Discover how a professional novelist ethically integrates AI into her writing process without compromising her creative integrity. Learn three specific applications for research, grammar cleanup, and brainstorming synthesis that enhance productivity while maintaining complete creative control.

What if you could write your novel while taking a walk? I was skeptical too, until I tried dictating my latest manuscript using nothing but my phone and comfortable shoes. The results completely changed how I think about fitting writing into a busy life.

In this episode, Mary shares a powerful metaphor from Nora Ephron about juggling priorities as a writer and parent. She unpacks how to identify what truly matters—your “glass balls”—so you can protect your writing time without guilt.

Why great writing isn’t enough—and how one free, simple strategy can help you build the strong, plot-driven story your novel needs.

Premature optimization—the tendency to over-polish early pages—can quietly sabotage your novel. Story matters more than perfect prose. If you’re stuck in revision mode or struggling to finish your draft, this episode will help you shift your focus to what truly matters.

Here we are at the Big Kahuna of the 3-act structure: the third act. If you haven't read my last three blog posts on the 3-act structure (an overview and details on Act 1 and Act 2), please go do that now and then come back to this one. (Otherwise, this is not going to make a whole lot of sense.)

Three posts ago, I gave you an overview of the 3-act structure as a simple, powerful way to structure your story.

Then, I walked you through creating a strong Act 1 to hook you and your audience in quickly and effectively.

Next, I talked about how to write an engaging Act 2 by investing emotionally in your story. Now, we’re taking on the third and final act—the last thing you leave your audience with.

I’m sure you’ve been wondering all week how my law school story ends, so let’s wrap it up!

Rumor holds that Steven Spielberg once said—and excuse my French—“third acts are a bitch.” Not to contradict the God of the 21st Century Box Office, but I actually think second acts are harder.

To kick us off, I'm going to continue my story from last week about my first year of law school.

After the conversation with my aunt, a lawyer who tried to make me feel better about being in law school and not feeling smart enough to be there, I thought, “Okay, Mary, it’s time to get your act together.”

Today we’re talking about—DUNH DUNH DUNH—the 3-act structure.

I used to be very intimidated by the 3-act structure. I listened to a very intimidating audiobook called Story and it included some line about how, if I made one wrong decision, my entire story would fall apart, and I turned it off immediately.

Here’s a true story. When I started law school at 25, I was certain that I was the dumbest person there. (That’s the word that I used in my head: dumbest.)

This certainty ran so deep that when a group of students went out to dinner together one of the first nights of school, and someone asked me how big the city I grew up in was, I was too embarrassed to tell him that I had absolutely no idea, so I just said, “medium.”

Not even medium-sized, just medium.