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

The Medusa Coin Commentary – Building Subplots 2

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The commentary continues for The Medusa Coin and a sneak peek ahead at book five of Greystone so… SPOILERS AHEAD!

The growing shadows…

Very few ask about the overarching plot of Greystone. Maybe they are living in the moment, enjoying the books as they come and not questioning what comes next.

Or maybe they haven’t seen what’s been hiding in the text since the beginning.

Well, maybe not the beginning.

For me, when I wrote Signs of Portents the first twenty-five times there was no series. It was a standalone comic book mini-series with a beginning, middle and end. As it evolved and I started to see further development opportunities I realized there could be something in the background.

A built in subplot that could grow and change and shape the series over time. Something vague and easily missed but alluded to so much more when you looked deeper at the events in Portents.

I wrote it in a single line of Signs at first. Just a blip that even I had no clue as to its true meaning but it was there for me to explore when I was ready.

A Circle of Shadows.

Mentor has it pinned to his map in the Bypass chamber. Just a note without any other scribbling or justification for Soriya or Loren to glean at the time.

From there the moment grew. The Medusa Coin is flush with references to the circle growing until the end.

But there is something else there as well. Mentor sees it when he visits the Bypass on his hunt for Nathaniel Evans. You get a glimpse of the shadow at the start of Henry Erikson’s journey when they offer him the coin to save his life. Someone has been working in the background, bringing these threats to life in Portents.

And now both threats are converging on Soriya and Loren next September.

A Circle of Shadows, book five of the series, brings everything together. All the threats, all the mysteries come to a head here in the climactic finale to the Greystone series’ first major arc.

Every story plays a part. Every hint at the larger story is touched upon. Secrets are revealed the city faces its darkest hour.

And one has to fall…

I can’t wait for you to read this book. I think it is the best one yet and really hope you feel the same come September.

You’ll be hearing more about the book quite often next year but for now, go back and read the first books of the series. The clues are there for what is coming. And more are coming your way in February with Pathways in the Dark.

It’s going to be a fun ride.

The Medusa Coin Commentary – Building Subplots 1

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The commentary on The Medusa Coin continues! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Building Subplots

Over the course of 11 months from 2012 to 2013 I put together a very, very, VERY rough draft of The Medusa Coin. It was my first attempt at writing a novel in five years and it showed.

Also during that time, my cubicle neighbor was reading Signs of Portents in its comic book script form. He loved it. The second he finished he asked where the sequel was and when he could read it. I told him it was coming. Then he asked what was in it.

When I finished describing the narrative his FIRST question was: What about who killed Beth?

His second question – What’s the deal with the Greystone?

I had no answers. I told him he would have to wait and see. He then wondered if either was mentioned in the sequel…

NOPE.

The flaw in my grand design was quickly discovered. I set out to fix the narrative as quickly as possible.

(Four years later…)

Answering questions?

When writing a series sometimes it isn’t about answering every question but making sure each gets some forward progression with each installment. That is what I realized as I went about rewriting and reworking The Medusa Coin.

Not having any mention of Beth’s fall in the original draft was a weakness. One I couldn’t let stand.

Beth’s fall…

I didn’t have an answer but I knew the direction I wanted to go. This moment was seminal for Loren’s character – it drives him and to ignore it felt out of place to say the least.

I also didn’t want it to take over the narrative.

Enter the dreams…

By having the dreams run in the background of each novel and show their evolution over time it becomes a touchstone for the reader. This plot still exists and the reader realizes it without losing the momentum of the story they are currently enjoying.

Stringing the reader along is never the goal and it does become a fine line. One I worry about with each Greystone novel published.

But have no fear, true believer, the answer is coming next September.

building subplots

The secret of the Greystone

The original outline and subsequent drafts made no mention of the Greystone’s mystery (or that of the Bypass for that matter…) I realized pretty early on the loss of Mentor would open a gap in Soriya’s knowledge. Her teacher is gone and she is alone with this awesome responsibility.

Eventually the questions would arise. By opening the novel with the stone losing control it brought this lack of knowledge to the forefront and created a nice mystery for Soriya to pursue in the background of The Medusa Coin.

The revelation of more Greystones being out in the world came much later and I am so happy to have stumbled upon that thread. It has opened so many opportunities for future tales and you won’t believe the impact it has on the series to come.

Pulling away from the main narrative…

Subplots are necessary when crafting a series. There has to be an end goal for the protagonist. There has to be a question to be answered or a mystery to be solved. They keep the reader coming back for more. They keep the series interesting.

But they can also pull the reader away from the main story. Finding the right balance is tricky and one of the points I struggle with when crafting the books. I think it is why I ignored them the first time around. Was that the right answer?

No. Subplots increase the tension and carry the story over multiple novels. They excite the reader and drive characters forward rather than leave them stuck in place.

Next time

The second part of building subplots and the title reveal for Book Five of the Greystone series!

Thanks for reading.

The Medusa Coin Commentary – Starting Points

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We’re in commentary mode for The Medusa Coin so SPOILERS AHEAD!

Humble Beginnings…

Last time I spoke about the long road to publication for The Medusa Coin. Between 2010 and 2016 I tinkered and toyed with the novel more times than I can count. I had no true outline, no real threat and no clue how to proceed.

Not exactly the best place to start from in terms of the creative process.

It took revisiting Signs of Portents in early 2016 to really nail down where I wanted to go. Once I had the series in place, the idea of a building narrative through a number of novels and short stories, I had the freedom to chart a course forward.

Starting Points

starting pointsI had the bones of an outline, the skeleton of a story that carried through over the years. The Medusa Coin was always going to be about immortality, but more importantly about control of one’s life (a life without death). But from there I was a mess of a writer.

At one point hell hounds were involved. There was a fear virus running rampant in Portents. Ruiz died. And other insanity.

None of it fit! At all! I was throwing everything at the wall and nothing stuck because it couldn’t. Having a citywide threat didn’t make sense for this novel. The hell hounds made logical sense at one point and then there was no way to get rid of them in the third act, totally diverting from the threat of Henry Erikson. Ruiz couldn’t die because he had more story to tell.

So where was I supposed to go? What was my starting point for what became The Medusa Coin?

Soriya and Loren. Always.

Plot based threats are great and I knew Henry Erikson with the Charon would be perfectly placed within Portents. But what about character based arcs?

For me, that was the key to unlocking the potential of the narrative and it is with the two prologues I was able to tap into the actual story behind the book.

Prologues

Having the Greystone as an uncontrollable source of power played off the precision of the Medusa coin. One known and one unknown – both incredibly dangerous to the user and its intended target.

For Loren? I went back to Signs and realized Loren was returning to the city – this place that took his life from him. That is something he keeps trying to reclaim so what is his first step? His interaction at the bar was meant to be a callback to his own weaknesses – his addictive personality that causes him to chew gum so often and dream of smoking – but the scene also represented how lost he truly was.

And alone.

Loneliness defines these characters for me and having that personal stake in the novel – having them spin their wheels collectively yet completely separate at the same time really stepped up the conflict in my eyes. It raised the stakes. It set the tone.

And it gave me my starting points.

Evolutions

Much of the first act of the novel came from that first outline in 2010. Up until the moment Soriya reveals Death is in Portents was meant to be the first issue of the comic series version of the tale.

Except the prologues and the opening chapter. They were added last year when I set about building the entire narrative from the ground up.

I had read some questioning remarks of the two prologues with Signs. Personally, I think they set the tone for the series and plan to continue them into book 5 (although I’m taking a  slightly different  approach with that one).

If Soriya and Loren aren’t central to the story there is no reason to write it and call it Greystone in my opinion and the prologues cement that feeling.

Next time:

Building subplots. A two part exploration at the growing subplots of the series.

Thanks for reading.

The Medusa Coin Author Commentary Intro

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When I started this blog one of my main goals was to provide an inside look at the process behind the scenes. I did it with Signs of Portents and Tales from Portents. Now it is time to start the author commentary for The Medusa Coin.

Why divulge the secrets behind the book?

Seriously. Why let you know what a complete and utter buffoon I am when it comes to putting together a book? Why pull back the curtain on the inane arguments I have with myself on a daily basis to make the overall narrative as strong as can be?

Because it’s what I love to read about.

Yeah, I’m that guy. I’m the one they make audio commentaries for when they release a film, the one that runs through the documentaries on the bonus features disc before even watching the movie. I’m a process junkie. There are constant debates in this basement torture room I call an office about the best way to tell a story and I like being able to share those moments with you.

Maybe it will help you with your own writing – if that’s your thing. Maybe it will clue you in on something you missed during your first reading of the novel or it will inspire you to want to read it again to catch all the little moments you may have glossed over, while speeding to the finish.

author commentary

Let the author commentary begin!

For the next two months – off and on – I will take you all the way back to 2010 at the start of this wacky project. You’ll find out how I wrote The Medusa Coin FIRST and then went back to Signs of Portents and how the book is soooo much better than that first draft.

You’ll read about my fears of using Death and the mystery behind his role as well as the fact that Ruiz almost met his end in this story.

Lots of in-depth looks at the major players with all sorts of stories to share from my side of the screen. I promise there will be SPOILERS so read your copy this weekend and come back here Monday for the first look behind the scenes of The Medusa Coin.

I’ll see you then.

Resurrectionists Commentary Part 3

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We’ve made it to the last author commentary for the Tales from Portents collection at last! My hope with these author commentaries is to offer insight into the decisions made in putting the project together and the challenges therein. It’s also fun to point out the little Easter eggs throughout.

So, the final SPOILER WARNING is in effect!

The Founder

In the original version of Resurrectionists there was a clear villain in the form of the Founder.  He had dubiousFounder intentions and the mystery behind his identity was very much in play.

Then I thought better.

Is there a villain in Resurrectionists? Not really. Using this crucial component of the Greystone series as more a morality tale for Loren and Soriya than a battle between good and evil strengthened the emotional core of the story.

The face of the Founder

The first and second draft held the same premise: at the climax of the story, the Founder was arrested and unmasked for the city to see.

The aftermath chapters centered on his story before diving into Loren’s suspension and subsequent leave of absence. In essence, all character growth, the heart of the story being told was blocked by the need to explain who and what the Founder truly was.

It didn’t work.

It was awkward and it raised more questions than it answered. And it sure as hell took some of the juice away from the pain Loren was going through after the debacle.

Pulling away from Loren in this moment as well as from Soriya as she watches him leave at the end of the story, would have undercut the strength of these scenes, and the reason the story existed in the first place.

The unmasking also put more emphasis on explaining how the resurrections occurred as well. That was something I wanted ambiguous. The less said the better. Spelling out the mystical, defining every aspect of a supernatural or faith-based element in the narrative is never for the benefit of the story or the reader.

Leaving those questions, allowing the reader to make their own judgement engages the audience more. Or it frustrates the hell out of them. (Definitely not my intention…)

The other benefit of leaving the Founder in the wind with his mask and motivations intact?

Founder’s Day

FounderIt leaves things open for a kick-ass sequel.

That’s right. Coming December 5, 2017, Founder’s Day will be coming your way.

FOR FREE.

On the eve of the Founder’s Day Celebration in the heart of Portents, someone is murdering city officials and dressing them up in a signature black robe and cloak.

What does it have to do with the Church of the Second Coming? And will Loren be able to find the killer or will the entire city of Portents be at risk?

The seeds are planted for the end of the first cycle of the Greystone series in this tale!

The End.

That brings us to the end of the commentary for Tales from Portents. I hoped you enjoyed this insight into the insanity I bring to all my work. The constant battles. The thoughts behind even the most miniscule of details. Everything is important and it is all to make the reading experience the best possible.

I hope you agree.

Thanks for reading!

Resurrectionists Commentary Part 2

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We’ve almost made it to the last author commentary for the Tales from Portents collection! One more after this, promise! My hope with these author commentaries is to offer insight into the decisions made in putting the project together and the challenges therein. It’s also fun to point out the little Easter eggs throughout. (I love that crap.)

Spoiler Warning is in effect!

Pulling threads together…

This is one of the most difficult tasks of a writer. I am constantly tweaking, pulling, and praying that at the end of the day the threads connect and make sense.

As well as satisfy both the casual fan and the avid reader.

For Resurrectionists, the task before me was to take the small nuggets left throughout Signs of Portents and build a compelling narrative to explain some of them.

Not all of them.

A good friend continues to complain about the lack of answers. Don’t worry. They are coming. Soon.

So I had goals set before sitting down to plot.

Roadmaps help.

They do. Sometimes I wonder where the hell I would be without my OneNote app. I have so many little tidbits and thoughts stretched across dozens of pages.

Having goals is only a start though. There has to be a narrative behind the events or there is no reason, no drive for the characters. Who wants to read that?

Coming up with a story that allowed the threads of Robert Standish, Loren’s suspension and his fallout from Soriya was where the challenge came in for Resurrectionists.

Knowing Loren was as helpful as the map.

Beth remains central to the character’s motivations and offered me a starting point. What would make Loren stop using his brain and follow his heart, act out emotionally instead of rationally?

The chance to bring Beth back.

Bringing faith into it.

I’m a huge fan of Supernatural. I won’t deny it. Those damn Winchesters have stolen twelve years from me and I still tune in as often as possible to watch their misadventures.

Especially the seasons centered on the conflict between angels and demons.

I’ve always been fascinated by religious lore. In fact, you’ll be seeing much more of it in a few years (yes, years…) and it is going to ROCK.

But for the purposes of this tale, I wanted to play with Loren’s faith. His beliefs. And how it relates to the characters in Portents.

Using resurrection as a tool, an instrument behind the narrative, spoke to where the character was at this point in the series. I needed Loren to fall. I needed his mistake to be grave, at least in his own eyes.

Would Soriya have easily forgiven his actions? Would Ruiz?

Of course.

But Loren wouldn’t. And that was the important part. Loren needed this break. He needed to walk away.

Until Signs of Portents brings him back.

Tying it together.

Goals are great. Plot devices or threads offer a writer an entrance into the story. But it isn’t enough.

Using Resurrectionists to answer questions would have fallen flat without tying it to Loren’s arc as a character. Taking those threads, that constant guilt at his mistakes, and then showing what he’s been trying to deal with after the events of this story offers that much more impact.

Every story since this one has given me that opportunity and it is something I’ve been grateful to learn while constructing this series.

Character trumps all. Defining moments only work when they sprout from the character. All the threads, all the maps, all the goals in the world don’t mean anything without a tie to principal players in the narrative.

Coming July 10th:

The last commentary on this collection!!

The face of the Founder… AND A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

Thanks for reading.

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