to maintain other important life routines while still being productive

• iPhone Notes app for dictation
• The Book Incubator writing program https://www.thebookincubator.com/

Next week: How Mary is ethically using AI as a novelist, including post-dictation editing techniques.

• Apply for The Book Incubator: https://www.thebookincubator.com/
• Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/book.incubator/
• Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@maryadkins

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In this episode of The First Draft Club, Mary shares the best advice she’s ever heard about balancing writing with parenting, courtesy of Nora Ephron. If you've ever felt like you're constantly dropping the ball—on your book, your job, or your family—this episode will speak directly to you. Mary breaks down the concept of “glass balls vs. plastic balls,” how it changed her perspective, and how it can help you make space for your writing without guilt. Spoiler: creativity gets to be a glass ball too.

You’ll learn:

• Nora Ephron’s brilliant advice for managing priorities

• How Mary balances parenting, writing, and running a business (and what she lets slide)

• A simple mindset shift to help you protect your writing time, guilt-free

Links & Resources:

• Apply to The Book Incubator & learn my Four Notebooks method for writing your book: thebookincubator.com

• Follow The Book Incubator on Instagram: @book.incubator

• Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WKb8589G8Ro

• Check out my blog post: Top 10 Tips for Authors: Advice from Bestselling Writers https://maryadkinswriter.com/blog/10-writing-tips-from-bestselling-authors

In this episode of The First Draft Club, Mary Adkins dismantles the elitist myth that plot is somehow “lowbrow” or optional in literary fiction. Drawing from her own experience and actual Big 5 rejection letters, she explains why plot is essential—not just for publication, but for reader satisfaction. Plus, she shares her favorite low-pressure, free method for making sure your story works, no matter where you are in your writing journey.

Whether you’ve been told your prose is beautiful but “the pacing is off,” or you’re trying to finish a draft that just won’t come together, this episode is your permission slip to prioritize plot—and a guide for how to do it well.

🎧 What You’ll Learn:

• Why plot gets unfairly dismissed in some writing circles

• What real editors say when they pass on beautifully written manuscripts

• The difference between compelling writing and a compelling story

• A free and easy story-development strategy you can try today (no downloads, no critique groups)

📌 Links and Resources:

• Apply to The Book Incubator to get access to the full Four Notebooks training: thebookincubator.com

• Listen to the Four Notebooks Method episode: http://bit.ly/3wGmMTc

• Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SAmFiIYVEEw

🖊 Want writing support that respects your voice and your story? Apply to join The Book Incubator, Mary’s 12-month MFA-alternative for writers who want to finish their books...without writing them by committee.