

The Adventurous Author | How to Write a Book, Character Development, Write with Consistency, Creative Writing,Story Structure
Bonnie Jean Schaefer | Author & Coach, Founder of the League of Adventurous Authors
Hey, Time-Strapped Author!
Wanna write great fiction?
BUT writing is hard because you…
- Have NO TIME because you work a full-time job or go to school full-time
- Doubt your writing ability
- Are unsure how to write the kind of captivating stories you love to read.
Then welcome to The Adventurous Author, the podcast for underdog authors on a mission to achieve legendary feats in the publishing world but have to overcome impossible obstacles, limited time, and paralyzing inner skepticism along the way.
Through these episodes, you will…
- Gain confidence in your author identity.
- Master the process and structure needed to write captivating stories EVEN WITH limited writing time.
- Learn to use AI effectively and ethically to constantly improve your writing skills and story quality.
I’m your host Bonnie Jean Schaefer.
Under my pen name of fantasy author D.K. Drake, I write action-packed, wholesome adventures without the snooze-worthy fluff.
But as your personal writing coach, I’m here to unlock YOUR narrative prowess, guide you in crafting spellbinding tales, and navigate the wild world of writing with AI.
Adventure awaits, so ignite your imagination, latch on to that dragon swooping overhead, and let the storytelling quest begin. It’s time to play in our own fabulous fantasy worlds.
Wanna write great fiction?
BUT writing is hard because you…
- Have NO TIME because you work a full-time job or go to school full-time
- Doubt your writing ability
- Are unsure how to write the kind of captivating stories you love to read.
Then welcome to The Adventurous Author, the podcast for underdog authors on a mission to achieve legendary feats in the publishing world but have to overcome impossible obstacles, limited time, and paralyzing inner skepticism along the way.
Through these episodes, you will…
- Gain confidence in your author identity.
- Master the process and structure needed to write captivating stories EVEN WITH limited writing time.
- Learn to use AI effectively and ethically to constantly improve your writing skills and story quality.
I’m your host Bonnie Jean Schaefer.
Under my pen name of fantasy author D.K. Drake, I write action-packed, wholesome adventures without the snooze-worthy fluff.
But as your personal writing coach, I’m here to unlock YOUR narrative prowess, guide you in crafting spellbinding tales, and navigate the wild world of writing with AI.
Adventure awaits, so ignite your imagination, latch on to that dragon swooping overhead, and let the storytelling quest begin. It’s time to play in our own fabulous fantasy worlds.
Episodes
Mentioned books

11 snips
Aug 19, 2025 • 6min
How to Build a Writing System When Your Life is a Jigsaw Puzzle | 211
Life is like a jigsaw puzzle, and so is writing! Professional authors share how to craft a flexible system that fits into busy lives, rather than rigid routines that crumble under pressure. By protecting your writing time and identifying essential 'corner pieces,' consistency becomes achievable. You’ll learn the importance of adjusting for daily, weekly, and seasonal challenges, and discover how a small, dedicated writing block can shift your identity from aspiring to professional. Embrace the adventure of writing amidst life's chaos!

Aug 12, 2025 • 6min
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.

Aug 5, 2025 • 4min
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.

Jul 29, 2025 • 5min
Why You’re Already a Professional Author (Even If You Haven’t Sold a Book Yet) | 208
What if you’ve been waiting on the wrong milestone to claim the right identity?
You don’t need a book deal, an audience, or a spot on the bestseller list to call yourself a professional author. What you do need? Daily discipline. Conviction. Integrity. And the guts to show up...especially when no one’s watching.
In today’s episode of The Adventurous Author Podcast, we expose:
✔️ Why bestselling is a status you can buy, but professional is a title you must become
✔️ The 7 traits that define true professionalism in your writing life
✔️ How to adventurize the grind so you stay joyful, creative, and wildly consistent
✔️ Why adopting the right identity is more powerful than chasing external validation
Keep the words rolling and the adventures unfolding,
Bonnie Jean
Next Steps:
📩 Ready to go pro with a little guidance?
Email dk@authordkrake.com with Pro Author in the subject line. Let’s build a writing life that’s both fun and founded on your convictions.
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.

Jul 22, 2025 • 5min
Why Hero + Goal + Obstacle = Heartbeat of Every Story | 207
Want to know the secret storytelling formula that powers every great book, movie, and personal story you’ve ever loved?
Then listen in because we’re breaking down how to use Hero + Goal + Obstacle to create stories that feel meaningful, emotionally resonant, and easier to write—even when you’re short on time.
🎧 In this episode, you’ll discover:
✔️ Why your brain craves clarity in stories (and life)
✔️ The difference between external and internal goals
✔️ How to create real conflict that fuels transformation
✔️ The 3 clarity questions to test every story idea—fast
✔️ Why this mindset shift makes writing feel inevitable, not optional.
Listen now.
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.

Jul 15, 2025 • 8min
Why Grok 4 (or Any AI Advancement) Makes Your Human Creative Identity More Valuable Than Ever | 206
Grok 4 dropped last week with powers that would have fried our brains twelve months ago: PhD reasoning, quarter-million-token memory, live web claws—the works.
Cue the collective panic: “Will anybody even need human writers now?”
Hard stop.
The truth is the exact opposite: The sharper AI becomes, the more priceless a human creative identity is—if you know how to wield it.
In this episode you’ll discover ⬇️
The Creative Identity Principle—why every new AI upgrade multiplies whatever you bring to the table (mediocrity or genius).
The three core elements of an un-stealable creative identity (convictions, character, mission) and how they steer any collaboration.
A simple 3-question pre-prompt ritual that prevents “AI bland-wash” and keeps your voice unmistakable.
Real-world “wrong vs. right” examples so you never hand the steering wheel to the robot.
A future-proof mindset that turns every AI release into rocket fuel for your calling.
Listen now.
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.

Jul 8, 2025 • 4min
Know Your Genre’s Tropes — Then Twist Them | 205
You wouldn’t sprint through an airport without paying attention to the signs. So why write a story without knowing your genre’s rules?
In today’s episode, we’re unpacking:
✔️ Why genre tropes aren’t creative handcuffs—they’re your storytelling GPS
✔️ The secret to delivering what readers crave without sounding cliché
✔️ How to twist tropes strategically (instead of confusing your reader)
✔️ A 15-minute challenge that helps you master your genre starting today
🎯 Whether you write romance, fantasy, thrillers—or mix them—genre tropes are your map to reader trust, story clarity, and creative confidence.
🎧 Listen now.
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.

Jul 1, 2025 • 37min
The Character Development Conversation Every Writer Needs to Hear with Stage Actress Megan Smith | 204
Ever wonder how actors bring characters to life with such depth and emotion?
In this behind-the-scenes conversation, we dive into the character work of Megan, a gifted actress who played Maria in The Sound of Music. You’ll see exactly how she took lines off a script and turned them into a fully embodied human being—and what fiction writers can learn from that transformation process.
Inside this episode:
✔️ What theater taught her about building believable backstory
✔️ Why understanding your entire cast matters when shaping your main character
✔️ How rehearsals mirror the writing-and-revision process
✔️ Why letting your characters “play” in different scenes leads to stronger stories
✔️ The surprising ways secondary characters shape the protagonist’s arc.
🎧 Listen now.
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 you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow writer and drop a review! Your feedback keeps this show alive and thriving.

Jun 24, 2025 • 4min
Write Like You're Catching a Train: The Power of Deadlines | 203
Ever notice how fast you can move when you're about to miss a train? What if you brought that same urgency to your writing?
In today’s episode of The Adventurous Author:
✔️ Why fake deadlines create real creative results
✔️ How time pressure activates your inner pro
✔️ A timed writing challenge that forces focus and execution
🎧 Listen now.
Keep the words rolling and the adventures unfolding,
Bonnie Jean
Next Steps:
🔥 Adventurous Enough for a 101-Day Mega Challenge?
START TODAY at LeagueOfAdventurousAuthors.com. No cost. Except relentless commitment.
Because the difference between ‘wanting to write’ and ‘being a writer’ is simple… you write.
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.

Jun 18, 2025 • 5min
How Finishing What You Start Changes Everything | 202
I crossed the Day 101 finish line—but the real transformation begins here.
In today’s final integration episode of The Adventurous Author, we go deep into:
✔️ The internal rupture that writing daily begins to heal
✔️ The difference between chasing goals and pursuing mastery
✔️ Why Proverbs 10:9 holds the key to long-term creative peace
✔️ The practical next step: crafting your personal Finisher Code
🎧 Listen now.
Keep the words rolling and the adventures unfolding,
Bonnie Jean
Next Steps:
🔥 Adventurous Enough for a 101-Day Mega Challenge?
START TODAY at LeagueOfAdventurousAuthors.com. No cost. Except relentless commitment.
Because the difference between ‘wanting to write’ and ‘being a writer’ is simple… you write.
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.