Lou Paduano | Urban Fantasy Novels | Sci-Fi Crime Series

Writing Update – June 18, 2019

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This was a strange place for the writing update to fall but who am I to argue with the boss who puts this schedule together? It’s been a crazy week of e-mails, formatting, clean up, going through old notes, marketing, ad copy and more insanity.

I’m an absolute scatterbrain so it can only mean one thing: I finished a book!

Writing Update

Hammer and Anvil

The draft is DONE! I’ve been reading through the book over the last few days before I dig in on the edits. I typically hate this part of the process and while, yes, I have been screaming at my lack of vocabulary, this one is in pretty good shape.

My plan is to tear it apart and piece each section back together until I’m happy with it. Hopefully before the end of the July 4th holiday so I can pass it along to some alpha readers for approval.

DSA Season One

Some good feedback has already come my way. Looking forward to going through everyone’s notes as soon as I finish up on Hammer and Anvil.

Then it’s time for one last readthrough before passing it off to the editor. Can’t believe how quick time is flying now.

Cover reveal for the first book is next week!

Greystone: The Complete First Cycle

The box set is available for pre-order right now and will be on sale officially on August 15th!

All five books in the Greystone series contained in one massive volume. Over 1,500 pages of Soriya/Loren goodness. From the grisly murders of Signs of Portents to the cataclysmic finale in A Circle of Shadows, every monster, myth and legend is here for you!

For only $0.99! It’s crazy, I know, but I want people to snag it while they can for such a steal. I want people to love the characters as much as I have over the course of these five books.

Very exciting to see this one come together after years of work.

 

Writing Update – May 28, 2019

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Between jury duty and the Nickel City Con I can safely say this month has been PURE CHAOS. A maddening dash from one project to the next without a second to catch my breath.

It’s been a good exercise in endurance, for sure.

Writing Update

DSA Season One

I finished! A few weeks later than originally intended but I made a final sweep of all six books before passing it off to some trusted alpha readers. I plan to do another sweep at the end of July before it heads to the editor for clean up. I enjoyed the binge though. It was cool to see the season as a whole and work on each book through that lens.

This has been an insanely intricate project for me and I’ve enjoyed the challenge. I keep finding areas to tweak, little points to insert, all in the hopes of building a more cohesive final product. Unfortunately, it’s time for me to let someone else tell me what’s missing or where I’ve completely gone off the rails.

Nervous excitement about sums it up for me. Excited to share. Nervous for the reactions. We’ll see how it goes!

Hammer and Anvil

writing updateI started the draft last Tuesday. Yes, I realize how backward I am with this one. It was never my intention to have the cover completed before the draft, or even to have it booked with my editor before writing a single word of the book.

Won’t happen again. (I hope…)

Anyway, the draft is coming along. I’m just shy of 20,000 words as you read this. Or about a third of the way to the end.

Not that I write in any linear fashion. Chapter 42 is done. Is Chapter 1? Negative.

The next two weeks are going to be hardcore writing sessions. It’s been awhile since I drafted so the last few days have been rough ones but each new chapter comes easier than the previous one.

Really looking forward to seeing this one come together. There are some great character moments throughout. And Pratchett has a fantastic line that cracks me up every time I think about it. (Good ol’ Pratchett…)

Reading

writing updateI don’t typically share my comic reading. I know my audience prefers books to my love affair with four-color heroes. I wanted to share this one anyway.

Bruce Jones wrote the Incredible Hulk from 2002 to 2004. At the time it went over my head. I was a Hulk fan but I didn’t really appreciate what it was I liked about the character. It certainly wasn’t the smashing or the idiotic Hulk Smash dialogue.

It wasn’t until I revisited this run that I realized Bruce Banner was what brought me to the book. He was the hero of the story. The survivor of this terrible ordeal. That’s probably why I’m the only person on the planet that actually enjoys Ang Lee’s Hulk film or why I would have loved to have seen Edward Norton’s version of Incredible Hulk.

Bruce Banner, on the run, losing control, fighting for his life to keep this monster inside. That’s my kind of Hulk book and why Bruce Jones wrote a helluva run on the title. It falls apart in the end but the first 20 issues are an absolute treat to devour over and over again.

Thanks for reading.

Writing Update – April 30, 2019

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Welcome to the writing update for April 2019! It’s been a crazy month in the basement as I try and close out some stuff and start others.

On with the show!

Writing Update

DSA Season One

I am currently in the middle of self-editing the final book of season one. But Lou, you said your deadline was today? What happened?

Jury duty. Crazy, right? I am fulfilling my obligation as a US citizen at the moment, so writing time during the Easter holiday hit a big snag.

I will be finished with Broken Loyalties next weekend and reading through all six episodes the following week! Very excited to pass this along to some alpha readers for feedback.

Hammer and Anvil

Another reason for the slight delay is the opening book of the Greystone-In-Training trilogy. My initial plan was to finish DSA before diving into the script for Hammer and Anvil.

Then my brain took over.

Stupid brain.

The script is DONE for this book. 106 pages of Soriya awesomeness that will serve as the spine for the draft. It’s actually a pretty tight script in my opinion. Sometimes when I work a little faster on a project than I should – i.e. all the time – I tend to overlook the nuances of each character’s arc.

I nailed them here perfectly. Every interaction is layered for character and plot. Each scene propels the narrative forward to the next.

Can’t wait to dive into the draft next month. Hoping to close it out by the end of May with edits in June. However, as you may recall, plans tend to shift slightly as life takes over.

Release Schedule

As it stands now, there are a few things coming your way from me later this year.

August – Greystone: The Complete First Cycle Digital Box Set

All five novels of the Greystone series in one fantastic package. The cover is awesome and you already know the contents are. There will be teases for what comes next as well as some personal reflections from me (I hope).

October – DSA: Season One, Book One – The Clearing

It all starts here! The people of Bellbrook, Ohio have vanished and only the DSA field team can solve the mystery behind their disappearance. Or will they become victims themselves?

November – DSA: Season One, Book Two – Promethean

The field team investigates a mysterious murder and runs afoul of a pyrokinetic trapped in a deeper conspiracy than any of them thought possible.

December – DSA: Season One, Book Three – The Bridge

The team is split between personal tragedies and professional inquisitions. Lines are drawn and loyalties are tested.

Where does Hammer and Anvil fit? Hopefully, in September but I’m leaving it open at the moment so I can nail down the draft. By the end of May I should have a clear picture of where it will fall on the schedule.

Stay tuned.

World Hopping – Tips to Transition Between Projects

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There is a part of me that is terrified about leaving the world of the DSA at the close of season 1 edits. It’s the part screaming for me to keep going, keep drafting the next one and the next one until the story is finished. The small voice in the back of my head promising I will never get this close to this world again. Never nail the character voices, never remember all the subtle nuances of each character’s behavior and back story.

It can be a real fear.

But I’m going for it anyway.

Here is how I am preparing for the world hop back to Greystone next month.

World hopping tips:

Take it slow.

Pretty simple, right? One would think so. Over the last week, I’ve spoken to a number of writers who have a problem with taking it slow on a project. Either they are so jazzed about the world they’ve created or are afraid of a detail slipping through the cracks that slowing down seems to be the opposite of what they should be doing.

However, when crossing to a new project it’s exactly the right move.

Instead of launching into a novel sized plot, step back. Take some notes. Learn the subtle differences. Figure out the rules of the new project.

If you’re jumping into an older world, like I am with Greystone, rediscover what makes that story special. Read relevant passages from previously published work. Revisit old notes taken months, or years, earlier.

Reacquaint yourself with old friends.

Focus on smaller aspects first.

Instead of building a new series, work on a single character. Instead of understanding their entire history, focus on one specific event. Tear it apart, build it back together, anything to learn why it should matter and what it tells about your story.

Figure out those rules. Is your lead a smoker? Does she have a tattoo? College education? Siblings? Nothing is set in stone so play with the dynamics.

If characters aren’t your strong suit, turn to the plot itself. Pick up small events, images in your head surrounding your new world. Build the sequence and incorporate different aspects – character, important objects, history, etc – all to create a fully formed picture in your mind.

Broaden your scope

It’s all about building. As you learn each new piece, put it side by the side with the previous ones, to see where it leads. Don’t jump in and hope everything falls in line, create from the ground up and let it expand across the canvas.

Differentiate from the past

This is one aspect I’m nervous about. Making each world unique while playing to your strengths as a writer can be a challenge. Sometimes characters seem TOO similar, or are going through the same arc previously traveled in a different world. Learning the reason behind them, finding new dynamics or changing the game completely is your goal here before you’ve traveled too far and come up short.

Why is this story different? How should it be different?

Asking questions helps the transition when world hopping. Discovering those answers is the fun in creating the narratives that fuel your imagination.

Take it slow but don’t be afraid to push yourself in new directions. Explore possibilities. Your readers will thank you for it.

Writing Update – March 19, 2019

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This appears to be the month where things came to a grinding halt. Why, you ask?

THE FLU!

My daughters have been sidelined all week with the terrible bug and it’s taken its toll on me as well. The old brainbox has turned into a massive fog of late so work hasn’t been the easiest thing in the world. We’re on the mend, slowly – so slowly – and after fumigating the house I’ll be back to it.

But let’s get to the writing update already!

Writing Update

DSA Season One – Book Three is DONE. The Bridge is one of my absolute favorite stories in the series. I was so glad it came together as easily as it did. It required little tweaking on my part from the previous iteration.

Currently, I’m editing Book Four. This one is a little more tricky than the previous two installments as this one has to play a couple different roles. Not only is it meant to be a direct continuation of The Bridge but also introduces a new world of characters to be explored. Juggling between the two is a feat. I’ve come to realize I sacrificed some of my momentum by doing so.

This week I’m fixing it up, nailing down the specifics on the arc long plot and how it can best be promoted within the pages of this chapter of the story. The main plot is set, it’s all those nasty little subplots and twists I want settled before I move onto the final two books.

My original deadline was March 31st for all six books. Since January turned into a script-fest for Season Two I pushed out the deadline until April 30th. Barring any further illness (UGH) this will happen and I’ll be well into the script for the Greystone-In-Training novel, Hammer and Anvil.

Launch Dates

I’m reticent to announce anything until I nail down some specifics – editing and cover design-wise. My hope, one I truly believe is feasible is to launch DSA in October and the Greystone novel in September. If that is the case, the First Cycle Box set will launch in August to help promote the new book.

It’s going to make for a crazy summer but I think it’s possible once I figure a few things out.

I will keep you updated!

Multi-Tasking Projects

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Part of the joy of writing can be the immersive nature of the beast. Digging into a story, poring your way through research and developing logic and rules for your world. It’s absolutely a blast to build, to create, and thrive in the fiction.

It can also turn into a chore.

There is that fear. Time slips away when working on what can turn out to be a multi-year project. For all your building, the rules might go from enjoyment to confinement. So how to break out of your doldrums? How do you step back so you can return to appreciate your creations instead of harping on their faults?

Multi-tasking projects

Take that angst, that aggression, and put it toward a new endeavor. Maybe it isn’t writing a book. It could be building a website or copyediting for a commercial site. Use that creative need and keep working, just on something else.

Taking your mind off your long-term project isn’t a crime. Sometimes – and this tends to be more true than not – the work is better for it. Figuring out a new puzzle helps you crack the one you’ve left on your word processor for a day, a week, a month. Not forever. Merely a small amount to gain perspective that immersion tends to obscure in the process.

How to make time for both…

This is the tricky part and everyone will tackle this differently. Some writers have the full day (LUCKY) and can break it up by morning and afternoon.

If you’re like me and can only dream of a full eight to ten hours per days writing your heart out, then you have to be a little more creative – and way more flexible.

Create milestones. Make them small, maybe even weekly goals. Once you reach a certain point on one project you move onto the other tasks. I set up a weekly checklist. Once my writing goal is met I now have time for blogging, e-mail clean up, and the dozen other jobs I tend to push off until the last second.

In terms of multiple book projects, I break down the process by draft.

Outline, Script, Readthrough, Draft, Self-Editing (x3) and then Done.

Once I complete one step in that process I turn to another project. For the DSA Season 2 I outlined all six books first then went back to script each one in turn. In between scripts I continued to self-edit Season 1, using what I learned of where the story is heading to dictate certain changes to the narrative.

When all six scripts were done, I put Season 2 away to focus on completing Season 1 edits.

Don’t overwhelm your schedule

Multi-tasking projects, especially different series of books, can prove to be quite challenging. Your voice in the narrative might be different and switching between the projects can prove difficult and frustrating.

Know your limits and let them guide your schedule instead of burying yourself. Once you get overwhelmed it is tough to find your way back so that the work becomes enjoyable again.

I had a third series I was hoping to take on this year. An awesome project I can’t wait to dive into, but it required too much time to get off the ground. Hours I couldn’t possibly find unless it pulled me away from the DSA and Greystone. It’s tentatively scheduled for next year on the writing schedule.

Understand what you can handle and how it will affect your story. Then map it all out so you can find your way.

Get to it.

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