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

NaNoWriMo Prep – Part 1

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It’s coming. NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, kicks off November 1st. Are you prepared to get some writing done?

This year I’ve set a steep goal. I’ve been working like a maniac to prep the final three books in the DSA’s opening season. The scripts are done. The stories are locked in my brain.

Now is the time to put together some drafts.

NaNoWriMo Prep Time!

Here are some areas I’m focused on this month to get ready for the type-fest that will be November:

Plot Breakdown –

From major turning points to intimate character moments, I like to go into the drafting stage with these pretty much set from page one. Even if it is just a sentence – Man walks down the street and is mugged. – You have the start of some connective tissue for your novel. I had one that said “Characters learn about the outpost.” No idea what that could mean but as I looked at the pieces surrounding it I was able to pull on them for more information, more substance to strengthen the need for this chapter. Can’t find that need? Ditch the moment and see what happens.

Character Arcs –

With The Medusa Coin, I knew Loren and Soriya. Ruiz and Pratchett. All the players involved. With that background knowledge it was easier to fill in the gaps and see their progression. This time? The DSA has its own challenges with structure. Each book requires a smaller arc while also feeding into the larger story as a whole. Each piece of the puzzle has to be laid out, not only for my two main leads but for the entire cast as well. Everyone plays a part and they have to click on multiple levels at all time.

Will it be 100% locked and loaded by November 1st? No way. But having as much noted and planned ahead of time saves on the editing frustrations to come.

World Building Details –

More questions. Expanding on character arcs, now look at the world of your novel-to-be. If it’s Earth, good on you. You have a basis to jump from. Thinking about sci-fi, galaxy hopping craziness? Know your world. What are the rules? What are the sides? Who is friendly, who is not? Why? What history is there? What type of currency is used? Understand as much as you can about the world your characters find themselves in and it will make your draft pop better right from the start.

No idea where to start for your NaNoWriMo Prep?

Still want to take part but haven’t even thought of what type of story to tell? No problem.

Check out these amazing writing prompt resources:

  1. Creative Writing Prompts by Writers Digest
  2. 365 Creative Writing Prompts by thinkwritten
  3. Writing Prompt Exercises by Poets & Writers

And be sure to check out NaNoWriMo.org for amazing tips and resources as well.

Hope to see you there!

Box Set Deal!!

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The incredible box set deal begins today!!

The Greystone Saga Volume One is FREE this week!

That’s right. The Greystone Saga Volume One is free this week on Amazon! Containing Signs of Portents and Tales from Portents, this collection features over 500 pages of murder, monsters and mayhem. Follow the adventures of Soriya Greystone and Greg Loren as they tackle the growing threats in the streets of Portents.

In Signs of Portents, Loren is pulled into one last case before his departure from the city that took his wife from him. To find a brutal killer from the past he must turn to Soriya Greystone and the power she carries to learn the secret behind this mysterious threat.

And in Tales from Portents, follow the adventures of Soriya and Loren prior to the events of Signs. Six short stories full of death and resurrection. Witness the first meeting of Ruiz and the man called Mentor. Learn the secrets between Standish and Loren’s falling out.

All this and more is FREE starting today and ending this Friday, October 19th!

Grab your copy now!

The Greystone Saga Volume Two is only $0.99!!

WHAT? The first two books of the series are free and the second two can be yours for less than a dollar?

It’s true!

The Greystone Saga Volume Two contains books 3 and 4 in the series, The Medusa Coin and Pathways in the Dark. The shadows are closing in on Soriya Greystone and Greg Loren as secrets come to light that threaten to tear apart their friendship.

In The Medusa Coin, Henry Erikson has discovered the secret to immortality. All it takes is a sacrifice, one he is more than willing to pay. Soriya and Loren must face Death himself in order to learn the truth behind the Medusa coin before the entire city falls prey to one man’s whims.

Then in Pathways in the Dark, follow the characters of the series through a terrifying set of six short stories. Each player faces a crossroads, the choice before them setting them down a dark road — one they may not be able to turn away from.

Witness the hidden past of Samantha Myers. Learn the lengths Ruiz is willing to go to protect his loved ones. Watch as the partnership between Soriya and Loren is put to the ultimate test. Will they stand together or will they shatter from the pressure of their secrets?

Two full-length installments in the epic Greystone series for less than a dollar! Sale ends October 19th!

Order your digital copy today!

Indie Author Day This Saturday

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This Saturday, celebrate the third annual Indie Author Day at the Buffalo Central Library! The event runs from 11 am to 2 pm and offers you a chance to talk books with dozens of local authors!

Indie Author Day

This is a fantastic way to learn more about the publishing process from seasoned pros working in the field. Need some advice about a story you’re dying to tell? Who better to ask than those who have pondered those very same questions.

It’s a blast to be able to spread the word about other authors and their work. So much love goes into creating fresh material for you to consume and this is a great way to give some love back to the writing community.

From children’s books to adult noir, there is a genre for you at the Indie Author Day event at the Central Library!

Greystone Special

For those looking to purchase Greystone paperbacks at the event, you’re in luck! I will have the entire series with me at a discounted rate.

Instead of the usual $13.99 online you can snag them for $10.00!

The entire 5 book collection is the best deal of all at only $35.00!! Plus: my lovely signature on each one as a free bonus!

How can you pass that up?

Special thanks…

A big shout out to the Buffalo-Erie County Library System for hosting this event. It is a huge undertaking to put this together and they make it seem easy somehow. It’s an absolute pleasure to promote them and my fellow writers.

If you want to see more events like this be sure to reach out to your local library today!

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?

Personal Reflections on Greystone

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I had this idea in 2007. A buddy-cop dramedy about a stay-at-home mom and a detective tracking down myths and legends. Soriya carried the Greystone, a weapon she knew nothing about – one that came to be the center of the story. Loren was there as well, his story nowhere near as fleshed out.

Eleven years later and look where we are.

Five Greystone novels into the saga of these two characters that have changed so completely from those early days.

Reflections on the series

It wasn’t until 2016 that I figured out the story. Okay, that’s not entirely accurate. I wrote the original version of The Medusa Coin in 2012 so there was some indication where Greystone could go…

I didn’t see the potential of the arc until I wrote Tales from Portents. When I realized these smaller stories could carry the narrative and open the possibilities for these characters, that was the turning point for me. Suddenly the map became clear for the entire arc. Three novels, two short story collections, each offering pieces of the puzzle until the conclusion.

Setting the deadlines for each book was pretty key to making the idea work. If I had limited myself to one book per year, I don’t think I would have had the drive to push through my own fears to make Greystone a reality.

Fun deviations

I tried to change the ending of The Medusa Coin several times. I was so angry that I spent an inordinate amount of energy building up the Loren/Soriya relationship only to tear it down in what was considered the second book at the time.

There was a version where they were secretly pretending to drift apart to draw out the threat. There was another where Soriya was doing it to protect Loren and he saw through it, grateful to have a friend like her.

They were messy and complicated, never quite fitting where the story was meant to go.

Each book was a challenge, from conception to execution. Each one caused me to sweat and bleed to pull the narrative together. Yet, A Circle of Shadows only took 16 days to write. I’ve never written anything so quickly and NEVER felt a first draft was as strong.

If only things went that smoothly for every project…

Regrets?

There are a few. Greystone was meant to be more metaphysical in nature; the concept of the Bypass as a corridor to infinity, a vital component of each adventure. The idea of Mentor and Soriya choosing their names/titles as positions of power was supposed to more prominent.

I wavered on it mostly because I knew my audience wasn’t ready for it. Having a character named Mentor alone drove a few readers away in the first novel.

I think Signs of Portents, as a whole, could use a new edit. A tighter, leaner version to fall in line with where the narrative turns by The Medusa Coin. Again, I have Tales from Portents to thank for that change in style. The restrictive nature of short stories really forced me to tune in on each moment, utilize each chapter to its fullest. Some might feel the short story collections aren’t as pertinent to the overall design of the series but to me they strengthened me as an author more than anything I’ve ever written.

Speaking of Tales from Portents… I had this notion of putting Resurrectionists first in the collection. It was to showcase Soriya and Loren first. It was to make sure previewers on retail sites didn’t get a full story and more, before hitting the purchase button.

It shouldn’t have happened. I wish I put the story in the proper order so it flowed perfectly timeline-wise.

The Journey Continues…

Two and a half years. I picked up the draft of Signs of Portents in March 2016 and set to work on completing this saga from start to finish.

I made it to the halfway point.

Yes, A Circle of Shadows closes out Loren’s story. It, however, fails to answer some of the most important questions of the series. No, I won’t spill the beans on what is to come but if you look closely enough you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Portents will always be part of me. It is in everything I write, everything I imagine, and it creeps to the surface every time I talk about the books.

I can’t wait to visit again soon.

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