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

Founder’s Day Commentary – Challenges Part 2

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Welcome back to the Founder’s Day author commentary! SPOILER WARNING for those just joining in.

As I mentioned last time, there were a number of challenges in putting together this tale. Not only was Founder’s Day meant to the centerpiece of the collection, it also set up events in A Circle of Shadows, served as a sequel to Resurrectionists AND had to play as an entry point into the series.

(It failed on the last point…)

Part of that failure came because of an integral part of the series was not present in the story.

Where the hell was Soriya Greystone?

One of the main characters was missing? Not my brightest idea, to be sure.

There were many reasons behind her absence. Collateral set up their separation. This tale was an extension of that divide, one put in place by Loren.

That is the story level reason. My own reason was to keep the interplay locked on Loren and Myers. To keep the story grounded in the detective side of things for a change and see how the plot developed.

It was meant to offer a different view of Portents, one where the crazy isn’t so obvious or easily explained thanks to having Soriya right there with an answer.

Coming from a narrative standpoint, for where the story falls in the series, this choice made complete sense.

From an entry point perspective? Not at all. Again, this is one of the many challenges I had in putting together the story. While I eventually let Founder’s Day out into the wilds of publication as its own entity, I struggled with the decision for months because of questions like these.

Would Soriya have strengthened the narrative? Not in this case. Not with where the character’s are in their story. Loren’s made the choice to avoid her until he can figure out the meaning behind the photo given to him by Myers. If Soriya entered into the story thanks to the high profile murders it would have derailed Loren’s story and even his growing relationship with Myers.

Something I will talk about next time…

The title debacle…

Founder’s Day isn’t grammatically correct. So not only was I dealing with my own qualms about the narrative I had to deal with the title as well.

I should have been fine changing it to Founders’ Day. It’s fine but that damn apostrophe bothered me. I spent an entire day figuring out how to keep the title as Founder’s Day and eventually realized that because of the multiple founders involved, because of the parade in honor of the day it works as Founder’s Day.

It’s things like this that make it impossible to sleep sometimes!

Griping done!

That’s never the intention behind the author commentary. I did want to showcase the challenges in this tale, however. It’s important, especially for any writers out there, to realize that not every story comes together without some real difficulties. Not always in the telling but in how it is packaged, how it is released into the world.

Founder’s Day was an eye-opener for me. Do I remain proud of the work? Absolutely.

Do I wish I would have done things a little differently when releasing it? Definitely.

And those lessons will be carried over to the DSA series when it comes out.

Founder’s Day Commentary – Challenges Part 1

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Welcome back to the Founder’s Day author commentary! SPOILER WARNING ahead and some insight into the challenges in putting together a series…

Wearing too many hats.

Writing a series can turn into an enormous mess sometimes. One would imagine when putting events together things would flow in a linear fashion. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. There are greater concerns tucked in the background of the writing process, unseen by the reader.

Which is probably where I should keep this blog but I prefer to share my troubles (and triumphs) when I can.

Founder’s Day had the unfortunate place in the series of wearing too many hats.

Instead of being the centerpiece of Pathways in the Dark, it was also the sequel to Resurrectionists.

Instead of offering a complete narrative, it also had to set up events to come in A Circle of Shadows.

Instead of being contained within Pathways in the Dark solely, it was also a free novella offered to readers and retailers.

And the story had to fill each of these needs; each of these roles.

Did it succeed?

I don’t think it did. I like the story. I enjoy the interplay between the characters and the mystery attempted to be solved. There are, in fact, a number of strong points in the tale:

The opening with the “dragon.”

Samantha Myers standing shoulder to shoulder with Loren.

The murders and subsequent mythology behind their deaths.

I enjoyed all the aspects of the story and putting them together was a treat.

Where did it fail then?

In standing on its own. There is a beginning, middle and end, sure. But when it comes to looking at Founder’s Day, there is no way to read it without some knowledge of the series.

I know that is the point of writing a series. Starting from book one and going, but for this to work as a free novella to draw in new readers Founder’s Day had to be its own thing. And it couldn’t because of the restrictions I had placed on it.

On the hats the tale was forced to wear.

It still works…

Reading through Pathways in the Dark, the tale still offers readers a great little story. It opens the door to A Circle of Shadows and pulls in the history offered by Signs of Portents and Resurrectionists.

On its own? As a free novella? As an entry point to the series?

I blew it on that front. I’ll be the first to admit it. I needed the story to do too much in too limited a space and then added the horrible idea of offering it as an entry point to the series.

Probably my biggest mistake of the series. And the fault is mine, not the narrative.

Lesson learned.

Next time!

Challenges Part 2 – Where the hell was Soriya? And what’s the deal with the title?

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