The First Draft Club

S04 E06 The Four Notebooks Method [Reissue]

This episode originally aired on 4/16/2021. Due to a technical issue with Apple Podcasts deleting our episodes, this is a repost. New episodes will not have this notice.

Mary teaches you her signature method for handwriting your novel or memoir—The Four Notebooks Method—and tells you how you can download her notebook template for free. Check out www.freedownload.maryadkinswriter.com.

Let me guess: the idea was better in your head?

How do we deal with the fact that our stories, once on paper, are never as good as they were in our minds? Mary offers 3 strategies for handling this situation.

S04 E05 Let me guess: the idea was better in your head? [Reissue]

This episode originally aired on 4/9/2021. Due to a technical issue with Apple Podcasts deleting our episodes, this is a repost. New episodes will not have this notice.

How do we deal with the fact that our stories, once on paper, are never as good as they were in our minds? Mary offers 3 strategies for handling this situation.

 

How to Write Act 3 of the 3-Act Structure (Part 4 of 4)

Mary wraps up a four-episode series on the 3-act structure with a breakdown of her favorite of the three acts, Act 3, and talks about how to find the magic of it in your own writing.

S04 E04 How to Write Act 3 of the 3-Act Structure (Part 4 of 4) [Reissue]

This episode originally aired on 4/2/2021. Due to a technical issue with Apple Podcasts deleting our episodes, this is a repost. New episodes will not have this notice.

Mary wraps up a four-episode series on the 3-act structure with a breakdown of her favorite of the three acts, Act 3, and talks about how to find the magic of it in your own writing.

How to Write Act 2 of the 3-Act Structure (Part 3 of 4)

Mary talks all things Act 2—and, most importantly, gets into why Act 2 isn't a formula but a personal challenge for you, the author.

S04 E03 How to Write Act 2 of the 3-Act Structure (Part 3 of 4) [Reissue]

This episode originally aired on 3/26/2021. Due to a technical issue with Apple Podcasts deleting our episodes, this is a repost. New episodes will not have this notice.

Mary talks all things Act 2—and, most importantly, gets into why Act 2 isn't a formula but a personal challenge for you, the author.

How to Write Act 1 of the 3-Act Structure (Part 2 of 4)

In the second of four parts on the 3-act structure, Mary dives into what we mean by Act 1 and how to break it down into a manageable tool.

S04 E02 How to Write Act 1 of the 3-Act Structure (Part 2 of 4) [Reissue]

This episode originally aired on 3/19/2021. Due to a technical issue with Apple Podcasts deleting our episodes, this is a repost. New episodes will not have this notice.

In the second of four parts on the 3-act structure, Mary dives into what we mean by Act 1 and how to break it down into a manageable tool.

My Least Annoying and Most Usable Breakdown of the 3-Act Structure (Part 1 of 4)

In the first episode of Season 4, Mary kicks off a four-episode series breaking down the 3-act structure...in a way that won't terrify you, turn you off, or make you feel like you're supposed to be writing by formula.