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

The Bridge Author Commentary 3

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The author commentary continues with the second half of my look at Lincoln’s tale in The Bridge. The Witness plays a huge role in the DSA, and his story starts to come to light here. SPOILER WARNING is in effect.

The Witness

Villains are cool. They are iconic. They take over a narrative like nobody’s business. The Witness has that role to play in the opening season of the DSA. Who is he? What is his goal? There are a dozen questions about this guy, and I wanted that to be the case after The Clearing.

Lincoln’s tale offered a chance to bring more information to light about our enigmatic villain. His unsanctioned mission to take down the Witness comes to a head in The Bridge, but not everything goes as planned.

The Witness sets Lincoln up by bringing him to the one place he never wanted to be again: Des Moines.  The choice of location is critical to their interaction because Lincoln’s arrival is what sets off the string of flashbacks culminating in Morrison Engers’ death. It is a psychological move that completely overwhelms an already exhausted Lincoln, which gives the Witness just enough wiggle room to manipulate Lincoln into helping him.

That was the most important aspect of this book, to me. The Witness is in full control from the beginning–heck, from the note left for Lincoln to find in Promethean–and uses it to coerce Lincoln during their entire encounter.

His manipulation was so critical to me. The Witness is still the villain of the piece, but not in a physical manner. He’s the brains to Marcus’ brawn. So when readers get upset at the lack of fighting, I always try to point out the internal conflict Lincoln is forced to endure thanks to the Witness’s words.

That is true power and sets Lincoln off in a new direction.

Why Des Moines?

Two reasons for the city in Iowa.

  1. I needed a larger city with bridges that ran through it. Big, iconic bridges to carry over the fear Lincoln’s held since he was a child.
  2. I needed an important primary state. Morrison was running for highest office in the land, making it vital that any visit he made was to a state that isn’t already locked down in terms of elections. Iowa is one of those early caucus states for the primary, making it a must-visit for Morrison.

Lincoln’s choice

I touched on this earlier, but everything has a cost. Lincoln’s questions at the end of Book One set the stage for his betrayal of the DSA by the end of this book. Not that he sees it this way. Metcalf does, of course, but in Lincoln’s mind he is working to save the DSA and everyone else with his decision to join the Witness.

His turn stems from the flashbacks throughout, from his inability to save Marcus in the end, and through the Witness’ keen manipulation of events. I wanted Lincoln to make a conscious decision on his own, but did he really accomplish that?

Probably not.

Then again, do we make our own decisions on a daily basis? Or are we manipulated by those around us, be it our kids, parents, spouses, co-workers, social media, advertisements, and so many other things, to choose the path of least resistance?

That was the conflict of Lincoln’s tale, and what it sets up is the end of his story…

Next up:

Another dark turn, this time with Zac Modine.

The Bridge Author Commentary 2

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The author commentary for The Bridge continues! This installment looks at the past/present split of Lincoln’s tale as well as the impact of the Engers family on the character. SPOILER WARNING starts now!

Past/Present Split

I am always looking for new ways to tell a story. There are a million of them, to be sure, but only a few tried and true methods are typically used to pull a reader into a tale. For the first two books of the series, I held to the inciting incident method. Something bad happens somewhere and then we head right to the main characters who eventually learn about this situation and head off to solve it.

This method works well. There are variations, of course, and you’ll see plenty of them when you read. For The Bridge, though, I wanted to focus directly on Lincoln MacKenzie. This is his book, so how best to showcase him as a character.

The past/present split offered the perfect device to provide this insight into Lincoln. The concept of the bridge itself immediately became apparent to me, and served as a way to connect past and present events. Everything we do matters in where we are headed and how we want to get there. There is always a bridge before and behind us. That’s what this book was to me.

Lost probably used this tool more effectively than most. Each episode offered a glimpse into a character’s past in the midst of them dealing with some present day crisis. (It was also the most frustrating at using this method, but that’s an argument for another day on another platform…)

Lincoln’s tale

You’ve probably heard this before, but I love characters. Not just main characters. Every bit player brings a smile to my face when I get the chance to put them in a situation. That was how Pratchett became such a huge player in Greystone. Those scenes in Signs of Portents where he shows up to throw a few jokes around offered enough of a foundation for me to build on throughout the series.

Lincoln, though, is not some bit player. He’s a member of the DSA Field Team, and as such, I felt deserved to take center stage as his role in the series takes a dark turn.

Star Trek: The Next Generation used this model to craft some of the best seasons ever written for television. Every week, the show focused on a specific character. Events spun out to impact more than this principal player, but all centered around a more personal tale by focusing on a specific character instead of the entire cast each and every episode.

That was the thought behind The Bridge, and Lincoln’s tale. He alluded to his past in The Clearing by telling Ben about the charge he failed to protect during his time in the Secret Service. The Bridge offered an opportunity to delve into that more, and really build some pathos for Lincoln.

The Engers Family

A hero’s tale is only made more compelling by the villain of the piece. In The Bridge, Marcus Engers takes on that role. The past scenes allowed for his introduction, and for readers to really see who this bastard was right from the start.

Those scenes also introduced Morrison Engers, and the impact of his relationship with Lincoln.

There is no climax to the book without the flashbacks. They don’t work unless you see what happened before to bring us to this moment in time. Marcus would have been one-dimensional, and Lincoln’s struggle to save him at the end would have felt emotionless compared to the heart-wrenching ordeal it truly was for the man.

Marcus Engers

The name stems from a former project of mine. I wrote the first three issues of a comic series called The Agency back in 2005. It was a West Wing approach to superheroes where a government agency was in charge of heroes. It dealt with the bureaucracy of such an organization and the people behind it, not the flashy fights.

Marcus Engers was the main character in the series, the newest recruit to the team who wanted nothing more than to show the world the wonder heroes offered. His name grew from his initials. M.E. Me. I was that kid, wanting to tell the world about the wonder of heroes and of comics and everything that went with it. (Yeah, I’m a nerd. Deal with it.)

I lost steam on the project, which I did quite a bit back then, but maybe one day I’ll dig it out to share the scripts completed.

Next time

A look at the Witness’ role in Lincoln’s tale and how the past impacted Lincoln’s decisions.

The Bridge Author Commentary 1

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Welcome to the author commentary for The Bridge. This book holds a special place in my heart, but might be the most devisive installment in the DSA’s opening season. SPOILER WARNING is in effect.

Let’s take a look at the process behind the book, shall we?

The Bridge

DSA has always been about connections, about second chances, and the decisions we regret in life always–ALWAYS–coming back to haunt us. The Bridge was a chance to spotlight those moments for the cast.

This book started as a character piece, which is how books should start, in my opinion. I knew I had a fantastic ensemble cast with multiple players able to take the lead on an adventure whenever the need arose.

The Bridge was my attempt to spotlight those characters, by splitting the team up along three separate tracks.

Using the ensemble cast

To me, there is no point in writing the book if the characters don’t contribute to the storyline. I wanted to pull apart each player and do a deep dive into how they arrived at the DSA and why. Be it Lincoln, Morgan, or Ben, all had a past that has brought them to the DSA, some trauma carried over that has molded these people into who they are.

Morgan and Ben are the main leads. I wanted to establish that in Promethean. This is their “show.” But they don’t stand alone in this.

Lincoln’s arc was a crucial element to explore in this season and The Bridge offered the perfect setup to bring that to life.

B Plot to A Plot

I love serialized storytelling. You know that about me at this point. Building subplots until they explode to the forefront is something I am always looking to do throughout this series, and everything I write.

Lincoln was relegated to the backburner in Promethean. Here, he is given the room to tell his story in a way that provides insight into his background, while also pushing the main narrative forward toward the end of the season.

Isolating the cast

Over the first two books, you followed these characters interacting with each other and building relationships. Morgan and Ben. Zac and Metcalf. Lincoln and Ruth. Even Lincoln and Metcalf to some extent. These are established dynamics.

My goal with The Bridge was to isolate the major players in the series and throw them into situations that push them to their limits. Ben is snatched by the NSA and confronted by Stallworth and Sullivan. Morgan is forced to deal with her brother, his family, and her past mistakes. Lincoln, alone on an unsanctioned mission, confronts the Witness and is forced to relive the worst day of his life.

I wanted to test the characters. Pushing them, forcing them to deal with the past in order to face their futures was something I thought was very important to connect readers with these characters.

The action issue

Here is where the divisiveness comes out. There are only a few moments in the book where action is at the forefront of the conflict. Lincoln’s past in the Middle East offers a taste, as do the other flashbacks dealing with the Engers’ tragedy, but for the most past the action comes at the climax of the book between Lincoln and Marcus.

That’s it.

I’ve heard complaints about it. Looking back, I totally understand those complaints.

But I also see conflict slightly different than most readers. Beating the hell out of someone is certainly one way to go. Setting up massive action set pieces is always a treat and a visual spectacle for the imagination.

Conflict, though, can also be internal. Morgan’s thread in The Bridge is rife with conflict. Her past mistakes, her dealing with her brother’s suicide attempt and the distance between Morgan and her brother’s family are full of tension and conflict.

Dialogue plays a huge part in conflict. Ben’s inability to trust anyone after the events of Promethean play a large role in his interactions with Kanigher, Martin, Stallworth, and Sullivan. I wanted those moments to be tense, to feed into Ben’s paranoia over his new life with the DSA. No fights were necessary, though the chase at the beginning was added in after the initial draft to build suspense.

Conflict comes in many forms. To readers here, though, The Bridge didn’t fulfill their hopes on that front.

Criticisms

I take them to heart. You won’t see another book like The Bridge again in the DSA. There will always be those tense scenes where dialogue plays the main role in adding to the conflict, but they won’t monopolize the entire book.

Personally, I love this book. It was incredibly challenging to write such personal stories about Lincoln and Morgan, and I thought they really helped connect them with readers.

What did you think of the book?

Promethean Author Commentary 6

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Welcome to the final installment of the Promethean Author Commentary. I hope you’ve enjoyed a look at the process behind the book, and the challenges it presented. I’m talking about Henry Reed this time around, so SPOILER WARNING is in effect.

Henry Reed

For me, monster of the week stories are so much fun to put together. I love figuring out the little details behind the situation, as well as the best way to connect with the main characters. Threats should always offer the reader a new facet of the character they’ve been following, whether it is a personal connection to the villain or some symbolic connection–a troubled past, broken home, type of job, etc..

Henry Reed wasn’t any of those things at first. His entire existence was as a blackmailed murderer, cleaning up loose ends for the Newton Group. He was the bad guy of the story.

I hated it.

There was no depth there with the first pass. There were clear lines in the sand when it came to good versus evil. I wanted to twist things around, and add some true complications to the story and to the players involved.

Who is Henry Reed?

That was the key to cracking the narrative. Who the hell was this kid?

Coming up with the mother angle was key to figuring out Henry. Once there was the sick mother, the person Henry needed to save more than anyone else in the world, I had a link to exploit. Everything fell into place from there.

He wasn’t a killer. He was a kid with a gift he couldn’t control.

Project Promethean was born.

Obviously, I had the project in mind first. The book was called Promethean for crying out loud, so there had to be something to it. What I didn’t have were the details. Explaining the government experiment brought more sympathy for Henry. It humanized his situation, and showed Ben. Morgan, and Zac just who they were dealing with and why.

I always tremble when it comes to exposition. Will it come across as stiff and forced? Does it flow naturally into the story and through the characters?

The first draft felt rough when it came to this moment. There was no Zac in the mix, which was the problem. I needed someone to offer up the info on a personal level, while also being able to give the scene a lighter touch than if it came from Ben or Morgan at this point. Their situation was deeply frayed because of Morgan’s resistance and Ben’s growing distrust of his situation.

Zac was the connection I needed to Henry to strengthen not only this moment but the story as a whole.

Bringing Zac into it

Zac allowed me to create a buffer for Morgan and Ben, but also added to the climax of the novel. When he’s abducted by Henry the stakes jump through the roof. Now there is someone on the line. Tensions rise and everything barrels toward the end of the novel because of Zac’s inclusion.

Changes made along the way

Henry as a killer. That was a big one to me. The first few drafts made it seem like Henry had killed in the past. Blackmail or no, that wouldn’t fly if I wanted readers sympathetic to the kid.

Reginald Kane forced his hand. That was something I played with multiple times. It was very difficult to stage the opening scene because Kane had to be the clear villain. Henry had to be defending himself, and then feel nothing but remorse at what he had done.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at Promethean. If you had any other questions about the book, feel free to reach out. I’m always happy to share the process behind these books.

Promethean Author Commentary 5

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The author commentary for Promethean continues with a look at Ben Riley’s subplot through the novel. SPOILER WARNING for those who haven’t read the book yet.

Ben’s Arc

I previously spoke about Morgan’s arc in the book. It was of a more personal nature and helped create a level of tension between her and Ben that I thought was more true to their characters (and most people, if I’m being honest).

Ben’s arc plays out in the subplot of Promethean. It opens with the mundane act of jogging, but once Ben settles at the mall to cooldown, the truth becomes clear.

He’s being watched.

Trust no one.

Again, the X-Files fan in me can’t help but drawing parallels between the two worlds. Ben is new to the DSA. He’s new to this life, so I wanted to make sure it felt that way.

The surveillance of Ben served three purposes.

  1. To isolate Ben. Who can he trust? He doesn’t know who is spying on him or why, only that it isn’t his imagination. Something is going on and he needs to figure it out. But where can he turn for both information and assistance?
  2. That led directly to his need to reconnect with Emily Wright, his former partner from Buffalo. She was the only person in his world to be there for him through thick and thin. Why wouldn’t he reach out to her? Why wouldn’t he let her know everything that is happening and then ask for her help? I wanted to show why that is no longer an option, and set up another thread that weaves through the series.
  3. To showcase Ben’s skills. He’s a cop. He should act like one… sometimes. Spotting his tail was the first step, then being able to pick out every member of the surveillance team thrown at him really proved that there was more to this guy than a disgraced beat cop.

Playing out the end

This was another scene that went through so many iterations it would make your head spin. Who was the mother that helps Ben escape from the two grunts intent on bringing him in? Why didn’t the desk sergeant in Buffalo remember Emily Wright? How does Ben break away and what intel does he have now?

These were questions that haunted me during the editing phase. Everything needed to make sense, to create a level of foreboding, that trapped Ben with the DSA while serving as a warning to him to watch his back.

Who the woman was is hinted at in Dark Impulses and fully revealed in The Wellspring.

Emily Wright

Her disappearance is one of the plotlines that weaves through the series. Ben’s subplot here was the beginning of that, and an important one. It leaves Ben completely powerless. He can’t go home to find her. He can’t reach out to her.

It is a major motivation for the choices he makes down the line, especially in Dark Impulses where his fear turns into a major threat for the team.

Planting seeds in the first season was always my goal. How they come to fruition is something I hope you’ll want to stick around to see.

Promethean Author Commentary 4

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Welcome back to the Promethean Author Commentary! SPOILER WARNING is in effect as I discuss the bonus scene that ended up making its way into the novel, and what an idiot I am for every thinking about leaving it out.

In the beginning…

Pretty dramatic, but cue the music and dim the lights. The year was 2015. I had no clue what I was doing and living off no sleep with two toddlers in the house. (Scary situation, right?)

In the fever dream that was my life back then, DSA Season One was conceived. Each installment was to be 12 parts with two or three sub-chapters per part. They would release weekly through a subscription service or newsletter. Each book would come with its own bonus material. The Clearing contained a short journal entry written by Morgan Dunleavy called Day One. It was her way of coping with what happened in Bellbrook as well as a way to better explain the circumstances of the missing population.

For Promethean, I went a step further and scripted a scene with Morgan and Coroner Diana Phelps.

But wait, that scene is in the book. What happened?

Well, me being an idiot thought the scene could easily be summarized by Morgan the next morning while Ben and Zac are rummaging through Henry Reed’s storage unit. Morgan explains how the body went up in flames before their eyes and they all realize the threat that they are facing.

See, back when I started, having a smaller beat sounded more reasonable. It felt like the way to go to keep readers engaged in the story and the scene itself could be offered as a bonus for those interested in what happened at the Coroner’s.

Bonus Scene, my #^@…

I love the scene. Every time I revisited the outline, every draft I wrote for Promethean, I kept coming back to that moment with Morgan, Phelps, and the burning body of Henry’s mother.

And every time I said, this has to be in the book.

It had to be.

Luckily, the format changed. With the novella size available to allow the story to breathe, I drafted a prose version of the bonus scene. Chapter Sixteen was born and it is the lynchpin for the entire book, in my opinion. It offers a clear look at what is happening, it gives a chance to showcase the true threat against the DSA when Hendricks’ team infiltrates the office to steal the body, and I really enjoyed writing the character of Phelps.

Side characters are the best.

Diana Phelps didn’t have to obey any rules when it came to putting together this scene. She has her part to play and then she is out for the rest of the book. No baggage. No backstory, except for what I slipped into her dialogue.

I love scenes with characters like these. They flesh out the world. Phelps curses up a storm, her enthusiasm is infectious, and she brought such a sense of wonder to the scene–a counter to Morgan who is really trying to piece this mystery together.

These are my favorite bits to write. If you look at other books I’ve written there is usually one scene where some random bit player shows up and spouts off about some aspect of the world. That’s pretty much me in a nutshell, and for Promethean, Phelps was my outlet.

Should she show up again? Let me know what you think.

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