

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

May 28, 2025 • 8min
How Daily Writing Unleashes Your God-Given Creativity | 181
You weren’t just born with creativity—you were entrusted with a storytelling legacy God intends for you to steward.
In today’s episode of The Adventurous Author, we go deep into:
✔️ Why storytelling is a sacred tradition—woven into both Scripture and your brain’s design
✔️ How modern distraction dulls your storytelling gift, and how to sharpen it again
✔️ What science and 1 Timothy 4:14 say about your responsibility to develop your creative ability
✔️ How daily writing renews your mind and reclaims spiritual vision
✔️ A 30-minute writing expedition that places you in a cave of ancient stories—and dares you to write one of your own
🎯 Your Challenge:
Step into the storyteller’s cave. Discover a new parable waiting to be told. Write it. Share it. And vow to continue the work generations before you began.
🎧 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.

6 snips
May 27, 2025 • 7min
The Invisible Cost of Skipping Your Writing Practice Today | 180
Ever skipped a writing day? Discover how this act can betray your future self, leaving them feeling abandoned. Explore the neuroscience of commitment and why every writing session is a promise to your evolving identity as a writer. Learn how each practice session acts as a signal of loyalty and frames your journey as an act of seed-sowing. Finally, take on a challenge to rebuild the trust you've lost with yourself. Dive into this thought-provoking discussion that urges you to cultivate your writer's life.

8 snips
May 26, 2025 • 6min
How Daily Writing Physically Reinforces Your Professional Author Identity | 179
Discover how daily writing can transform your self-identity as a writer. Delve into the neuroscience behind your creative brain and learn why consistent practice rewires your identity center. Find out how missing writing sessions can hinder your growth and gain strategies to combat this challenge. Plus, explore a powerful 300-word exercise designed to supercharge your creative journey. Embrace your calling as a writer and unlock your potential through action!

7 snips
May 25, 2025 • 5min
How to Rewire Your Brain So Writing Feels Necessary for Survival | 178
Discover the power of writing as a survival tool, transforming it from a mere hobby into a vital necessity. Dive into the neuroscience behind habits and identity, and how they influence your writing journey. Hear an inspiring personal story about a marathon that reshaped self-identity and parallels it with the writing process. Don't miss the wild one-day writing challenge that thrusts you into a scenario where storytelling becomes your lifeline. Unleash your creativity and embrace the writer within!

May 24, 2025 • 8min
The Secret Advantage of a Daily Writing Practice | 177
What if daily writing didn’t just improve your craft… but rewired how you think?
In this episode of The Adventurous Author, we explore the cognitive transformation that happens when you write every single day. It’s called Divergent Cognition Installation—and after about 60 days of consistent writing, your brain literally becomes something rare: a story-driven pattern machine built for connection, perception, and creative synthesis.
Inside this episode:
✔️ Why daily writing activates rare neural pathways across your brain
✔️ How the Default Mode, Executive Control, and Salience Networks start working in harmony
✔️ Why consistent creation makes you see symbolic meaning others overlook
✔️ What scripture, neuroscience, and creative practice reveal about thinking like a prophet
✔️ A three-phase brain workout called The Neural Rewiring Expedition to accelerate the shift
🎧 Listen now →
🚀 The world doesn’t just need storytellers. It needs minds that can see what others miss.
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.

7 snips
May 23, 2025 • 8min
How Daily Writing Activates Your Authentic Voice | 176
Unlock your authentic writing voice through the power of daily practice! Discover the brain science that reveals how consistency helps you move beyond self-censorship. Learn about the transformative effects that emerge after 66 days of writing and the three-part Voice Liberation Expedition designed to unleash your true expression. Embrace the challenges of the writing journey, and understand why your powerful voice may feel strange before it becomes natural. Get ready to adventure into your writing!

May 22, 2025 • 9min
How I Finally Became a Professional Author (It Wasn’t the Published Novels) | 175
What does it take for your brain to stop seeing writing as something you do and start recognizing it as who you are?
In today’s episode of The Adventurous Author, we explore the identity tipping point. This is ****the neurological shift that happens when consistent writing transforms you from “someone who writes” into a professional author.
Inside this episode:
✔️ Why four published novels didn’t make me feel like a real writer
✔️ How a daily writing habit flipped a permanent identity switch
✔️ What Stanford and brain imaging research reveals about the neural reprogramming behind habit-based identity
✔️ The exact conditions that accelerate your tipping point
✔️ A step-by-step Identity Reinforcement Protocol to rewire your brain for authorship
🎧 Listen now.
🚀 Consistency doesn’t just create books. It creates the author.
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.

10 snips
May 21, 2025 • 7min
Why Writing Daily Keeps Your Brain Curious and Flexible | 174
Explore the science behind creativity and how daily writing can revive your storytelling instincts. Discover why many adults lose their creative edge and how consistent writing fosters flexibility and curiosity. Learn what legends like da Vinci and Maya Angelou knew about staying open to wonder. Uncover a writing challenge designed to refresh your perspective, allowing you to see the world like a curious adventurer. Embrace the idea that wonder is the stepping stone to mastery.

6 snips
May 20, 2025 • 6min
Why Daily Writers Get Better Ideas (Even When They’re Not Writing) | 173
Ever had your best ideas while doing chores or daydreaming? This discussion dives into the Default Mode Network, revealing how it sparks creativity during downtime. Daily writing isn't just about the words on the page; it fuels your brain's hidden problem-solving abilities. The conversation also touches on a biblical pattern that connects withdrawal and breakthroughs, and presents a science-based writing challenge to activate your creative instincts. Discover how embracing routine can unlock your inner writer!

May 19, 2025 • 5min
Want to Be an Author Who Understands People? Write Characters Daily | 172
Think writing fiction is just about storytelling? Think again.
In today’s episode of The Adventurous Author, we reveal how daily character creation actually transforms your real-life relationships—training your brain to understand people on a level most never reach.
Inside this episode:
✔️ The neuroscience behind how writing fiction expands emotional insight
✔️ Why character creation activates real-world empathy and perspective-taking
✔️ How Jesus modeled the ability to “see the story beneath the behavior”
✔️ A powerful 5-minute writing challenge that will sharpen both your writing and your relational clarity
If you want to become the kind of author who doesn’t just write great characters—but becomes someone others trust, follow, and confide in—this episode is for you.
🎧 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.