Kyle Belote's Blog, page 3

Bloodbane, Maps, and More

…And I’m back! This will be short, so let’s dive right in.

Well, I took a week off, and it came at the right time. In my personal life, I had a major change in the status quo, so I had to take a few days off to … readjust. I think it was for the best. That said, I didn’t sit idly. I worked on a few knickknacks that I like to kick around every once in a while. I fleshed out more of my Brodacci language for volumes VI–VIII. It’ll also help with the prequel I wrote several years ago, which I’m incredibly fond of. Definitely in my top 3 books that I’ve written. I can’t wait to share it, many years down the road. Unfortunately, there’s some spoilers in it for the main series, so it’ll have to wait.

I also drew a map for Maro’s world in the Red Creek series. It’ll be making its debut in Bloodbane, the first sequel. I’ve met a local artist, and I’m working out some of the finer points of the map with her. Who knows where that might end up.

Speaking of maps, I’ll be making a few others. The first is a map of Ralloc, which will be important from vol. VI–VII. I plan to start it today and see how it goes. I’m combing through everything I’ve written so far to see where all the locations are at. Had I known back then that I’d make a map eventually, I would’ve written it all down. Also, I’ll need to make a world map of Ermaeyth. As the series progresses, some folks travel far and wide, so it’ll help for the reader to have an idea of where they’re headed.

In the latest news, I have started working on the final draft of Bloodbane, and to be honest, I’m about 70% done. Each chapter takes a bit of time, much longer than I’m used to taking, but this is the real hard edit where I look at repetition, adverb usage, sentence structure and variation, and grammar. This draft, like the first draft, is quite time consuming, and I honestly can’t say what takes longer—though probably the first draft, depending on the book length. Anyway, I’ve got three chapters left and an epilogue. Should be finished this week, so long as I don’t get distracted.

If any of you follow my Patreon, then you know I’ve picked up writing Vol. VII. It’s slow going, for now, but it’s been a while since I’ve stretched my creative writing muscles. They should be well-rested after editing for so long, but it also takes a while to get back into the swing of things. Being a pantser/gardener takes a bit to get the mojo flowing. I might periodically post here about updates, but they won’t be as much as the other volumes, though Patreon does get the vast majority of updates.

If you enjoyed this content and want more or to support the cause, follow me on Patreon! If you want to read my works, check out my books on Amazon. All are available in eBook and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon. I shall return…

Final Writing Update | Vol. VI | Draft 2.99

…And I’m back! This will be short, so let’s dive right in.

Well, a little over a month, and Vol. VI has a finished second draft. It was a beast to get through at times, but I still cling to my earlier assessments that it’s my favorite in the series. In a way, there are elements of each of my books where I’m like, “Oh, that’s my favorite part,” but on the whole, this book really resonates with me, primarily because I’m at the point where questions are finally being answered, and I’m happy to give them. That’s not to say there aren’t answers in the other books, because they’re there, but you won’t realize it until the series is complete. I’ll give you a hint: almost everything you need to know, the questions and answers, is in book 1, you just don’t know it yet. True, they’re masked quite well. Let me put it another way … Vol. I shows you the answers, but you don’t quite have the question formed. That’s all I’ll say about it.

Now, a little side tangent to articulate my next point. We’ll talk Marvel. Can you imagine what it’d be like if the first Marvel movie had been Avengers? No Thor—whom I greatly enjoy, Captain America, or Iron Man movies, just jump right in? You’d say, “this movie is crowded, who are these people?” There’d be no origin story, no introduction, just Nick Fury assembling them. We wouldn’t care if Agent Coulson died. Well, that’s how I approach the latter half of this series, but in a different way.

If you’ve been reading my blogs, you know that I love villains. You can’t have a decent hero without a great villain. Without a phenomenal villain, your hero isn’t that great. Well, that’s volumes VI – VII. They’re three Avengers movies back-to-back and stacked with villains and antagonists—some of them turn out to be protagonists, or at the very least, someone you root for. By rough count, I have ten of them running around, all thinking themselves as center of the world. By the time you reach this book, you’ll have been introduced to them all.

Well, let’s get into the final numbers and talk about ’em.

Prologue: 1 / 1Chapters: 58 / 58Epilogues: 7 / 7Total Words: 285,646 / 291,435Percentage Done: 100%1st Draft: 265,607

I would like to point out the discrepancy in the numbers. The story, the chapters and epilogues, are the first number. That’s the final tally. The second, larger number, is including all my notes, ideas, and reminders that are attached to the document as a whole—this also includes dedications, epigraphs, about the author, back jacket blurb, etc. Just wanted to address the elephant in the room.

With this draft done and out of the way, what’s next? A break! I’m feeling the burnout. Since mid-December, I’ve worked on volumes IV–VII, and the fourth draft of the sequel to Red Creek. By a rough estimate, that’s about 600,000 words in three months. Once I take a break/ shift gears, I’m headed back to Maro’s world and finishing the 5th draft of Bloodbane. The first and fifth drafts are the most labor-intensive, the first is a word-vomit to get the story down, and the last is making it polished before it goes to the editor, which is a little over two months away. I’d rather have it ready to go than sit on my hands and wait to the last minute.

After Bloodbane, I’m either going to go into volume VII and finishing the first draft, or headed to The Demon’s Fate sequel and hitting the third draft there. As side note, I’ve noticed thoughts about Vol. VIII have been creeping into my head, and that’s a subtle sign to me to ‘get on with the show.’ The quicker I get to the first draft, the more time I’ll have to dissect it, figure out what works and what doesn’t, and find a suitable ending. It won’t be happy, it won’t be sad, but it will be poignant, bitter-sweet, and hopefully echo long after the book is put back on the shelf.

If you enjoyed this content and want more or to support the cause, follow me on Patreon! If you want to read my works, check out my books on Amazon. All are available in eBook and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon. I shall return…

Writing Update | Vol. VI | Draft 2.9

…And I’m back! This will be short, so let’s dive right in.

As mentioned in the previous blog, this go-around, I’m tackling the main character of the series—if I were to have one. With twelve chapters and an epilogue, she’s got a heft chunk of the book. Since she’s exploring different aspects of her journey, and answers are being revealed, I had to make sure I spent an appropriate amount of words for her story. It’s not necessarily the word count that matters, but what those words reveal. That being said, I’m not done yet. I’ve got three more chapters to get through and an epilogue.

One thing I’ve enjoyed about this part of the story—besides answering nagging questions that might’ve started in book one—is delving into a different culture, primarily the language. Since she’s in another part of the planet, in a place that doesn’t necessarily like Rallocans, she has to remain hidden. So, one way to explore this place is through language. Anyone who’s ever tried to create their own language knows how hard it is. Words, and even language rules, are often taken for granted, until you’ve got to make up your own. Even if you mirror your primary language, it’s still a pain.

There was another story I’ve written a few years ago, a prequel to an offshoot character that’s mentioned in volume IV & VI. She, too, spends a significant portion of her story on the same side of the world, just a different continent. The common thread between the two is the language, and while I fleshed out Brodacci (pronounced Bro-dah-chee) for her story, I find it lacking for the context in which this story unfolds. So, here I am, making up more words for a language that readers will probably squint their eyes at and wonder what the hell I’m trying to say. Be that as it may, it helps with the immersiveness of the story, and that’s what I strive for.

For an example, I’ll give you words for brimstone, an essential part of the story: “Rohg’heras.” Rohg is the word for ‘god’ in their language. Heras by itself means ‘stone.’ Since they don’t have a direct translation to brimstone, they say god-stone. Since I’m mirroring the English language with rules and the like, my apostrophe acts as a hyphen. Another series of words that has no literal translation is: “Xol’rohg dul en heras.” Xol means ‘master,’ but coupled with rohg, it means master-god. Dul translates to ‘under’, en is ‘the’, and we already know heras. So, the ‘master-god below the stone’ is how Lord of the Underworld translates to Brodacci. Well, this is what happens when writers delve too deep to play in the worlds they create.

I’ve prattled on enough, and you might be glassy-eyed by now. I’ve got to get back to work. Here’s the latest update….

Prologue: 1 / 1Chapters: 48 / 58Epilogues: 4 / 7Total Words: 245,101 / 286,941Percentage Done: 85.41%1st Draft: 265,607

If you enjoyed this content and want more or to support the cause, follow me on Patreon! If you want to read my works, check out my books on Amazon. All are available in eBook and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon. I shall return…

Writing Update | Vol VI. | Draft 2.8

…And I’m back! This won’t be quite as short, so let’s dive right in.

For the latest round of edits, I turned to my assassin storyline, which starts in Vol. IV. Since this is such a robust segment of the book, perhaps overwritten, my goal’s to whittle. Since their storyline for Vol. VII is already written, I know that one has a much more robust storyline, almost 100K words. Once I get to that one, there’ll be lots to cuts. But back to Vol. VI … I once expressed the theme of relationships in an early blog, and this storyline is no exception. It really is surprising the subliminal messages in books, especially unplanned ones.

With my assassins, they’re continuing the quest they started at the tail end of book IV, searching for who’s responsible for the trafficking and slave trade in Ermaeyth and dispatching them. While a noble goal, an organization that spans the globe and moves people here or there must be a large and powerful entity. Unfortunately, they’re in over their heads, which culminates later. For now, they’ve got a new place to explore, a different culture to clash with, and antagonists to overcome.

With this round of editing, I faced a dilemma. Late in the book, there’s a semi-detailed sex scene between an assassin and the target. While this happens, the assassin is trying to figure out a way to kill her quarry. The scene unfolds, and you really get a sense of her panic, her uncertainty, and how she works out the best way to eleminate him. In the end, I decided to cut it, and give a more truncated version on the page while getting to the point. The elements are still there, the start of it, at least, but reworking it allows for the climatic moment (no pun intended) to come much sooner (pun also not intended). There’s a time and place for everything, and I often overwrite in my early drafts, but in this instance, I think less is more. Can’t say the same for Vol. VII though.

I’m the type of writer who enjoys the challenge of writing such scenes, and I’m the kind of reader who doesn’t mind reading sex, so long as it’s well-written and serves a broader purpose besides tits on the page. I believe in every scene, there’s a chance to show the reader the character, or a new aspect of them, and the same could be said for sex scenes. Are they necessary? No, not really, no more necessary than me telling you how she kills the dude. I guess you can imagine that part, but where’s the fun in that? It’s a story, and you want to get lost in the characters, lost in their lives, and for one brief moment, you want to escape the world and head out to another place. Well … that’s how I view reading and writing. Maybe you have a different opinion. So, when two people fight, or fall in love, or discover something new, I want to live it, too. In my book on writing, I said something similar, and I’ll paraphrase here: ‘These characters are people, who’ve lived, breathed, and died, they have a history, and in the story, we’re glimpsing mere moments of their lives.’ I want my glance, and the one I offer to readers, to be as robust as possible.

But I did say there were two assassins. The other one, her master, was first introduced in Vol. III: The Jackal of Shades. He’s a tortured soul with a deeper and darker history than what we first realize. With slow care, some elements are hinted at in this story, with more of the truth coming out in VII. There’s a reason he is the way he is, and he tries his damndest to make sure his apprentice has a better life than the one he had. This book is a massive, internal challenge for him. He has to fight two sides of himself, the professional in him, and the personal. Nothing about their lives is easy, and when you had elements of the heart and get entangled, things end up messy.

So, what’s next on the agenda? Well, I only have the main character left with a few other one-off chapters, so, I’ll be headed to Starriace’s storyline. There’s a lot of moving parts in this one, and she’s got twelve chapters, more than anyone, and since we’re hitting this part of the series, it’s high time. The second half of her story is a bit lean, almost just the bones, but there’ll be a lot of fleshing out on this go-round, so I expect the word count to climb again. Updates may be few and far between in the meantime, just depends on how much writing gets done.

Well, I’ve rambled long enough. Let’s get to the update:

Prologue: 1 / 1Chapters: 39 / 58Epilogues: 4 / 7Total Words: 200,080 / 279,772Percentage Done: 71.51%1st Draft: 265,607

If you enjoyed this content and want more or to support the cause, follow me on Patreon! If you want to read my works, check out my books on Amazon. All are available in eBook and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon. I shall return…

Writing Update | Vol VI. | Draft 2.7

…And I’m back! This will be short, so let’s dive right in.

As you know from my previous posts, I spent a good deal of time with the Krey and a character that’s with them. On this next outing, I decided to edit the antithesis of them, since a lot of the times, they go hand-in-hand: the generals (spelled jyneruls) of the Grand Royal Army. In Volume IV, I introduced them as readable POVs, all five of them, and it gave great insight to what’s happening in the Ralloc, the capital. It’s almost like reading a bad guy POV, but they’re not bad people, just antagonists to each other.

For Vol. VI, I went a different route, focusing on just two for the POVs, the highest ranking, and a lower ranking general. Both of these men are vastly different from one another, and they have different motivations that drive their narrative and shapes their choices, especially with so many lives in the balance. Let’s talk a little about each, and see where their story takes them.

The first is Master Jynerul Alban Mecas. For those of you who’ve read my works, you will notice the significance of his last name. Alban is an older gentleman, mid fifties (in earth years), born in the month of the Fox. He’s waited a long time for the highest rank in the army, and now that it’s his, he’s worried what will happen if he dies. While those under him are competent, he does see the flaws in them, and it makes him walk a fine line between following orders and insubordination. Without a wife or family, his instinct is to protect Ralloc and its citizens. Since the end of Vol. II, Ralloc has been transformed from a republic to a tyrannical autocracy, ruled by one person or another. His motivation is freedom, to return to a full republic once again, yet his hold on the army is closer to their current ruler than a group effort.

The second is Leftenaunt Jynerul Dillon “Wally” Tyku. Again, some of you may recognize the name from a prominent family. Dillon is a young man for his rank, having quickly ascended due to Warlock Lakayre’s involvement in book one. He’s thirty-two (in earth years), and born in the month of Fervor—which lends to his brusque demeanor, his less-than-courteous conversational skills, and his FAFO attitude. In short, a hot head at times, but an honest one. He’s long been a bachelor, but now he’s married to a younger woman, and his priorities have shifted. Well aware of how close death lurks with their newest tyrant, a large part of his desire is just surviving each day to make it home to his wife, and these two, his wife and survivng, go hand in hand. However, much of his motivation is cornered in wanting to be remembered long after he’s gone, so he’s got a lot to prove.

With these two leading the charge in POVs from the opposite side, it’s important to make sure their storylines matched against their antagonists. Both sides aren’t evil, just on opposite ends of a brewing confrontation, and now, it’s coming to a head. In many ways, the series has been building up to this all-out war, and the opening volleys have now been launched. I hope, when the time comes, you eagerly devour this storyline.

Alright, enough brattling. Here’s the update you’re here for…

Prologue: 0 / 1Chapters: 31 / 58Epilogues: 3 / 7Total Words: 155,189 / 282,407Percentage Done: 54.95%1st Draft: 265,607

If you enjoyed this content and want more or to support the cause, follow me on Patreon! If you want to read my works, check out my books on Amazon. All are available in eBook and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon. I shall return…

Meet The Madman | Local Author Showcase

…And I’m back! This will be short, so let’s dive right in.

I’ve never done an official meet and greet as an author, but I think after twenty-two years of writing, I’ll be scratching it off the bucket list. I’ve joined a local Shut-Up and Write writing group, just to get a little socializing in. They don’t believe much in shutting up, or starting on time for that matter, and I’ve never been able to write worth a damn in public, but like I said, I’m there mainly for the socialization, before and after the shutting up part.

Anyway, I was told about an upcoming event by one of the other local writers, and I reached out to them. They sent me an application, and I returned it. A few days later, they emailed to say I was selected. Now, I can take as many books as I want there, but I can only talk about one for 15 minutes and answer questions, if they have any. I haven’t had to off-the-cuff speak about writing in a while, but it is a subject I can speak about in great depth with little to no time to prepare. You have no idea the amount of family members I’ve bored to tears by talking about writing. I digress.

The event is in May, in the San Antonio, Texas area (or nearby), and I’m looking forward to it. I’ve got some time to prepare, so we’ll see how it goes. I’ll be taking my first three volumes of the Dark Legacy Series, and I’ll be taking Red Creek, the latter of which I’ll be presenting. Good news! About that same time, the sequel to Red Creek will be on the editors desk. So, lots of moving parts that are coming together nicely. I’m looking forward to it.

If you enjoyed this content and want more or to support the cause, follow me on Patreon! If you want to read my works, check out my books on Amazon. All are available in eBook and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon. I shall return…

Meet The Mad Man | Local Author Showcase

…And I’m back! This will be short, so let’s dive right in.

I’ve never done an official meet and greet as an author, but I think after twenty-two years of writing, I’ll be scratching it off the bucket list. I’ve joined a local Shut-Up and Write writing group, just to get a little socializing in. They don’t believe much in shutting up, or starting on time for that matter, and I’ve never been able to write worth a damn in public, but like I said, I’m there mainly for the socialization, before and after the shutting up part.

Anyway, I was told about an upcoming event by one of the other local writers, and I reached out to them. They sent me an application, and I returned it. A few days later, they emailed to say I was selected. Now, I can take as many books as I want there, but I can only talk about one for 15 minutes and answer questions, if they have any. I haven’t had to off-the-cuff speak about writing in a while, but it is a subject I can speak about in great depth with little to no time to prepare. You have no idea the amount of family members I’ve bored to tears by talking about writing. I digress.

The event is in May, in the San Antonio, Texas area (or nearby), and I’m looking forward to it. I’ve got some time to prepare, so we’ll see how it goes. I’ll be taking my first three volumes of the Dark Legacy Series, and I’ll be taking Red Creek, the latter of which I’ll be presenting. Good news! About that same time, the sequel to Red Creek will be on the editors desk. So, lots of moving parts that are coming together nicely. I’m looking forward to it.

If you enjoyed this content and want more or to support the cause, follow me on Patreon! If you want to read my works, check out my books on Amazon. All are available in eBook and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon. I shall return…

Writing Update | Vol. VI | Draft 2.6

…And I’m back! This will be short, so let’s dive right in.

Well, mark another character done. This one actually took me a bit to get through. The blogs you read are a little delayed from where I really am in the editing process, no more than a day or two. This character only had five chapters, but they were monsters. A lot is happening in her latter four. Let’s take a look at this update from the last one.

Her five chapters have a combined word count of just over 38,000, about thirteen percent of the book, and the average word count of each chapter is about 7,600. Of course, this is misleading as I know one chapter has quite a bit less. I digress. As a prominent character moving forward, and much of Vol. VII to be done through her eyes, I had to make sure her chapters land her deep in the heart of the story, where she starts to blossom into who she’s meant to be. I like to think I craft my characters to be unique, and I’ve got to say, while she might have elements of other characters—those around her—I’ve never created one quite like her.

When it comes to characters, I try to give them one essential motivation (sometimes more) that propels them forward in everything they do, every choice made, be it money, power, fame, freedom, revenge, etc. She, however, is motivated by guilt, and that driving narrative shapes her choices and actions, as well as feed into her doubts. This character is a Krey, yet, she hasn’t been raise among them. For those of you who may not know, the Krey are a community of bloodlusters/ beserkers. They’re segregated from society, shipped off to their commune in the mountains. So, you’ve got a small city of 5,000 people, all ostracized, exiled, and looked upon as disease-ridden filth. It’s a great place to breed resentment. Oh, and they’re forced into indentured servitude as an arm of the Grand Royal Army. They’re the first in, and they’re expected to die.

Alright, enough chatter. I’ve got chapters to edit, and you’re here for the update:

Prologue: 0 / 1Chapters: 26 / 58Epilogues: 3 / 7Total Words: 128,611 / 277,938Percentage Done: 46.27%1st Draft: 265,607

If you enjoyed this content and want more or to support the cause, follow me on Patreon! If you want to read my works, check out my books on Amazon. All are available in eBook and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon. I shall return…

Writing Update | Vol. VI | Draft 2.5

…And I’m back! This will be short, so let’s dive right in.

At this rate, I might run out of numbers before we reach nine. Well, the main story of the Krey is finished, all the main chapters at the Hive. I got through this segment pretty quick, too. I’ve noticed a few things continuity-wise that I didn’t when writing the first draft. Those have now been fixed. One thing I did add to this run through is a plot twist on a plot twist. It just came to me as I was writing, and I thought, “Oh, that’s good. That’ll take them by surprise.” So, I did relish adding that nasty surprise in there.

A reoccurring theme I’ve noticed throughout the book, one brought on without conscious thought, is relationships, both interpersonal and romantic. It’s nice to see a difference in this book compared to another one, where I highlighted a terrible one. Like George Lucas said, “It’s like poetry, it rhymes.” But, in all honesty, it wasn’t intended, wasn’t something I set out to do.

The next character I’ll be working on is another one introduced in Vol. III, and who plays a prominent role in Vol. V. She’s also with the Krey, her chapters interlaced with them, so it only makes sense I tackle those next, especially with the story fresh in my head. That said, you’re here for the update, so let’s get to it:

Prologue: 0 / 1Chapters: 21 / 58Epilogues: 2 / 7Total Words: 90,514 / 276,338Percentage Done: 32.75%1st Draft: 265,607

If you enjoyed this content and want more or to support the cause, follow me on Patreon! If you want to read my works, check out my books on Amazon. All are available in eBook and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon. I shall return…

Writing Update | Vol. VI | Draft 2.4

…And I’m back! This will be short, so let’s dive right in.

Well, I had a hard time choosing my next storyline to write. In truth, from here on out—minus a few random chapters—multiple characters interlace into one story narrative, and big ones at that. That said, all are equally important. I thought about tackling the main character’s plot—if you can call her a main character, as she’s one of many protagonists—but I decided to slip into the Krey storyline and dig in there. It’s going to be a large chunk of the novel, since there’s a lot of moving parts and characters clustered within. What’s important is the overall drive of the plot and making sure it’s cohesive and readable.

The Krey, since they were introduced, have always been a favorite to visit, as they’re vastly different from everything else. They have their own society, mores, and culture, what’s acceptable and what’s not. They’re no nonsense, very blunt and direct, like myself, so I always like that aspect. I’ve often found their journey to be quite engaging, and since I love them so much, I like to share it with my readers. But not everyone likes the Krey, which is a shame, but understandable. One thing I hope readers understand is that while these storylines may seem to be going in opposite directions, they’re very much headed to the same destination, and as I draw ever closer to the end of the series, it’s imperative to make their poignant journey end in a climatic, brutal, and unflinching way, just as they Krey were always meant to be. If you’ve read my works, tell me who is your favorite Krey by dropping a comment below.

Here’s a snapshot of where I’m at, about halfway through the storyline.

Prologue: 0 / 1Chapters: 17 / 58Epilogues: 2 / 7Total Words: 74,664 / 274,678Percentage Done: 27.18%1st Draft: 265,607

If you enjoyed this content and want more or to support the cause, follow me on Patreon! If you want to read my works, check out my books on Amazon. All are available in eBook and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon. I shall return…