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

Juggling Multiple Projects

By

This is a topic I find fascinating with authors. How in the world can someone handling multiple projects at the same time when it comes to writing? Juggling multiple projects boggles my mind, but it is something I would love to be able to do one day.

The how behind it…

Let’s unpack this. Writing a series is a commitment. It requires an unbelievable level of concentration to keep details in your noodle to make sure the narrative stacks up by the end. I can understand an author wanting to plug away at a series until the end before moving onto something else. That makes sense to me, and how I’ve operated for the most part.

But switching gears completely? Sometimes in the same day?

The time factor

I think this plays a lot into this. I hope it does, or I’m just a lazy sack who needs to step it up ten notches and get back to work.

Having the time to work is huge for this kind of juggling. If you have a full morning dealing with mythological creatures, you can pull yourself away for an afternoon of aliens, or romance, or whatever it is you’re working on. Maybe break it up with a nice lunch, or say some blogging to completely separate the tasks.

So yeah, time has to be a huge player in juggling multiple projects.

What if you can’t?

I constantly try my hand at this. Want to know what happens? I stress eat a bunch of chocolate (stolen from my kiddos – thanks, kids!) and realize I do not have the headspace to pull off multiple projects, multiple series, multiple chapters even with the time I have allotted for work. (At the moment…)

It’s a frustrating conundrum. The ideas are there. The outlines locked in the deep recesses of the brain. Two series running simultaneously, in theory, will be two times the product and the sales, right? Wouldn’t that be nice?

The clock, though, continues to work against me. Against most of us, I would imagine.

Finding a balance

I finished DSA Season Two last month. With the momentum I had from reviewing the novels during the editing process I took it one step further to roadmap the third season.

Then I stopped and shifted gears.

Part of me wanted to continue. The momentum was still there. I could have gone on for the next nine months putting together another six books in the series.

Instead, I returned to Greystone. Part of that was not wanting to put off closing out Greystone. It’s been five years since A Circle of Shadows was released and fans deserve to see what happens to Soriya (wait, she’s dead, isn’t she?) and Loren.

The other part was in keeping with juggling multiple projects. Some readers have zero interest in DSA. Some are begging for more urban fantasy. (I’m right there with them.) Greystone is what they want, and what they’ve been expecting for quite some time.

Do I wish I could switch gears, putting out one of each and flipflopping between the two or three or four series I have projected to come out in the next five years? Absolutely.

Would they be exactly the way I intended if I did it that way? Probably not. It’s tricky to hold yourself back, but for the benefit of the final product it can actually be a good thing. Quality over quantity is what I try to tell myself, but man, there are days when I wish I could just drop everything and throw all the ideas on the table and run with them.

Someday, right?

So why the rant today?

This really is nothing more than that. (It helps me work through things…)

I sat down a year ago with a comprehensive publishing schedule that took me to 2034. Ridiculous, I know. It juggled three series (Greystone, DSA, and an unnamed space opera that is fully scripted and ready to be drafted).

I’ve edited the hell out of that plan in the last few months.

Why?

I didn’t want to screw up on the details. This happened with Greystone’s First Cycle. Having gone back to check out certain details I realized how bad I messed up. That irks me to no end. Story points are crucial for series writing and I blew it multiple times.

I don’t want that to happen again. When Greystone finishes I want it to be as close to perfect as possible. I don’t want anything to be off because I couldn’t remember the details. So, for me, sticking it out the way I am is crucial to a reader’s enjoyment.

The other reason is I didn’t want to break up the flow of a DSA Season. Publishing quarterly will already stretch out certain things, so this will at least mitigate that aspect.

Am I wrong to stick with a single series instead of juggling multiple projects? You tell me.

(Cause I have no clue anymore.)

Writing Update – February 27, 2023

By

The first writing update blog in quite some time. Welcome! Below you’ll get a glimpse into what’s been going on behind the scenes and see what madness I’m attempting to accomplish while surrounded by three kids, two cats, and one lovely wife (all talking at the same time… all the time… literally, all the time…).

Writing Update

DSA Season Two

All six books are DONE! They have been for a bit. Last month though, I sent them out to some trusted alpha readers and they seem to be digging the new installments. (Phew.) I’m hoping to be able to show off some covers in the coming months, once I wrap my head around the design elements.

DSA Season Three

Say what? Take a nap, Lou! (Ha. Yeah, right…)

Season Three is now outlined! If you’ve been following the blog this month, which you should be since you’re reading these words right now, you’ll know some of this latest batch were a struggle. I’m sure 99% of the issue was the cloud that tends to hang over my head during the winter months.

But I stuck with it. Each time I hit a wall, I stepped back to figure out exactly where I veered off course to get on track again. It was quite the learning experience, and I think the season is stronger because of it. There are some genuine shocking moments in Season Three. Twists and additions to my original plans that really surprised me at how well they fit into the larger narrative.

It’s going to be a blast to write… in 2025…

Reading List

The Hanging Garden by Ian Rankin

I loved this installment of the Rebus series. Everything about it was spot on, from the humor to the plot connections that always come together seamlessly somehow. It was also quite enjoyable to follow a completely sober Rebus through a case. If only it lasted…

Dead Souls by Ian Rankin

Can you tell I’m working my way through the Rebus series? Well, I was at any rate. This one threw me right off track. There isn’t anything wrong with the book itself. It’s the same quality Rankin writing and everything works together flawlessly, but it wasn’t for me. Probably the subject matter and nothing more. Hoping the next one wins me back over.

Amazing Spider-Man by Len Wein

This was my third time through Mr. Wein’s run on Amazing Spider-Man which ran from issues 151 through 180. My first visit went poorly. I was a huge Gerry Conway fan and I didn’t think Wein continued the stellar work Conway brought to the title. The second time went a little better. I was reading with my oldest at the time and her enthusiasm for the title (especially when Spidey messed with J. Jonah Jameson) brought a better appreciation to the run.

This time was the most fun yet. I don’t know why that was the case. I adored all the subplots throughout the run. Wein’s takes on the various villains during the run was also stronger than I remember them being. All-in-all, this was a blast to revisit and if you haven’t had the pleasure you should give this run a read.

That’s it for me this month!

Next month: GREYSTONE!

Mental Games We Play

By

In line with my previous blog, there are many ways writers can trick themselves into failure. These mental games are easily the worst thing about the business and tend to encroach on every step of the process. When you’re dealing with selling a product in a marketplace that is completely dependent on consumer reviews and opinions, terrifying and debilitating worries are part of the game.

The goal is to trick yourself out of the slow spiral to failure and straight into success.

It’s not easy. Not at all.

If it was, everyone would do it, right?

My wife thinks I hate my job. She worries I’m super depressed all the time and should be on the highest dose of some mind-altering fuel to get me back to my huggable, loveable self. None of what I’m feeling has to do with my writing. Mental games don’t play into matters until the book is done. Until you start what comes next.

I suffer through this quite a bit. The extreme highs of finishing a book, coupled with the idea that no one will ever read it. Or worse, that no one will like the damn thing.

When I send stuff out for people to read, I am usually shaking. Anxiety is no surprise for the introvert, but outright fear of the opinions of others is taking it to a whole new level.

So how do you overcome this fear? How do you beat the mental games?

Part of the solution comes from ignoring the noise. I used to check my reviews religiously. It drove a large pit into my stomach, but I felt it was a necessary component of the business. I don’t do that anymore. What happens with my books happens, and if someone doesn’t like them I can only hope others will.

Ignoring the noise frees up space for the joy of creating. That’s the bottom line, and the key to any success in this business and in life, in general.

Setting realistic expectations. I went through this recently with some alpha readers on DSA. I love feedback and want to hear about the books and what works and what doesn’t. But some tact doesn’t hurt. Understanding how an author has spent months of their lives crafting their tale and doesn’t want the first thing they hear to be a complaint, or an outright shredding of their entire project, goes a long way toward soothing their fragile ego.

In a recent email to friends and family, I mentioned how a compliment would be nice before the review process began. Whether or not they listen is up to them…

Change your outlook. No, not your actual email address, though wouldn’t that be nice? Instead, view yourself as a role you are playing rather than someone with connections and a life. I think one of my problems of the last few years has been myself. I write these blogs, emails, and books knowing family might (I stress that, might) read them and so I tweak things for their benefit. Their reaction started to matter more than the actual work.

That’s not why I do this. It shouldn’t be why any of us write what we love and share what we feel. So, I had to change. I had to face where I stumbled because of these outside influences, and figure out why they impact me the way they do.

On one hand, I considered putting everything under a pen name. Really treating my life as a character in a story. That seemed more avoidance than anything.

Beating my own mental games

To beat my own mental game, I decided simply to focus on my readers and not those closest to me. They will always be there, and they will always carry their own opinion over the value of my writing. Some will read the books and love them. Others will promise to read them in the future and never will. Still others won’t even pretend to care. And that’s fine.

They are not who I am writing for, and that is how I beat the mental games that weigh me down. Or try to, at any rate. I’ve thought about deleting this blog completely rather than let people read it. That’s the old fear coming back. So I’m just going to let it ride and see how things go…

Start a New Project

By

The End. It’s the single greatest phrase to type when finishing a book. The elation that courses through your veins having just completed this massive tome of literature is like a drug. The hours, weeks, months of sleepless nights as you toiled away in your basement have all paid off and now you have this cohesive behemoth of a project finished. Completed. Done. Okay, now…start a new project.

Wait, what?

Are you insane? I have to do it AGAIN?

Starting a new project

I had this absolute blinding moment of terror a few weeks back. I was finishing the edits on DSA Season Two, something I had been toiling with for months. Saving the last document, formatting the final draft, put an end to my time on the project. I was riding a high like no other after months of self-abuse at the hands of the editing machine. Thinking I could do no wrong I decided to take that momentum of living in this world exclusively for so long to map out the next six chapters of the story.

And I couldn’t remember how to start.

I was brain-locked. For the life of me, there was not a single idea I could write down that meant anything to me. I had no idea how to carry a narrative let alone start one. It was terrifying. I’ve never had a problem outlining. It just seemed to be one of those things that came naturally for me, but here I was stymied by own inability to figure out where to start. Or how to start. Or anything involving the world and characters I had come to know so well over the last few years.

Identifying the problem

Sometimes it can be a simple thing. With DSA, the issue became scope. The world exceeded my grasp and until I found a way to lock down the situation I had no control over my thoughts and could not make any headway into solving my issues.

I’ve run into this blockage in a different way before. At times we tend to know our story too well. From main plot to sub plot, everything is so firmly established in our brain that when it comes time to write them out there is too much input. Everything becomes muddled and nothing connects seamlessly.

Finding solutions

DSA was a tricky beast. It usually is. When it came time to get thoughts on the page, I found myself starting with the simple premise. What is this book about?

Not what is this series about or who are these characters, but what was I thinking about first when it came to this installment, this book itself on its own. No connections with other plots or long-running themes.

Bare bones. Simple.

Starting from that fresh perspective gave me time to realize where I was in the narrative.

Here are some other tips to start a new project:

Write what you know.

Silly, but it works. If you have a single scene locked in your brain start there and build out from that moment.

Work on a subplot first.

It might be counterintuitive depending on the series you’re building, but if there is a clear piece of the puzzle already set in your mind, start there and let your brain continue to work through the issues you’re having on the main plot.

Build what you can, while you can.

Start a new project

Determine the act breaks.

I find this works best in a lot of ways. Figure out the turns of the story, where the action beats are and the big reveals are positioned, and suddenly the connections start to come into focus. Having these key events at fixed points in the narrative also makes for a stronger book, in my opinion.

Take a damn break.

The obvious one, right? I probably should have done this for DSA to let my mind wander on the problems I was having. Give your brain a chance to figure things out in its own time. You’ll be surprised how quick you’ll be back at the keyboard.

Reaching the end is the dream, but to start a new project can be just as exciting. Don’t let a few false starts keep you from finding your way into your next outline.

Back in the Saddle Again

By

Welcome back! It’s been a bit, hasn’t it?

When I stepped away from the blog back in August 2021, I had no idea it would take this long to get my ass back in gear. Regardless of the state of the world or the insanity within this very house, the delay was on me, and me alone.

But I’m back. Right here, right now, this is the new beginning for this site and for all the new books that will be coming your way in the future.

So what happened?

Between teaching my kids and then welcoming a third to the mix, I realized I was burning out on all ends. Work was becoming strained, jammed in between lessons and naps and bedtimes without a clear thought left in my brain from all the different priorities raging through the house.

So I took the blog off the table. I stopped my monthly newsletter. I walked away from the business of being an author to keep the focus on creating content to eventually pass along to you.

That’s what I’ve been doing between poopy diapers and softball games and, what was that other thing again? Oh yeah, sleep.

Stockpiling content

When I started back in 2016–ah, the glory days–I made a promise that I would always stay ahead of schedule. There would be no crunch time, no stress in getting out a quality product for you to enjoy.

DSA Season One pretty much killed that plan. The rapid release, while exciting and a great method of delivery for the avid reader, left me drained and straining to get out another book in a timely manner. Greystone-in-Training, while some of my favorite books in the end were a struggle to finish in the aftermath of the DSA’s rapid release strategy.

I never want to put out a rushed book. Worse, a bad one. Every book needs to meet my own strict standards first and foremost. I want to be able to enjoy them just as much as you.

So I took the time I needed to get back on track.

2022

I was aimless for a bit. I’ll gladly admit that. Having the schedule of the blog and the newsletter always put me at my desk for a specific task and without them there were days I just spun my wheels.

Doesn’t mean I wasn’t busy!

In the last fourteen months I have outlined over a dozen new projects, scripted ten more, and drafted half of them. (Not tooting my own horn. Just don’t want you to think I’ve been binging on shows the entire time… I miss television…)

But I had no plan still. And it showed, because in April of last year I tried to restart the newsletter and couldn’t keep it up. I had no idea what I was promoting, and without a new book in the pipeline for release I didn’t see the point in stringing along my readers.

That failure marked a turning point for me. I spent weeks developing a plan for the future. I gave myself the time I needed to make it a reality and here we are.

DSA Season Two

That become the heart of the plan. DSA was always meant to come out at a regular pace to keep readers interested in the ongoing mystery of the series.

A three year gap was not ideal, to say the least.

I took that need, that drive, and dedicated myself to completing the long-gestating second season. All six books are set and ready for release. I’m using them to give me the lead time to bring more content your way in a timely manner. They set the schedule for the next two years, and by doing that, I am back to being ahead of schedule.

What’s to come this year?

First and foremost, the blog is back…FOR GOOD. Some weeks there will be two installments like it was in the beginning. I have author commentaries lined up for DSA Season One to help build excitement for the new season as well as some other cool deals to share in the coming weeks.

The newsletter starts up next week.

The DSA returns this fall. That’s right, two new books are coming your way later this year with the rest of the season planned for next year. You’ll find out more about them on Thursday.

Final thoughts

Walking away was the right move at the time. My family needed me, and they are my light and my joy. But every month it continued it became that much easier to stay away, and getting back to work became that much harder.

This won’t be the easiest endeavor. It never has been, and to think otherwise is ludicrous. I have three kids, two cats, and an aging family. There are going to be mistakes made, deadlines missed, and opportunities lost because of the other priorities vying for my time.

But you are a priority for me. Your readership means the world to me and I hope you’ll come back and enjoy the projects coming your way this year. They have been an absolute dream to build. Sharing them with you is one of the biggest pleasures I get in this world.

So, welcome back. Thank you for sticking with me.

Happy Reading!

New Path Forward

By

This has been coming for the last few months. I am constantly trying to find a new path forward with my work–to bring you a constant stream of content that you will find enjoyable and entertaining.

It has never been easy. It’s not going to get any easier, not for a bit.

For the last two months, I’ve been trying to come up with a way to keep the blog going while writing new books while building my readership while raising two kiddos while taking care of my very-pregnant wife. The truth of the matter is, I can’t win at all of them. (Most days it doesn’t feel like I can win at ANY of them.)

I had to pick my battles.

This will be the last blog for a bit. When it came down to it, there was no way to not feel like I’m letting someone down. Building my readership, while important to my survival in the business, means nothing if I’m not writing.

That’s where all my energy is going for the time being. By that, I mean in the dead of night between the wails of a screaming infant. Like the good old days of when I started this crazy journey…

So what is going on with DSA and Greystone?

Season Two of DSA is drafted. It’s ready to be torn apart and rebuilt into a stronger narrative that you will love. I think they are some of my favorite books yet.

Greystone is completely outlined. Books 6 through 10 are set with how they will be structured and what happens in the books. I think the series closes out strong. Loren and Soriya (wait, she’s dead, isn’t she?) go through some crazy stuff in these last five books. All kinds of things going on. The origin of the Greystone is revealed. Monster shenanigans. The works. Promise.

I want you to have these books. I want to send them to you right now. Unfortunately, I can’t.

The truth is, I was chasing deadlines for years while trying to raise my first two girls. I spent every waking minute pulled in two very different directions. It made for some frustration at times. There was also the occasional breakdown at the stress of it all.

When my wife and I decided on a third, the new path forward was to get a year ahead of schedule. For a split-second I was on target.

Then the pandemic happened.

I became a teacher. I turned into tech support, janitor, and lunch lady all rolled into one. It was…not the most pleasant experience of my life. Writing slipped away for a bit. I outlined like mad (16 books you haven’t even heard about yet), but drafting was impossible. My year ahead of schedule turned to six months, which then dissipated to nothing.

With baby 3 entering the world last week (she’s wonderful, btw) I made a choice to no longer be a slave to the schedule. The books will be coming, but they will be coming when I’m well ahead of where I need to be.

It will make the books better. That’s what it comes down to in the end. Building better stories, driving stronger narratives into your hand, is all I’ve ever wanted to do. I hate the delay you’ve been forced to experience with DSA. Hate it.

It won’t be happening again. When I am back–really, really back–you will have plenty to read.

This is my new path forward. The baby wins, but the story continues. It just might be a bit before you see me again.

I have loved every last second of the last five years. Building stories. Creating worlds. All the emails from readers. The interactions at every convention. It’s all been incredible, and I can’t wait to get back to it.

Thank you for reading.

Disclaimer: Links throughout this site may be affiliate links. All commission earned through these links go to Eleven Ten Publishing to produce more books for your reading pleasure.

You can view our privacy policy here.

Recent Posts