The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast

Bonnie Jean Schaefer | Author and Founder of the League of Adventurous Authors
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There’s a book inside you. A message that won’t leave you alone. But between fear, responsibility, doubt — and now the rise of AI — you keep starting… and stopping. Welcome to The Adventurous Author Podcast. I’m Bonnie Jean Schaefer — fantasy author D.K. Drake — and I’ve published four novels while working a full-time job. I didn’t quit my life to write. I built systems that made finishing possible inside it. Now I help stuck Christian writers do the same. This podcast is discipleship through storytelling. We follow a simple framework: Start with WHO. Anchor your identity in Christ so fear loses leverage — especially in an AI age where identity matters more than ever. Live Your Story. Build sustainable 15-minute systems that fit your real life. Win Your Race. Finish what God called you to start — and become the kind of person who keeps finishing. Every season rotates through identity, systems, and storytelling mastery in a structured spiral of growth. If you’ve been hiding, doubting, or wondering where you fit in this new creative world — you’re not alone. Let’s adventurize your life and rise from stuck...together.

  1. 4D AGO

    Skills Produce Fruit: Writing, Money, and the Fear of Success | 216

    You’re showing up. Practicing. Writing. Learning. Pushing through resistance. And somewhere in the middle of it all, a question surfaces: Is this worth it? In this episode, we answer that question. We explore the three kinds of fruit your writing produces: Internal fruit — fulfillment, significance, belonging Character fruit — discipline, courage, faithfulness Physical fruit — stories, reach, and money Money isn’t identity. Rank isn’t worth. But visible fruit is a signal that your work is reaching people. We also talk honestly about the fear of visibility, the fear of success, and what it means to steward income without worshiping it. If you’ve ever wondered whether your effort matters—this episode is for you. 🎒 Includes a 15-minute Adventure Writing Challenge. Next up: Why soul-satisfying fruit pleases God—and how that truth protects your heart as your work grows. Live adventurously! The virtual doors to The League of Adventurous Authors open on February 12, 2026.

    8 min

  2. FEB 6

    Systems Refine Skills: Build Fiction Writing Mastery One Rep at a Time | 215

    This episode is about why wanting to get better isn’t enough and why skill growth feels so frustrating without the right structure. If you’ve ever thought: “I just need more craft” “I need to practice more, but I can’t seem to stay consistent” “Why am I not improving the way I expected?” This episode explains what’s actually missing: Skills don’t grow in chaos. They grow inside systems. In this episode, we explore: what it really means for systems to refine skills why repetition matters more than raw talent why 15 minutes a day beats sporadic bursts of effort how identity-aligned systems give your skills a place to grow We also talk about: the three WHO’s at the heart of storytelling (you, your reader, your characters) why process is a skill most writers ignore how steady practice builds confidence without burning you out And then I give you a 15-minute Adventure Writing Challenge that drops you straight into a high-stakes scene—where training, repetition, and instinct collide. If you’re tired of starting over… If you want your writing to feel stronger, clearer, and more confident… If you’re ready to stop dabbling and start training… This episode is for you. 🎒 Next episode: How skills produce soul-satisfying fruit—and why faithfulness, not hustle, is the goal.

    7 min

  3. JAN 29

    Identity Shapes Systems: Why Your Writing Routine Should Fit YOU | 214

    Want to write consistently but think you need more discipline or a better routine?  Let's reframe that thought. Because what you really need is a system that fits who God made you to be. In this episode of The Adventurous Author, I share that most writer fail not because they lack talent or faith but because they’re trying to live inside systems that don’t match their identity or season of life. You’ll hear a real story from my 101-Day Triple Crown Challenge, learn what a system actually is (and what it’s not), and discover how to build a flexible, identity-anchored writing rhythm that survives real life. This is the bridge between calling and follow-through. 🔑 Key Takeaways Why identity shapes systems (not the other way around) The difference between rigid routines and identity-aligned systems How constraints can actually free your creativity Why your system should change with your season The 5 questions every writing system must answer How to stop negotiating with yourself and start executing daily 🧭 The Core Truth The anchor isn’t when you write. The anchor is who you are. When identity is anchored in Christ, systems become tools, not tyrants. They flex. They adapt. And they still get the work done. 🗺️ Adventure Challenge: The Path That Fits Design your writing system like an athlete designs a training plan. In your journal, answer: WHEN will I write each day? Why does that time work for me right now? WHERE will I write? Why does that space ignite my creativity? HOW LONG will I train each session? (Start small if you're just starting.)  WHAT is the single clear task I’ll work on when I sit down? WHAT’S MY BACKUP PLAN when life interrupts? Write it out. That’s your training regimen. Starting tomorrow, follow it with faithfulness. (Perfection NOT needed.)  🏔️ League of Adventurous Authors You don’t need someone else’s system. You need help designing yours. Inside the League, you’ll experiment, report back, refine, and build a system that actually works for the person God made you to be, not one that just looks good online. 📅 Doors open February 12, 2026 🔜 Coming Next Systems Refine Skills Why repetition—not talent—is what actually makes you a better storyteller. How daily reps inside a good system sharpen your craft. And why fifteen minutes done consistently beats hours of sporadic effort. ✨ Final Reminder You are not behind. You are not broken. You are not too late. You’re just learning to build in the right order. Christ anchors identity. Identity shapes systems. And your system only has to fit you. Now go write like an athlete building a life that supports the work.

    14 min

  4. JAN 24

    Christ Anchors Identity: The Foundation Every Christian Writer Needs | 213

    Today’s episode is about something deeper than writing tactics. It’s about why some writers keep drifting—even when they want this badly—and why others learn how to stay steady long enough to finish. The difference isn’t talent. It isn’t time. It isn’t discipline. It’s identity. In this episode, I unpack what I mean—very intentionally—when I say: Christ anchors identity. We break it down word by word: Christ — the unchanging I AM, the fixed point in a spinning world Anchor — not a tether that restricts you, but a stabilizer that prevents drift Identity — who you are beneath performance, roles, and validation And then we put it all together and look at what actually changes when your identity is anchored in Christ: You stop needing perfect conditions to write. You stop measuring your worth by your output. You stop waiting for permission to call yourself a writer. You stop quitting when doubt shows up. I also share how writing the Anchored Faith trilogy—The Only I AM, The King Who Befriends, and The Faithful Finisher—quietly rewired my own identity and helped me move from drifting and quitting to finishing with confidence. This isn’t about being impressive. It’s about being anchored.

    12 min

  5. JAN 14

    From Creative Identity Crisis to 50 Books by 50: My Return to the Mic | 212

    Hey friend! I disappeared for six months. And I need to tell you why. Because what happened to me in 2025? It's probably happening to you right now. I ran a 101-day gauntlet. Wrote a children's story every single day. Published a podcast episode every single day. Ran at least a mile every single day. I crushed it. Then the challenge ended. The constraints lifted. And I completely lost my way. I thought I needed better systems. Tighter deadlines. More AI efficiency. So I tried to publish a book a week for seven weeks straight. I failed. Not because I lacked discipline. Not because I needed better tools. I failed because my creative identity wasn't anchored in Christ. And when identity isn't anchored, every system eventually collapses. Here's what I discovered during my creative identity crisis: I had trained AI to write like me so well that I stopped being me. I outsourced the hard, fulfilling work of creation. I lost myself in the efficiency. The books were good. But they were missing something critical. They were missing me. So I blew them all up and started over. And on my 48th birthday, I launched the 50 by 50 Challenge: publish 50 books, complete 50 10Ks, and transform 50 lives by the time I turn 50. I'm 48 now. I started at zero. And I'm currently three books in. This episode is my return to the mic with one core message: Your creative identity is the foundation on which your writing dreams stand. Start with WHO. And WHO starts with God. Because here's what I now know to be true: Christ anchors identity. Identity shapes systems. Systems refine skills. Skills produce soul-satisfying fruit. Soul-satisfying fruit pleases God. Miss one link in that chain and you stay stuck living as a contradiction—dreaming like a professional while showing up like an amateur. In this episode, I'm unpacking: Why 2025 broke me open and rebuilt me The real enemy blocking your writing (hint: it's not time or motivation) Why belief matters more than tactics How this podcast is changing to serve you better An adventurous writing challenge that will shift your perspective My word for 2026 is SPEAK. So I'm back. Welcome to the adventure.

    11 min

  6. 08/19/2025

    How to Build a Writing System When Your Life is a Jigsaw Puzzle | 211

    Your life isn’t a blank slate. It’s a thousand-piece puzzle. Between kids, work, health, faith, and relationships, “just write at 5am every day” doesn’t fit for everyone. That’s why professional authors build flexible frameworks that adapt to real life instead of forcing routines that break under chaos. In this episode, I’ll show you how to use the Jigsaw Puzzle Method to design a writing system that honors your actual life and still makes writing consistent. You’ll learn: ✔️ Why rigid routines collapse under real-world pressure ✔️ How to name your “corner pieces” and protect your writing block ✔️ The difference between daily, weekly, and seasonal puzzle pieces ✔️ Why flexibility is the secret to sustainable writing ✔️ How one small daily block transforms identity from “aspiring” to professional 🎯 Adventure Challenge: Sketch your life puzzle. Name your corner pieces. Circle one 15–30 minute writing block that actually fits this week. Then write a scene starting with: “When he pressed the last piece into place, the puzzle began to breathe.” Your life is not chaos. It’s a beautiful puzzle. And writing is one of the essential pieces. Keep the words rolling and the adventures unfolding, Bonnie Jean Next Steps: Escape into the Land of Zandador (the books I write under my pen name of Author D.K. Drake): Purchase one or all of the Dragon Stalker Bloodline Saga books on Amazon. Connect: Send me an email at dk@authordkdrake.com.  📢 Subscribe & Review: If this episode gave you a wake-up call, share it with a fellow writer and drop a review! Your feedback keeps this show alive and thriving.

    6 min

  7. 08/12/2025

    Why Your Non-Writing Habits Hold the Key to Writing Success | 210

    For decades, I wrote in bursts—finishing and publishing four novels over twenty years, but I never truly saw myself as a disciplined author. I thought about writing daily, but I wasn’t actually creating daily. That gap between declaration and demonstration was holding me back. In this episode, I reveal why aspirations alone don’t define identity — actions do — and how to use the evidence from your daily life to build an unshakable author identity. We’ll talk about why most identity work fails, how to spot the gap between who you say you are and who you actually are, and how to install one small habit that proves your identity every single day. Whether you’ve been stuck in stop-start cycles or you’re tired of calling yourself a writer without the daily proof to back it up, this episode will give you the exact steps to start closing the gap today. What You’ll Learn: Why most identity work collapses without outside-in evidence How to identify patterns that reveal your true values How to borrow discipline from other areas of life to fuel your writing habit The difference between aspirational identity and evidence-based identity One daily action that builds your author foundation Keep the words rolling and the adventures unfolding, Bonnie Jean Next Steps: Escape into the Land of Zandador (the books I write under my pen name of Author D.K. Drake): Purchase one or all of the Dragon Stalker Bloodline Saga books on Amazon. 📢 Subscribe & Review: If this episode gave you a wake-up call, share it with a fellow writer and drop a review! Your feedback keeps this show alive and thriving.

    6 min

  8. 08/05/2025

    What a Charging Deer Taught Me About Character Transformation | 209

    Ever had a character do something totally out of character—and it felt fake? In today’s episode, a charging deer disrupts my dog walking expedition and reveals a storytelling truth: Great character moments come from internal programming breaks. When your character’s default behavior no longer serves them—and they know it—that’s when real transformation begins. 🎯 You’ll learn: Why plot twists rooted in internal change hit harder than shock value How to identify your character’s default operating system The key question that reveals when their “programming” breaks 🎧 Whether your character is a people-pleaser, perfectionist, coward, or control freak, this episode will help you discover the moment they stop being who they’ve always been and become someone new. Keep the words rolling and the adventures unfolding, Bonnie Jean Next Steps: Escape into the Land of Zandador (the books I write under my pen name of Author D.K. Drake): Purchase one or all of the Dragon Stalker Bloodline Saga books on Amazon. 📢 Subscribe & Review: If this episode gave you a wake-up call, share it with a fellow writer and drop a review! Your feedback keeps this show alive and thriving.

    4 min
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About

There’s a book inside you. A message that won’t leave you alone. But between fear, responsibility, doubt — and now the rise of AI — you keep starting… and stopping. Welcome to The Adventurous Author Podcast. I’m Bonnie Jean Schaefer — fantasy author D.K. Drake — and I’ve published four novels while working a full-time job. I didn’t quit my life to write. I built systems that made finishing possible inside it. Now I help stuck Christian writers do the same. This podcast is discipleship through storytelling. We follow a simple framework: Start with WHO. Anchor your identity in Christ so fear loses leverage — especially in an AI age where identity matters more than ever. Live Your Story. Build sustainable 15-minute systems that fit your real life. Win Your Race. Finish what God called you to start — and become the kind of person who keeps finishing. Every season rotates through identity, systems, and storytelling mastery in a structured spiral of growth. If you’ve been hiding, doubting, or wondering where you fit in this new creative world — you’re not alone. Let’s adventurize your life and rise from stuck...together.

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