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

Writing Update – October 30, 2024

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This writing update is brought to you the letter W, for What the hell happened to this year? Well, here we go again, I guess.

Writing Update

Greystone

I’ve been in the middle of a massive overhaul of the Greystone series. What does this mean exactly? Well, for starters, I took a deep dive into Signs of Portents. Some people–friends and family–think I’m insane for doing so. They love the book as it stands.

But it isn’t universally praised. Those critical of the book aren’t wrong. I would never write Signs the same way if I were to tackle it from scratch. I’ve changed over the years and my sensibilities have shifted. I wouldn’t say for the better, but I would like to think I’ve grown into the role of novelist respectably.

Anyway, I retooled the whole book. The narrative is the same. The mystery at the heart of the book remains intact. There are slight additions for pacing purposes. The most jarring changes are with POV. I switched POVs mid-chapter A LOT in Signs. I found ways around doing that for the revision, building up images in some cases and switching events around in others.

The book is vastly improved. VASTLY.

writing update
Look, Ma, the book number!

New covers!

The overhaul also entails new covers for the series. I tried–really, I did–to get on-brand, genre covers for the series. I hated every design sent my way. The characters models looked weird and the edge was lost on the monster angle. None of them felt right to me.

The original covers always made the series for me. So, I went back to the well and found someone able to update the original covers to include… THE BOOK NUMBER ON THE SPINE! (WOOHOO!)

Not only that, but hardcover editions are coming your way next year!

The Signs edit has been my life for the last two months. Now, it is time to turn my attention to Tales and the rest of the Greystone series to get the books prepped for a huge push in 2025.

Terminal Point

I’m doing my final lap on the DSA Season Two finale. I love this book, personally, which is not something I so readily say when it comes to my work. There are some great Ben-Morgan moments in the book as well as a cliffhanger that will have you screaming at me for quite some time.

Be sure to pre-order your copy now for only $0.99!

Coventry

Next month, I’m back to work on Coventry to get the two short stories already written into shape for release in December. I don’t usually like to play it this close, but this year has been a mess all around for me. Don’t worry about the tales, they’re a blast and you’ll enjoy them. I just wish I had more time to play around in the world before the launch.

Is that it? Come on, Lou.

I know, right? Pretty lackluster performance from me this year on the writing side. Next year, the game changes, hopefully. A little less worrying about what’s already out and more focus on building new narratives.

Writing Update – August 28, 2024

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How is the summer over already? It can’t be, can it? Well, we’re at the end of another month, so let’s get to the writing update!

Writing Update

DSA Season Two

Season Two updates still? What are you trying to pull, Lou? I know, I know. The books are done. They are ready for you to enjoy. I’ve just spent a little time going through them ONE MORE TIME, because I am completely and totally insane. I really am my own worst enemy. The books are fantastic, though. You’re going to love how the season closes out. Then curse me out when Season Three doesn’t come out right away…

DSA Season Three

Speaking of which, the draft for the opener to Season Three is complete. Utopia Protocol is the biggest DSA adventure to date and sets off a whole chain of events that will carry through the six-book season. Lots of work to be done on this one still, but it’s a strong start that will answer some long-standing questions.

Book Two is called Three Fates and is on the docket to be drafted in September. Will that happen? I hope so, but there is a lot going on at the moment that might cause me to shuffle things around. We’ll see. I will say, this book has a moment that completely surprised me in the outlining phase. It gives me chills just thinking about it. You’re going to lose your minds when you read it.

Coventry

I’ve been delving into a new series over the course of the summer. It’s called Coventry and is part myth-building and part urban fantasy. Two short stories have been drafted that you’ll be able to enjoy over on the Patreon page this December. The lore behind what will eventually be a series of novels has been keeping me up at night for weeks. It’s some of the most ambitious storytelling I’ve ever attempted, and I’m loving how it is all coming together.

More to share on these soon.

Miscellaneous Nonsense

I always shoot for the moon when it comes to my deadlines and writing goals. This summer was meant to be much more productive. It didn’t materialize for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the death of my laptop.

Losing my most essential tool was bound to happen. The laptop was ancient. I was simply hoping to eke out a few more months before replacing it. Then the “O” key stopped working. Then the battery stopped taking a charge. And then, and then… You get the picture.

Switching to a new unit has been more challenging than writing entire books in some respects, but I’m almost back up to speed. We’ll see if I’ve forgotten to transfer over any vital information and how much it will screw me over down the line.

How to Start All Over Again

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How do you start all over again? This question keeps running in the back of my mind. Coming off two long-running series (okay, taking a sabbatical from said series is probably more fitting…) how do you start that journey from the beginning again?

Start all over again? Are you insane?

I’m not afraid to admit my own fear at this dilemma. I have a space opera series I’ve had plotted and scripted since 2021 sitting on my shelf. Not one word has been drafted, yet I’m dying to dig into it. Why haven’t I simply started?

  • Space opera is wildly diverging from my current writing.
  • Developing a new language to fit this new world is an undertaking unto itself.
  • Ten books? Too much of a commitment right now.
  • That’s not what readers want…
  • Time constraints.

Can you hear the bullshit in those excuses? They are totally legitimate reasons not to embark on what will be a two-year endeavor to write and edit ten novels. They are. But at their heart is one true hesitation: Fear.

It’s the same fear I’m currently having about my Coventry series. This one is urban fantasy because I wanted readers to have something to jump to once Greystone finishes up. So same vibe, same tropes at play, same action-character beats to work through. Yet, I’m hung up at the starting line for the same reasons as the space opera series.

Why?

Unanswered questions

This is a big dilemma for me. Should the new series be first person? Should it be third person? Will there be multiple POVs at play or will I follow only a single character this time through, and how does THAT choice change the game when writing?

I like challenges. I like to push myself in new ways, but at the start of the journey, what is the best move to make?

The simple answer is: ANY MOVE AT ALL.

I need to write is the even simpler answer. Write fake scenes. Write boring monologues or absurd situations where the characters become who they are meant to be.

How do you start over again? How do you take that first step into a new world with new friends to guide you?

You simply leap into it.

Sounds easy, right?

I know it isn’t. There are always those doubts, those fears, begging to be heard. People will hate this! What are you doing? This is all wrong!

You have to write to discover the flaws.

I’ve already found my own. The smaller moments–my favorite ones, of course–aren’t what people want to read right off the bat. They want big, brash epics, even if constrained to a short story. They want to feel the world is bigger than we know. Readers want villainous villains and puffed-up heroics, emboldened by a world they have never imagined right outside their window.

Taking all that into account is the key to starting over again. Finding direction–or at the very least, knowing you can walk back your first attempt to course-correct over the long term. There is nothing set in stone.

These are words on a page. That is the best part about starting over again. That is the best part of everything we do. Nothing is forever unless we let it be. Everything changes and grows and lives and dies. Every keystroke could be the beginning of an entirely new journey. Allowing fear to dictate our inaction or letting doubts cause us hesitation is akin to a death sentence.

Take the leap.

Building story is the best feeling in the world. The questions that come along with that building can be the absolute worst, but only if you let them take over. Find your answers. Maybe it is through the writing itself. Maybe it is note-taking or exercises to explore the world. The questions are meant to help, not hinder. Let them in and use them to build your world from the ground up.

Write. Explore. Dream. Imagine. Then write some more.

That’s how you start all over again.

Writing Update – May 20, 2024

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Welcome back to the writing update! This year has been a whirlwind, and it is only getting crazier. Let’s get down to business!

Writing Update

The Last King is out in the world! This freebie is now available in the Fates of Magic and Myth anthology. You should be able to find it on all major retailers.

Best of all, it’s FREE.

Eight incredible fantasy stories are waiting for you to enjoy. Dig in and let me know what you think of The Last King.

DSA

I finished the first pass on the dialogue for all of Season Three this past weekend. That’s right! 211 chapters of DSA goodness is ready to be scripted.

This season has already surprised me on a number of levels. There are some spectacular locales within the books and the characters really popped for me right out of the gate. I’m so excited to share what’s coming with you, but we still have half of Season Two to enjoy first!

I’m diving into the scripts over the next three weeks. It’s a little slower than I’d like to proceed but there are events to prepare for (and even some sleep to enjoy… maybe?) so I’m spacing things out a bit.

The plan is to have a workable draft for DSA 3.1 – Utopia Protocol by the end of June.

Events

Speaking of events: Totally Buffalo is this weekend! If you’re in the Buffalo area, you have to come to this incredible event. It is free to get in and there is fun for the whole family.

The following weekend is Fairport Canal Days. Another huge event for the area with hundreds of vendors to visit. There’s live music, eats galore, and more family fun than you can fit in the day.

Hope to see you at these incredible events!

Patreon

Thank you to everyone who has checked out the Patreon page, to those who followed, and especially to those who subscribed. Your support means the world to me.

I hope you’re enjoying Army in the Obelisk. Part IV arrives this Wednesday and features the Cult of Anubis. (One of my favorite villains from the series.)

The story is free for all followers of the Patreon, so join the fun and start reading!

Writing Update – March 25, 2024

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It’s been quite the month over here. While it has seemed like an eternity dealing with a potty-training, sleep-deprived toddler, time certainly has flown by. Let’s get to the writing update!

Writing Update

Greystone, Greystone, Greystone!

I closed out the script for Greystone 9 at the end of February. There was a lot of work involved, trying to reformat some of the action beats, while keeping all the main characters at the forefront for every major scene. I think it is a much stronger narrative now. We’ll see how the draft goes later this year.

Before I could jump into the script for the FINAL Greystone novel, an opportunity came up that required a brand-new story. That has been my priority for the last three weeks. It’s called The Last King, and it is a “lost tale” set in the Greystone universe. This standalone adventure is one of the best things I’ve ever put together. It was so much fun, from conception to execution, and I can’t wait for you to read it.

What it is and how you can get it are details coming your way in TWO WEEKS!

With the bonus tale out of the way, I am sitting down to script Greystone 10. It has been a crazy journey with these characters, and I will say there were tears when it came to dialoguing certain scenes. I don’t want to say goodbye yet, and thankfully won’t have to for the next year or so as I draft the final three books. What a joy it’s been to explore this world.

You’re going to love the second half of the series.

Reading List

Labyrinth by Shane Lee – I really enjoyed this novel. I met Shane’s wife at the McKinley Vendor’s Market and had to pick up the first book in his World of the Stone Maze series. The action was intense. The main characters were flawed yet extremely engrossing. I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

Not much else going on over here. It’s been work, work, and more work to keep the trains rolling on time. During my bouts of insomnia, DSA has been creeping to the forefront of my mind. A lot of fun thoughts about what is coming in the series and where it is all headed.

I’m a little ways off from getting to Season Three, but I’m ready. Oh boy, am I ready.

Next month:

I’m figuring things out on the business side mostly. There’s some review for Cracked Chrysalis and the end of DSA Season Two, but beyond that a relatively lighter month writing-wise (I hope).

Thanks for reading.

Respect the Process

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Every once in a while, I get tripped up. Be it with a draft, during the editing process, or during my long-term planning, I run into the notion to change things up–to break the system I’ve been using and try something new. What have I learned during these fits of insanity? You have to respect the process!

What the hell are you talking about, Lou?

Every writer has quirks. They have systems in place to keep them working while also making sure they can function in society. This might be a dedicated writing time during the day or a specific set of tasks that help them create.

This is their process.

You balk, but everyone has one. It might something as simple as a quiet walk before putting words on the page. Maybe it is a specific spot in the house or the playlist on your phone. Something has to be in place for you to work and messing with that upsets the entire balance.

So why mess with it?

The thing about the process is that it can evolve. We all change. So should our writing habits. Mine certainly have over time.

When I started this gig, I used to write a book non-linearly. Any chapter I had locked in my brain was my next challenge and damn the consequences. It worked for me. For a long time.

This past year, I found that method of drafting IMPOSSIBLE. The details slipped away or there was an element that didn’t feel right, so the editing process became much more crucial to removing any inconsistencies.

Suddenly, putting a book together from start to finish made sense. It clicked in a way it never had before. So the process had to evolve with it.

When the tweaks go too far…

Evolving with your process is crucial to bettering yourself as a writer. I won’t deny that. I absolutely love the drafts on my last two novels, compared to my personal feelings on a number of earlier releases. (Take that as you will. I am a self-loathing curmudgeon who will never live up to his own expectations.)

But does that mean the entire process should change as well?

It’s something I’ve been thinking about lately. I write in a very strange fashion. From full outline to script to draft to edit, there is a lot of fleshing out along the way.

That’s only for one book. There’s also series developing.

This month, I’m scripting the final Greystone books. Halfway through the readthrough on Book 8, I started wondering if I was foolish not to jump right into the draft. I did it that way for 6 and 7, so why not 8?

It’s still tripping me up, and I’m doubting the path forward. It happens more often than I would like. I am always curious to know if I would be better served writing DSA Season Three instead of closing out Greystone, or if a new series is what my readers are craving.

Battles like these disrupt the process. Internal questioning halts the flow. So what can you do?

Respect the process.

You have to respect the process. The questions don’t matter in the long run. They are the doubts that will always be there, and they have their place, but not when it comes to creation.

Work on one book all the way through if that’s how you see it forming in your mind. Develop an entire series before jumping into the first installment if you think that’s how you’ll make for a more compelling read.

Outline, script, draft and edit if it works best for you.

No matter how you tackle the project, respect the process you’ve developed. It’s served you well and there is a reason behind it. Understand that reason, evolve it as you grow, and write.

For me, that means pushing forward with the scripts. I want to make these last three books absolutely satisfying for long-time readers. Maintaining that flow, pushing the conflict and growing the tension, will serve to make the final read all the better.

Am I wrong? Could be. But I respect the process well enough to know that in the end, either through the draft or the edit, the books will be the best I have to offer.

Happy reading.

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