Kyle Belote's Blog, page 10

Good News With The Bad…

…And I’m back! Welcome to Outpost Dire, home to the shared Dire Universe of epic, grimdark fantasy, military sci-fi, thrillers, and more! Let’s dive right in.

Well, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted. A lot has happened, and only a little of it good. Let’s start with the bad.

Bad News Level One: I’ve been faced with a significant amount of writing withdraw and writer’s block. Since I haven’t been writing, I can feel it crawling up my throat and wanting to come out. When I try to write, nothing inspiring comes to me. More on this later.

Bad News Level Two: There are few things that really set me off, and one of them is rude people. And rude people, those who pretend to do no wrong, well … sometimes you’ve just got to cut them out of your life like the cancerous parasite they are. Now, I must decide if I’ll let it go or not. I don’t know, I’m a villain at heart…

Bad News Level Shit: I’ve had a death in the family, so I took some time to address that. It required a good deal of travel, a significant amount of patience, and a lot of heartrending moments. She’ll be missed, but she also had an incredible life that few can boast. Passing away a few weeks shy of 103 isn’t anything to complain about. My grandmother was surrounded by family and love, and we cared for her at home until the end.

Now for a change of tone and some good news.

Good News Level One: Sometimes, people lose friends in their life, and sometimes, they come back… 

Good News Level Two: Well, when I wasn’t up to writing, I started to peruse my older works and to see if I was ready to dive back into the fantasy world. Turns out, I am. I’m currently outlining and soft writing a book set in the world of Ermaeyth (Dark Legacy Series). It’ll be a while before this comes to light as a few other fantasy books must come out first.

Good News Level Three: I’m also currently writing a romance novella. It’ll probably piss people off, but I don’t care anymore. Sometimes, you’ve just got to write what you want and not worry about what people think! That said, if you’ve read my works, you know you should take the “romance story” with a grain of salt, and a huge cup of sugar. Might want to grab a box of tissue for your nose, too.

Good News Level Four: I’m about to be part of an author meet and greet where I get to be the highlight. Well, my book anyway… It’s happening this month, so can’t wait! Also, yours truly might be making my way to a podcast soon. Will keep you posted.

The Best News Level Awesome: I’ve been asked many times. “Are you going to write a sequel to The Dark Portal?” That answer has always been a resounding no … “No, not with those characters I introduced, but the Dark Portal itself? Yes!” That said, I would like to formally backpedal on my initial answer and amend it by saying: “Yes, I am writing a sequel to The Dark Portal. Yes, one of the books will have Darrovan, the rest of them won’t.” Having said that, The Dark Portal 1.5 is going to take your breath away and make you question your sanity. The Dark Portal 2.0 will take place in Texas during the 1850s … when I get around to it.

That’s it for this round, short and sweet. I shall return…

If you enjoyed this content, check out my books, The Bearer of Secrets, Mark of the Profane, The Demon’s Fate, The Dark Portal, For Heathens of Heaven, and Flawed to the Core: Building Memorable Characters and Writing on Amazon. All works are available on Kindle Unlimited, eBook, and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon.

Spinning Wheels and Yarn

…And I’m back! Welcome to Outpost Dire, home to the shared Dire Universe of epic, grimdark fantasy, military sci-fi, thrillers, and more! Let’s dive right in.

First, for the little news I have. Flawed to the Core: Creating Memorable Characters and Writing is going live tomorrow, so don’t forget to pick up your copy for $3.99! A paperback version of the book will be available as well for $10.99, just as soon as Amazon fixes their issues. I sent a copy to an early reviewer, and the analysis is posted to Goodreads. You can find it here. I’ve also joined a local writing group, but it’s more of a come-in-and-write type of group than actual critique swapping or lessons. Still, it’s nice to be a part of a group again; I’ve missed the comradery of fellow writers. 

In 2018, with the writing group I was a part of in Okinawa, I set a goal for myself. I wanted to publish at least one book a year for the next five years. So far, I’m ahead of the curve and hope to remain that way. With that said, let’s get to the rest of the blog.

I’ve contacted my editor in England, and volume III of the grimdark fantasy series is slated for the June timeframe. As of now, the word count puts it closer to volume I rather than volume II. I do plan this to be a 2022 release. I will need a cover artist. Moreover, when this is all said and done, I may want to recover the first two or make an omnibus cover for all three novels.

Continuing on with the Dark Legacy series, I’m retreading some ground and going back through the first novel, and preparing it for wider dissemination. Hopefully, soon I’ll be able to publish to Apple Books, Barnes & Nobel, and the likes. If this goes well, I may do it for all my books.

To the spinning wheels … I’m currently in between projects, and I’m kind of at a loss where to proceed. I guess this post is more for me to sound out where I need to go. I’ve got the sequel to The Demon’s Fate, the military sci-fi fantasy. It’s beleaguered with issues, primarily the sagging middle. A stark difference between the original and this one is the world-building aspect. There’s a lot introduced in those terms. The second is the action. It’s kind of hard to top the first when the premise of the novel is quite different. The first is an active unraveling of a mystery, and the follow-up is the effects of those causes, more investigative, and following those tethers to their natural conclusion. It’s still on the back burner at the moment. 

The Dark Portal is also slated for a sequel, but a non-sequitur one. As of now, it’s set in a fictitious Bramble, Texas 1859. The first Dark Portal was an alien first contact with an advanced civilization, whereas this one may be more of a paranormal romp. This said, there’s a lot of directions I could go with other sequels, including returning to the planet in the original with the sothor species, a continuation of Darrovan’s story, or making it its own spin-off. Other Dark Portal sequel concepts I’ve kicked around have been the Apollo missions to the moon, or maybe even stretch it out to the not too distant future and make it a Mars type of setting.

Another novella idea I’m tossing around is a series based upon characters in my main fantasy series, the Time Warden, Xenomene, or a young Judas Lakayre, though to be honest, I’m hesitant on the latter two options. All that I do know is that I need to immerse myself back into my fantasy series and finish the series. 

Along this same thread is a prequel novel I started years ago and got about a third of the way through it. It was on a minor character, one who’s mentioned more than seen, a female assassin named Lady Cassandra. I very much wanted to explore this story, but at the time, I felt it was pulling me away from my main body of work, the series. Now, with all the additional books and stories I’ve released, the original intent is no longer valid, and I may return to it in addition to my main series.

Another novella I started but set aside is a … well, I won’t say romance, but let’s call it a love story. I have a few chapters of it written already, and I like where it’s headed. I don’t want to speak more on it just yet, but depending on how things go, it could either get pushed up to my next project or put on the back burner. In the meantime, any short stories I contemplate on writing are going into a project of their own, a collection of them.

Anyone who’s been following the blog knows that THOLAC (The House of Lust and Candor) crossed the finish line with the second draft. Instead of immediately starting the third, I’ve gone on to outline the sequel—something I normally don’t do. The meat of it is plotted, that’s about 60% finished; now I just need to plug in the extra characters and flesh out their stories. I’ve actually got a raunchy plot twist cooked into the story—well, a couple of them—but now I need to figure out how it’ll all play out. The sequel’s tentative title is THOPAG (The House of Pride and Guile). 

Well, no sense in info-dumping on you too much, but if you made it to the end, congrats! Thanks for listening, and I would love to hear your comments and feedback, so please feel free to reach out! Have you read one of my books? Which was your favorite? Let me know!

That’s it for this round, short and sweet. I shall return…

If you enjoyed this content, check out my books, The Bearer of Secrets, Mark of the Profane, The Demon’s Fate, The Dark Portal, For Heathens of Heaven, and Flawed to the Core: Building Memorable Characters and Writing on Amazon. All works are available on Kindle Unlimited, eBook, and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon.

Flawed to the Core: Live December 5th!

…And I’m back! Welcome to Outpost Dire, home to the shared Dire Universe of epic, grimdark fantasy, military sci-fi, thrillers, and more! Let’s dive right in.

And the bit of news I alluded to in my last post. My sixth book’s release is coming out this year, right around the corner, in fact! Without too much drama and fanfare, Flawed to the Core is set to go live on December 5th!

What is this book I keep talking about? It’s a self-help book on writing memorable but flawed characters. We take a look at story structure, defining what type of writer you are, covering essential topics such as dialogue, writing action or sex, worldbuilding, archetypes, character motivations, writing tools, and a lot more.

Who’s the book for? Well, everyone. Though written for novices, anyone can find helpful information within! It’s another tool for your arsenal, and you can never have too many! Just ask Batman. I’ve already been asked if I’ll write a second one. I don’t know, maybe. There’s always something to talk about when it comes to writing, but as of yet, no plans. Let’s get the first one out! I hope people find it helpful and exciting.

You can find the book here and preorder your copy.

That’s it for this round, short and sweet. I shall return…

If you enjoyed this content, check out my books, The Bearer of Secrets, Mark of the Profane, The Demon’s Fate, The Dark Portal, and For Heathens of Heaven on Amazon. All works are available on Kindle Unlimited, eBook, and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon.

THOLAC: Draft 2 Complete

…And I’m back! Welcome to Outpost Dire, home to the shared Dire Universe of epic, grimdark fantasy, military sci-fi, thrillers, and more! Let’s dive right in.

So, first thing’s first: Draft 2 of THOLAC is complete! I added quite a bit on the second round, roughly 25,000 words, bringing the total to just over 140k. Some weak spots needed a lot of TLC, mainly minor characters. I still have one who just seems ‘there,’ but in terms of that character, I had a shower thought recently that almost made my head implode. One of those twisty twists I’m so fond of. Unfortunately, it won’t manifest until at least book two or three, so I’ll have to figure out something in the meantime. 

So, what are my draft cycles, and how many do you do? Well, on my first book, I did seventeen. That’s a lot, and a lot of years. None of it was wasted as I learned so much in the revisions and grew as a writer, so I won’t need much in the redrafting stage; besides, I don’t have twenty years for each book. Nor do I have that level of patience anymore. I’ve found that as I’ve grown older, I am both more at ease and impatient. I know that makes as much sense as an oxymoron, but there you have it. 

Draft one: That’s the vomit stage. Just spew that story onto the page. Write as much or as little as I want. Pants and power my way through it! I’ve had interesting feedback on my first drafts, from ‘this is absolute garbage,’ to the surprising, ‘damn, I wish my third drafts were like your firsts!’ Since I’ve had years to refine my craft—or a specific novel numerous times—that means there’s less to do in the revisions.

Draft Two: This segment really focuses on the characters themselves and cementing their tones. Some characters come very easy to me, others not so much. In this case, Amice is a co-lead to the book, or at the very least, the 40% to the 60%. However, in the first round, I didn’t have her tone down, nor a great detail of her personality. This is the second draft. I focus on broad internal thoughts, voice, narration tone of the POV, mannerisms, etc. If it revolves around the character, it’s done at this stage. For Maro, someone’s voice I nailed early, I did his last, and Amice, I did hers first because I struggled with her so much. 

What comes next? Draft three, of course, but I might do something else in the meantime, take a short break. What takes place on the third go? The senses, bringing the world to life with smells, weather, visuals of the world around them, etc. All those things I skipped over on the first draft and just said, “he sat behind a desk,” now that furniture is going to get some sparkling details. These little things are important and give your world/work a little more Mmph.

So, what will I do during the break? Well, I actually might go write some portions of THOLAC 2, or at the very least, flesh out some kind of plotline, the tent poles of where I need to go. I’ve found that the older I get and the more into the novels I write, I plot more. Again, it’s not a detailed plot, just a few notes on direction, but still, it’s 1000% more than what I used to do. Also, I’ve long neglected my fantasy series. I need to go back and get into it. I’ve readied Volume III for the editor and self-edited volume IV, but I haven’t written anything in years beyond that. With hindsight, I’m starting to see some reoccurring themes or glimmers of repetitive plot points that I’ll need to finagle. I definitely need to reread my fantasy series, take notes, and start building up for the end. There’s also a possibility that I may split volume IV into two separate books.

Stay tuned for some incoming news about a new book release … we’ve got a short suspense date inbound!

That’s it for this round, short and sweet. I shall return…

If you enjoyed this content, check out my books, The Bearer of Secrets, Mark of the Profane, The Demon’s Fate, The Dark Portal, and For Heathens of Heaven on Amazon. All works are available on Kindle Unlimited, eBook, and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon.

THOLAC, FTTC, & The Dust Jacket

…And I’m back! Welcome to Outpost Dire, home to the shared Dire Universe of epic, grimdark fantasy, military sci-fi, thrillers, and more! Let’s dive right in.

To the point, I’m plugging along on my 2nd draft of THOLAC. It has now grown to approximately 140,000 words. Honestly, it doesn’t feel that long to me, that many words. However, it is a fantasy, so there is a bunch of leeway. I have a feeling by the time this second draft is done, it will be close to 160,000. I’ve got about 8 more chapters to do (epilogue and prologue included with count).

Shifting gears, I am working with a book cover designer for Flawed to the Core. Once I get that and everything is tweaked the way I like, I’ll move forward with publishing it. My plan is to have it out later this year! You can check out her work and services on The Dust Jacket. 

That’s it for this round, short and sweet. I shall return…

If you enjoyed this content, check out my books, The Bearer of Secrets, Mark of the Profane, The Demon’s Fate, The Dark Portal, and For Heathens of Heaven on Amazon. All works are available on Kindle Unlimited, eBook, and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon.

THOLAC 2.5

…And I’m back! Welcome to Outpost Dire, home to the shared Dire Universe of epic, grimdark fantasy, military sci-fi, thrillers, and more! Let’s dive right in.

The march to finish the second draft of THOLAC is steadily moving forward, maybe a touch slower than I wanted. I’ll have to make some sacrifices along the way to ensure this gets finished in a timely manner. I guess that means fewer audiobooks, painting, and critiquing for me. I have 18 chapters finished out of 30 total, and there’s still the prologue and epilogue to go through.

I’ve added an additional 16k to the word count total, bringing it over 135k. I don’t know if that’s good overall, but I like to think so. This allowed me to flesh out a secondary character who—although gets a fair share of screen time—has little POV moments. Regarding where I go with these characters, it’s crucial to have their motivations and personalities flesh out so when decisions come, they don’t seem random or left field. Since this is the focus of my second draft, it’s imperative to flesh these moments and people out.

I usually don’t have main characters but instead a wide cast of people. That cannot be said for THOLAC. Maro, my first rogue-ish character, might be a new favorite for me. He steals the limelight, and his personality is hard to resist. Honestly, when he’s on the page, you have no idea what’s going to happen. I like that element of chaos.

That’s it for this round, short and sweet. I shall return…

If you enjoyed this content, check out my books, The Bearer of Secrets, Mark of the Profane, The Demon’s Fate, The Dark Portal, and For Heathens of Heaven on Amazon. All works are available on Kindle Unlimited, eBook, and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon.

Ten Critiquing Vexations That Plague Everyone

…And I’m back! Welcome to Outpost Dire, home to the shared Dire Universe of epic, grimdark fantasy, military sci-fi, thrillers, and more! Let’s dive right in.

Let me throw a few disclaimers out before anyone gets bent out of shape: to any former or current critique partners, this is not directed at you but meant to encompass the subject as a whole. I’ve asked some former and current folks to lend voice to this blog, so you might be reading something you gave to me. If you feel like you’re being attacked, either A: reread this paragraph for a reminder that it’s not directed at you; B: reevaluate yourself and how you give critiques if any statements below ring with truth; or C: realize you have the same clothes on to get glad in.

The second disclaimer, it’s straightforward. There may be times that the sentences below are written with sarcasm, maybe scathingly so. In fact, at times, it may be almost satirical. Now then, let’s continue.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of being a member of many writing groups in various stages of development and/or skill in writing level. There’s always a few of the following in each group: the uber quiet one, the know-it-all, the loud-obnoxious guy/gal, the I’m-just-happy-to-be-here person, the rage-quitter, the desperate scribe, the sponge-who-sucks-up-everything, the helper, the one-who-hovers-in-the-background, the nitpicker, the teacher, the asshole-but-in-a-helpful-kind-of-way, the earnest companion, the social media drama (insert monarch), your new BFF, and probably a few others that I missed. But what do all these people have in common?

In some way, shape, or form, they will all come down on you harder than they would if reading/critiquing a “published” author. This goes for me as well. I grill myself with every rewrite, edit, and iteration of my novel, so I naturally share that same dedication with other writers. I guess that makes me the asshole-but-in-a-helpful-kind-of-way. Some hate it, and rage quit; others love the candidness in which I provide feedback. All of them receive a rainbow of highlights across their page. I don’t discriminate; I highlight equally. Honestly, while I don’t like to think of myself like this, I usually end up filling the role, at least for one person for a limited time, the teacher.

So, what does this have to do with the topic of critiquing? Well, I’d like to share some observations from over the years. This might be a longer blog than usual, so buckle up.

1: Rules for you but not for them: We are brutal to each other, but published authors get a pass. If you wouldn’t say it about a Brandon Sanderson novel, or a Rowling book, or a Martin tome, why are you saying it to an aspiring writer? Once, I was critiqued that my first sentence in chapter 1 wasn’t “attention-grabbing enough” and that I needed to go back to the drawing board and rewrite. So, let’s take a look at some famous, favorite authors.

A Game of Thrones prologue: “We should start back,” Gared urged as the woods began to grow dark around them. Wow, that’s pretty epic. I can’t wait for the second sentence. So gripping!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. Insert my golf clap, or should it be a slow clap? I mean, this is world-shattering! And, it’s written so well that it’s telling the reader instead of showing them. It’s unbelievable; such a true inspiration! I hope you’re picking up the sarcasm cause I’m laying it on pretty thick.

Mistborn: The Final Empire. Ash fell from the sky. Well, I’m sold on this book; the entire series, in fact! All hail the GOAT!

What am I saying? Probably drop the whole “your first sentence must be amazing!” mentality and get back to reality. Your story must start somewhere, and you’re not going to sell any reader on one sentence alone. But you might get close…

2: Injecting personal preference to change the writer: We are all guilty of this at some point in our lives, myself included; that’s why now I always caveat a ‘recommendation’ with ‘Opinion: this would be better blah, blah, blah, because I hate when you do this!’ At least they now know why I’m harping on this one itty bitty thing. Just be honest and don’t try to pass it off as fact.

3: The harping of worldbuilding: Let me just say, you’ll never appease everyone. You’ll have people who will tear into you for not worldbuilding enough, and you’ll have people who say, “I got so bored with all this detail,” and it will literally be the same passage sent to two different people. Again, this comes down to preference, so take everything with a grain of salt. Just resign yourself to the truth: you’ll never win everyone over. And again, this comes down to the dual standard. Some authors spend too much time on worldbuilding crap the reader doesn’t care about, and some authors spare very little time fleshing out the scene so you can “get a picture.” So, why all the hate? However, there are times when noting that something is lacking can come in handy, just like telling the writer they are repeating the same details over and over and over, just in different ways.

4: Showing vs. Telling: Okay, there seems to be a significant misconception regarding this. We all know the adage, show don’t tell, (insert Morpheus quote) “What if I told you that everything in a novel is telling the reader something?” No matter what voice you use, the plot, the delivery, it’s all telling. We just call it showing vs. telling because of the way it comes across. If you tell the reader something, drawing the conclusion for the reader, then this is telling: “it was obvious that…; little did he know…; she was a strong, female character;” … you get the idea. It makes you want to vomit, right? So, naturally, this is the wrong kind of telling.

What are some good tellings? Well, the first one that comes to mind is the summaries. You just had two chapters that totaled one hundred pages about a secret council meeting with Hugo Weaving, but Legolas showed up late. Instead of regurgitating all that again, you summarize. “And then, they told Legolas,” but in better prose. Makes sense, right? You can also do it for scenery descriptions. If you spent a good chunk of your first book describing the place, it’s okay to summarize what the highlights are in a succinct, telling way. Don’t kill yourself trying to reinvent the wheel. And, there might be aspects in the story that are important enough to mention but don’t need a lot of background as its significance on the plot is minor. Example: “He caught sight of a female, recognizing her face. He’d served with her before at his last duty station.” This short tell says, hey, these two know each other, but it’s not impacting the plot other than interpersonal relationships

Lastly, many people overlook the simple tells that allow the reader to have a deeper understanding of what’s going on inside the character. We can’t show the reader exactly how a character is thinking or feeling from the outside alone; we can only hint at it through facial expressions, stance/body language, etc., but that falls woefully short of the entirety of what’s going on. So, we have little tells, little tidbits that jump into their body and let us know what’s happening: his throat tightened, bands tightened around her chest, his stomach dropped out, her heart thudded in her chest … you get the idea. These little things, in conjunction with everything else, paints a vivid picture for your reader.

5: Tone: I was once chastised for not keeping a consistent tone throughout the entire chapter. When I inquired what they were referring to specifically, they responded that there was too much humor in the banter between characters while the tone was dark and grim. There was also a glimmer of hope from the POV, which didn’t sit well with them.

This is called narration, introducing a world, characters, premise, etc. If you keep the same tone throughout with no break in it, it becomes monotonous. You need variation, much like sentence structure. A character’s world may be noble-bright fantasy, but if the character is depressed, well, it’ll be dark indeed. This is a nice contrast throughout your story. And just because a character is depressed, that doesn’t mean you can’t have brief moments of levity, especially if that’s the secondary character’s personality.

6: Your work is boring: I’ve heard this from time to time from one reader or another. I’ll cover this more in a later section called Sifting Through Feedback. In short, take it with a grain of salt. This is subjective feedback, and you might’ve caught that person on an off day, or they may have stress in their life, or you might actually have a tedious passage. When it comes to subjective feedback like this, they say take things with a grain of salt. I say, maybe it’s time to take it with a cup of sugar. It just may not be that person’s preferred flavor. We all have different tastes. I mean, look at the music industry and people’s playlists. So, too, is it valid for writing.

7: The Oxford Comma: I’ve had people remove commas from my work, especially when it comes to lists or a series of things. There’s the right way for commas, and then there’s everyone else who is wrong. All jokes aside, the English language has rules, and while we may not like all of them, we must follow them 99% of the time. Some rules are meant to bend, and others are broken. When you take out commas just because you don’t like them, it often changes the meaning. I know some folks don’t want a comma after an introductory phrase, yet it’s still the rule, and any editor worth their money will insert one and correct you. Think of it as something that is industry standard. If you want to write a book with a really crazy font, well, you can on your own computer, but when it comes to actually publishing it, no one will sell your book with a hard-to-read font. My advice? Just get used to it, bite the bullet, and start doing what’s expected.

8: Word Choice/ Vocabulary: There are different schools of thought on this. I’m not saying one is wrong and the other is not. I am saying that we critiquers aren’t the author, and while we may point it out, we don’t know the whole story of why they selected that specific word. Also, forgive me for stating the obvious, but words in the English language have multiple meanings, and just because we don’t know all the definitions of those words, that doesn’t mean the word they chose was wrong. I think the takeaway here is to not be so literal, unless, of course, they chose a word that, no matter how you look at it, is wrong.

For vocabulary, there seems to be a movement within literature to “dumb down” language. I do not subscribe to this doctrine. It’s a dogma that is hurting creativity and art. If you don’t know a word, break out a dictionary and learn something new. You may find there’s a vast knowledge base out there with a word that you just love. I worked with a younger man once upon a time, and he knew I was a writer. About once a week, he’d ask me for a new word to expand his vocabulary, and then he’d spend the rest of the week incorporating it whenever he could. He found a new favorite: plethora. And if you’re reading on an electronic device, just tap the word you don’t know, and you’ll get the definition. It’s super easy. That said, authors, don’t go overboard.

9: Nitpicking: I’ve had some returned critiques that have a comment on almost every line, and when I go to review what they’ve said, there really isn’t any added value. Most of the time, this segment comes down to personal preference. While our overall goal should be to help other writers see different aspects of their work they might’ve otherwise been oblivious to, we don’t nitpick them to death. If you have to go through and reread the chapter or segment multiple times to find something wrong with it, either A: there’s actually nothing wrong with it; B: you haven’t developed your editor’s eye, and you miss things; or C: a combination of them both. If you fall into the C category, don’t critique them as a writer—give them feedback as a reader. Tell them what worked, what didn’t, what you liked or hated, what was confusing, what did you want more of? This feedback is just as invaluable as any other. So, by all means, critique in broad strokes.

10: Sifting through feedback: In this segment, I want to take a moment to explain how I look at feedback. The first thing I ask myself is: Is the critiquer saying something fundamental about the English language, a gaping hole in my story/ character, or something that’s a personal preference? If it’s the latter, I almost always just disregard it. I’m not writing to appease this one person, so I shouldn’t shift away from the story/ writing style to make this person happy. Why? Because I’m not writing for an audience of one, I’m writing for the entire adult audience. Moreover, I’m sure many published authors do stuff that other people don’t like, yet the majority still read them.

So, is it a fundamental flaw in the use of the English language? Maybe. Remember, there is still the personal preference we’ve got to deal with, so this might be one of those times, like a reviewer taking out a comma in a list. Do your own research before you accept any changes in this regard. If what they are telling you goes against the “industry standard,” well, it might be time to disregard it. If what they are saying is correct, then you might want to incorporate it.

Is there a gaping hole in my plot/ character? Well, that may be true, but it also might not be. Remember, your critiquer is only reading a chapter or segment at the time, so they aren’t privy to everything. Additionally, you’re the author, and you know what’s going to come … hopefully. So, this is a coin toss if you’re going to pay attention or not.

Lastly, when it comes to feedback, look at the number of people who are saying it. If it’s just one person, I disregard what they are saying. If it’s two people, I pay attention. If three, I implement changes. Therefore, it’s imperative we get feedback from many impartial sources. If you surround yourself in an echo chamber of yes men, then you’ll never know if you really have issues in the body of work. So, branch out, get an impartial arbitrator. The harder they grill you on things, the better your writing will be!

The point of the blog: I think people forget there are two parts of a critique, the technical aspect, which we should all be focusing on, “this is wrong according to the English language, and you need a comma there,” or “I’m not sure if you know this, but your story isn’t following a story structure, and it comes across as discordant,” vs. the “this is my personal preference, and you’re wrong for not changing to suit me! How dare you!”

Remember, your aim should be to build other writers up, not tear them down. I’ve said it many of times, if you give a critique so abhorrent that the writer wants to quit, you’re doing it wrong. Yes, criticize, don’t mollycoddle, but do so constructively.

So, which of the list are you guilty of? Which have you seen on your own work? Have you been the hunter or prey? If you’ve made it this far, share your thoughts below.

That’s it for this round, short and sweet. I shall return…

If you enjoyed this content, check out my books, The Bearer of Secrets, Mark of the Profane, The Demon’s Fate, The Dark Portal, and For Heathens of Heaven on Amazon. All works are available on Kindle Unlimited, eBook, and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon.

Progress Report: Warmaster 1.3 & More

…And I’m back! Welcome to Outpost Dire, home to the shared Dire Universe of epic, grimdark fantasy, military sci-fi, thrillers, and more! Let’s dive right in.

To the point is where I feel most at comfort, so let’s not dawdle here. Warmaster has officially stalled. It’s happened before on my first attempt to write it. And that’s okay. It tells me it needs something more, and I agree. The plot is quite linear in terms of the main character, and there seems to be a lack of subplots, conflict, or a sense of cohesiveness between the characters and what few subplots I have thought of. So, it’s going on the back burner. I need more meat to the story with character development and subplots.

While that’s stewing, I’m going to turn my attention to two other matters, the first being my book on writing, Flawed to the Core. It’s copyrighted, it’s edited, and it’s ready for release, minus the cover. So, I’m going to hunt for one.

And in the meantime, I will be returning to the world of Atar in THOLAC. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written in the book, so I think my batteries are recharged. Since I’m halfway through the second rewrite, it’ll be a short sprint to the finish line.

That’s it for this round, short and sweet. I shall return…

If you enjoyed this content, check out my books, The Bearer of Secrets, Mark of the Profane, The Demon’s Fate, The Dark Portal, and For Heathens of Heaven on Amazon. All works are available on Kindle Unlimited, eBook, and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon.

Progress Report: Warmaster 1.2 & THOLAC

…And I’m back! Welcome to Outpost Dire, home to the shared Dire Universe of epic, grimdark fantasy, military sci-fi, thrillers, and more! Let’s dive right in.

Well, it’s been another hot minute since I posted. Writing has slowed to a crawl but more to do with stuff outside the writing life. Still, today, I’ll be able to sit down and clack on my keys for a bit on Warmaster. And I’m feeling the itch to return to THOLAC. So, I thought I’d shoot out this update.

Earlier this year, I entered a writing contest, Ink & Insights. This is the second time I’ve done so. The first time was in 2017, I believe. Anyway, I forgot about it until I received an email from them Thursday morning. This year, I submitted the prologue and the first two chapters of THOLAC, and the feedback I got from the judges is more than promising. With four judges and two-hundred-fifty points apiece, I walked away with a nine-hundred-forty-three. I still don’t know what my final placing is, but I’m sure that will come out in the forthcoming weeks or months. 

Which brings me to my last point, the feedback. Actually, the feedback between the judges vs. critique partners. The interesting thing about critiques is that it’s all based on opinion, no matter how they tackle your work. What the judges praised me for, others had strong opinions to cut. That leaves me with a conundrum of what to keep and what to eviscerate. In the end, like I tell all the people I critique, “it’s your book, your story; you are the author, and if you want to keep or cut entirely depends on you.” 

That’s it for this round, short and sweet. I shall return…

If you enjoyed this content, check out my books, The Bearer of Secrets, Mark of the Profane, The Demon’s Fate, The Dark Portal, and For Heathens of Heaven on Amazon. All works are available on Kindle Unlimited, eBook, and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon.

Progress Report: Warmaster 1.1

…And I’m back! Welcome to Outpost Dire, home to the shared Dire Universe of epic, grimdark fantasy, military sci-fi, thrillers, and more! Let’s dive right in.

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written, but I’ve been so busy that I’ve had little time to myself anymore. But you’re not here for a discourse on my personal life, so let’s get to the stuff that matters: writing.

I am firmly entrenched in writing the sequel to The Demon’s Fate (TDF). I passed the 50k mark not too long ago. If you counted all the worldbuilding I did behind the scenes, the novel would be finished by word count alone. That said, the cast has yet to reach Celesta Six, and it’ll be a while yet.

I have a bit of mixed news on the sequel. I sent the first 11 chapters to two beta readers. One I have heard back from, and one I have not. This isn’t a strike against her, but she does tend to exaggerate certain elements. Most of the time, it’s funny and charming, and we indeed laughed about it when we spoke on a video call, but this early in the story, I find it troubling in terms of building blocks. The first beta reader isn’t thrilled with the story or the progression from the news I’ve received. I’ve had an open dialogue back and forth between the two of us to address each issue reported. It turns out they aren’t issues so much as personal preference or expectations.

What isn’t liked about the sequel: in short, the worldbuilding, the ensemble cast, and the expansion of the story. In TDF, there are two primary locations: the ship, and the planet, Celesta Six. The cast is a small group of five characters with a few minor roles once they reach the planet. There’s little to no worldbuilding as it’s not needed.

The sequel, by contrast, is like night to day. So far, there are about thirty characters mentioned, from minor roles to nonexistent, e.g., parents—not to mention the characters in the first book. This story builds upon the original in an expansive manner. It shows the vastness of the human race—or lack thereof. When faced with near-extinction and thrown into space, a little history is in order, from survival needs to the formation of their government, and all the nitty-gritty in between.

That isn’t to say I’m not throwing all advice out the window. Nor am I altering the story yet. I still have another beta reader who I haven’t heard from. As I tell those in my writing group, don’t change something just because I say to. Wait until two or three people say the same thing, then consider it.

There are also other factors to consider, like the leftover plot threads from the first book and the element of repeat. I was told, no matter what I did with this book, if I went back to the same planet as the first book, I’d just be repeating what I did. And that bothered me. When I expressed this to someone else, they said, “Take every murder mystery book out there. There’s a killer, a dead body, and a cop to solve the case, yet are all of them the same?” That answer, of course, is no. So, that makes me rest a little easier.

So, I’ll continue plodding along with this story and see where it goes. Now that I have the worldbuilding far behind me, and the crew is en route to the planet, I’m sure the writing will pick up in pace, and I’ll be able to smash this story out … if I can get my personal life to comply.

That’s it for this round, short and sweet. I shall return…

If you enjoyed this content, check out my books, The Bearer of Secrets, Mark of the Profane, The Demon’s Fate, The Dark Portal, and For Heathens of Heaven on Amazon. All works are available on Kindle Unlimited, eBook, and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon.