S09 E03 What Nora Ephron Can Teach Us About Writing, a.k.a. How to Be a Parent AND Write Books episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 18, 2025 · 14 MIN

S09 E03 What Nora Ephron Can Teach Us About Writing, a.k.a. How to Be a Parent AND Write Books

from The First Draft Club · host By Mary Adkins | Author & Book Writing Coach

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 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

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S09 E03 What Nora Ephron Can Teach Us About Writing, a.k.a. How to Be a Parent AND Write Books

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This episode was published on June 18, 2025.

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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...

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