A very young Kale, now an FHSU Honorable studying Paleontology, got a story in his head he couldn't shake. He tells us more about how his book came to be.
The earliest framework for my story came to me at a pretty young age. Unlike many ideas, the concept of time-traveling teenagers simply wouldn’t leave me alone. I recently uncovered a journal from 5th grade with the very earliest notes of a time-travel-based story. The first true draft of A Prehistoric Odyssey: Gone to the Great Dying was written in the spring of 2017 when I was in 7th grade. I often had free time in my health class (thanks, Mr. Butler), and it was there that I began to write my story. As summer approached, I lost access to a reliable computer. Instead, I spent the summer (and subsequent summers) typing away on our home computer, which is so old, it might as well be a fossil (and believe me, I know fossils).
Years passed, and I came back to the story now and then, always changing things, but as I matured, I realized that I might actually have something worth sharing. It was Mrs. DeWeese, my gifted program teacher, who encouraged me to keep working and publish it. One November, I committed to doing National Novel Writing Month and bulked up my story significantly. Never underestimate what you can do by simply writing for an hour each day. The bond I have with my friends informed the characters, and my extensive research into the Permian period fleshed out the setting. By my junior year, I felt ready to share it with some of my friends and fellow book-readers. It was scary sharing my work, but once I did, I couldn't get enough of it. I made it my goal to publish the book before graduating high school, and even though it took well into the summer, I consider the whole process a success.
Since then, I’ve sold nearly 400 physical copies and many more online. I’ve spoken at schools, libraries, and FHSU’s very own SACAD. Slowly but surely, I’ve gotten my book into three bookstores and two museums (Sternberg being one of them). A sequel is in the works, and many other stories are brewing. College keeps me pretty busy, but I hope to continue to write, expand my business, and share my stories with others.If you're up got a little dino adventure this summer, this is the book for you! You can keep up with Kale's future work on his website at: kalelink.com
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