Today’s episode is about something deeper than writing tactics.

It’s about why some writers keep drifting—even when they want this badly—and why others learn how to stay steady long enough to finish.

The difference isn’t talent. It isn’t time. It isn’t discipline.

It’s identity.

In this episode, I unpack what I mean—very intentionally—when I say:

Christ anchors identity.

We break it down word by word:

• Christ — the unchanging I AM, the fixed point in a spinning world

• Anchor — not a tether that restricts you, but a stabilizer that prevents drift

• Identity — who you are beneath performance, roles, and validation

And then we put it all together and look at what actually changes when your identity is anchored in Christ:

• You stop needing perfect conditions to write.

• You stop measuring your worth by your output.

• You stop waiting for permission to call yourself a writer.

• You stop quitting when doubt shows up.

I also share how writing the Anchored Faith trilogy—The Only I AM, The King Who Befriends, and The Faithful Finisher—quietly rewired my own identity and helped me move from drifting and quitting to finishing with confidence.

This isn’t about being impressive.

It’s about being anchored.

Hey friend!

I disappeared for six months. And I need to tell you why.

Because what happened to me in 2025? It's probably happening to you right now.

I ran a 101-day gauntlet. Wrote a children's story every single day. Published a podcast episode every single day. Ran at least a mile every single day. I crushed it.

Then the challenge ended. The constraints lifted. And I completely lost my way.

I thought I needed better systems. Tighter deadlines. More AI efficiency. So I tried to publish a book a week for seven weeks straight.

I failed.

Not because I lacked discipline. Not because I needed better tools. I failed because my creative identity wasn't anchored in Christ.

And when identity isn't anchored, every system eventually collapses.

Here's what I discovered during my creative identity crisis: I had trained AI to write like me so well that I stopped being me. I outsourced the hard, fulfilling work of creation. I lost myself in the efficiency.

The books were good. But they were missing something critical.

They were missing me.

So I blew them all up and started over. And on my 48th birthday, I launched the 50 by 50 Challenge: publish 50 books, complete 50 10Ks, and transform 50 lives by the time I turn 50.

I'm 48 now. I started at zero. And I'm currently three books in.

This episode is my return to the mic with one core message:

Your creative identity is the foundation on which your writing dreams stand. Start with WHO. And WHO starts with God.

Because here's what I now know to be true:

Christ anchors identity. Identity shapes systems. Systems refine skills. Skills produce soul-satisfying fruit. Soul-satisfying fruit pleases God.

Miss one link in that chain and you stay stuck living as a contradiction—dreaming like a professional while showing up like an amateur.

In this episode, I'm unpacking:

• Why 2025 broke me open and rebuilt me
• The real enemy blocking your writing (hint: it's not time or motivation)
• Why belief matters more than tactics
• How this podcast is changing to serve you better
• An adventurous writing challenge that will shift your perspective

My word for 2026 is SPEAK. So I'm back.

Welcome to the adventure.

Your 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 pieces” and protect your writing block ✔️ The difference between daily, weekly, and seasonal puzzle pieces ✔️ Why flexibility is the secret to sustainable writing ✔️ How one small daily block transforms identity from “aspiring” to professional

🎯 Adventure Challenge: Sketch your life puzzle. Name your corner pieces. Circle one 15–30 minute writing block that actually fits this week. Then write a scene starting with: “When he pressed the last piece into place, the puzzle began to breathe.”

Your life is not chaos. It’s a beautiful puzzle. And writing is one of the essential pieces.

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.

Connect: Send me an email at dk@authordkdrake.com. 📢 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.