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

Writing Update – September 27, 2018

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Are you ready for National Novel Writing Month? I’m gearing up for NaNoWriMo this November, my third year running in the program. It’s a great opportunity to get words on the page with some fantastic motivation by a community dedicated to telling stories.

Currently Writing

In order to put my best step forward this November, I’m currently scripting the last three books in the DSA’s inaugural season. My hope is to draft like a fiend for a six week stretch to close out the story, leaving edits for after the first of the year.

It’s a pretty big challenge I’ve set for myself this year but with the proper planning I think it is completely manageable. We’ll see how it goes.

The Bridge, book 3 of the DSA, is finished. My first time around this was my favorite story of the season. It still is. It really showcases each character so well, pushing the arc of every player into high gear for the rest of the season.

Story Bibles

I’ve been sidetracked of late. It happens. My brain gets stuck in idea mode. I’m forced to ride the wave while jotting down as many new concepts as I can before they slip away.

Some are just that – a note or two without any clue what they might mean down the line. Others are something bigger, more fleshed out. I’m currently working through one of these in the background of what I am currently writing, trying not to let it take over my entire week.

I don’t think I’m going to win this battle…

Another was a gift from a friend, an incredibly detailed time travel story. Usually when people ask me to write their book, I’m hesitant. Not this time. I can’t wait to dive into this world, when time allows. I think it’s going to be a very special novel when all is said and done.

Reading

Duel in the Dark by Jay Allan – An incredible start to a space-military series. Allan weaves quite the tale, building each world and their philosophies. It was perfectly paced, introducing multiple elements and characters, layering their backgrounds and conflicts, before kicking the action into overdrive for the second half in a blistering space battle.

I’ve already purchased the second book in the series and can’t wait to dive in.

 

Organizational Tools

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Organization is critical to the survival of a writer. It also happens to be one of the most difficult things to maintain in the midst of one, or multiple, projects at any given time. (I know this for a fact…)

This month, for me, has been all about putting things in order and I’ve listed some crucial tools necessary to assist in the endeavor.

The almighty calendar!

The number one tool in my arsenal when it comes to organizing. I use multiple formats to keep track of my micro and macro goals when it comes to writing.

  1. Notepad – Not the software. An actual notepad. I use this for my week to week, day to day tasks. Small goals I need to maintain from maintaining my Twitter feed to making sure I submit to a certain promotional site to advertise one of my books. It also gives me somewhere to doodle when I need to space out for a minute or ten…
  2. Dry Erase Marker Calendar – This I use for my writing goals. Day to day word counts or chapters completed on any given day. Something goal oriented to get me to the finish line. Plus it helps me map out what days I can spare five minutes to play with the kiddos.
  3. Outlook Calendar – There are other options, I know, but I still use Outlook for my home-base in terms of calendars. This is definitely more for macro goals, long term planning of projects from outline to self-editing phase. I also have weekly goals and monthly ones that tend to repeat to keep me on track so nothing slips through the cracks. (One hopes, at least…)
  4. Book Planner – This is a nifty little site that allows you to work project by project with firm deadlines in place. Want to have a book published by a certain date? This site can get you there. It is a paid subscription, but I’ve found it helpful when planning out my release dates so I can nail down certain details with different vendors with plenty of time to spare.

Taking notes –

This has become my home away from home. I used to jot down tidbits on random pieces of paper – and then, of course, lose each and every one over time. Now, I plug everything I can into OneNote.

Again, there are other options but all fulfill the same task in organizing your thoughts for future projects or even the current one.

How I’ve come to organize my notes has been fun to discover over the last few months. I’m sure everyone will use their own system but I’ve found the following very helpful in my own business:

  1. Series Notes – Everything goes here. The complete overview of your world. From start to finish. Book 1 to 100, all right here in a very macro look.
  2. Character Bios – Break it down for each character. Take the macro view and apply it to each player in the drama. Book by book arcs, foibles, descriptors to use when drafting.
  3. Book by Book Notes – I open a new page for each book, once the macro view is sorted out. Then I can flesh out the plot outline, insert relevant dialogue as needed, to have the best possible approach when getting to the final outline phase. I’ve broken this down two different ways. The first is general overview. Plot A follows Character A’s journey where he or she must tackle some threat. Plot B follows Character D as they accomplish some ancillary goal that will pay off in a later book. The second method is a chapter by chapter breakdown. This is less involved than the final outline, more general whims of each movement, with added notes when I’m not sure if it fits correctly or if it could be staged in a different way.
  4. Book Links – This might my holy grail. Every important link, from sales pages to review sites for your book should be saved in a file; readily available to copy and paste wherever you need it. And you WILL need it!

What is your favorite organizational aid?

Email me at lou@loupaduano.com and let me know!

Thanks for reading.

Building a Scene – Stylistic Choices

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There are many thoughts to pull together when building a scene. It’s something I struggle with when staging my books, how to tell a simple action in narrative form. For my latest project, The Bridge, I ran into a specific scene where I wasn’t sure if it needed to be told completely differently.

What it boils down to are stylistic choices.

What do I mean by stylistic choices?

Is your book action-based? Fast-paced? Slow and prosaic to set the mood of each setting? What is the tone of your book? Do you spend three pages describing the room or do you jump into the dialogue immediately? Each and every decision made sets the scene and builds on the stylistic choices of your narrative.

Every author makes them. Every author probably curses each one as well.

My approach

I get a lot of compliments for smaller chapters. There is a reason I use them. It keeps the action at the forefront and presses the momentum of the story forward to the climax. When the pace slows it is meant to be there, a questioning moment for a character or possibly a new setting that needs to be established. Look at any Greystone novel and you will see these chapters clearly for what they are, a break from a story to give some exposition in one form or another.

However, they are not the norm.

For The Bridge, I fell in love with the idea of stepping back from the action of the scene to describe the situation in more detail. It failed spectacularly. It didn’t fit because it wasn’t me, it wasn’t the right time to be maudlin but to push the action over anything else.

Looking at other authors

I’ve been reading a few books lately where I’ve felt the same was needed. Jay Allan, who writes the brilliant Blood on the Stars series had an early chapter in Duel in the Dark where Katrine gets the opportunity to visit home for a brief moment before heading off to start a war. Allan goes into great detail about the affair, about the luxury of seeing her children, their home and the character’s personal feelings on the matter.

It goes on for quite a bit.

To him, this is an important character moment for you to sympathize with this character who is most likely the villain of the novel. (Not done yet. Don’t spoil it.)

To me, I would have opened the scene at its end when she leaves her children in the night rather than say goodbye. From there I would work in some of the details, the irregularity of being able to see her family and the like. Mostly, however, I would have collapsed the prose for more movement on the plot.

In Dean F. Wilson’s Dustrunner I ran into the opposite feeling. Wilson’s work is fast-paced, shorter bursts to propel the story along on a rollicking adventure. There were a number of times in this novel where I felt the main character, Nox, was lost in the action and we had no idea what was going on in his head.

A slower, thoughtful approach, wouldn’t fit, though, and not what I would add. Instead, to me, more dialogue would have been key to giving Nox a fuller arc in the story.

Each author tells their story, their way. And always should.

This is one of the main reasons I don’t read novels when I write. I tend to crib styles depending on what I’m reading. It gets in my head and I try to see the world from that perspective instead of making my own.

Stylistic choices, however, should always come from within. Heavy prose or insane action, deep internal conflict or dialogue-rich scenes, these are the choices before you.

Make sure they fit the story you are trying to tell.

Tales from Portents Sale Ends Today!

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This week has been a whirlwind. The Buffalo Comicon was amazing and I want to thank so many of you for stopping by the table this weekend! I had a great time and I hope you did as well.

I am loving the feedback coming in from A Circle of Shadows. A lot of people enjoyed the incredible finale to this storyline. More importantly, they were sad to see some of their favorites not make it to the finish line. That says more to me about the success of the series than anything and I was glad each moment hit with the right amount of impact for you.

Is it truly the end though? Well, you’ll have to wait and see…

The Tales from Portents sale ends today!

Today marks the end of a crazy month of Greystone promotions. Tales from Portents is such a vital piece of the Greystone series and I hope you’ve taken advantage of it being under a buck for your reading pleasure! The Great Divide and Eyes in the Storm still bring a smile to my face, but each was such a joy to come up with for the collection.

Six tales of monsters, the dead rising, and the terrors of Portents.

The beasts Detective Loren and Soriya Greystone battled in Lou Paduano’s debut book Signs of Portents were just a hint of what lurks in the city. Tales from Portents explores the city’s immersive history, including stories of Loren’s descent after his wife’s death—and his opportunity to have her rise from the grave. Among the pages, Soriya battles gremlins, navigates lessons with Mentor, and meets the werewolf Luchik. Follow new characters with expansive histories as they come face to face with the horrors of Portents—both human and otherwise.

From the Greystone Collection, Tales from Portents navigates the cases that make even Detective Loren lie awake at night.

Grab your copy of Tales from Portents now!

Signs of Portents is Free Today!

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The incredible launch week continues with a free book.

A Circle of Shadows is out now! (You’ve picked up your copy already, right?) To celebrate, Signs of Portents is FREE today!!!

That’s right. The opening chapter in the five book epic is FREE today on Amazon! Grab a copy, gift a copy, share it to your favorite social media hub, then share it to your least favorite.

Most of all, ENJOY THE BOOK!

Get your copy of Signs of Portents now!

Portents is a city like no other—and one that Detective Greg Loren can’t wait to escape. Since his wife’s death years earlier, Loren has looked forward to the moment he can leave the city of Portents for good—and never look back.

But fate has another plan for Loren. Called back to duty, Loren finds himself embroiled in a series of murders that has shaken the city. Together with Soriya Greystone, a young woman with unearthly powers, Loren must work quickly to find the otherworldly being that is killing citizens of Portents one at a time. Loren is tasked with deciphering the mysterious signs left at each of the crime scenes…even if it means traveling to worlds not his own to do so.

Fast-paced and thrilling, Signs of Portents will leave you on the edge of your seat and turning page after page.

But wait, there’s more!

Tales from Portents is only $0.99 this week! The follow up/prequel chapter of the Greystone Saga is less than a buck for your reading pleasure.

Six tales of monsters, the dead rising, and the terrors of Portents.

The beasts Detective Loren and Soriya Greystone battled in Signs of Portents were just a hint of what lurks in the city. Tales from Portents explores the city’s immersive history, including stories of Loren’s descent after his wife’s death—and his opportunity to have her rise from the grave. Among the pages, Soriya battles gremlins, navigates lessons with Mentor, and meets the werewolf Luchik. Follow new characters with expansive histories as they come face to face with the horrors of Portents—both human and otherwise. 

From the Greystone Collection, Tales from Portents navigates the cases that make even Detective Loren lie awake at night.

Offer ends September 17th!

A farewell to Greystone…for now…

Putting these five books together has been a dream come true. I’ve loved every minute of crafting each tale, of building each story. Even the challenges that came with it, from self-editing to hitting my own crushing deadlines. I’ll be sharing a longer, more in-depth farewell in a couple weeks but didn’t want to miss this opportunity as well.

Every sale, every promo or plug for this series has been to showcase my appreciation for being here through it all.

Soriya, Loren, Ruiz, and the rest are, and always will be, an integral part of my life. I want to share that with you as often – and as easily – as possible.

Thank you again for being here for this launch!

A Circle of Shadows – Available Now!

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The big day has arrived! The finale to the opening arc of the Greystone Saga is here! A Circle of Shadows is available now so be sure to order your copy!

A massive thank you…

I can’t thank you enough for being here on this momentous occasion. It truly is unreal. I feel like Signs of Portents just launched yesterday, yet two years have flown by and we’ve arrived at the first of what I hope will be many finish lines in my career.

Greystone started out as a paragraph jotted down on a notepad in 2007. There was no story, only a concept, yet from that initial four sentences an entire world has flourished. Some might be upset to see it end, but there are still many tales to tell with these characters, I promise!

Please continue to share and enjoy these books. Help spread the word about them. I hope everyone enjoys where the story ends.

I’ll be back to murder and mayhem in Portents before you know it…

Order A Circle of Shadows now!

The digital copy is exclusive to Amazon. If you prefer to read on another device or in a different format, please let me know directly. I recently read an article by Jay Allan, author of the Blood on the Stars series that is truly phenomenal, and he mentioned having people buy the book on Amazon and he would send them the format of their choosing.

I am down for that option as well, so don’t hesitate to reach out and I can make it happen!

Order your copy from Amazon here!

Paperback lovers –

More options exist for you here and I’ve listed some of them below. Indiebound points you toward a local, independent store near you to place your order so if you’d like to show some love to the smaller shops in your area, please consider using that link.

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/1944965122

Barnes and Noble –  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-circle-of-shadows-lou-paduano/1129341048

Books-A-Million – http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Circle-Shadows/Lou-Paduano/9781944965129

Indiebound – https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781944965129

Reviews!

If you have already had a chance to read your copy, please consider leaving a review. I know I push this hard and often, but it truly is the most important part of the process. I read each one and am truly grateful when you take the time to share your love of a book with the public. It helps, it really does, so please do so when you can.

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40536407

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/1944965122

Barnes and Noble –  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-circle-of-shadows-lou-paduano/1129341048

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