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Writing Update – September 25, 2023

September 25, 2023 By Lou

I swear the Time Trapper is messing with me this year. There is no way another month has slipped by on the calendar. Once I make it through the Time Curtain, we’re having words, Trapper! Anyway you spin it, welcome to this month’s writing update–what there is of it, at any rate!

Writing Update

DSA Season Two LAUNCHED! Yes, the Wellspring is out in the world. Thank you to everyone who grabbed a copy and helped spread the word on the series. Much appreciated.

The launch has been fantastic. Conventions have really helped push the DSA back out into the world, so I hope to keep that momentum going.

This month, I’m closing out my final, final, FINAL? readthroughs of Books 5 and 6 of Season Two. I do this to figure out an accurate page count for the paperback so MiblArt can determine the necessary spine width for printing. It’s pretty much a straight readthrough, but I always manage to find a tweak or three for the narrative.

I’m also proofing Foundations for any last-minute issues with the book. There is one detail I think will enhance the season as a whole, so I’m glad I have the time to make it work.

Greystone 7

After a revisit to DSA, I’m diving into Greystone Book 7. October will be all drafting. I’ve read through the script a number of times, so the story is pretty much locked in my brain at this point. It should make things flow smoother as I navigate what might be my favorite Greystone adventure since The Gifts of Kali.

Okay, I love them all, but throw in some Arthurian legends? Knights of the Round Table? Prophecies of doom? Yeah, I’m all in. It’s going to be great.

Reading List

The Unwanted Prophet – I cannot say enough good things about this book. I loved every second of it. The narrative is enthralling, the characters are well-defined, and the dialogue is pitch perfect. Work fell to the wayside for this one. A fantastic read. Be sure to check it out.

Chaos and Consequences – I’m trying to branch out into the sci-fi/space war/empire genre, so reading is essential to figuring out the tone and pace readers enjoy. Nathan Doverspike’s inaugural novel was a great introduction into the world of Kai Stormbringer and the growing Aetherial War. The grittiness really helped generate the stakes for what is happening. Strong worldbuilding and dynamic characters. Check it out.

Writing Update – July 31, 2023

July 31, 2023 By Lou

The writing update is back! I can’t believe I used to do these monthly. How the heck did that work? This house is way too crazy right now.

Writing Update

DSA

Getting back to the publishing side of the business was always going to be a challenge. There are so many different tasks to fulfill. None are extremely challenging but, holy hell, are they time-consuming. To start, I’ve been reading through all of Season Two for any last-minute tweaks needed. Cover design came next as the readthrough provided some thoughts on what should be part of the design.

From there, comes the formatting–both ebook and paperback formats. Uploading files, applying for the LCCN numbers from the Library of Congress, determining where the book is needed for beta readers. Getting the proof, reading the proof, making changes where necessary.

It’s been a bit of a time-suck on the work schedule.

I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is the job and I want to provide the best reading experience possible.

I’m finished with the first half of Season Two with all that fun. (Wait until you see the covers from MiblArt!)

Greystone

The script-level draft for Greystone Book Seven is finished! After hanging out at Nickel City last month, and talking with so many readers about the series, I was dying to jump into a new installment. There wasn’t even the usual learning curve when it came to diving back into Portents.

Book Seven opens with a really cool flashback to the War for Portents when the Heads of Cerberus are taking over the city and then jumps a year after those events. Lots of Arthurian legends and myths in this one. Lots of Myers snark and Loren screw-ups.

But what about Soriya? Will the series be the same without her?

Well, you’ll just have to read and find out.

Reading List

It’s been all comics for a bit. Reading the dialogue helps me with my own, or so I tell myself.

Lots of Spider-Man from the early 90s.

Batman: Eternal was a treat to read after so many years. The New 52 really did have some gems in the DC catalog. I hope I can say the same post-Dawn of DC.

I have a brief vacation in August. Hoping to binge a couple novels at that time. Fingers crossed on that one.

Writing Update – May, 29, 2023

May 29, 2023 By Lou

Happy Memorial Day!! Welcome back to the never-ending adventure that is my writing update. Let’s get to it before those hot dogs and hamburgers are done on the grill.

Writing Update

I’m hip deep in the edits for Alpha and Omega. The last two weeks I’ve been picking the book apart and putting it back together to test out a few different versions of scenes. Needless to say, the edit is going much slower than I would like. I’ve been asking a lot more questions than usual with this one. It will be worth it in the end, and a much stronger narrative because of it, but yeah, I’m my own worst enemy with this edit.

My plan is to put this book to bed next month and bounce back to DSA Season Two for final, final, final, FINAL edits plus a fair share of formatting. (Fun stuff.)

I’m toying with the idea of scripting Greystone Book Seven at the same time. Not sure if my brain is capable of such a feat, but I’m willing to give it a try just to feel like I’m hitting my goals for the year.

DSA Season Two

Speaking of DSA, the wife finished her readthrough of the season last night. She was woefully unprepared for the twist at the end, and very excited for Season Three. (Phew. I was sweating that one for quite some time.)

If you want to join the DSA launch team, shoot me an email at lou@loupaduano.com. I’m happy to catch up new readers so you’re all set for The Wellspring this fall.

Reading Update

I’m not going to lie, it’s been all comics over here for the last month. I binged on a number of Image and Dark Horse titles.

Baltimore

For all my love of the Hellboy universe, I’ve rarely ventured away from the main title and BPRD. I wanted to change that, and started Baltimore Omnibus Volume 1. (because vampires…) I freaking loved it. Ben Stenbeck’s art throughout the book really brought the stories to life.

Paper Girls

I’m a big Brian K Vaughan fan. Y the Last Man was outstanding and so was Ex Machina. Hell, even the man’s Ultimate X-Men run is my favorite of the series. So jumping into Paper Girls was a no brainer. It started with a real Stranger Things vibe and immediately went above and beyond on the sci-fi level. All thirty issues are now in one massive volume. It’s a beautiful book too, with gorgeous Cliff Chiang art throughout.

Locke & Key

This has been on my list for years. Now, with the Netflix show finished, I thought I should dive in. Welcome to Lovecraft was a great introduction. The characters are so completely broken and everyone has a secret. Joe Hill does an incredible job bringing every player to life and seeding some major consequences for down the road. I’m very interested to see where this one goes.

I’ll

Sci-Fi Valley Con

I will be in Altoona, PA from June 9th through the 11th for Sci-Fi Valley Con. They have a ton of guests lined up including a huge Avatar: The Last Airbender reunion. If you’re in the area, be sure to stop on by and say hello!

Take care, happy reading, and enjoy the holiday!

Writing Update – March 27, 2023

March 27, 2023 By Lou

This writing train just keeps on chugging along. Check out this month’s writing update below:

Writing Update

Alpha and Omega

It hasn’t been easy to return to Greystone. I knew the transition wouldn’t be simple after so long away, but what it really came down to was my own pressure about coming back to Portents.

Greystone deserved the best, and I worried I wasn’t up to par. There were scenes I pulled apart for hours trying to figure out a way in from Loren’s perspective, from Soriya’s, from Mentor’s… all these little voices needed to find their way back into play.

Portents also played a big part in the series, and I wanted to keep that up. For a while I wasn’t sure how, but while piecing together the history of one of the major set pieces I remembered what makes the city work (or not work as is the case). Finding that thread, figuring out the secrets of the city, was one of the keys to really making this script come to life for me.

It took some time, but everything managed to slide back into rhythm. It was like a happy homecoming with old friends.

So yes, the script is DONE!

187 pages of Soriya and Loren and all the chaos that comes with a Portents novel. Some of the visuals are haunting (I hope I do them justice in the draft). The banter between Loren and Ruiz is still one of my favorite parts of the series, and there is a joke in the script that I really hope makes it to the final book. It has me in stitches every time I think about it. (It’s probably only funny to me.)

Next month, I’m diving into the draft. This is my first foray into a 300-page behemoth in quite some time so it might be slow-going, to say the least. Fingers crossed I still remember how to do this!

Reading List

Project Hail Mary

Andy Weir’s latest is so flipping incredible. I didn’t want to put it down. Every chapter had me begging for more. The science was, of course, well over my head but I always love the narrator’s voice and how down to earth Weir’s characters can be. A truly fantastic novel you should definitely check out.

Hulk: The Dogs of War

Paul Jenkins wrote the majority of this book and it dates back to 2000 – 2001. I remember loving this. Jenkins hit all the right notes with me. Banner on the run. Hunted by the government. Split personalities, different Hulk personas.

This time around didn’t carry the same feeling. I still think the book is visually outstanding. From Ron Garney to Kyle Hotz to John Romita Jr., the book is gorgeous to look at page after page. Story-wise, it never really gets past that initial plot point of Bruce dying of ALS and the threat of this Devil Hulk thing that never really pans out. It reads like Jenkins had way more story to tell and didn’t get the chance, and that is unfortunate because I feel like he had a great handle on the character at this stage in Bruce’s life after the loss of his wife.

The back matter is where this book shines. Brian Azzarello and Richard Corben put together a four-part tale called Banner and it is phenomenal. Every panel is a treat for the eyes. I could read that story over and over again. Top notch stuff.

It’s all author commentary next month, but the writing update will return for May!

Thanks for reading.

Juggling Multiple Projects

March 6, 2023 By Lou

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.)

June Promotions

June 15, 2021 By Lou

Your June promotions are here! Lots of great deals on ebooks and audiobooks this month. And don’t forget to take advantage of launch month prices for DSA: The Complete First Season, as well as Greystone: The Complete First Cycle.

June Promotions

DSA: The Complete First Season is only $4.99!

All six books from the action-packed first season of the DSA are now in one complete volume! 1,000 pages of rogue experiments, dangerous conspiracies, and frantic adventure.

Ben Riley’s recruitment to the clandestine organization known as the DSA, the Department of Special Assignments, opens the door to a world he never realized existed. Shadowy conspiracies threaten our way of life, and only Ben, Morgan and the rest of the field team at the DSA can put a stop to it.

Fans of The X-Files will thrill to the winding mysteries hidden at the heart of the series. The world is changing and nothing will prepare you for what comes next.

“I have seen what comes next. No one will survive the world to come…”