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

2024 Wrap Up!

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I have quite a few thoughts about 2024. Most of them are less than pleasant, so rather than dwell on them or their impact on our futures, I’ve determined to stick to what I can control and what I can improve upon in the coming year. Check out my 2024 Wrap Up below:

2024 Wrap Up

This year presented numerous challenges to this poor writer. Iris, my three-year-old whirlwind, broke the mold of the Paduano children and shucked off the nap much sooner than expected. Not the worst thing in the world. We’ve certainly enjoyed ourselves, reading and coloring and playing games, but holy hell has it taken away from my work. That sixty to ninety minutes every day really helped take care of quite a bit. Without it, things have been… tougher, let’s say.

I’ve written under pressure for most of my career. When you have three kids and a wife who want nothing more than to spend time with you, you try to make the most with the minutes you have. This year, though, with four releases, more in-person events than ever, and less time to work than ever, it has not been my best year.

This isn’t meant to be a downer. I don’t care to complain. This is just where life is at the moment, but things will change. This time will never come again, so I am rolling with the punches to do what I can while enjoying my family as it stands in this moment.

But enough with the complaining.

I mentioned the four releases. DSA Season Two is finally out in the world! I remember putting down my first thoughts on The Wellspring in December 2019. That’s how long these six books took to ruminate into existence. The pandemic was a tricky devil to navigate, but out of that time away from publishing came six of my best works and I will always be proud of the journey taken to make them a reality.

The reception to the season has been phenomenal. We’re not burning up the sales charts, but those who have read the tales of our intrepid adventurers have said nothing but wonderful things.

Greystone returns.

If those would have been the only releases this year, I would have considered that a triumph. But then came The Last King. Yes, it isn’t truly out in the world on its own yet. That comes next month. But The Last King was a project that came out of nowhere and one that has quickly become a favorite of mine. Everything about putting the story together was a dream come true. For those who haven’t read it yet, you are in for a treat.

Out of everything that happened this year, the Patreon is what I am most proud of. This was something I wanted to do for years, yet kept putting it off repeatedly out of pure terror. I am what I am and most of the time, that is a self-loathing fool of a man. I am my greatest critic. Always will be. I worried over the commitment required to publish content regularly, sure, but what it boiled down to was a sense of failure if the page didn’t take off.

I really am quite stupid. The Patreon has been a lot of fun to work on this year. Not only has it allowed me another avenue to reach readers, it’s given me the chance to finally publish Army in the Obelisk. This was another long-gestating project that I pushed aside many times to work on other things. The story is great, but the structure appealed to me more than anything else. I love toying with new formats and different ways to tell a tale. Thankfully, Loren and Soriya make it very easy.

In-person events were amazing this year. So many conventions and festivals allowed me so many new opportunities to connect with readers. Every interaction was a treat for me and I hope you feel the same if you happened upon me out in the wild. I’m still pinning down what I want to do next year. We’ll see what I can squeeze in.

That was the year in review. A reflection of the tough days endured and the sadness at not being able to write more than I did. The best thing about doing these wrap ups is that they not only let me see where I’ve been, they allow me to see the road ahead. And to share a bit of it with you.

A look ahead…

Greystone will be the big takeaway for 2025. Hardcover editions of the books are coming starting next month. The prequel trilogy will be getting a box set… FINALLY. The Last King and Army in the Obelisk were just to get the ball rolling. Books Six and Seven of the main series arrive next year. I’ve spent the last two weeks reading through them (again). They are, without a doubt, two of my favorite books. I’m actually scared to write the next one because of how good these turned out. Isn’t that ridiculous?

Realizing the dwindling time available to me and the pressure of the past year, I’ve redoubled my efforts to make next year about some long-deserved self-care. My writing schedule is set. I will be finishing the Greystone series on my end, but rather than push hard into the next big endeavor, I need to take some time to work on myself a bit health-wise.

That might not be what you want to hear. You want the next season of DSA, or the Coventry series, or Spectral Advocate, or Red Epsilon, or, or, or… So do I! More than anyone! This is for their benefit, trust me. I never stop working, and don’t think I can at this point, but by taking a step away more often than I have in the past, I think the books will be better for it.

Thank you for supporting my work. You have no idea what it means to me having you here. Whether it is on the blog or on social media or on the Patreon page. I know you have my back and I can only hope to deliver the best fiction possible for many, many, many years to come.

Wishing you a very magical holiday season and a happy new year.

Thanks for reading.

How to Start All Over Again

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How do you start all over again? This question keeps running in the back of my mind. Coming off two long-running series (okay, taking a sabbatical from said series is probably more fitting…) how do you start that journey from the beginning again?

Start all over again? Are you insane?

I’m not afraid to admit my own fear at this dilemma. I have a space opera series I’ve had plotted and scripted since 2021 sitting on my shelf. Not one word has been drafted, yet I’m dying to dig into it. Why haven’t I simply started?

  • Space opera is wildly diverging from my current writing.
  • Developing a new language to fit this new world is an undertaking unto itself.
  • Ten books? Too much of a commitment right now.
  • That’s not what readers want…
  • Time constraints.

Can you hear the bullshit in those excuses? They are totally legitimate reasons not to embark on what will be a two-year endeavor to write and edit ten novels. They are. But at their heart is one true hesitation: Fear.

It’s the same fear I’m currently having about my Coventry series. This one is urban fantasy because I wanted readers to have something to jump to once Greystone finishes up. So same vibe, same tropes at play, same action-character beats to work through. Yet, I’m hung up at the starting line for the same reasons as the space opera series.

Why?

Unanswered questions

This is a big dilemma for me. Should the new series be first person? Should it be third person? Will there be multiple POVs at play or will I follow only a single character this time through, and how does THAT choice change the game when writing?

I like challenges. I like to push myself in new ways, but at the start of the journey, what is the best move to make?

The simple answer is: ANY MOVE AT ALL.

I need to write is the even simpler answer. Write fake scenes. Write boring monologues or absurd situations where the characters become who they are meant to be.

How do you start over again? How do you take that first step into a new world with new friends to guide you?

You simply leap into it.

Sounds easy, right?

I know it isn’t. There are always those doubts, those fears, begging to be heard. People will hate this! What are you doing? This is all wrong!

You have to write to discover the flaws.

I’ve already found my own. The smaller moments–my favorite ones, of course–aren’t what people want to read right off the bat. They want big, brash epics, even if constrained to a short story. They want to feel the world is bigger than we know. Readers want villainous villains and puffed-up heroics, emboldened by a world they have never imagined right outside their window.

Taking all that into account is the key to starting over again. Finding direction–or at the very least, knowing you can walk back your first attempt to course-correct over the long term. There is nothing set in stone.

These are words on a page. That is the best part about starting over again. That is the best part of everything we do. Nothing is forever unless we let it be. Everything changes and grows and lives and dies. Every keystroke could be the beginning of an entirely new journey. Allowing fear to dictate our inaction or letting doubts cause us hesitation is akin to a death sentence.

Take the leap.

Building story is the best feeling in the world. The questions that come along with that building can be the absolute worst, but only if you let them take over. Find your answers. Maybe it is through the writing itself. Maybe it is note-taking or exercises to explore the world. The questions are meant to help, not hinder. Let them in and use them to build your world from the ground up.

Write. Explore. Dream. Imagine. Then write some more.

That’s how you start all over again.

Writing Update – June 29th, 2021

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Phew. What a month. It’s hotter than blazes where I’m sitting right now, and according to the map it probably is where you’re reading this too. So let’s get this writing update show on the road!

Writing Update

The kids went back to school full time at the end of April. While they were deeply missed, the opportunity to write for the last seven weeks has been a godsend.

DSA Season Two is DRAFTED.

I went from only having the first book of the season drafted to all six in a space of three months. I cannot understate how wild it was putting these books together. Each one is stronger than the previous one, and the finale is a doozy to say the least.

They need editing. Some DESPERATELY need editing. That’s where I’m heading for a bit. I know where the weaknesses are, and now really is the best time to build a stronger narrative while planting plenty of seeds for a third season.

Here’s where we are with Season Two:

Book One: The Wellspring – This one closes out the cliffhanger finale from the first season, and gets the ball rolling on the next big epic.

Book Two: Foundations – This sets up the new dynamic, and has some fun time travel elements. Plus: secrets about the Witness come to light!

Book Three: The Missing – Picking up on the Emily Wright abduction subplot, Ben and Morgan follow a lead and wind up in the middle of a new disappearance case.

Book Four: Cracked Chrysalis – All those wondering what the heck happened to those trees in The Clearing? This is where you will find your answers.

Book Five: Secret Histories – The fallout of Susan Metcalf’s past comes to light here.

Book Six: ???????? – Sorry, gang. This one is top secret. All I will say is that things go boom, not everyone makes it out alive, and the team will never be the same again. No hype required, only the truth.

When can I read them?!

A valid question. I wish I had a decent answer. The fact of the matter is I don’t want another delay like this between seasons. I hate it. It bothers the hell out of me not to have a book ready for you to enjoy.

So I’m holding this season back until I’m absolutely sure the narrative can keep rolling along. Will that mean next year? Will that mean 2023? I honestly don’t know. I’m expecting a baby this August, so all schedules are dependent on her needs over my own.

Which brings us to more bad news…

I’m putting the blog on hold for the summer. (I know! Stop shouting at me!)

I need the time to work through some of these drafts, to wrap my head around that bundle of joy at the end of the summer.

When the blog comes back in September, I’ll be sharing commentary on DSA Season One. I have a lot to share about the process behind the series. It was not the easiest thing in the world to build. I hope you enjoy the look behind the curtain on the books, and the fun tidbits that were hidden beneath the surface.

Thank you for supporting my work. I will be back soon!

4 Questions When Building A Chapter

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Building a chapter is a crucial component to any story. They are the connective tissue from which your tale is told. From one instance to the next, from sequence to sequence, each chapter holds a mighty weight. Diving in isn’t always easy, and here are four questions to ask yourself when building your next chapter to make it the strongest possible.

Building A Chapter Questions

1. What is my main purpose?

It’s silly to ask, but is there a specific reason for the chapter’s existence? Novels are a wonderful playground because there is no set length. You can have a book run 8 pages or 800 without any qualification. But justifying each scene is essential to making the piece strong enough to support the rest of the narrative.

There are many purposes behind a chapter. Perhaps there is a crucial piece of evidence for your protagonist to locate in the scene, or a conversation with someone in particular to reveal a clue to the next sequence. Anything that advances the plot can be seen as the purpose behind the chapter.

The conflict in the scene might not be centered on an external force, or plot-based item, but on the character’s themselves. Their emotions drive the action–creating tension between players that might make or break them in future chapters.

The best chapters accomplish both aspects, and should be determined before diving into your next chapter.

2. Who is telling this chapter?

For those pushing third-person limited or first-person narratives, you already have this set. (You do have this set, right? Okay. Good. Phew.)

Everyone else? If you’re like me, figuring out the POV character for a chapter can be one of the most excruciating decisions in the process. Who best serves not only the narrative, but also the reader, by providing context to the scene unfolding? Is the protagonist or the antagonist? Is it a side character? If so, why?

What unique perspective does each person bring, and who will help fulfill the main purpose of the chapter?

Sometimes the best choice is the most straightforward–pick the character readers will identify with most. For other chapters, though, choosing an outside POV can help break up the narrative and give new insight into the world being discovered. Finding that perfect balance takes time, as well as trial and error, so don’t be afraid to take a second crack at the chapter through the eyes of someone else.

3. How to open the chapter?

You would be surprised by how difficult it is to answer this question sometimes. When I think about my own narrative structure, I realize I tend to open a scene/chapter heavy on narration before dropping the reader into the conversation. That is my go-to move.

It is also something I am trying to break away from.

Where you open a chapter is crucial to making it as strong as possible. Screenwriters are taught to come in late, and leave early. The same holds true for novelists in certain circumstances. Sure, you can weave an incredible description of a specific building for pages on end before getting to the meat of the scene, but is that what your readers want?

Do you dive right into the conversation, and then pull back to show where your characters are?

Those are just a couple approaches to opening the chapter. There are an infinite number of ways to welcome readers to the chapter, but settling on any one brings its own challenges and strengths to the scene as a whole.

4. How to end a chapter?

Ending a chapter is absolutely key when writing. The only way to get readers to flip the page to the next chapter is to end strong enough to push them ahead.

The debate lines up very much the same as the opening of a chapter. Is dialogue the crucial element that will tie the scene together, and push the character’s ahead? Will it be an action–Oh, no! Jimmy fell off the train!–that carries over to the next chapter?

Much like crafting an essay, the end of a chapter should pull the entire work together, but for a novel’s sake also lead to the next one, and the next one, and the next one.

Bringing it all together

Building a chapter takes time and patience. Don’t be afraid to write it one way, and then completely change the dynamic in further revisions.

Play around with the POV. Remove the narrative opening, and dive into the action. Drive the story forward with some pithy dialogue, or a dramatic twist.

What feels right, and what fits, will help you answer the questions above and make your chapter all the stronger.

Setting Goals

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I’ve talked about his in the past. Setting goals is one of those things I am constantly arguing in the back of my mind. I find the need for goals, the expectation of a deadline, to be absolutely fundamental to making sure the work gets DONE.

Here’s what you need to do when setting goals:

Be Reasonable when setting goals

Your time is finite. That’s just a fact of life. There are only so many hours in the day. You have kids, a “real” job, responsibilities, social obligations, and more to fill in the schedule. That tends to put a major crimp in your writing schedule.

Know what time you have. Then plan it out. Are you writing a novel or a short story? Know your project, so you can map out exactly what needs to be involved in getting it completed on a timetable that doesn’t make you want to scream.

How do I manage this? Take a look my plans for the next DSA book.

DSA books are planned to clock in at 40,000 – 45,000 words. That isn’t set in stone, but it gives me a ballpark and helps guide my time.

With my kids in school (for the moment) I have approximately 4 to 5 hours of solid work time. (Listen, I need a lunch break. Cut me some slack.)

Monday through Friday I shoot for 3 chapters per day during those hours. That is my goal. Some people have word count goals (I like to shoot for 3,000 – 4,000 words per day) but for my purposes chapter goals work better according to my schedule.

Saturday and Sunday are bonus days (or catch-up days).

The typical DSA book is around 30 – 35 chapters, so it stands to reason I need about 12 days to get a draft done. That is my goal, and follows the schedule I have to use due to my other commitments.

Be flexible when setting goals

Life gets in the way. It always will. The kids get sick. The laundry piles up. It happens.

Give yourself some breathing room. Make the deadlines work for you instead of against you. If you think 12 days is needed to complete a book, give yourself 14 as a buffer. Don’t schedule the next right after, or you’ll be chasing deadlines FOREVER.

For the next DSA Book, here is where my schedule is at right now:

This week is all about prep. I have a script in hand, and I like to read through my previous notes for guidance on the draft. I refine the dialogue, shift things around, or develop the setting more clearly during this period. Everything helps me get ready to write.

Next Tuesday, (damn you, holiday!) I start the draft. It is 38 chapters, the longest DSA yet. At 3 chapters per day, I need 13 days to complete the draft. So I should be done by June 17th if I only work Monday through Friday on the book. (I won’t, but it is a nice thought at least…)

I won’t set my deadline for June 17th. Instead, I push it out to June 20th. (Sunday.) The cushion allows for sick days with the kids, emergency grocery shopping, and who knows what else to crush my schedule. Even with these distractions, there will still be work time. Even if the schedule falls to 1 chapter for the day, there will be 3 done the following day and so on. Again, weekends allow for catch-up.

BUT, if I do stick to my guns, the 17th becomes very much a real deadline. And from the 18th to the 20th, suddenly I have a little break. How nice is that?

Track your progress

This is key. This is the accountability for us shut-ins. You need this level of commitment. This keeps you honest and holds you to your goal. It is also a great motivator to see where you are, and how close the finish line is.

For me, I keep it simple. I use a Word document to note my chapter progress, and my word count (both for the day and cumulative). It really helps see where I am, how much I can get done to fit in my schedule, and where I had some trouble.

Here is the breakdown for a recent draft:

4/25/21 – 3 chapters, 4,850 words

4/26/21 – 5 chapters, 8,299 words (3,449)

4/27/21 – 8 chapters, 12,507 words (4,208)

4/28/21 – 12 chapters, 17,423 words (4,916)

4/29/21 – 15 chapters, 22,029 words (4,606)

5/3/21 – 18 chapters, 25,270 words (3,241)

5/4/21 – 22 chapters, 28,968 words (3,698)

5/5/21 – 23 chapters, 30,799 words (1,831)

5/6/21 – 27 chapters, 35,937 words (5,138)

5/7/21 – 31 chapters, 40,690 words (4,753)

5/8/21 – 33 chapters, 42,485 words (1,795)

There is a gap. That isn’t my usual writing style. I planned to take the 30th – 2nd off to recover from the COVID vaccine. I knew it was coming, and what was involved, so I planned accordingly. (Get vaccinated!)

The bold line indicates an emergency grocery shopping morning that cost me some time. It forced me to miss my soft deadline of the 7th for completion, but I was able to easily finish things off on the 8th.

I gave myself the next week as prep for the next draft, so there was plenty of wiggle room here. Any self-applied pressure would only have delayed my progress, or shortchanged the chapters being written that day.

Setting goals

Be reasonable. Be flexible. And always be willing to track your progress. It’s a great way to figure out how best to manage your time, and keeps you working to meet your goals.

Tearing Down the House

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I am tearing apart two bedrooms this month. Turns out when you’re expecting a new baby, you need to immediately destroy your entire domicile in preparation for the chaos to come. Who knew?

So yeah, I am ripping up carpet and painting and doing crazy things, which have eaten up most of the schedule of late. So the physical writing of amazing things has been lackluster to say the least, but the THINKING of such amazing things has been amped to 11.

Tearing down the house has made me think about that process in my own writing.

Whatchu talking about?

Bear with me. I’m a swirling torrent of introspection about 90% of the day so it takes a minute or twenty to get up to speed on a coherent line of thought.

I’m talking about expectations. About the plotted course versus the road unseen (at the time). As many of you already know, I am a plotter – a massively obsessed planner of fiction. I have seventeen outlines sitting on my desk that attest to this.

I am knee deep in a new outline, what will end up being Book 9 of a proposed 10 book space opera series. I’ve been wracking my brain, delving into character motivations over the run of the mill conflict at the heart of the drama. With each passing day, I am becoming more engrossed and wondering if it is time to tear down the precarious house of cards on which the series stands.

Seeing the road ahead helps, but what if it is hindering the exploration of the series itself? What if there is a path I’m not seeing? What if the series fails right out of the gate?

This is where I am right now. I’m at the precipice. Right at the edge of the massive climax of the series, and have been questioning everything. I know what it is, of course.

A fear of completion.

Fear might be the wrong word here. It isn’t fear, per se, but more a trepidation of closing the mind to the story being told. Closing the door on a world of characters and situations when you know – when we all know – that there are so many other stories to tell, places to take these characters.

My original outline was 20 books. I tweaked it down to 10, and it is laser focused now. The throughline is present from start to finish. I love it, I absolutely do, but it could have been so much more, right?

Or is less more in this day and age? Are the stories untold still out there and waiting for me down the line?

Apologies on the ramblings this week. My head is filled with dreams and paint fumes.

I know the long break between releases is a pain in the neck. So are these teases about future books. Just know that they will be coming and they will be AMAZING.

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