
The Adventurous Author | How to Write a Book, Character Development, Write with Consistency, Creative Writing,Story Structure
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.
Latest episodes

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.

May 18, 2025 • 6min
Train Your Brain to Find Patterns (And Write Better Stories) | 171
🧩 Feel like your writing life is a jumbled mess of scattered ideas?
Good. That means you’re standing at the edge of a superpower most writers never develop—meta-pattern recognition.
In today’s episode of The Adventurous Author Podcast, we dive into:
✔️ Why daily writing trains your brain to detect hidden structure
✔️ How science links creative genius to associative fluency
✔️ What Jesus’ parables reveal about the writer’s role in society
✔️ A brain-expanding writing challenge that builds narrative clarity and cognitive insight
This episode will show you how to turn chaos into clarity, randomness into revelation, and scattered stories into powerful, pattern-driven insight.
🎧 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.

May 17, 2025 • 6min
Why Daily Writing Turns You Into a Story-Detecting Machine | 170
Ever write something in fiction—only to watch it show up in real life?
That’s not coincidence. It’s confirmation that your brain is tuning in to narrative patterns hiding in plain sight.
In today’s episode of The Adventurous Author, we explore:
✔️ Why daily fiction writing sharpens your pattern recognition
✔️ How storytelling trains your brain to notice divine threads in real life
✔️ The science behind your “story radar” and how to use it
✔️ A writing challenge to help you track meaning through fictional patterns
🎧 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.

May 16, 2025 • 6min
Daily Fiction Writing: Plot Twists Begin With the Right Questions | 169
Think great stories come from having all the answers? Think again.
In today’s episode of The Adventurous Author, we explore why the best fiction writers aren’t just storytellers—they’re master question-askers. The more you write, the sharper your creative questions become—and those questions unlock the kind of plots, characters, and insights that transform both you and your reader.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
✔️ Why questions—not answers—drive unforgettable stories
✔️ The neuroscience of how daily writing strengthens your question-asking brain
✔️ How Jesus used questions to stir transformation (and how you can too)
✔️ A fiction challenge that forces you to write with tension, curiosity, and depth
🎧 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.

5 snips
May 15, 2025 • 6min
How Daily Fiction Writing Extracts Wisdom From Your Soul | 168
Dive into the transformative power of daily fiction writing. Discover how characters can become insightful mirrors and mentors, revealing truths you never knew existed. Explore the neuroscience behind story-driven learning that taps into your deeper intuition. This engaging discussion encourages writers to embrace unexpected lessons from their own characters, making storytelling a journey of personal growth and wisdom.

May 14, 2025 • 6min
Write Daily to Stay Present | 167
Feeling distracted, scattered, or stuck in your head?
Daily writing is more than a creative routine—it’s a powerful attention anchor that pulls you back into the present moment.
In this episode of The Adventurous Author, we explore:
✔️ Why writing grounds you in the now (and what brain science says about it)
✔️ The sensory boost that comes from daily creative practice
✔️ How writing becomes a spiritual discipline of stillness and awareness
✔️ A practical challenge to help you slow down, look around, and write what’s real
🎧 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.