The Character Development Conversation Every Writer Needs to Hear with Stage Actress Megan Smith | 204

The Character Development Conversation Every Writer Needs to Hear with Stage Actress Megan Smith | 204

Author: Bonnie Jean Schaefer | Adventurous Author who Adventurizes Life July 1, 2025 Duration: 37:00
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.

That story you carry, the one that feels both urgent and impossible, often gets buried under daily demands and a creeping uncertainty about where creativity even fits anymore. The Adventurous Author is a space for writers, particularly those who weave their faith into their fiction, to find a practical path through the clutter. Host Bonnie Jean Schaefer, who writes fantasy as D.K. Drake, understands the tension between a full life and the drive to finish a book. She published her own novels without quitting her day job, focusing on sustainable systems rather than dramatic overhauls. In this podcast, conversations move beyond vague inspiration to tackle the real mechanics of writing discipline and deep character development. You'll hear from someone who has been stuck and found a way out, offering grounded strategies for integrating a writing practice into your existing responsibilities. It’s for anyone who feels that persistent nudge to create but needs a companion for the journey, merging the craft of storytelling with a Christian perspective on creativity and perseverance. Each episode aims to equip you with tangible steps, so that the book within you moves from a haunting idea to a finished manuscript, all while navigating the unique challenges and joys of being a writer of faith today.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Faithful Finisher | Character Development, Christian Podcast, Live Your Dreams, Goal Setting
Podcast Episodes
How Daily Writing Turns Regret Into Creative Gold | 189 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:30
You’ve got shadowlands. Every writer does. That memory you’d rather not revisit. That failure you try not to think about. That bitterness that still flickers when you write certain scenes. But what if those very things a…
How Daily Writing Trains You to Catch Inspiration When It Falls | 188 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:34
You don’t need to wait for inspiration. You need to train for it. In today’s episode of The Adventurous Author, you’ll learn why inspiration doesn’t strike at random—it shows up for writers who are prepared to catch it.…
Drill Deeper: Unlocking the Story Core Through Daily Writing | 186 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:14
What if your best scenes are buried deeper than your outline can reach? In this episode, you'll discover why most writers never tap into their creative core and how a five-minute daily practice can unlock surprising emot…
How Daily Writing Turns Real Life Into Story Fuel | 185 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:01
You lived it. But if you don’t write it down—it’s gone. In today’s episode of The Adventurous Author, I share the true story of a terrifying dog attack—and how writing about it became the key to reclaiming emotional clar…
Sporadic Writing Won’t Build a Legacy—This Will | 183 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:48
Your characters don’t just live in your mind. If written with consistency and depth, they can outlive your name. In today’s episode of The Adventurous Author, we explore: ✔️ Why daily writing is essential for building ch…
Write Daily to Leave a Mark That Cannot Be Duplicated | 182 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:09
Your writing voice is more than style. It’s your soulprint—the clearest record of how God wired you to see the world. In this episode of The Adventurous Author, we explore: ✔️ Why your writing voice is a fingerprint of y…