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

Writing Update – July 28, 2020

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We passed the halfway mark on 2020. Thank the Lord. Much as I tire of the constant uncertainty of this year, there is always one thing I can turn to when I need to refocus:

Writing.

Writing Update

Greystone Second Cycle

The first five books of Greystone came together as what I refer to as The Complete First Cycle. Boiled down to its essence it is the mystery of Loren’s wife’s murder and the rise of the group called A Circle of Shadows. That is what is at the heart of that massive arc of storytelling.

I always envisioned the second cycle. I’ve always had the makings of a plan, but never a clear road map to make it possible.

Now I do. I have spent the last two months building the second cycle of novels in outline form. All five books are broken down, the major arcs and threads are all connected. I finally, FINALLY, have my starting point.

My current plan is to draft all five in 2021. When all is said and done then you will start hearing about release dates and scheduling. I want this cycle to resonate. I want it to answer every lingering question, every seed planted through the first five novels as well as the prequel trilogy.

This is where the story truly ends. We have a long journey ahead of us and I can’t wait for you to see where we’re headed.

The Army in the Obelisk

Not to overshadow the standalone serial, I’ve been working on diligently. I’m almost done with the scripting phase of the project.

I’ve mentioned it before, but this is a pure Soriya/Loren tale unlike any other. Bit players come and go, but they remain the focus here. It’s been fun delving more into the mythology behind the story. The serial format allows me some breathing room, definitely more than the typical novel.

Right now, my goal is to finish up everything by the end of September. I want to launch the serial in January 2021 so that it can run all year long.

That will be the Greystone fix for next year while I work on the final five novels. That is my plan as of this writing. It is bound to change in some fashion, I am sure.

The Final Gauntlet

What a cool banner, don’t you think? (It took me fudging forever to make it so I had to show it off…)

Seriously, though, I spent the last week reading through The Final Gauntlet before sending it off to my editor. At this phase of the process I’m usually sick of the damn draft, but I really enjoyed revisiting it. I think there are a number of funnier bits amid all the chaos.

This one is also loaded with action. LOADED.

You’re gonna love it. Will my editor? That’s next month’s problem.

That’s it for the writing update? Nothing else?!

Cripes. I know. What a slacker.

Plenty more coming down the pike with the next update, I promise.

A Little Bit Every Day

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Work has been a struggle of late. It’s no surprise. When the real world threatens to pummel you day in and day out, it leaves little escapism. March started okay. I had a strict deadline and a draft that needed completing. There was a clear path ahead.

After that, things went haywire. Sure, there was editing and re-editing (and hey, MORE EDITING) but essentially the last draft of the year was done.

I could have taken that as a win, but I never do that. I like what I do–crafting stories. Down time is my enemy, yet here I was stricken with it against my will.

Pushing ahead

COVID rocked my plans for the next two years. I know that seems strange to most, but there was a level of momentum I was gaining with each launch. The pandemic wiped that out. Local shows ended. All thought of the next series, the next season of DSA, all of it quietly faded away.

I needed a new plan. Dammit, I needed to write something!

I started with a few notes, a thread I wanted to explore at some point. For what series, in what form, didn’t matter. All I cared about was figuring out the narrative. Finding some means of creative expression was more important than hitting the publishing button.

It was a way to get into a rhythm.

A little bit every day

It’s become my mantra of late. I’m not looking to pound out a draft in a week, or even a month. For the last two months I’ve been outlining like a fiend, adding dialogue to scenes, and building story.

Some days beat me back. The news is overpowering. The world is screaming to be heard and sometimes I have to listen. We all should for certain things.

But I strive to put a little bit of myself down on paper every day. Be it a short story or the entire outline of a novel or five.

I take each victory as they come. There was a piece of dialogue I found completely satisfying yesterday. It made me smile and that’s all I needed to keep going.

So that’s the plan for the rest of 2020 (the year of doom):

Write. Create. Stockpile some amazing content and take my wins as they come.

A little bit every day. It matters. It will always matter.

World Hopping – Tips to Transition Between Projects

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There is a part of me that is terrified about leaving the world of the DSA at the close of season 1 edits. It’s the part screaming for me to keep going, keep drafting the next one and the next one until the story is finished. The small voice in the back of my head promising I will never get this close to this world again. Never nail the character voices, never remember all the subtle nuances of each character’s behavior and back story.

It can be a real fear.

But I’m going for it anyway.

Here is how I am preparing for the world hop back to Greystone next month.

World hopping tips:

Take it slow.

Pretty simple, right? One would think so. Over the last week, I’ve spoken to a number of writers who have a problem with taking it slow on a project. Either they are so jazzed about the world they’ve created or are afraid of a detail slipping through the cracks that slowing down seems to be the opposite of what they should be doing.

However, when crossing to a new project it’s exactly the right move.

Instead of launching into a novel sized plot, step back. Take some notes. Learn the subtle differences. Figure out the rules of the new project.

If you’re jumping into an older world, like I am with Greystone, rediscover what makes that story special. Read relevant passages from previously published work. Revisit old notes taken months, or years, earlier.

Reacquaint yourself with old friends.

Focus on smaller aspects first.

Instead of building a new series, work on a single character. Instead of understanding their entire history, focus on one specific event. Tear it apart, build it back together, anything to learn why it should matter and what it tells about your story.

Figure out those rules. Is your lead a smoker? Does she have a tattoo? College education? Siblings? Nothing is set in stone so play with the dynamics.

If characters aren’t your strong suit, turn to the plot itself. Pick up small events, images in your head surrounding your new world. Build the sequence and incorporate different aspects – character, important objects, history, etc – all to create a fully formed picture in your mind.

Broaden your scope

It’s all about building. As you learn each new piece, put it side by the side with the previous ones, to see where it leads. Don’t jump in and hope everything falls in line, create from the ground up and let it expand across the canvas.

Differentiate from the past

This is one aspect I’m nervous about. Making each world unique while playing to your strengths as a writer can be a challenge. Sometimes characters seem TOO similar, or are going through the same arc previously traveled in a different world. Learning the reason behind them, finding new dynamics or changing the game completely is your goal here before you’ve traveled too far and come up short.

Why is this story different? How should it be different?

Asking questions helps the transition when world hopping. Discovering those answers is the fun in creating the narratives that fuel your imagination.

Take it slow but don’t be afraid to push yourself in new directions. Explore possibilities. Your readers will thank you for it.

Building Better Scenes

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It’s a fickle situation writer’s often find themselves in when it comes to the editing process. Here you are with your finished draft, thinking it’s totally aces and ready to publish.

Then you read it…

Oops.

When you leave your first draft, you’ve told the story as you envisioned it from the beginning. Before typing that first word, this is what was intended – in your mind – and, of course, it is absolutely without fault.

The funny thing is, that over the course of that draft you’ve learned a thing or two about what your story is REALLY about. You’ve lived with these characters, recognized their movements, felt their anguish and heartbreak as well as their joy and triumph. Those lessons, those feelings, can sometimes influence the self-editing process more than we ever imagined.

And it can be a good thing.

It opens doors to building better scenes.

What was wrong with my original scene?

Maybe nothing at all. The truth is, you may simply realize there is a BETTER way to develop a relationship or work through a heavy bit of exposition. This might come from a character perspective, or a change in their arc during the course of the draft.

On the other hand, there are some very real reasons to change a scene completely. For example, I recently finished reading The Resurrection of Jean Grey by Matthew Rosenberg. I enjoy Matthew Rosenberg’s work typically. He knows his characters and creates interesting situations that play to their strengths.

Not this time around.

In no less than three – count ’em THREE – separate occasions during the narrative, he decides to fall back for a mission briefing scene. In the same location. With the same people. Each time, they are somewhere else and decide this conversation needs to happen. So they head to the briefing room and hash it out. It slows the plot to a grinding halt. Actually, it’s worse than that – it is such a reversal that it sucks the life out of the book completely.

Now I get it. There are deadline constraints. There are reasons why these scenes felt right to him. It shows Kitty Pryde’s leadership. There’s focus on the interplay between the teams. Or maybe it just looks cool showing every X-Man possible in a single shot.

But this example needed new locales, new situations, in order to offer the exposition required to advance the plot. It really, really did.

Your story might need the same.

I know mine do from time to time. There are certain situations that just feel right and natural. It’s a comfort zone and I fall into the trap every once in awhile. Too many office scenes. Too many warehouse or alley scenes. There are a million, billion places to sit and have a conversation. Why make it the same place every single time?

Everyone should look twice at their scenes for improvement.

From the first-time novelist to the seasoned vet, each of us can stand to take a closer look at our scene breakdown. Is there a way to punch up this scene? To make it more exciting or visually interesting to the reader? Does it hit the right character beat or is the environment causing a different vibe entirely?

Play with the dynamic. Switch things around.

Don’t use the downtown high-rise. Make it a museum. Look for different angles that explore character and theme.

Have fun with it. Because if you’re having a good time in the scene so will your reader.

Get in Late, Leave Early

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I love staging a scene. I also hate it with a passion. Why? Because you have to get each moment right, each entrance and exit perfect in order to propel the narrative forward. It can be a nightmare of questioning but when it’s done, it appears seamless in its undertaking.

At least, one hopes it does…

Get in Late, Leave Early

There is an edict most writers attribute to scene crafting; especially screenwriters – Get in late and be sure to leave early.

What does this mean exactly?

Imagine reading a book where the opening scene is a dinner party. The dinner party itself doesn’t matter to the overall narrative, it is simply the setting for this initial drama. The significance of the scene comes three quarters of the way through the meal when there is a murder.

Now imagine not getting to that abrupt moment until after everyone knocked on the door, was invited inside, talked about the weather, washed their hands, made excuses for why their children stiffed at the last second, and so on and so on…

NOW imagine not getting to those introductions until we learn how the hosts of this dinner party decorated the dining room or why the party is occurring in the first place.

See where I’m going with this? The important moment is the murder. Or something less drastic – a heart attack, a family argument, etc. To get there, however, do we really need the backstory or introduction of every major or minor player in this one tiny scene?

Not at all.

Opening the scene in mid-meal is not only the smart move here but it starts on an action rather than exposition in explaining the role of everyone in the room. Getting in late removes the fat from the scene and keeps the focus on the moment.

The same holds true for most conversational pieces in the narrative. Meet and greets work occasionally but most of the time are unnecessary. If you’ve told the reader that Character A needs to visit Character B, the next chapter doesn’t have to open with them knocking on the door. Throw them in the middle of the conversation rather than make the reader wait to find out the importance of the moment.

It makes the writing tighter, more efficient, and removes any doubt where the focus should be.

Get the hell out of there as fast as possible.

My wife makes jokes about this all the time. Whenever we watch a television show and there is a phone conversation there is never a moment where the characters say goodbye. (Talk about rude…)

But it falls within the edict of getting the hell out of the scene as fast as possible.

Imagine – lots of imagining going on this time around, I know – a character make a staggering pronouncement. “I know who the killer is.”

End of chapter, right? It should be. However, for those who choose to carry on and stick with the scene longer than they should how does it continue from there?

“Well? Who the hell is the killer?”

“I can’t tell you that. I’m saving the reveal for the next chapter.”

“Dick.”

Right? Going back to my example at the start with the dinner party, where should the scene end? A murder occurs during the meal, let’s say by poison. The victim plops down in front of everyone and then the host walks in and says, “Dessert, anyone?”

Perfect ending. But carry it further and what happens? We learn about Uncle Newt’s peanut allergy and why he can’t eat the homemade brownies Paige spent all afternoon putting together. Or how Victor has to bow out and can’t wait for the police because he forgot to turn off the iron in his rush to make dinner?

The murder is the important moment. Starting the scene and then closing it as tight to that incident strengthens the scene as a whole.

What brought this up?

I’ve been reading quite a bit and a recent novel I devoured had a problem sticking with this edict. A number of chapters opened way too early and carried on way too long, pulling me out of the story entirely.

It’s a tough call. Maybe there is something else in the scene that matters. A brief exchange in the background or a minor detail layered into the room description, but does it service the moment? Is it necessary?

These are the questions to ask when staging the scene. Just be sure to get in late and leave early as often as possible. Your story will thank you and so will your readers.

Building a Series

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What is involved in building a series? Be it novels, comics, short stories, whatever, there are certain elements that are critical when building a series.

The need for planning…

I know people hate to read this. Everything would be easier if we could simply sit down and type, hoping for gold to spew from our fingertips. It might happen for you…

It might not.

I’ve been putting notes down on a number of projects. Far too many, if I’m being honest, as it is unlikely to go any further with my current schedule. But it is fun when the idea strikes.

That first moment of creativity when everything sounds so fresh and vital, where the concept has limitless potential.

Then you try to fit it into a mold and watch it crumble.

There are a couple things to do when it does. Give up, be grateful for the thought of a new project and then put it away for another day OR realize why certain elements slip through your fingers and what you can do to short them up.

That’s where planning comes into play.

Build your series brick by brick…

Critical elements for building a series:

Characters –

Names are nice. So are foibles to express on the written page, however, you have to go further than the moment to make a character work. Histories are vital. Where they came from, how they stood up or fell in certain situations.

Every important moment in their story could potentially strengthen their motivation, their resolve for the narrative you are building.

Setting – 

I never put much thought in locales in the beginning. In the Greystone Saga, Portents was just a place at first. It grew to be more, almost another character, by the end of the first novel.

Using location, building each image in the mind of the reader, also assists in solidifying theme, tone and so many other elements being conveyed to readers.

Tone – 

Is your story a serious drama? Is it farcical? Is it somewhere in between? Knowing ahead of time what tone your story should take helps when it comes time to build each scene. It can also assist when creating your characters. Are they sarcastic? Maybe they never crack a smile? How does it fit with the story you’re trying to tell?

Arc – 

This to me has become the most important element of a successful project. Not only for the main character but for the supporting cast as well.

Going from point A to point B. The growth of a character, the failure of others, both play to the strength of the narrative. What challenges exist to bridge the gap from start to finish. Where are these players going and why? What is their motivation?

Know your critical elements…

Each critical element explored works in tandem with the rest. They grow together and through them your story comes to light.

Wouldn’t it be easier to explore these as you write? Maybe…

Or you’ll meander until you discover what that arc should be. What that great choice carrying the character from one obstacle to the next was meant to be all along.

That means more editing on the back end. Which might work for you.

But to me, planning ahead – knowing each character like they are standing over your shoulder as you write – takes a simple concept from pure imagination to words on the page.

And that’s what we’re all after, isn’t it?

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