Kyle Belote's Blog, page 16

Down Time: The Demon’s Fate Sequel

Here we are again. In the mad scrambled to prepare Vol. 2 for the editor, all other projects had dropped to the wayside. Now that it’s finished–though awaiting funding–I’ve been sifting through different projects. One story caught my eye: The Demon’s Fate. True, it’s already published, but it got me thinking about a sequel. While the story has a finality to it, I did leave a sliver of an opening should I chose to pursue a sequel. So, in the downtime, I’ve started kicking around ideas. I’m not saying this is my next major project, but it is something in the beginning stages of exploration.

Speaking of exploration, I’ve quickly discovered there’s a stark difference between the first novel world-building and the second. In the first novel, if you think about it, there is very little fleshing out, just enough for you to get an idea of what’s going on. There are positives and negatives to this, and the negative aspect is what I am exploring now while I’m kicking around ideas.

The positive, without hard rules set in place, is the wiggle room it gives you in subsequent stories. Further, it lets the reader fill in the blanks. Moreover, there’s an element to the storytelling that takes for granted that you should know some things about the sci-fi genre. After all, who’s a stranger to science fiction nowadays? With the premise that no one has their most recent memories, you learn as the characters learn, and it takes away the need to world build. It is a quick read, as it’s plot-driven, unlike my other stories that are character-centric.

The negative to all this is the lack of rules that weaves the first book together. Now, in a sequel picking up a new set of characters, all of this must be explained and presented without boring the reader. Since I’m dealing with a completely different set of circumstances, it’s almost like writing a brand new novel all over again, but picking up the threads of where the last story left off.

So, that’s what I’ve been doing recently, contemplating ideas for a sequel. There are other avenues I’m mulling over, and I’ll be posting about it soon, primarily my main fantasy series. Until next time…

If you enjoyed this content, check out my books, The Bearer of Secrets, and The Demon’s Fate on Amazon. All works are available on Kindle Unlimited, eBook, and print. Reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.

Vol II Update: Coup de maître

Well, here we are again. I’ve got good news. I’ve finished the final readthrough/ word cut/ author’s edit of volume II. It’s been a pretty intense journey along the way. For many, they’ll think a readthrough should be easy, but it’s not. Not only are you reading for content, but you’re also reading for prose, grammar, word choice, repetition, lack of contractions, filler words, possible scenes to cut, the list is near-endless. Whoever said, “I can write a book, too,” obviously has no idea how much work goes into writing.

So, let’s talk brass tax and final numbers. Below is a photo of a timeline I kept while going through my novel. The original WC was a few years back. The rewrite was about nine months to a year ago.

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So, what does this mean for the novel as a whole? Well, more streamlined. Yes, some plot threads dropped/abandoned for now, but I see many of them making their way into later volumes. All in all, it comes to:

67 chapters
16 different POVs
6 epilogues.

Now, it’s just a waiting game. As an indie author, available funds determine whether or not something gets published. So, I’m waiting for Uncle Sam to “gimme back my money.”

Before long, both Volume II and the horror novella–The Dark Portal–will be headed to the editor. I’ll keep you posted on those two and others coming in the near future.

 

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

 

Writing Update–Vol. II: Enter Terminus

It’s been a little while since my last update, but I’ve been so busy that I just haven’t the time. I have reached the home stretch, the endgame, the capper of Vol. II’s word cut/final readthrough. I’ve whittled it down to 264,000 words. I’m up against the clock and the wall on this one. I’ve got eleven more chapters to complete, but these are the ones I worry over the most. I may have to do some rewriting. We’ll see what kind of mess I’m dealing with when I get there.

Vol. II Title: I still don’t have one. I had a long list, but still no promising suitor for the title. I’ve narrowed it down to a few:

Shadowcaster
Mark of the Profane
Usurper
Oathbreaker

I’ll be quite honest, I really do love the title of Usurper–which could mean a number of things within the plot–and it fits in many ways. Oathbreaker is also something that can mirror the main plot and subplot. But given the title of my first book, The Bearer of Secrets, and the title for the next book, which is already selected, Mark of the Profane seems to fit better. What are your thoughts? Which calls out to you?

The Dark Portal–horror novella–is awaiting funds to send to the editor. I plan on going in and tweaking a thing or two, but otherwise, it’s done.

Vol. III–Currently in limbo while I’m cutting swaths through book II.

Other projects/ ideas: I’m kicking several ideas around. Whether they manifest into novels, novellas, or serialized short stories, who knows. I’m toying with some thoughts on a sequel to a particular sci-fi galaxy far away. The great thing about writing in a shared universe is tying all your work together. It’s the drawback, too.

 

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

Volume II: The Halfway Point

I’ve been able to sink my teeth into the book over the past week, reading each chapter line by line. In many ways, it’s like a discovery phase. I’m catching little kernels that I half-remembered putting in. With the loss of my Series Bible–a file that saves all my notes regarding the land of Ermaeyth–this has been invaluable in crafting a new one.

For the moment, I have shifted all my attention to Vol. II, putting aside Vol. III, the novella, and other projects in various early stages. I hit the halfway mark today and have whittled the word count below 275,000, a significant drop from the original 329,000. Don’t worry, the core elements of the story are still there, I just trimmed the fat. Much of what has been cut was either gratuitous exposition or detail, elements that did not advance the plot quickly, readjusted subplots, unnecessary filler words, and believe it or not, contractions. I never realized how many times I didn’t use contractions. I may not have caught them all, but it’s better than before. Just that alone has dramatically reduced the number of words.

Well, the timer is set, and I’ve got to get this done before the tax return comes in. I seem to work better with deadlines. I got The Demon’s Fate out under a tight timetable, so, this will help ensure readers aren’t waiting until the end of the year for something to read. If all goes well, the first release–a horror novella called The Dark Portal–will be out by August or sooner, with Vol. II hot on its heels.

For those of you who are unaware, all novels are tied together in a shared universe, so there’s plenty of time to catch up! I’m out.

If you enjoyed this content and you’re an avid, epic fantasy reader or a sci-fi junkie, check out my books, The Bearer of Secrets and The Demon’s Fate on Amazon. All works are available on Kindle Unlimited, eBook, and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon.

My Rules on Writing

Lately, I’ve been hearing some writers have rules for their novels and writing in general. This got me thinking––what are my rules? Sure, I’ve got some set in the worlds I create, but that isn’t what they are referring to. Someone pointed me in the direction of a Brandon Sanderson lecture where he talks about tone and making promises. I was intrigued, to say the least. Armed with this, I turned inward and mulled over my own list of criteria.

Disclaimer: These rules are for me, what I go by. They may not apply to you. If you see something you like, take it, make it your own. If they don’t, share your own. A side note: this is approached from a pantser/gardener perspective.

Set the tone, get to the point, and slow down––Ambivalence isn’t an enduring trait when setting up a story. Intrigue? Yes. Mystery? Absolutely. You want these elements but not at the expense of toying with your reader. So, get to the point. Set the tone with prose, character action/reactions, dialogue, and setting. Setting plays a vital role. If the story opens up at a church, it gives a stark contrast in tone to an opening in a brothel, a movie theater, or gladiatorial games. Once these two are met, now its time to delve a little deeper, set up the world and characters, and to do this, it’s okay to slow down a bit.
Whittle, chisel, sculpt––Write everything, write it all, even stuff you know you probably won’t need if it will help you as a writer get your head around it. And when it’s done, butcher the hell out of it when editing. If it’s not necessary, carve it out. If it gives some insight to the plot, character, culture, etc., whittle it down to the bare essentials. Use fewer words to get the same meaning across.
Establish one of the following early in the story: physical, cultural, magical, spiritual, or morality (mores)––This ties back into rule one. Give the reader something to latch onto and expand from there. Once they can begin to understand your world, they can feel they’ve become a part of it. Give them something to root for or hate.
Ground your character in a relatable aspect––I’ve talked about this at length before, you can find that blog here. The main categories are money, power, sex, family, knowledge, religion, etc. You can always find more out there. Everyone is motivated by something, find your character’s motivation, and make it the backbone––it’s there, it’s essential, but not the forefront. See rule 3.
Don’t control your characters/story, let them go where they need––Again, this comes from pantsers/gardeners perspective. Adhering to a rigid outline can stifle creativity. For this reason, when I outline, I mark the tentpoles, the big parts that I know I need to hit. The journey from there is just that, a journey. When you are finished with your draft, if you find it meandering too much, see rule 2.
Let it sit––When you finish, put it aside. If it’s the first book, go on to craft an outline or flesh out ideas for your next book and beyond. Go write another story. Whatever you do, don’t go back into your draft and start the next round. You need to approach it with fresh eyes. Six months would be a reasonable amount of time, long enough for you to be knee-deep in another project. Maybe edit one while writing the other.

So, what are your thoughts? Do you have rules? Share this post and your comments down below.

If you enjoyed this content and you’re an avid, epic fantasy reader or a sci-fi junkie, check out my books, The Bearer of Secrets and The Demon’s Fate on Amazon. All works are available on Kindle Unlimited, eBook, and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Reviews: The Mistborn Trilogy

I’ll try to keep this spoiler-free, but the books have been out for fourteen years. So, honestly, it’s your fault.

The Final Empire, book one of the Mistborn Trilogy, is my first introduction to Brandon Sanderson. I started reading this on my Kindle and found myself not enjoying it. The writing lacked the usual prose I am accustomed to from the likes of George R. R. Martain, Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory, Trudi Canavan, etc. I view reading much like wine drinkers, both are pretentious in their niche. I digress.

About that time, I became aware of Audible from Amazon. So, I fired up the free 30-day trial. I downloaded the first book and kicked it off. Either because my brain is too busy or because the narrator was too slow, I found myself bored. Then, I kicked it up to 1.5 speed, and then eventually 2.0. Now, I enjoyed the book. The ease of reading/listening and the PG-13 setting of the world took some time to acclimatize to, but man, the magic system? That has to be original. And that, my friend, makes me think so much higher of Sanderson. I’ve never heard or read anything like that, and in a time lacking originality, I’ve got to say, it’s novel. My favorite characters are Sazed and Vin, followed by Breeze and Lord Renoux, but to be honest, the Lord Ruler, too. He’s always spoken about in an enigmatic way that makes me intrigued. Kelsier was a great character to center the story around. The book is a solid 4 out of 5, but the magic system makes me give it 4.5/5.

The Well of Ascension, book two, had me scratching my head at where Sanderson would go. Kicking it off with all the nobles vying for the throne made it a touch similar to Game of Thrones, but that’s where the connection ends. It didn’t take 4 books + 2 unwritten to flesh out the story, so props there, Mr. Sanderson. I can’t remember the name of the character, but the other Mistborn that Vin is always talking to made it an interesting dynamic. For once, I was rooting for her to go out on her own. The twist at the Well was a nice touch. I always love blindsided twists, but I have to say, I really didn’t like the end with Elend. I thought Brandon should’ve pulled the trigger on that one. And, if I’m honest, it felt a little cheap. 4/5.

The Hero of Ages, book three, made me hate a favored character: Sazed. Of all the characters, I always found him the most fascinating. In this entry, I despised him, so much so that the ending couldn’t really redeem him. However, the dynamic of Ruin in the mix, plus learning secrets about the ingenuity of the Lord Ruler, made it quite satisfying. I enjoyed watching––despite how terrible he was––some redemptive measure to the Lord Ruler. 4/5.

I now own all three audiobooks, and they will definitely get repeat traffic. Your thoughts? Write them below, and let’s talk about Mistborn.

Writing Update–Vol. II: Selecting a Title

Here we are, back again. Who would’ve thought so soon? I think I like this short blog method of posting writing updates. I’ll have to thank Brandon Sanderson if I ever see him. I keep calling the book Vol. II because my working title is no longer the one I will likely choose, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

I’ve whittled down the word count another 5k, so, we’re under 290,000 words. I keep chopping at this tree, but I don’t think it’ll ever topple over. I guess if it did, we wouldn’t have a story. I’m in the teens regarding the number of chapters I’ve combed through. Today, I burned through five of them and stumbled across a segment that I cut outright, a huge chunk of 2,000 words. The segment in question gave a lot of answers to readers, and showed great character depth, but did nothing to advance the plot. So, alas, it had to go. I saved it, of course, and may pull from the section in the future, but it won’t be printed in book two.

On to the title. This is harder than I thought possible. I have titles for all the books I have written or plan to write, except this one. The original title wound close with a part that is no longer prevalent with the subsequent rewrites. For those of you who read my books, I’ll provide a list below and would love to hear your opinion. 

Possible titles for Vol. II:

Shadowcaster

The Second Wizard’s War

Dark Lord Rising

The Darkness Within

Mark of the Profane

Usurper

Revelations

Bloodlust

The Black Tide

A Settling of Debts

Well, I’m off again. Headed back to a fantasy world in a galaxy far, far away…

If you enjoyed this content, want to learn more, or an avid, epic fantasy reader or a sci-fi junkie, check out my books, The Bearer of Secrets and The Demon’s Fate on Amazon. All works are available on Kindle Unlimited, eBook, and print.

 

Writing Update–Volume II, III, & Novella.

I once heard that some authors post updates on their blogs or tweet about the progress for their books. I figure I’ll give it a shot and see how it goes. I also hear that blog posts are supposed to be short––news to me––so I’ll try to be brief. 

Volume II––still untitled at this point––is on the final read-through/author edit before sending it to my editor: J.C. Wing. You can find her webpage here. I’m never one to rush out a project and try my hardest to provide quality writing with as few mistakes as possible. As an indie author on a budget, this means rewriting numerous times and editing a manuscript until my eyes bleed before passing it on. As such, I’m on chapter five of the readthrough and have an average pace of one chapter every two or three days. Alas, the rigors of life and a job keep me from spending more time among the pages. The central premise of this last inspection is to whittle the word count down. I started at 329,000, and I’ve fallen below 295,000 at this point.

Volume III––is in a final mass edit/author rewrite. I am nearing completion. I’ve got about 90% of the revisions done, and about 50% of the final readthrough finished. I may, given time, go back and reread it once complete. This is slated for release in 2021. The current word count is about 215,000.

Novella––The Dark Portal––is awaiting beta reader feedback from a critique group I am a part of. Doling it out one chapter at a time every two weeks takes some time. I am happy with the product and the feedback thus far. One beta reader read it in about two days. The only reason she didn’t read it in one sitting was that she had to get some sleep. Still, it’s great to hear that it’s a page-turner. This novella is a horror/thriller, a departure from my standard sci-fi and grimdark fantasy. Any of you who read volume I of the Dark Legacy series already know there were elements of horror within. The Corridor of Cruelty ring any bells?

Anyways, that’s it. I’m off. Back to editing.

If you enjoyed this content and you’re an avid, epic fantasy reader or a sci-fi junkie, check out my books, The Bearer of Secrets, and The Demon’s Fate on Amazon. All works are available on Kindle Unlimited, eBook, and print.

 

 

The Centenarian

After my short trip to Japan, I turned around and boarded another plane, this one bound for Texas. Luckily, I managed to redeem points for the trip, and expenses were minimal. But what spurred the sudden flight? My grandmother.

I am one of the fortunate folks to be approaching 40 and still have a grandparent. Unfortunately, I missed last year’s festivities due to relocating to Hawaii, and I couldn’t make the trip. But this year, I managed to find a way home.

My grandmother just celebrated 101. Born in 1919, she’s seen it all. Growing up with a horse and buggy, she’s seen the rise of cars, felt the hardships of the Great Depression, endured through WWII, and witnessed landing on the moon. That is a rich life of vast, significant moments in human history. She’s outlived most, and lived in a Golden Age. What’s more, I have another relative who is still going at 105. How do these women do it? I just hope to live beyond the “normal” life expectancy. All I can say is: they don’t make them like they use to.

A Slight Reprieve

I took some time off of writing and work to visit my kids in Japan for 10 days. It was just what I needed, to get away from work and the juggling of multiple writing projects. I went camping with the little ones, cooked over the fire, played miniature golf, went bowling, ate sushi, soba, and authentic mom & pop shop food. Now that I’ve been away for so long,  I see this country in a different light, more romanticized than before. I guess when you are stuck in the mire for long enough, everything seems mundane. Hawaii had the same effect, the honeymoon phase, then came the slog.

While I enjoyed my time here, I’d never want to return to live. Visits are okay, extended periods even, but … that ship has sailed. Soon, my fleeting time with my young ones will come to an end, and I’ll be headed back. I hope I made a lot of great memories for them, having fun times, lots of laughs, and getting to talk me into almost everything. Yeah, even renting a golf cart to putt around in. I doubt a fleeting week of good memories is enough to erase the time I’m not here, but damn, I intend to make it the best damn week until the next time I visit.

Until next time…