Kyle Belote's Blog

Bloodbane | The Publishing Gauntlet

ATAR | TEPRESS GUILD HOUSE
MARO TO HORACE AND DRALLUS
Body on the floor, blood pooling, coins on the counter, wanted poster in hand.
Just another day in the guild.

Bloodbane hasn’t had much time to cool since coming back from the editor, but I’ve already started digging into the notes. Yesterday was a comb-through—accepting the right changes, rejecting what didn’t sit well, and making sure nothing slipped past either of us.

It’s reassuring when there aren’t many edits, but that comes with its own anxiety: Did we miss something? So, I’ll be going over it again, slower this time. This final pass will take at least a week, maybe more. I want it polished—clean, tight, faultless, and bleeding in the right places.

And this is for a novella! Imagine one of my Dark Legacy tomes!

Next on the docket: filing with the copyright office, formatting the interior, and making sure the cover fits the specs. These steps are deceptively tedious. One margin off, one setting wrong, and you’re back to square one. Then, comes the proof copy—the moment of truth when you see if all your hours translated into a clean, physical book.

There’s more to releasing a book than most imagine. Writing is its own grind—an endless loop of drafting, doubting, editing, doubting, shelving, doubting, reviving, doubting. The wheel never stops… until, finally, it does.

And that’s when the real work begins.

That’s all I got for this round—short, sharp, and sweet. I shall return…

View more on Kyle Belote's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 17, 2025 06:00

Bloodbane | Hot From the Editor

ATAR | TEPRESS GUILD HOUSE
MARO TO HORACE AND DRALLUS
“He brought a shovel with him… said he’d bury me should I die. He seem to be the generous type?”

Bloodbane, Maro’s second story, just came back from the editor. I haven’t cracked it open yet, but it’s next on the list—and it takes priority.

From here, it’s a balancing act: final edits on Bloodbane while pushing into the next round of Decimation Protocol. Target release? Late July or early August. That gives me room to finish strong and handle backend chaos.

Progress has been slow. Life’s loud. Work’s louder. But the stories don’t stop—they just wait for the right moment to strike. And I’m looking for mine…

That’s all I got for this round—short, sharp, and sweet. I shall return…

View more on Kyle Belote's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 10, 2025 05:38

Writing Update | WMS: B2 | Draft 4.5

INTERNAL LOG | ERROR CODE
SYSTEM REBOOT IN PROGRESS…
Going off-line
System integrity compromised. Mission parameters unrecoverable. I am… I was… Synthetic Emma.

This week’s been a trainwreck—and not the slow-moving kind—so let’s dive in.

Despite the chaos, I managed to get a few chapters edited in WMS: B2: Decimation Protocol. So, by chapter count, we’re now at the 50% mark. I’ll be adding a scene or two in the latter half of the book—imperative to plot cohesion, smoothing over connective tissue.

Here’s the update:

Prologue: 0 / 1Chapters: 20 / 40Epilogues: 0 / 1Current Word Count: 115,824 (Different word count for Scrivener)Staring Word Count: 122,293

In other news, I’ve been crafting a character for another story—already discussed—and wrote the first five chapters, adding flesh to bones, and breathing a little life into it. This is just to see how it shapes up and if it can walk.

What I enjoy about this project is the challenge of a nonlinear story, fractured by memories, events, or triggers for the MC, while still making sense. If I do it right, it’ll snap into place at the end for the reader, and they’l go, “Oh! Now, I get it!” And if not, it’ll be beautifully chaotic.

Either way, I’m still writing and editing…

That’s all I got for this round—short, sharp, and sweet. I shall return…

View more on Kyle Belote's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 06, 2025 06:00

Voices of the Dire Universe | Audiobook Chronicles | Part 1

LORE ARCHIVE | ATAR
THE BOOK OF PROVIDENCE | THE SACRAL COMPENDIUM
True wisdom comes from the ability to understand how wrong you might be.

It’s been a hot minute since I teased this, so here’s part one.

I’ve started building my own recording booth. Audiobooks are officially in the works for some of my titles—specifically Flawed to the Core and the Maro Prakk novellas. I’m testing voices, tone, and pace as I begin discovering Maro from the inside out.

The booth itself is a DIY project. I built a 4×8 plywood box—simple, solid, functional. Since I’m not planning on getting any taller, I lopped off the top two feet to make the roof. It stands six feet tall now, just enough to work without wasting space or material.

It’s not finished. I still need a few key pieces—boom arm, proper mic stand, upgraded headphones—but it’s coming along.

The overarching function of this booth—beyond capturing clean, quality audio—is its teardown capability. It’s built to come apart with ease and reassemble just as quickly. Moves are inevitable, and when they happen, this booth will go with me, no damage, no drama.

This will be a multi-part series: the evolution of the space, the process of finding character voices, and the raw reality of trying to embody your own work.

More to follow. For now—Maro waits. I shall return…

View more on Kyle Belote's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 03, 2025 06:00

Voice of the Dire Universe | Audiobook Chronicles | Part 1

LORE ARCHIVE | ATAR
THE BOOK OF PROVIDENCE | THE SACRAL COMPENDIUM
True wisdom comes from the ability to understand how wrong you might be.

It’s been a hot minute since I teased this, so here’s part one.

I’ve started building my own recording booth. Audiobooks are officially in the works for some of my titles—specifically Flawed to the Core and the Maro Prakk novellas. I’m testing voices, tone, and pace as I begin discovering Maro from the inside out.

The booth itself is a DIY project. I built a 4×8 plywood box—simple, solid, functional. Since I’m not planning on getting any taller, I lopped off the top two feet to make the roof. It stands six feet tall now, just enough to work without wasting space or material.

It’s not finished. I still need a few key pieces—boom arm, proper mic stand, upgraded headphones—but it’s coming along.

The overarching function of this booth—beyond capturing clean, quality audio—is its teardown capability. It’s built to come apart with ease and reassemble just as quickly. Moves are inevitable, and when they happen, this booth will go with me, no damage, no drama.

This will be a multi-part series: the evolution of the space, the process of finding character voices, and the raw reality of trying to embody your own work.

More to follow. For now—Maro waits. I shall return…

View more on Kyle Belote's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 03, 2025 06:00

Update from the Dire Universe

ATAR | WANTED POSTER
Wanted for crimes of theft, cheating, illegal dueling, murder…
Two hundred crowns dead, three hundred alive.

It’s been a week, and there’s movement on the back end.

Maro 2 is officially in the editor’s hands. Jon’s always been a pleasure to work with, so I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of polish he brings to the draft. It’s out of my hands—for now.

Meanwhile, progress continues on the sequel to The Demon’s Fate. Still slow. Still moving. I’ve been a little distracted lately … and here’s why:

Sometimes I get these sharp, cinematic flashes—almost like storyboards or comic panels. When that kind of vision hits, I’ve learned not to ignore it. I’ve been chasing one lately. There’s a new character, a new setting, and something about her won’t let go. I’ve drafted two rough chapters just to get under the skin of it. No promises, but it might evolve into a side project alongside my edits.

Another side venture took a brief pause this week, but I’ll be back on it this weekend. It needs a more hands-on approach. More to come on that front.

That’s all I got for this round—short, sharp, and sweet. I shall return…

View more on Kyle Belote's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 30, 2025 06:27

Writing Update | WMS: B2 | Draft 4.25

**INTERCEPTED ENCRYPTED TRANSMISSION**
FROM: WARMASTER VELARIA ‘VARA’ HESSNER | RECIPIENT: CHIEF REGENT ANDREA HESSNER
Classification: Secret | Discretion | Level 5 |
Admiralty Eyes Only.

Time for a SITREP on Decimation Protocol, book two of my military sci-fi fantasy, the Warmaster Series.

This draft has been a little slow getting its legs, but I’m making steady progress. There’s a lot of moving parts behind the scenes, so it hasn’t gotten the TLC the fantasy series enjoyed for a long stretch, but such is life.

Let’s get down to the update and talk shop:

Prologue: 0 / 1Chapters: 11 / 40Epilogues: 0 / 1Current Word Count: 116,525 (Scrivener software)Staring Word Count: 122,293 (WriteItNow software)

Why such a huge gap in the word count? Did I cut so much? Actually, no. I’ve been adding to the story while doing a lot of clean up, delivering sharper prose, punchier dialogue, deeper internal thoughts. Each chapter has come away with more words than previous iterations.

These are two different writing platforms, and they count their words differently. The way I see it: it’ll cost less to go to the editor, but it’ll still be an awesome story either way.

Near the event horizon, I’ve been kicking around ideas for the next book in the series and beyond. No way another seven years passes before the next sequel. With the Dark Legacy Series as the heavyweight, I want something equally massive—but stellar in its own right. Yeah, I went there.

Going into this weekend, I’m hoping to finish up on a side project and dipping my toes into dry runs. More to follow.

Though I’ve navigated away from my fantasy series, it’s still prominently on my mind, and every once in a while, I’ll tinker with something. Good news is that I have it all in Scrivener now, so when I pick it back up, everything’s ready to go.

Well, that’s the latest transmission from the Admiralty. Short and sweet. I shall return…

View more on Kyle Belote's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 23, 2025 06:37

Updates | The Dire Universe

LORE ARCHIVE | ATAR
THE BOOK OF CANDOR | THE SACRAL COMPENDIUM
People who espouse their beliefs and preach their convictions are rarely the first to follow their own wisdom.

A lot’s happened since the last post—time to break it down.

My writing software of over ten years has finally started breaking down. I reached out to the creator—retired. No bug fixes, no patches, no future. So, with an agonizing groan, I made the jump to Scrivener. Now begins the migration: every finished book, half-draft, loose note, and haunted whisper of a scene must be moved over. It’s a long, slow death—

(ahem) I mean, process. I’m halfway through.

In other news, I’ve completed the Brodacci language for my fantasy series. As the story grew, so did the need for consistent terms. So, I got serious. The result: a 30-page document with a full phonetic table and a working dictionary.

That may seem short, but these are building blocks—I can generate any word I need from here. Eventually, I’ll convert it into a spreadsheet for easier tracking. That’ll be another long, drawn-out process.

Common tongue: I see the Matter Brimstone.
Brodacci: Wagi vena en murah rohg’heras.

I kept the structure English for now—word for word. If you’re interested in a deep dive on building a fantasy language, let me know in the comments.

I’ve also decided to record my own audiobooks—especially after pricing out Red Creek. For a fraction of the cost, I can build and equip my own studio. Expect a blog or two about it.

Now it’s just about finding the right software and learning on the fly. I don’t do anything half-assed. If the quality’s not there, I won’t release it—or I’ll redo it until it is.

I’m not a perfectionist. I’m a rightist. Do it right the first time—or don’t do it at all.

On the writing front, I’ve switched over to the sci-fi universe. I’m currently on draft 4 of The Demon’s Fate sequel. I’ll publish check-ins every ten chapters, and since there’s 40 chapters, expect 4 updates.

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

View more on Kyle Belote's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 20, 2025 06:04

Writing Update | Vol. VII | Draft 1.0

FROM: AMIRAH, ORACLE TO THE ORACOGNOMANCERS
TO: PERONIOUS DEXLOUS, SON OF MAGNUS
“I know not the purpose of the Time Warden’s meddling, but she twists events and changes outcomes.”

Well, I’m definitely tired after this one—and with damn good reason.

So, it’s here, Vol. VII has a first draft. I will caveat that by saying two chapters for minor characters remain unfinished, just closing out the chapter. The meat of their entry is done. But I’m feeling the burnout, and I’ve been writing long enough to know that my tank is empty, and it’s time to pivot.

So, the first time I started working on this in earnest was March 12th, or at least, that’s where the initial post on Patreon started with the tracker. And the official end date for writing is 5/8/25. Just felt like writing that in stone somewhere. Let’s take a quick look at the final product.

Prologue: 1 / 1Chapters: 55Epilogues: 1/1Word Count: 265,692Starting Word Count: 174,900Main POVs: 4Minor POVs: 5

I’m sure the first thing you noticed—if you’ve read my other DLS books—is the epilogues. I’m notorious for writing several. This one’s different. Just one. And it hits hard.

This book’s a milestone as it’s the second-to-last entry in the series. Without a second draft, it’s near the threshold of Vol. VI word count, which sits pretty at 285,646. After a few more drafts, it could easily surpass it, and you can always add more to war, magic, betrayal, and reckoning.

Vol. VII is darker, quieter, and heavier than some previous tones. For those who liked Vol. III, The Jackal of Shades, this might tickle you just right. The focus is on legacy, moral rot, and the limits of loyalty, whether to follow blindly or step out on your own. That said, if Vol. VI was the thunder, Vol VII is the strike that ignites the forest.

Anyone whose picked up my works know that I love deep character dives, what makes people tick, the decisions they make, and the ramifications that follow. This entry is not different. A particular note is one relationship in this story is at its most intimate, and yet, at its most dangerous. Moving beyond that, this story explores power and consequence, everyone’s broken, dangerous, and no one’s clean.

A spotlight in this tome is lore expansion. Readers will get a deeper glimpse of the brimstones and their mythos. Also, here, near the end, we start to see the fray of other things that have massive implications. Not to give anything away, but what happens when gods go silent or don’t have all the answers?

The visual and emotional aesthetic leans into the grief-soaked, surreal tone. It’s not the calm before the storm, they’re in the brunt of it, and this one’s got no peaceful eye in the center. The world will be forever changed, and faith in institutions has fractured beyond all repair.

During the writing of this book, I’ve had a running tab labeled ‘live or die.’ I’ve never done that before. Deaths have always serviced the plot time and time again, but as we draw to a close, I have to think of the larger narrative. This is war, and not everyone gets to live; this is grimdark, and happy endings don’t exist; this is the Dark Legacy series, and it resonates long after the last page. Sometimes, I want readers to think, “If only…”

Late in the game during the drafting of this monster, I changed a pivotal plotline, altering the course. I’m happy with that decision. It kept the focus on where it needed to be and humanized two characters far better than anything I could’ve done. One character in particular, readers will get a deeper understanding of him, and they’ll have to reevaluate everything they knew about him.

One last tidbit before I pivot, the story returns to a place visited long ago in Vol. II. The story necessitated this, and I knew it when I started writing, but I saved it for the end—of the writing journey, not the story. This is a breadcrumb, and we’re returning for the meal.

What do I know going in for the second draft? Well, bolts will need to be tightened, character voice and internal dialogue will need to sing, and I need to find a way to drop more lore in. While writing this book, I spent a lot of time brainstorming an element that dropped off in book two. Most will consider it an aside, but with a few well-placed sentences of dialogue, it brings it roaring back to the forefront. Now, I will need to make it more immersive.

But that also means, I need to go back into Vol IV and VI, and hint at it more. I love trying to find ways of dropping breadcrumbs into the writing. It’s on the re-reads that people go, “Oh! He signaled that all the way back here?” I try to be subtle with my writing, so subtle that a lot of people don’t realize some of the answers are in Vol. I, they just don’t know it yet, because they haven’t been asking the right questions.

Well, that closes the chapter here, and now, it’s warp speed ahead with a hard pivot into the sci-fi universe with Decimation Protocol. Hopefully, I won’t linger too long in the deep of space. After that, back to Maro 3 for its third draft.

View more on Kyle Belote's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 09, 2025 06:33

Writing Update | Vol. VII | Draft 0.8

LOCATION: UNDERWORLD | HALL OF ECHOES
SUBJECT 467,338,713,285,020
“We’re all evil, a standard set by morals of the weakest. The gods set our nature, and we toil in the dirt as less than them.”

Alright, we’re back for another peek at Volume VII. I promised updates every ten thousand words, so—as Obi-Wan once said—“That’s why I’m here.”

To be fair, a big chunk of that word count this time around came from lore digging. I’ve got pages and pages of notes. So yes, while it technically bumped me over the threshold, most of it will be stripped from the draft later. Once that happens, I expect the total to drop by a solid ten thousand.

Where are we at?

Prologue: 1 / 1Chapters: 49Epilogues: 2 / ??Current Word Count: 262,756Starting Word Count: 174,900 (includes extras like front matter and notes)Main POVs: 4 — DoneMinor POVs: 4 / 5Estimated Completion: ~80% (based on POVs, not word count)

I’ve nearly finished another side character. He has one chapter left, but I’m holding off. I want to finish all POVs to the same level before I close that final loop. That way, I can see the novel as one cohesive block before the last push.

I still have one more side character to write, though I don’t expect their chapters to be many. The purpose of this POV is to show what’s happening while the “main” character is away. Once that character returns, the thread dovetails back into the primary narrative.

What’s stood out most in this book is that it’s not about creating new storylines—it’s about continuing the threads from Volume VI and earlier. It’s about following them to their natural conclusions—or in this case, a long-awaited pause point.

Looking ahead to Volume VIII, nearly everything will be about closure. Every thread gets tied off—except one new character arc. The rest is resolution. Decades in the making. And I think the long break I took from this series was the best thing that could’ve happened. It gave me perspective. It brought me here—with this story, this structure, and this mythos—into something that feels… unique. Fresh. Which isn’t easy to say when the world feels starved of original ideas.

What might happen: I may reach the end of this draft and realize there’s still more story to tell. These side tangents—these earlier threads that faded into the background—they might need to rise again. Not for word count. Not for extra screen time. But because the foundation of the story demands it. Without those elements, the tower wobbles. Or worse, rings hollow.

So that’s something I’ll keep in mind when the first draft is “done.” Volume VII might end up shorter than VI—or it might grow. Either way, it’s not the word count that matters. It’s the story. And the echo it leaves behind.

The draft tightens, and threads are pulled. Some stories echo, but this one’s nearly ready to speak.

View more on Kyle Belote's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 07, 2025 05:00