Authordkdrake - Podcast Details

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The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast How to Build a Writing System When Your Life is a Jigsaw Puzzle | 211Your 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 pie...

2025-08-1905 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 091 || Fantasy Fiction Friday: Chapter 40 of The Dragon Collector, a YA FantasyIt’s the final Fantasy Fiction Friday of 2023. I’ve got chapter 40 of the Dragon Collector cued up for you today. In this chapter, Javan finally comes face to face with his greatest foe, King Omri. Throw in a few evil dragons, one of whom is about to eat his mother, and he finds himself in a world of trouble. How is he going to handle these challenges? Tune in to find out. Your friend, DK Next Steps: APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE LEAGUE OF ADVEN...

2023-12-2909 min

Money and Mental Peace - Scholarship, Dave Ramsey Baby Steps, Scholarships for College, Scholarships for High School Seniors, Student Loan Forgiveness 280 - This New Year’s Resolution Has Me on Track to Become a Millionaire! Only Takes 20 Mins a WeekEpisode link → This New Year’s Resolution Has Me on Track to Become a Millionaire! Only Takes 20 Mins a Week (: Real talk here: Do you want to feel stabilized with money? That's usually a New Year's resolution of many people. Do you have enough money for college? Is it too far fetched to think you could eventually become a millionaire? Well, I started doing this one thing back in high school, and now in my late 20s, this one resolution has me on track to become a millionaire. Legit, no joke. Thanks...

2023-12-2802 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 090 || RECEIVE God’s Goodness this ChristmasMerry Christmas! Today I'm sharing the short program I wrote and performed in with the kids at my church entitled Receive. Enjoy! Your friend, D.K. Next Steps: Connect: The best way to get in touch with me is to shoot an email to dk@authordkdrake.com. APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE LEAGUE OF ADVENTUROUS AUTHORS: I have opened up the League of Adventurous Authors to new members. We meet live on Zoom each Monday and Friday to share goals, wins, an...

2023-12-2505 min

No-Problem Parenting EP 174 Five Things You Can Do to Help Your Child Write and Publish a Book with Special Guest Author D.K. DrakeWelcome Back No-Problem Parents! Welcome to another exciting episode of our podcast! In today's episode, we will be focusing on a topic that many parents are eager to learn more about helping their child write. Meet D.K. Drake the author of the Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga and host of the Published Before College podcast. Her mission as a fantasy author is to bring you entertaining, engaging, wholesome adventures too packed with action to leave room for eye-rolling sappiness or mind-numbing fluff. Her mission as a Writing Coach is to teach teens to o...

2023-09-1428 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 076 // 3 Tips for Book Marketing Success with #1 Internationally Bestselling Author Lynda Sunshine WestIf you’re worried that you won’t have a clue how to market your book once it’s finished and published, this episode is for you. I’m interviewing Lynda Sunshine West, and she shares three effective ways to market your book that don’t cost any money. Not only has she written and published her own #1 internationally bestselling books, she has also launched 25 #1 internationally bestselling books through her publishing company, Action Takers Publishing. In other words, she knows a thing or two about marketing books. And even though she doesn’t specialize in fiction, the same marketi...

2023-09-0717 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 075 // How to Use AI as an Author to Conquer the Blank PageEver wonder how AI works and if you should use it to help with your writing? Then listen in to today's episode. In it, you'll hear a snipped of last week's live writing workshop where the League of Adventurous Authors combined ideas to feed chatGPT. The results of the experiment shocked us all. Enjoy! Your friend, D.K. Want to join the League of Adventurous Authors? Email dk@authordkdrake.com. Put "Adventurous Author" in the subject line and tell me one fun fact about you in the body of the email...

2023-09-0113 min

Simplifying Mom Life | Christian Homeschool Mom, Overwhelmed Motherhood, Calm Routines & Faith-Based Parenting 187 // How to Cultivate A Young Author: Empowering Creative Writing in a Charlotte Mason Homeschool with Bonnie SchaeferHave you ever wondered how you can inspire your children to explore the magical world of writing and storytelling?Do you dream of nurturing their creativity and helping them build effective writing habits for a lifetime of expression?In this episode, we have a special guest, Bonnie Jean Schafer, an author and Christian writing coach, who will share invaluable advice on how parents and teachers can help kids write books and pursue their passion for writing. As we dive into the conversation, you'll discover practical tips to create a safe and encouraging space for your...

2023-08-0936 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 071 // Fantasy Fiction Friday: Chapter 32 of The Dragon Collector, a YA Fantasy NovelOn today's Fantasy Friday episode featuring chapter 32 of The Dragon Collector, Javan encounters a BIG problem. Tune in to find out how he responds. Your friend, DK Next Steps: Sign up here for the Writing Workshop on August 23! Connect: dk@authordkdrake.com 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...

2023-08-0507 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 070 // 2 Recent Discoveries that Verify the Bible is True (Why Believe the Bible series, part 5)Hello, hello! As a Christian author, it’s important to know how to write well. It’s far more important, however, to have a strong faith foundation. The more you know about God, the more you learn about you. And people. Such knowledge allows you to write rich characters that connect with readers. The foundation of our faith is the Word of God. So we better believe the Word is true. How can we believe that, though? Should we blindly believe the Bible is true because it claims to be the inspired word of God? Does G...

2023-07-2814 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 069 // 1 Unlikely Source Outside the Bible that Helps Prove the Bible is True (Why Believe the Bible series, part 4)Welcome to the fourth episode in the Why Believe the Bible series taught by my awesome dad Harry Schaefer. The underlying premise of the series is that we can verify the truth of the Bible by looking to outside sources such as the historical record to see if what’s in the historical record aligns with scripture. And we find that it does. In episodes 66, 67, and 68, we looked at ways prophetic prophecies and archeological findings prove the Bible is true. Today, we’ll look into an interesting outside source by exploring the realm of medicine and find out...

2023-07-2813 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 068 // 3 Evidence-Based Reasons to Believe the Bible is True (Why Believe the Bible series, part 3)Hey, Christian Author! Get ready to enjoy the third episode of the three-day, five-episode Why Believe the Bible event hosted by my dad, Harry Schaefer. In episode 66, we learned that one way to confirm the truth of any book, including the Bible, is to compare it to outside sources. We take what’s written, compare it to known facts, and see if it matches. If it lines up, it’s true. The Bible lines up with known facts, so it can be trusted as a source of truth. And two, we can use pred...

2023-07-2612 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 067 // These 2 Prophecies Prove the Bible is True (Why Believe the Bible series, part 2)As a Christian author, have you ever wondered why you should believe the Bible? Or how you can know the Bible is true because you have proof as opposed to blind faith? Welcome to the second episode of the three-day, five-episode Why Believe the Bible event hosted by my dad, Harry Schaefer. In episode 66, we learned that one way to confirm the truth of any book, including the Bible, is to compare it to outside sources. We take what’s written, compare it to known facts, and see if it matches. If it lines up, it...

2023-07-2517 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 066 // How Can You as a Christian Author Know the Bible is True? (Why Believe the Bible series, part 1)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 brough...

2023-07-2522 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 064 // 7 Tips for Writing a Fast First Draft (Write a Novella series, weeks 7-12)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 lov...

2023-07-1108 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 059 // The 15 Steps of a Captivating Plot Outline (Write a Novella Series, week 5)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 re...

2023-06-2211 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 056 // Want a Super Simple Overview of the Self-Publishing Process?I've got a super short episode today to highlight the super simple overview of the publishing process. If you've ever wondered what it takes to get your book published, you can secure your super simple overview of the publishing process here. Connect with me: dk@authordkdrake.com.

2023-06-0103 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 055 // Follow This 5-Step System for Publishing SuccessTo succeed as an author, you do need to build the character muscles of diligence and discipline so that you sit and write at specific, consistent times each week. How do you do that? What do you work on during these weekly writing practices? Who will keep you accountable? You start by following a five step process that we’ll explore in today’s episode. You break each step of that process into actionable tasks. And you ask a friend or family member to keep you accountable. If you want me to keep you accountable and on tr...

2023-05-2410 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 054 // Could This One Habit Help You Reach Your Writing Goals Faster?From one author to another, I have a theory. That theory is this: setting aside 30 minutes on Monday to debrief the week before and dream about the week ahead will help us reach our writing goals faster. But what do we review during the debrief? How do we set achievable targets with actionable tasks for the week ahead? How do we make sure what we work on each day and week takes us closer to our writing goals? Finding the answers to these questions is at the heart of the super secret project I’ve been...

2023-05-1709 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 049 // How NOT Writing Can Make You a Better WriterToday I don’t want to talk to you about writing or publishing. Don’t get me wrong. Those topics are still close to my heart and will continue to be core topics of the show. Just not today. Or next week. You see, while on my two-month sabbatical, a lot happened in this magnificent little life of mine. I went on an epic backpacking adventure, finished reading a book on writing that is changing my approach to novel writing and started revolutionizing the way I think, the way I pray and the way I get work done....

2023-04-2605 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 048 // 3 Reasons I’m Taking Break From Podcasting in MarchWhy do I want to take a break from producing this podcast in March? Listen in to find out. I'll be back on April 5. Until then, keep writing! Connect: dk@authordkdrake.com

2023-03-0203 min

Solo Travel Adventures: Safe Travel for Women, Preparing for a Trip, Overcoming Fear, Travel Tips Worried About Navigating Solo? Live Coaching with First Time Solo International TravelerHi Sister Travelers!Trying to plan your first solo international trip and feel overwhelmed with all the research? Do you have concerns about how to coordinate your travels physically and mentally?In today's episode, you will hear a live coaching session with a solo traveler who is backpacking in Chile but shared some concerns that we tackled in this coaching call.My guest is Bonnie Jean Schaefer, an author and writer who publishes fantasy fiction and hosts her own podcast called Published Before College under the pen name DK Drake. She helps young...

2023-02-2125 min

Money and Mental Peace - Scholarship, Dave Ramsey Baby Steps, Scholarships for College, Scholarships for High School Seniors, Student Loan Forgiveness 158 - How to Graduate College with $10,000 to SPARE! Learn About FREE COLLEGE Here...Hey friends! Did the title catch your eye? Wanna finish college with MONEY LEFT OVER? Maybe even $10,000 to spare? If you're new here, we talk about finding God's path for college and graduating loan and debt-free! If you're new here, I did an interview on a friend's pod (Published Before College, more info below), talking them through how they could run after their dreams without student loans hanging over their heads. I walk through how I graduated college debt-free with $10,000 left in my bank account! If you're interested in the previous episode, I interview her a...

2023-01-2716 min

Money and Mental Peace - Scholarship, Dave Ramsey Baby Steps, Scholarships for College, Scholarships for High School Seniors, Student Loan Forgiveness 157 - You Can Be a Published Author Before Graduating College, Even if You Declare a Major in Another Field!Hey guys! Is part of God's path for your college journey to be a published author? Did you know this can happen before graduating college, even if you declare a major in another field, like engineering or the medical field, etc. My guest has a podcast entitled "Published Before College," but the same tactics and strategies can apply to getting you to published-author-status before graduating college! She tells her story, provides some truths to combat your limiting beliefs, and teaches you to do it faster and more efficiently than she did! Let's get it!

2023-01-2548 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 040 // One Idea to Help You Be a More Productive AuthorHey, friend! Do you struggle to find time to write because you're busy doing all the things that come with being a responsible, well-balanced teen or young adult? I struggle to find time to write as an adult. In order to maintain my sanity and stay healthy, I also need to make time to study my Bible, workout, hang with the fam, and have fun. Oh, and record these episodes for you so you can learn how to be an awesome author. In other words, I need a time management or author productivity st...

2023-01-2405 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 038 // If Writing Was a Competitive Sport...Are you an athlete who also enjoys writing? I am. I played volleyball, basketball and softball in high school, softball in college, and now run races of varying distances to feed my competitive spirit. During a recent writing workshop I was leading, it occurred to me that many of the writers I’ve worked with also play sports. That’s when the “what if?” question got my creative brain churning. What if writing was a competitive sport? Would it make you a more productive author? Let your creative brain play with the answer to those que...

2023-01-1006 min

Money and Mental Peace - Scholarship, Dave Ramsey Baby Steps, Scholarships for College, Scholarships for High School Seniors, Student Loan Forgiveness 146 - This New Year’s Resolution Has Me on Track to Become a Millionaire! Only Takes 20 Mins a Week (:Real talk here: Do you want to feel stabilized with money? That's usually a New Year's resolution of many people. Do you have enough money for college? Well, I started doing this one thing back in high school, and I am in my late 20s, and this one resolution has me on track to become a millionaire. Legit, no joke. Thanks to Bonnie for having me on her podcast to discuss this topic! We're almost to 10,000 downloads on the podcast! Will you please share a favorite episode with a friend, and leave a review on A...

2022-12-3022 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 036 // Fantasy Fiction Friday: Author DK Drake Reads Chapter 23 of The Dragon Collector, a YA Fantasy NovelIt’s Fantasy Fiction Friday! And this isn’t just any Friday. It’s the eve of Christmas Eve and the Friday before Christmas. If you’re looking for a last minute gift of entertaining adventure for the avid reader in your life, I recommend the Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga. You can easily gift the ebooks to any Kindle via Amazon, and you can be sure the books will be delivered in time for Christmas. While you’re shopping, you can enjoy listening to chapter 23 of The Dragon Collector. In this chapter, Javan gets to test out some d...

2022-12-2309 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 035 // Graduate College Debt Free AND Have Money in the Bank with Guest Host Kara WalkerEngage with an Expert Thursday was so fun with Kara Walker last week that I split it up the interview into two shows and couldn’t wait until Thursday to share part II with you. So here we are on the Tuesday before Christmas with another dose of Kara Walker, host of the Money and Mental Peace podcast. Today she shares her story about how she graduated from college debt free with $10k in the bank…and how you can do the same. I find this topic of debt-free college intriguing, especially since I went to a privat...

2022-12-2013 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 034 // Fantasy Fiction Friday: Author DK Drake Reads Chapter 22 of The Dragon Collector, a YA Fantasy NovelIt’s Fantasy Fiction Friday! In today’s chapter of The Dragon Collector, Javan officially starts training to collect dragons. At the outset of the chapter, Javan’s grandfather Ravier is Javan’s sole mentor. And Ravier plans on being the only one to train Javan. But unbeknownst to both Ravier and Javan, Ravier’s wife and Javan’s grandmother Hannah has been on a mentor recruiting mission. She’s talked her father Hamilton into joining the fun and hunted down Astor, the oldest and wisest person in Zandador to help as well. Tune in to f...

2022-12-1709 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 033 // How Budgeting in High School Leads to Financial Freedom with Guest Host Kara WalkerIt’s Engage with an Expert Thursday! This the part of the show where I will bring on a guest expert to discuss a topic that is directly or indirectly related to your success as an author. Today we will be kicking off this fun new aspect of the show with Kara Walker, host of the Money and Mental Peace podcast. She is here today to talk about the importance of budgeting your money and how to get started with budgeting even if you’re still in high school. She’ll be with us again next we...

2022-12-1515 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 031 // Are You a Young Author Struggling with Doubts About Being Good Enough?So you want to write a book. But you’re young. Maybe you haven’t graduated high school yet. Or middle school. Your heart tells you to go for it, but your mind has some doubts. Am I good enough to be an author? Is my idea good enough to write about? Am I capable of writing a good enough story? Will my story ever be good enough to let anyone read? How will I know if my novel is good enough to publish? Those are jus...

2022-12-0606 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 029 // Is Self-Publishing Cheating? Three Reasons Why I Chose to Ditch the Traditional Route and Self-Publish InsteadWhen I decided to be an author in 1999, I thought people who self-published did so because they were B-level authors who couldn’t get a contract with a “real” publisher. To me, it seemed like cheating your way into publication. I also thought that getting a book deal from an established or traditional publisher was a privilege meant for an elite few who wrote well enough to be recognized by “them,” the powerful publishers in New York. I wanted to be one of those elite few. I wanted to top the New York Times bestseller list, see my books turn...

2022-11-2206 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 026 // Day 21 of the 21 Days of Storytelling Featuring The Dragon Collector, a YA Fantasy Novel: Chapter 18And here we are on Day 21 of the 21 Days of Storytelling featuring The Dragon Collector, book one of the Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga. The story snippet of the day is chapter 18, The First Dragon Collector. Now I’m gonna warn you: this is not a chapter filled with action and adventure. I almost didn’t include this and the next few chapters because I just wanted to get on with the action, but the practical me realized that Javan needed to know the geography of the land and background info of his heritage. Coul...

2022-11-1013 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 021 // Day 16 of the 21 Days of Storytelling Featuring The Dragon Collector, a YA Fantasy Novel: Chapter 13It’s Day 16 of the 21 Days of Storytelling featuring The Dragon Collector, book one of the Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga. The story snippet of the day is chapter thirteen entitled Return to Obscurity. Today’s Insider Tip from Author DK Drake explains how she dreamed up ways to describe the landscape and insects of Zandador. And if you haven’t yet secured your free digital copy of The Dragon Collector, be sure to visit authordkdrake.com/insiders to snag it as part of the DK Drake starter library. It’s getting removed from the libr...

2022-11-0507 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 012 // Day 7 of the 21 Days of Storytelling Featuring The Dragon Collector, a YA Fantasy Novel: Chapter 4It’s day 7 of the 21 Days of Storytelling! Before I wrote my short story Cops, Robbers…and Dragons? that I share in episode two, I started an Internet research binge on dragons. I wanted to find out how other authors described their dragons so I could make my dragons cool and believable. I didn’t get too far into my binge, though. I stopped myself when I had this crazy realization: I was writing a fantasy story about dragons. Fantasy. Dragons. That meant I could make up my own world with my own rules and my own vers...

2022-10-2711 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 011 // Day 6 of the 21 Days of Storytelling Featuring The Dragon Collector, a YA Fantasy Novel: Chapter 3What if you came face to face with a dragon? Here on Day 6 of the 21 Days of Storytelling, Javan from The Dragon Collector experiences that very scenario. The story snippet of the day is chapter three entitled Lightning and Smoke and shows what happens when an ordinary teenager comes face to face with dragons that are visiting Earth from a different dimension. As the Insider Tip of the Day, author DK Drake shares some behind the scenes facts about one of the dragons named Silverspike that you can’t read in the book....

2022-10-2610 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 010 // Day 5 of the 21 Days of Storytelling Featuring The Dragon Collector, a YA Fantasy Novel: Chapter 2Welcome to Day 5 of the 21 Days of Storytelling featuring The Dragon Collector, book one of the Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga. The story snippet of the day is chapter two entitled The Unexpected Guests. Today’s episode also includes two bonus scenes you can’t read in the book. So listen in to find out what happens when an orphan meets the mother whom he thought abandoned him at birth. Get Your Free DK Drake Starter Library that includes a digital manuscript of The Dragon Collector through November 10: https://authordkdrake.com/i...

2022-10-2512 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 009 // Day 4 of the 21 Days of Storytelling Featuring The Dragon Collector, a YA Fantasy Novel: Chapter 1We’re back with Day 4 of the 21 Days of Storytelling featuring The Dragon Collector, book one of the Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga. The story snippet of the day is chapter one, which takes place six weeks after the end of last part of the prologue. The Insider Tip of the Day explains why author DK Drake introduced the main character with this football scene rather than a more action-packed, grab-your-attention kind of scene. Tune in now to gain that behind the scenes knowledge and to hear the author read chapter one.

2022-10-2405 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 008 // Day 3 of the 21 Days of Storytelling Featuring The Dragon Collector, a YA Fantasy Novel: Prologue IIIThe storytelling blitz continues with Day 3 of the 21 Days of Storytelling featuring The Dragon Collector, book one of the Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga. The story snippet of the day is part III of the Prologue. Part III takes place fifteen years after Part I and eight years after Part II. It’s also told from the perspective of the hero Javan’s mother rather than Javan himself. The Insider Tip of the Day explains why the author chose the mother’s perspective and why this part of the prologue sets the tone for the main story th...

2022-10-2309 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 006 // Day 1 of the 21 Days of Storytelling Featuring The Dragon Collector, a YA Fantasy Novel: Prologue IAh! It’s here! The 21 Days of Storytelling! This is day one, and today you’ll get to hear Author DK Drake read part I of the prologue of The Dragon Collector, book one of the Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga. In The Dragon Collector, fifteen-year-old Javan believes he is simply an ordinary orphan abandoned by his mother at birth--until he is whisked away to another dimension and his destiny as the chosen one from the Collector Bloodline is revealed. Armed only with an ancient weapon, a trio of old advisors, and his determination to win...

2022-10-2107 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 005 // Three Things Every Christian Author Needs to Know to Be a Great StorytellerWhat does it take to be a great storyteller? A stunning grasp of the English language? An understanding of story structure and plot pacing? A wild imagination? Yes. Yes. And yes. All of those are helpful and important, but we won’t be talking about any of those things today. What we will discuss are three mission critical things you need to know on your quest to become an author of captivating stories. These things aren’t tactical writing skills. They’re not things you will learn or...

2022-10-2111 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 004 // Why You Must Write This One Thing Before You Start or Continue Your Novel-Writing JourneyStraddle the line. Middle of the road. One foot in and one foot out. Maybe. Uncertain. Wobbly. Wishy washy. Do any of these words fill you with confidence? Do any of them describe the people you most admire, respect and follow? Probably not. More than likely you describe your heroes with words like bold. Decisive. Determined. Committed. All in. Wholehearted. Passionate. We don’t follow people we don’t trust, and we can’t trust someone who lacks conviction. The greatest leaders and the greatest writers stand for something. They also stand against things they don’t agree with. So...

2022-10-1110 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 003 // Want to Write a Novel? Start With This Simple 3 Step Story StructureRegardless of your story's genre, format or length, every story has the same basic structure. So before you write a word, create a character, consider your setting, or outline your plot, you must under the structure. I didn't understand it when I wrote my first novel right out of college, and that first draft was a disaster. The second and third drafts were pretty bad as well, and the fourth draft was halfway decent. Then I learned how to build a story the right way, and the three fantasy novels I've written since are much better than tha...

2022-10-0811 min

The Adventurous Author | Finish Book, Writing Discipline, Creative Writing, Character Development, Christian Podcast 002 // Are Creative Writing Prompts Useless? How Someone Else’s Writing Idea Turned Into an Income-Producing Fantasy SeriesOnce upon a time, I never bothered with creative writing prompts. I didn’t see the point. Why use someone else’s story idea to prompt my own writing when I have plenty story ideas of my own? Then one friend relentlessly prompted me to write a story about dragons. Another countered his attacks by prompting me to write a story about cops. In an effort to get them to leave me alone and let me choose the topics of my own stories, I did what I had never done before: I used their prompts to write...

2022-09-2619 min

RISE from Stuck | Trust God, Who Am I, Personal Development, Set Goals, Renew Your Mind, Be Strong and Courageous 013 // One Time Management Strategy to Help You Write with Consistency Even if You Have a Full-Time JobIf you ever struggle to make progress on your book because you are busy with that full-time job and family and staying fit and all the things, then try implementing this one time management strategy to help you write with consistency. Get your free Rise from Stuck starter kit here: https://bonniejeanschaefer.com/ Join my free community here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/risewithbonniejean Snag your free D.K. Drake Starter Library here: https://authordkdrake.com/

2022-08-2308 min

RISE from Stuck | Trust God, Who Am I, Personal Development, Set Goals, Renew Your Mind, Be Strong and Courageous 012 // Feeling Stuck in Fear, Paralyzed by What If’s and Certain Your Excuses for Inaction are Keeping You Safe? Go to God Like Moses Did.Today we have our grand finale of our go to God series. This is my favorite of the five because the Bible records for us BOTH sides of the conversation between God and Moses, but it’s also the most convicting because it reminds me that I can’t excuse my way out of God’s calling on my life no matter how scared I may feel. In this conversation, Moses holds nothing back. Neither does God as God has a solution for every perceived problem Moses brings up. Technically, God came to Moses, and Moses wa...

2022-08-1112 min

RISE from Stuck | Trust God, Who Am I, Personal Development, Set Goals, Renew Your Mind, Be Strong and Courageous 011 // Feeling Stuck in an Identity Crisis, Afraid to Reveal Your True Self Because the Consequences Could be Disastrous? Go to God Like Esther Did.This episode is the fourth in our Go to God series, and it’s about how to ignite our rise when we are stuck in the midst of an identity crisis. One of the main reasons we get stuck is because we fail to own our God-given identities. It’s easier to own the circumstantial identities thrust upon us rather than consciously identify with the role God put us here to play. In other words, it’s easy to say you are your job but when it comes to saying you are a writer...

2022-07-2612 min

RISE from Stuck | Trust God, Who Am I, Personal Development, Set Goals, Renew Your Mind, Be Strong and Courageous 010 // Feeling Stuck in the Sin of Inaction, Knowing What You Should Do But Lacking the Courage to Take Action? Go to God Like David Did.Welcome to part three of our five part Go to God series exploring the ways we feel stuck and the one thing that ignites our rise every time—talking to God. How we approach God changes depending on the way we feel stuck, and we’re exploring examples from scripture to teach us how to approach God. From Jonah, we learned how to approach God when we feel stuck in the depths of despair. From Hannah, we learned how to approach God when we feel stuck in a state of hopelessness. Today we’ll learn from Dav...

2022-07-0608 min

RISE from Stuck | Trust God, Who Am I, Personal Development, Set Goals, Renew Your Mind, Be Strong and Courageous 009//Feeling Stuck in Hopelessness, Like Your Writing Dreams are Out of Reach and Impossible to Attain? Go to God Like Hannah Did.Today we’re continuing our Go to God series. In part one, we learned that when you’re stuck in the depths of despair, the way to ignite that rise is to Go to God like Jonah did. In part two, we’re talking about what to do when you’re stuck in hopelessness. Hopelessness is the despair you feel when you want something you don’t have and believe that desire is possible for you, but the logical chance of that dream actually coming true is one below zero. What do you do...

2022-06-3011 min

RISE from Stuck | Trust God, Who Am I, Personal Development, Set Goals, Renew Your Mind, Be Strong and Courageous 008//Escape Break with Author DK Drake: The Dragon Collector Chapters 4-5, an Action Adventure FantasyIt’s fantasy fiction Friday…one day late. I had this episode recorded but debated about publishing it as this week has been filled with lots of prayer and recalibration. Which is also why I didn’t publish a regular episode earlier this week. There is one part of me who wants to help my fellow female authors and entrepreneurs get out of dreaming/learning/planning mode and into confident consistent action toward our God-honoring dreams. Then there’s the DK side of me who wants to entertain you with my books and share background stories an...

2022-06-2524 min

RISE from Stuck | Trust God, Who Am I, Personal Development, Set Goals, Renew Your Mind, Be Strong and Courageous 007//Escape Break with Author D.K. Drake: Chapters 1-3 of The Dragon Collector, a YA Action Adventure FantasyIt's fantasy fiction Friday! Author DK Drake is here in her usual guest host spot to read the first three chapters of The Dragon Collector, book one of The Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga. In these chapters, Javan discovers his heritage as the chosen one from the Collector Bloodline. Which comes as a bit of a shock...as does the news that DRAGONS ARE REAL. Enjoy! Want to download the entire book for FREE? It's part of your the D.K. Drake Starter Library only at: https://authordkdrake.com/ O...

2022-06-1817 min

RISE from Stuck | Trust God, Who Am I, Personal Development, Set Goals, Renew Your Mind, Be Strong and Courageous 006//Feeling Stuck in Despair, As Though You’ve Been Swallowed by the Woes of Life and Can See No Way Out? Go to God Like Jonah Did.Greetings, Rise from Stuck Warrior! Today we’re starting a five part series that reveals the one secret to rising from stuck whether you find yourself stuck in despair, hopelessness, sin, an identity crisis or straight up fear. These emotions can cripple us and keep us from moving forward, but there is always one thing we can do no matter what kind of emotional state of stuck we are in to ignite our rise. If you guessed “go to God,” you are right! This is thus our Go to God series. In it, we’ll loo...

2022-06-1515 min

RISE from Stuck | Trust God, Who Am I, Personal Development, Set Goals, Renew Your Mind, Be Strong and Courageous 005//Escape Break with Author D.K. Drake: Prologue of The Dragon Collector, a YA Action Adventure FantasyIt's Fantasy Fiction Friday! Time for an escape break with Author D.K. Drake. Today you'll hear the prologue of The Dragon Collector, book one of the Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga. In The Dragon Collector, fifteen-year-old Javan believes he is simply an ordinary orphan abandoned by his mother at birth--until he is whisked away to another dimension and his destiny as the chose one from the Collector Bloodline is revealed. Armed only with an ancient weapon, a trio of old advisors, and his determination to win, Javan is soon caught up in a d...

2022-06-1017 min

RISE from Stuck | Trust God, Who Am I, Personal Development, Set Goals, Renew Your Mind, Be Strong and Courageous 004//One Simple Strategy for Staying Grounded in Your Faith and Connected to God Through Any Life Transition, Struggle, or SuccessGreetings, Rise from Stuck Warrior! It’s Seek God Sunday. This is the part of the show where we strengthen our faith foundation as it relates to knowing God, knowing ourselves in light of who God is, and knowing what we want and why in light of who God is and who He created us to be. Do you know what you believe about who God is, what core roles He fills in relation to you, and why He gets to be exalted above all? Knowing God is where our rise begins. ...

2022-06-0507 min

RISE from Stuck | Trust God, Who Am I, Personal Development, Set Goals, Renew Your Mind, Be Strong and Courageous 003//Escape Break with Author D.K. Drake: Listen to the Short Story that Launched Both a Pen Name and a YA Fantasy SeriesRise from Stuck Warrior, I’ve got author DK Drake here with me today. It’s really easy to have her on the show because, well, she is me. D.K. Drake is my pen name, and the short story I’m about to share is the origin of that pen name. Why do I use a pen name? Several reasons. One, to humble my pride. I don’t want to be obsessed with seeing my name on the cover of a book. And two, DK Drake is a lot easier to say and spell than Bonnie Je...

2022-05-2820 min

RISE from Stuck | Trust God, Who Am I, Personal Development, Set Goals, Renew Your Mind, Be Strong and Courageous 002//The Conversation You Need to Have with God So You Can Eliminate Your Excuses, Delete Your Doubts, and Free Your FearsRise from Stuck Warrior, Today we’re going to face our fears, own our excuses and voice our doubts. We’re going to whine. We’re going to complain. We’re going to vent our frustrations. But not to ourselves. Not to a friend. To God. As uncomfortable as it may make us feel, we’re going to take our woes to God. I’ll share five questions to ponder to prepare for this prayer followed by a series of prayer prompts to help you structure the conversation with God in a way that will bring cla...

2022-05-2821 min

RISE from Stuck | Trust God, Who Am I, Personal Development, Set Goals, Renew Your Mind, Be Strong and Courageous 001//Meet Your Host and Let Her Rise from Stuck Story Embolden You to Seek God and Live a Faithful Christian Lifestyle While Chasing Your DreamsRise from Stuck Warrior, Today you'll hear a true story about a woman who had this ridiculous idea that if she could write good books and learn how to sell them via her own publishing company, she could earn a living telling and selling stories. But then she let her doubts, fears and excuses consume her and get her stuck as an employee in a series of unfulfilling job while dreaming about working as author and leader in her own thriving publishing business. The story starts with her earliest memory and takes you o...

2022-05-2825 min