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Falling Into Autumn

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Friends,

Autumn is approaching! I love the smells that are in the air, the feel of the cool morning breezes on my skin, and the sense of impending change that defines the season. It’s one of my favorite times of year, and I’ve decided to use it as a tool to help revitalize my drive and ambition, with the hope of completing my current projects to the best of my ability! Let’s get down to this week’s details…

The Faces of the War Collection

Much progress has been made since last week. I have no more than 3,000 words left to write to reach my target word count (or close to it), and it is my intention to knock out those words in the coming week. I mentioned last week that I received the finished front cover of Imminent, and that I’ll reveal that properly as the release date of the book gets closer. It is still set for December 11, with the aim being that the book will be available for purchase before Christmas – in case you want to gift it to someone! I’ll continue to give updates on this project through this blog, so continue following to stay in the loop!

Inkitt Short Story

There is still time to read my latest short story on the website Inkitt, and to vote for it (if you like it) before the contest ends on September 24. I’ve said it before – I’m not looking to win the contest, but rather to get my content “out there.” If I were to win, great! But if not, I’ll just be glad to have been able to create something new for you, my readers, to enjoy. Let me know what you think!

YouTube

I am looking forward to continuing into the autumn and winter with my videos. I am making it a goal of mine to get into a better habit of recording more throughout the week rather than just one or two days. Videos will still be posted on Fridays, sometimes skipping weeks here and there if my personal schedule is particularly hectic. You can find my videos on my channel, and be sure to “Subscribe” so that you can see my latest videos in your home feed. And tell a friend – I’m always looking to connect with new viewers and followers of my work!

Indie Writing Advice

When writing your first draft, it’s wise not to worry about making it perfect. I’ve said this before – doing that will hinder the flow of creativity and ideas, and will draw out the writing process much longer than it should be. Save the fine-tuning for later. One thing to do as you write, though, is to take a mental note (or actually write it down on a pad of paper) of the words or phrases you often tend to resort to often.

For example, I tend to picture in my mind the scene I’m writing as it plays out. I sometimes have characters nod in agreement or understanding, and I find that I write it as such quite a bit. So what I do is simple: I’ll go into the finished first draft and run a search for the word “nod” and see how many results come up. I’ll then go through and try to replace it with a different action that will convey similar emotion, tension, etc. in that scene. This not only decreases repetitive wording, but it forces me to freshen up my vocabulary and by extension helps round out my characters and what they do. I include this in my editing read-throughs after I finish the first draft. This way, these repetitive actions and dialogue beats will be ironed out and made pretty before handing the story over to my editor, which cuts down on their work in the end.

That’s all I have for this week, but stay tuned as progress is made this week and next, and as the story nears its completion. The publishing process will begin to pick up speed as the autumn presses on, so join me for the ride in the coming months as we move closer to release!

Until next time,

-Eli

Cover on the Way!

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Friends,

An exciting time in writing is coming up, starting with yet another new week full of opportunities and chances to accomplish your goals! I say an exciting time is approaching because, at least in my writing life, more progress is being made on my third book, Imminent!

The Faces of the War Collection

I ended up not getting the next draft of the cover this past Friday, so I anticipate receiving it by later today or tomorrow (hopefully not Wednesday). It’s crazy to see how this cover has evolved from the vision I had initially. But like I’ve said before, having a finished product end up not quite how you first envisioned it ins’t a bad thing!

With having the day off today, I hope to knock out at least 3,000 words, if not more. If I can manage that, it’ll put me under the 10,000 word mark for words remaining! My target date for completing the first draft is September 21, so I’m really trying to work productively and effectively toward that end. September is just a week away, so like I said – these next few months are about to get crazy!

That’s the main piece of information that I wanted to keep you updated on this week, so this blog post will be shorter than usual. But I like to change it up a little sometimes, and that also means that there will be more information in the next couple of posts.

Thank you for reading this post and for supporting me and taking interest in my work. I write because I enjoy it and have a passion for it, and I hope that what I write can entertain you, my readers! Feel free to check out my currently published books (Resistant and Unguarded, and my short story volume), and follow my blog to stay in the loop with upcoming project details. Another great way to stay in contact with me and my work is to join my mailing list by subscribing. And yet another way to connect with me is through my YouTube channel, where I upload weekly vlogs that detail my writing and personal life.

I look forward to connecting with you, whether you’re new to my work or have been following for a while!

Until next time,

-Eli

Getting Closer to the End

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

A new week has arrived on the calendar, which means that we have yet another opportunity to seek and achieve great things – be it goals, ambitions, passion…whatever you set your heart to! I am in the process of working toward achieving my own goals, and I’ll share some news about those goals with you now…

The Faces of the War Collection

I’ve sent my second round of changes for the book cover for Imminent and am currently awaiting the designer’s next draft as I write this. This is a very exciting part of the publishing process because it’s the first tangible sign that your project is coming to life!

Just last night, I eclipsed the 10K word mark for Part II, and finally completed the writing of that part, with the first draft word count coming to just over 11K. With about 15K more words to go, I am in the home stretch of writing the first draft…and that is very exciting too! Hopefully in just a few weeks, I’ll have the first draft completed and can then move on to the next step: editing.

YouTube

If you haven’t yet subscribed to my channel, I encourage you to do so! You’ll be able to stay up-to-date on my writing projects as well as get a glimpse into my life behind the writing. In my vlogs, I share my thoughts about writing, indie publishing, and other topics, as well as give advice to newer writers based on my experiences in the industry so far. I also have done a series on my writing process, so if you’re new to the game then I encourage you to check it out. Keep in mind that all writers are different, so everything I say or do might not fit into your style of writing and working. But that’s the beauty of it: we can learn from each other. It’s a journey that I want to take with others interested in what I do or who like my work, so please join me and let’s connect!

Short Story

As you may be aware, I submitted a short story to a historical fiction contest on the website Inkitt. The contest ends in late September, but the time to read it is now! Why? Because in order to win the contest, I need votes from you, my readers. But it’s more than winning a contest; it’s about sharing new content with the world and providing good stories for others to be entertained by. I’ve been told my story is a good one, so if you have 15-20 minutes that you’d like to put toward reading a short story, please give mine a look. Don’t forget to vote for it by clicking the heart icon at the bottom of the screen!

Indie Writing Advice

When you write your first draft, it’s easy to get wrapped up into trying to perfect it as the words first fall onto the page. Though it’s a good habit to make – editing and reworking the words as you go – it’s not something that should be a make-or-break sort of thing. You should ground this thought into your head as you write your first draft of any project: it’s not going to be perfect.

I’ve published two books and am working on my third, and even now I can think of ways that I could’ve made my stories better. And that’s after I read through the manuscripts each a handful of times, had them edited by others, and gave myself time in between self-editing so as to approach the drafts with a refreshed eye (all of those things, by the way, are practices I advocate in my writing process videos)! So it’s wise to live by the idea that you can always improve a story, so there’s no sense in bothering with trying to make it perfect on the first go.

Just focus on getting the story in your mind onto the page in it’s rawest form, then go from there with a fine-tooth comb to make it better down the road. And if you’re in the same boat with me, you’ll want to write for the sake of writing because you lack the freedom of time, and you know that editing will come later. Take a deep breath. Relax. And write on.

That’s all I have for you right now. Keep an open eye for news of my book cover, whether it be in social media or in next week’s blog post. Either way, it’s coming, and it’s going to be great!

Until next time,

-Eli

Book Giveaway!

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Friends,

Thank you so much for opening my blog post today. I hope you can enjoy what I talk about and somehow apply my thoughts to your own writing life! Let’s get started…

The Faces of the War Collection

After some delay in starting the cover design process for Imminent, things are finally coming together! I anticipate hearing from my (new) contact regarding my draft cover sometime this week, hopefully by Wednesday. At that point, I’ll be able to give my feedback and suggestions on changes that I want made to it. Then probably within a week or so from then, I should have a finished cover…at least, that’s the pattern of the previous cover. When the cover is finished and I’m ready to reveal it, I will announce it through my newsletter and this blog, as well as my social media pages. That leads me to the next point…

KaleMail Newsletter

First off, I named my newsletter “KaleMail” because…well, it clicks. And rhymes. And it rolls off the tongue. Basically, it was an easy way for me to let my followers know that they were receiving my newsletter.

Secondly, I have the feeling that some of those on my mailing list might be unaware as to when I send my newsletter, and that they might think they haven’t received it. If you are on my mailing list and believe this to be the case, check your spam folder. It will say that it’s from Eli Kale and the subject will be “KaleMail: September Newsletter #1” for example. If it’s not in your spam folder and you still can’t find it, look in another folder. For example, on my personal Gmail account, there are tabs: Primary, Social, Promotions. I send the newsletter to my personal email so that I can see what you see, and when I receive it I find it under my Social tab.

So please, I encourage you to confirm that you’re receiving my newsletters, and if you’re not then I can double-check your email on my list to be sure to get it to you! And if you aren’t receiving my newsletters because you’re not on my mailing list, then I encourage you to join! It’s very easy, and you can easily do it right here. I look forward to connecting with you and sharing my life and work!

YouTube

In an effort to draw more followers to my work – and not just any followers, but those who are interested in what I write about – I am starting a subscription campaign that will result in new followers receiving an ebook of one of my books. This is geared mostly as a “thank-you” for following me, with the hope that the new follower will read my book and review it once they’re done reading.

So, if you aren’t yet subscribed to my YouTube channel, I encourage you to go to my channel and do so. Then, just so I know that you subscribed after reading this blog post, contact me through my website form and type the words “new follower” in the Comment field, followed by the title of the Kindle book you want from me. You can then expect to receive it within a few days! I really would like to garner more followers on my YouTube channel, because I want to connect with more people. I also believe they will get a better look into what I do and from there check out my books and other work.

That’s about it for this post. I hope you’ll consider all I’ve talked about today, and that you’ll pass the word along to a friend. And by next week, I hope to have more news for you regarding my book cover!

Until next time,

-Eli

Newsletter Update (and Other Things)

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

I hope this week brings you happiness in life, success in work, and peace in your heart and mind! I have a couple of things to cover today, so let’s get down to it…

Mailing List

As I wrap up a year of mailing list newsletters, and considering what’s going on in my life, I have decided to send a newsletter out every three weeks instead of every two. At this point in my writing life, there just isn’t enough new content every time for each newsletter to be fresh. In addition, it takes away time that I could use to write more. So this week there will be a newsletter sent out to those on my mailing list (and anyone else who’d like to subscribe to it in the meantime); the next newsletter will be sent out sometime around Wednesday, August 26th. I believe this is a wise move in my writing life, so I thank you for your understanding and I encourage you to join my mailing list!

The Faces of the War Collection

The process has been a little slower than anticipated in relation to getting my next book cover designed. However, as my wife reassures me, I shouldn’t worry about it right now because the book isn’t finished. With that being said, please know that I am working on this project a little at a time, and am eagerly anticipating its release. As I’ve said before, sometimes a working timeline doesn’t pan out exactly how you plan it; that’s how it usually is in the world of education, so I’m used to it and I know how to handle it.

In the meantime, if you’d like to check out my first two books, you can find them in print and on the Kindle here (Resistant) and here (Unguarded). Keep in mind that they’re not related stories, so you don’t have to read one to understand the other!

YouTube

I am excited to see that I’m slowly gaining followers on my YouTube channel! I would like to gather more people who are interested in reading, writing, history, and life in general, so if you have family, friends, coworkers, or anyone else you know that shares those interests, please send them my way. My vlogs are usually between 8-15 minutes, depending on the topics I discuss, so they can easily be watched in the morning before work, on a lazy Saturday, or even at night before bed. And I only upload one video per week, so you don’t have to worry about watching a whole bunch of videos to stay up-to-date with what I’m doing. Many thanks in advance!

That’s about it for now, but like I said – hopefully over the next few weeks things will develop more as writing continues and as my book cover gets closer to completion. Come back next week for more, and I hope to see you on my mailing list!

Until next time,

-Eli

Summer Days Drifting Away

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

The summer continues to press on, affording us all new chances to do something great or to strive for something awesome. I hope you are accomplishing all that you set out to do, or are in the process of it! Let’s get to this week’s material…

The Faces of the War Collection

As I eagerly await the arrival of Imminent‘s cover draft, I continue to chip away at the manuscript. I am editing the rest of Part I to give to my editor, and I’m also writing here and there for Parts II and III. I already have the Prologue and Epilogue completed; I just have to go back and see if any of it needs tweaking once I’m done with the body of the text.

With this book, I want to try a few things regarding writing style and experimenting with the feel of the story. You’ll understand what I mean when it releases, but for now just know that the story is a different kind of story from my previous two books, yet something I think we all can relate to. And that’s a big part of how I write – to make the characters’ experiences relatable to the reader. I will be relying on my editor, and any beta readers I use along the way, to help mold the words into the right kind of story with what I’m talking about in mind.

YouTube

I noticed that the end slate (the final slide with my photo, the subscribe button, etc.) on the vlog two weeks ago was cut off a bit. And then last week’s vlog was cut off even worse. The weird thing is that it looks perfectly fine in my video editing software. So I don’t know what the problem could be, but hopefully I can get it fixed.

Regardless, I hope you’re enjoying the videos if you’re watching them, and if you’re not then I invite you to. You can subscribe to my channel to know exactly when new videos are uploaded, just so you don’t miss anything. I’d love to have you along, as well as any friends, family members, or coworkers who might be interested in writing, reading, history, and much more!

If you are new to me and my work, what would you like to know?

And if you have been following me and my work for a while, what aspects of my books, my blogs, my videos, and so forth resonate with you?

I would really like to get a feel for what my readers and followers are getting out of my content, what they like and dislike, and perhaps what more they’d like to see. It’s all part of connecting in the small community made up of readers and followers. So please, let me know! You can reply to this blog post, or even better – you can post to one of my social media profiles (like Twitter or Facebook) and share your thoughts. You never know if someone else has the same thoughts as you, and how that might bring us all closer together!

That’s about it for this week. It’s just a matter of waiting for the book cover to be revealed, and then finally for the book to release before my blog posts light up with extra juicy information. Thank you for following me and supporting me in my passion!

Until next time,

-Eli

Cover to Launch!

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

Welcome to a new a week! Have you set goals for yourself this week? Have you thought of how you’ll go about accomplishing those goals? I think that is just one way (of many possible ways) to start out the week in the best way possible – for if you know what needs to be done and how you’ll get it done, then your chances of success are much greater! And the great things is, that idea can be applied to anything, so it’s not just a piece of advice coming from a writer. So if you haven’t yet gotten your to-do list together for this week, get to it! Speaking of getting to it, let’s get to this week’s content…

The Faces of the War Connection

I will be contacting my cover designer this week to finally get that process moving. It is exciting to be at that point to see a new cover materialize, and to see how the final product compares to the vision I had for it from the start. I will keep you updated here and on social media throughout the process!

Editing is continuing on Imminent, and I’m eagerly awaiting the first revision from my editor on the material I’ve given him so far. Over the next couple of weeks I’ll have some things on my plate that will take up some of my time, but I intend to use the spare time during the weeks ahead to continue writing and editing. The tentative release date is now moved to later in the fall, but I’ll include more details about that when I release the cover.

The Short Story Collection

I haven’t talked about this for some time, but I wanted to address it. I put this project on hold for a while so I could focus on my Faces project. After I finish Imminent, I’ll put some time in to work on Volume 2. My goal is to primarily focus on my WWII project until it’s completed, because I really want to finish that and not let it slip into the “I’ll get to it later” pile. But I am excited to get that project up and running again, but when the time is right!

If you’d like to check out my first short story ebook, Volume 1, you can find it here.

YouTube

In the coming weeks and months, I aim to add little things here and there to my vlogs with the intent to spice them up a bit. I think I’ll keep them geared toward a mix of my personal life and writing life, but I feel like there’s something missing that might give the videos a better quality. I’m not entirely sure yet what I’ll be doing, but you can expect small changes and/or additions as autumn approaches.

If you missed last week’s vlog (on editing and news about Imminent‘s book cover), you can find it here.

That’s all I have for you in terms of news, but it’s all been part of an exciting process that will ultimately lead to the publication of another book. I am extremely grateful for those who have supported me in my writing, my vlogging, and my overall passion that has been a part of my life for the past couple of years. It really means a lot to me!

Until next time,

-Eli

Imminent Cover & Other News

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

It is a new week, and thus a new chance to accomplish your goals. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm,” so get out there and tackle your goals and dreams with purpose! I have a few things for you today, so let’s get down to business…

The Faces of the War Collection

I am just about ready to submit my cover ideas for Imminent (my third and upcoming book) to my cover designer, so you should expect a reveal sometime in the next month or so, barring any impediments along the way. I am debating whether or not to include the story description/synopsis with the cover. I didn’t do that with either of my first two books, but maybe I should change it up for this one. What do you think? As for the writing, I have today off from both jobs, so I intend on getting work done.

*cue thinking out loud (…or on the page…)

I have given some thought as to how the writing of this book has gone thus far, and that it has been drastically different than the previous two books. Part of that reason, I think, is because I’ve started another job. The time that I had free before to write is now mostly taken up by this second job, therefore leaving me with less time to write for extended periods of time. This change in circumstance is slowly forcing me to change my writing methodology, going from writing for a few hours on days off to writing in smaller increments every day. Only time will tell whether I can write effectively this way, or if I must search for a new writing method.

With that being said, I also think some of the issue of my lack of writing is the fact that in my mind I’m still trying to make the late summer deadline to release the book. In reality, though, I’m coming to realize that’s not possible. So, my plan is to rethink the book’s release and aim for that new deadline. I don’t know for sure what that is yet, but when I do I will inform you! After all, you are the reason I write, so it is right that you be the first to know.

If this is your first time reading my blog and you’d like to check out my first two WWII historical fiction books, you can find them here (Resistant) and here (Unguarded).

YouTube

I am continuing to improve my recording habits throughout the week so I can upload good videos to my channel every Friday. “Good” in the sense that they give you a nice look into my life, both the personal and writing aspects of it. I’m not out to impress anybody, nor to suggest that what I say about writing is definitive or “right.” I simply like to talk about reading and writing as I experience it and as I understand it, which is the most anyone can expect of a person in my position, I think.

For the time being, I record footage throughout the week and post a video on Friday. In the future, though, I see myself putting up 2 or even 3 videos a week. I’d like to think that I could gain a following that enjoys watching me and hearing what I have to say about the things I discuss in my vlogs, and that those people would support me in making more than one video a week. But I won’t rush things – it’ll happen when it happens!

Other News

In an effort to vary up the content I put out to my readers and followers, I am taking some time to unofficially poll my readers. What do you want to know about me? What would you like me to discuss on my blog, vlogs, or newsletters? Is there something different I can be doing to better interact with you?

I’d really like to connect with those who read and follow my work, because that’s the reason I write. Well, I also write because I enjoy doing it for me, but you know what I mean! So please, communicate with me your thoughts and questions. I’d really like to hear from you.

That’s all I have for you today, but I’m sure more will unfold as the coming weeks come and go. I’m really looking forward to getting the cover back from my designer and revealing it to you. I’m even more excited to finish writing Imminent and publishing it for your reading pleasure. Just bear with me and it’ll be here before we know it!

Until next time,

-Eli

New Project Title Reveal

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Friends,

It is a new week and a good one so far, at that! Why? Because I have some news for you, as well as some other things. So let’s get started…

The Faces of the War Collection

I am pleased to inform you that things have been moving along well enough with my current WIP (work in progress, if you didn’t know), that I am ready to officially reveal the project’s title. As you know, my current book is the third in my WWII historical fiction project, where the Second World War is viewed through the perspectives of different individuals. I have mentioned before that this third story will be told from the German perspective, and that the character is male. I’ll reveal now that the character is in the German army and that the story line revolving around that fact will be more condensed that the stories of the previous two books in the collection.

The title of this book is “Imminent”. This story has taken me on a different sort of path in terms of how it’s been written and what I’ve had to do to get the story onto the page. Like I’ve said in past blog posts and YouTube vlogs, I am excited to see where this story takes me, because every writing experience has been different for me thus far. It is very interesting to get to experience writing in different ways!

Even though this project title, along with the titles of the other books in the collection, is already revealed at the end of the book, I like to dedicate a post to new titles that I’m working toward publishing, because it gives attention to the fact that I’m producing another story. Getting to see how my creativity manifests itself in a tangible book is amazing, as well as encouraging, and it makes me want to continue writing and networking with fellow writers. It’s a wonderful circle of cause and effect!

Now, you may be wondering: Eli, you’ve done title reveals for your first two books, and usually you include the book cover with the title reveal…where is the cover for this one? Great question! I chose to do the title and cover reveals separately for this book because the writing process is a little more drawn out than with the previous two books. I didn’t want to wait to do both reveals later down the road, nor did I want to reveal them both too early and then force you to wait to get your hands on the book. So this is the middle road – I am hoping to get the manuscript finished and published in the autumn, so you can probably expect a cover reveal around mid-August to early-September. That is the hope, at least.

All in all, I think everything is going well with this book, despite not writing as often as I’d like on a weekly basis. But that’s the nature of writing, especially writing as a secondary or tertiary job: you can’t always write as much as you’d like. But you just have to try to make it work, and that’s what I’m going to do. Like I’ve said before – I’d rather not sacrifice potentially good writing in order to get a book on the shelf. That’s not what writing should be about. It’s about being creative and making it something you can enjoy!

Other News

That’s about it for right now, aside from the regular stuff: YouTube vlogs come out every Friday (you can find them on my channel) and I’m working on side projects behind the scenes, which will be discussed later. For anything else you’d like to know about me and my work, you can find it on my website. Most of all, I’d love to connect with you through my newsletter, which comes out every couple of weeks. Either way, I’d love to connect with my readers. So please, shoot me an email or tweet me!

Until next time,

-Eli

Past the Halfway Point!

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

Welcome to a new week of opportunity and another chance to accomplish your goals! Let’s get down to business…

The Faces of the War Collection

I haven’t been able to write much more than a couple thousand words this week due to time constraints in my personal life. I tried a technique to help me get more words on the page and not encounter writer’s block, if you believe in such a thing. (*I have posted this article before regarding the “myth” of writer’s block and the opinions both for and against, so you should check it out!).

So back to my book’s progress…I am setting aside Wednesday of this week as a writing day, mostly because 1) it is my only day off and thus the best chance to write, and 2) allocating time to write outside of your bare minimum (i.e. 15 minutes per day) is one way to help maintain and improve your writing. If I can accomplish the items of my routine (this blog, this week’s newsletter, and this week’s YouTube vlog), then Wednesday should be wide open for getting some writing done.

The reason that Wednesday is my only day off is because I am starting my second job this week. I normally have 2-3 days off every week, or at least don’t have to go into work early, but this week will be a bit different. When I do write for my next WWII book, it will be in my spare time between both jobs and my day off.

So to conclude about this project, the current word count sits a little shy of 24K words – which is more than halfway to my word count goal! Of course, this is just the first draft, but it is still great news that I am where I am. Please stay tuned into my blog posts for details about my upcoming book, for I hope to make it all as entertaining for you as possible. If you’ve read my previous two books, then you know my stories. If you are new to my work, then I encourage you to remain with me as I aim to finish this project by the autumn and release yet another WWII historical fiction book – the tangible proof of my passion.

YouTube

I am enjoying getting to branch out in my thoughts via my vlogs, which are uploaded every Friday on my channel. Most of what I cover in these video logs deals with my writing life, but also touches on my personal life somewhat. So far, I’ve talked about my writing process, my vacation to Georgia, stories from my childhood, and books I’m currently reading. Some things I aim to talk about in future vlogs include upcoming projects, personal goals, and plans I have for my life. Most of the vlog conversations I have are spur-of-the-moment, but we’ll see what happens!

So please, subscribe to my channel if you haven’t already, because I want to take you along for the ride as I journey through life as a writer and as a person.

That’s all I have for now, though there are a few things going on behind the scenes. However, it’s still a bit early to be talking about that, so I’ll give you that information when the time is right.

Until next time,

-Eli