Ellen ES Ceely

It’s been so long since I posted on here I think it’s time to give an update on The Legends of Zale and where I’m at with each book. This year I plan to publish Book 1, edit and publish Book 2, and finish writing Book 3! I’m excited and nervous and chipping away at it all bit by bit every day. Wish me luck, please!

The Legends of Zale: Child of Shadows – Publishing Stages

I am nearing the end of my Patreon campaign for Book 1, Child of Shadows. The book is currently being released by chapter on Patreon. Due to the overwhelming generosity of my Patrons I’ve been able to pay the deposit on the book cover and buy a small printer for my home to make editing easier. I’ll also be able to pay the final half of the book cover charge when the time comes. This is all thanks to my patrons! I hope to have the book fully formatted and published in book form by March 2022. Spread the word and stay tuned!

Patreon has been interesting and a good experience. I’m currently thinking through whether I’ll use it again in future. For now, I’m thankful for all the people who believed in me and supported me through this publishing adventure!

The Legends of Zale: Book 2 – Editing Stages

Book 2 sat, as I like to say, “on the shelf of my mind” for the last few months of 2021. At the beginning of January I started editing it and I’m pleased to say that my first round of edits is nearly complete! I still need to fill in a small portion of a chapter, but once that’s done I’ll go through it once more and send it off to Beta Readers!

For those interested in my editing process, I do a couple different things. First, I run it through a program called Autocrit (not sponsored). Autocrit helps me with important things like “Show don’t Tell”. It also points out where words are overused, whether I have too many adverbs, and if there’s a paragraph or a sentence that needs to be shorter. I cannot fully explain how much Autocrit has helped me with general editing issues. As someone just starting out and unable to afford an editor, this has been the next best solution for me.

The next edit I do is simply reading through the book and thinking through plotlines and character development. This is also a valuable things to have done by an editor, but again: I can’t afford one right now. So it’s up to me and my author brain to decide what stays and what goes!

The third round of editing is done with feedback from my Beta Readers. This gives me valuable time away from the book. It’s also such a wide variety of feedback. Rather than one person telling me what they think should move or be changed, I receive several. The part that makes me laugh is when one reader says they dislike a certain aspect, plotline, or character while another tells me it was their favorite.

The Legends of Zale: Book 3 – Drafting Stages

I’m having great fun with this one! It’s been slower than the other two but I also didn’t have to work on anything else when writing the other two. Last year I completed my mind-mapping and the initial “getting to know my characters” stages. I also completed an outline and finished the prologue and first chapter. Once Child of Shadows has been published and Book 2 has been sent off to Beta Readers, then I’ll begin writing in earnest again.

I’m excited for this book. Each one is so unique and different and I love it! Each book has afforded me the opportunity to grow in my writing skills as well as in my understanding of the characters in my books. While characters are completely fictional, each one holds a piece of my heart and soul. Each book is a reflection of my life experience and worldview. They allow me to process the world in such a safe way, and I’m forever grateful.

Thanks for Being Here!

Thanks for reading my update on The Legends of Zale. It is truly an honor to know that anyone is interested in my books or my writing and publishing process. I do not take that for granted. If you’re new and would like to learn more about The Legends of Zale and what this update is referencing, please check out some of my other blog posts. You can read a free excerpt from Child of Shadows below and you can find out more about the series as well. If you’d like to connect with me online, I try to post semi-regularly on Instagram.

I hope to see you around here again soon!

– Ellen

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