You Are an Author (ft Ben Schenkman) | Episode 85

Thank you for liking the video and subscribing to the channel! In this episode of Author Adjacent, host Michael Vadney sits down with Ben Schenkman, indie author of the Devil You Know series, The Cycle of Ash, and The Chronicles of Corbin Pierce. Ben talks about his latest novel My Brother's Keeper — a Jewish urban fantasy noir about a mystic private eye returning to New Haven to bury his twin brother — and the real Jewish scripture, demonology, and Talmudic lore that powers its magic system. We dig into his path from writing goth poetry in high school to shelving a finished manuscript for nine years, and how the rise of indie publishing pulled him back in and kicked off a creative streak that now stands at six books and two audiobooks. We also get into some real talk: why you should stop calling yourself an "aspiring" author, how bad social media advice is making writers worse, the "rules" that lack nuance (adverbs, filter words, show don't tell), why indie authors aren't in competition with each other, the importance of professional covers even on a budget, noble dark characters vs. true moral grayness, and Ben's upcoming Kickstarter anthology Arcane Awakenings. Chapters 00:00 - Cold Open: "Oh No, I Wrote Such a Good Character…" 00:43 - Welcome & Introducing Ben Schenkman 04:18 - My Brother's Keeper: Jewish Urban Fantasy Noir 09:09 - Jewish Magic, the Talmud & the Jewish Monster Hunter 10:19 - Planning Book Two: Stakes Over Twists 14:38 - The 9-Year Shelf: How Indie Publishing Pulled Him Back In 20:04 - Stop Calling Yourself an "Aspiring" Author 25:05 - Bad Writing Advice & the Nuance Nobody Talks About 31:16 - How Your Editor Makes You a Better Writer 37:19 - Noble Dark: Morally Gray Characters Done Right 42:51 - What's Next: Arcane Awakenings & Beyond Ben Schenkman Website: https://benschenkman.com/ Links: https://benschenkman.com/links/ Michael Vadney Website: MichaelVadney.com X: x.com/Michael_Vadney Instagram: instagram.com/michael_vadney TikTok:   / michael_vadney   Threads: threads.com/@michael_vadney Bsky: bsky.app/profile/michaelvadney.bsky.social #Writing #FantasyBooks #IndieAuthor