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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.
Episodes
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
As Christian authors, you and I have the awesome privilege of writing fantastic stories told from a godly perspective. And what’s the basis of that perspective? The Bible.
The Bible should establish the foundation and framework for our lives and our stories. The Bible should be our ultimate source for absolute truth in the midst of a world that doesn’t want to believe such a thing as absolute truth exists.
But why should we believe the Bible? How do we know the Bible is true?
To answer those questions, I’ve brought on a special guest (my dad, Harry Schaefer!) to teach you and me why we can and should believe the Bible. This episode thus marks the start of a three-day, five episode Why believe the Bible? event.
This podcast series is by no means a comprehensive study of the topic as there are countless ways to defend our faith and the veracity of the Bible. This series is designed to teach you some practical, logical ways and reasons to believe the Bible is true.
Your friend,
DK
Next Steps:
Listen to the entire series:
- Ep 66: How Can You as a Christian Author Know the Bible is True?
- Ep 67: These 2 Prophecies Prove the Bible is True
- Ep 68: 3 Evidence-Based Reasons to Believe the Bible is True
- Ep 69: 1 Unlikely Source Outside the Bible that Helps Prove the Bible is True
- Ep 70: 2 Recent Discoveries that Verify the Bible is True
Connect: dk@authordkdrake.com
Questions about today's episode? Email me!
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Super Simple Overview of the Publishing Process for Self-Published Authors
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“I love DK and Published Before College.” If that sounds like something you’d say, please rate and review my show. Your rating and review helps the show get found by other authors with big writing dreams. It’ll take a quick 30 seconds to scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then share what you enjoyed most about this episode.
And if you haven’t already done so, follow the podcast. That way you’ll never miss an episode and will be better prepared to write and publish your novel. Follow now!
Friday Jul 14, 2023
Friday Jul 14, 2023
It's Fantasy Fiction Friday! Today I'll be reading chapter 31 of The Dragon Collector. Enjoy your trip to the Land of Zandador.
Your friend,
DK
Next Steps:
Snag your freebies:
Super Simple Overview of the Publishing Process for Self-Published Authors
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
“I love DK and Published Before College.” If that sounds like something you’d say, please rate and review my show. Your rating and review helps the show get found by other authors with big writing dreams. It’ll take a quick 30 seconds to scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then share what you enjoyed most about this episode.
And if you haven’t already done so, follow the podcast. That way you’ll never miss an episode and will be better prepared to write and publish your novel. Follow now!
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
You've done the hard work. You've gotten your novella's foundation written, and now it's time to write that first draft. If you want to write that draft fast and get it done in six weeks or less, listen in to learn three things you should do and four things you shouldn't do.
Signature Links
Your friend,
DK
Connect: dk@authordkdrake.com
Next Steps:
Snag your freebie:
Super Simple Overview of the Publishing Process for Self-Published Authors
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
“I love DK and Published Before College.” If that sounds like something you’d say, please rate and review my show. Your rating and review helps the show get found by other authors with big writing dreams. It’ll take a quick 30 seconds to scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then share what you enjoyed most about this episode.
And if you haven’t already done so, follow the podcast. That way you’ll never miss an episode and will be better prepared to write and publish your novel. Follow now!
Friday Jul 07, 2023
Friday Jul 07, 2023
It's Fantasy Fiction Friday! Today I'll be reading chapter 30 of The Dragon Collector. Enjoy your trip to the Land of Zandador.
Your friend,
DK
Next Steps:
Snag your freebies:
Super Simple Overview of the Publishing Process for Self-Published Authors
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
“I love DK and Published Before College.” If that sounds like something you’d say, please rate and review my show. Your rating and review helps the show get found by other authors with big writing dreams. It’ll take a quick 30 seconds to scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then share what you enjoyed most about this episode.
And if you haven’t already done so, follow the podcast. That way you’ll never miss an episode and will be better prepared to write and publish your novel. Follow now!
Friday Jun 30, 2023
Friday Jun 30, 2023
Have you ever been slapped by a tree? I have. But it’s usually because someone in front of me on a hike in the woods moved a branch out of the way only to have it snap back and slap me.
So annoying when that happens.
That was the start of the inspiration for the action that happens in the chapter from The Dragon Collector that I’ll read for you today. I took that inspiration a few steps further when I developed the idea of crooked trees and tree tremors that Javan learns about in this part of the story.
This was a fun chapter to write. I hope it’s a fun one for you to listen to. Let’s get to the Land of Zandador!
Your friend,
DK
Next Steps:
Snag your freebies:
Super Simple Overview of the Publishing Process for Self-Published Authors
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
“I love DK and Published Before College.” If that sounds like something you’d say, please rate and review my show. Your rating and review helps the show get found by other authors with big writing dreams. It’ll take a quick 30 seconds to scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then share what you enjoyed most about this episode.
And if you haven’t already done so, follow the podcast. That way you’ll never miss an episode and will be better prepared to write and publish your novel. Follow now!
Wednesday Jun 28, 2023
Wednesday Jun 28, 2023
When I decided I wanted to be a writer, I realized I needed some training. Since I learn best by reading, I did what made sense and what was within my budget to get that training. I bought a book.
But it wasn’t a book about novel writing. Frankly, I didn’t think I had the patience to write a novel. I wanted to be able to write a manuscript fast that focused on the action without getting bogged down with describing details. In other words, I initially wanted to be a screenwriter. I figured that since I imagined my stories as movies anyway, I should learn how to write scripts for movies.
I thus began studying screenwriting. I picked up a habit in studying screenwriting that has served me well with novel writing. I’ll explain what I mean and why I pivoted to novel writing in today’s episode. Let’s get to it!
Your friend,
DK
Next Steps:
Snag your freebie:
The Essential Publication Checklist for Teen Authors
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“I love DK and Published Before College.” If that sounds like something you’d say, please rate and review my show. Your rating and review helps the show get found by other authors with big writing dreams. It’ll take a quick 30 seconds to scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then share what you enjoyed most about this episode.
And if you haven’t already done so, follow the podcast. That way you’ll never miss an episode and will be better prepared to write and publish your novel. Follow now!
Friday Jun 23, 2023
Friday Jun 23, 2023
It’s Fantasy Fiction Friday! After about a four month pause, it’s time to resume the reading of The Dragon Collector.
Today I’ll be sharing chapter 28, Mertzer.
In this chapter, you’ll get to witness a Dragon Stalker at work hunting his prey. You’ll also be introduced to new animals like raxens and gorzelles. I totally made these creatures up, and I can’t wait to share them with you.
It’s time to enter the Land of Zandador!
Your friend,
DK
Next Steps:
Snag your freebies:
Super Simple Overview of the Publishing Process for Self-Published Authors
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
“I love DK and Published Before College.” If that sounds like something you’d say, please rate and review my show. Your rating and review helps the show get found by other authors with big writing dreams. It’ll take a quick 30 seconds to scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then share what you enjoyed most about this episode.
And if you haven’t already done so, follow the podcast. That way you’ll never miss an episode and will be better prepared to write and publish your novel. Follow now!
Thursday Jun 22, 2023
Thursday Jun 22, 2023
Today we’re continuing the Write a Novella in 18 Weeks series. Here in week 5, the challenge is to write a full outline in 15 steps.
In the past, I would write this step outline by jotting down the action steps in scene one, then the action steps in scene two, then the action steps in scene three. I thus ended up with a lot of steps after this outline.
But I’ve recently finished reading Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. In it, she shares the Save the Cat! Beat Sheet, which she also refers to as your structure cheat sheet. I like structure. I like experimenting with ways to improve my storytelling skills. And I like that it’s divided into the standard three acts, and subdivided into 15 sub-steps from there.
So I gave it a go and outlined my story according to her beat sheet. I enjoyed the process, and it took me less than three hours to complete. I also found that thinking through my outline in this way enriched my story, so thank you Jessica Brody for writing this book. If you haven’t read this book, I recommend it. I don’t know Jessica and am not getting any kind of kickback for promoting her book. I just think you’d benefit from reading it.
In the meantime, I want to share her outlining process so you can make sure your story has the structure it needs to keep your readers turning pages. Let’s get to it!
Your friend,
DK
Connect: dk@authordkdrake.com
Check out the related blog post.
Next Steps:
Snag your freebie:
Super Simple Overview of the Publishing Process for Self-Published Authors
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
“I love DK and Published Before College.” If that sounds like something you’d say, please rate and review my show. Your rating and review helps the show get found by other authors with big writing dreams. It’ll take a quick 30 seconds to scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then share what you enjoyed most about this episode.
And if you haven’t already done so, follow the podcast. That way you’ll never miss an episode and will be better prepared to write and publish your novel. Follow now!