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

Writing Update – September 29, 2020

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Welcome to the writing update for this month! It’s been two months since the last one. I can hardly believe how fast this year is flying by, yet feels like it’s lasted a decade…

Writing Update

For the last month I’ve been picking at a new series bible I’ve been putting together. This was a lesson I had to learn over the course of the Greystone series and the DSA Season One. With the amount of details, the cast of characters involved, and so many plotlines involved the bible has absolutely been crucial to making to sure the series stays consistent throughout.

My plan is to build a bible for each series going forward, plotting out each and every book in the series before Book One launches.

So right now, I am three books into a new series. They are outlined and the world building is set for the fourth. I’m loving it. Building story is my favorite thing in the world. It is also the least time consuming part of the process, if you can believe that.

Am I going to spill the beans on the new series? Not yet.

The Sad Truth

I’d love to tell you my next book is set for release. 2020, unfortunately, has not been kind to my writing schedule. 2021 will no doubt hold the fewest releases from me since 2016.

Why, you ask?

I’m playing teacher dad for my kiddos three days per week. It’s a learning curve, for me especially, and I’m focusing most of my energy to giving them the education they deserve.

So I’m dedicated to not drafting a book until I can put all my efforts into the task. I will continue to outline (I’ve outlined 10 books this year so far…) and to script new projects, but drafts will have to wait until the schedule clears.

That’s just the reality of the situation. I’ve tried to keep going, to push through, but it isn’t sustainable and rather than push out a subpar novel I want you to have the best experience possible with the books.

More Greystone and DSA is coming, I promise you this. Greystone is completely outlined. DSA Season Two is scripted and the first book is drafted. These are coming, as well as a whole lot more.

Army in the Obelisk

As for Army in the Obelisk? It’s pretty much set. But I want to wait until the second half of Greystone is closer to a realization. It makes sense for a better reading experience. When we get closer to that point, you will be the first to know.

I hope that makes sense. Part of me feels like this is a huge letdown, but really, it’s for the best. For you as a reader and for me as a writer. This year has been insane. Hopefully we can get back to normal sooner rather than later.

Title Reveal for the new Greystone Serial

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Putting together projects, building narratives through different structures or platforms, is one of the best parts of writing. I absolutely love toying with a formula, messing with a genre, and tweaking expectations just a little when coming up with my next book or series.

This week alone, I am outlining a book with a split narrative. It’s incredibly challenging in terms of pacing and I hope it pulls together, but part of the fun is in seeing where it works and where it deters from a reader’s enjoyment.

Which brings me to my upcoming Greystone serial.

Why a serial?

I’m a comic book nerd. That format, the 22-page (now 20-page) chapter of a larger story, is pretty much soaked into my bloodstream. Creating a piece of a story and having a thread carry that narrative into the next chapter, then again and again until the end of the arc was a challenge I wanted to take with this Greystone project.

12 parts. 8 chapters each. Go.

The Army in the Obelisk

That’s the title. It is the largest Greystone project to date, by at least 15,000 words. It’s a Soriya/Loren adventure ripped right from the beginning of their partnership. Readers can place it between the events of Gremlins and View from Above (both found in Tales from Portents).

Egyptian mythology and history is at the heart of this one. Doing the research was one of the real treats for this serial. All the elements needed to connect, either through fact or thematically.

There is more in the serial as well. Different creatures, different threats, different ways to move the narrative ahead. There will be Soriya and Loren moments. There will be solo Soriya parts and solo Loren parts. Standish is back as well.

All the hallmarks you’ve come to enjoy will be present. The title is only the start of the reveals.

You keep teasing this one, Lou. When can I read it?

That’s a tricky question to answer. I wanted to have it set to launch in May 2020. That was my original deadline.

Then the world imploded.

So did my writing schedule.

With my lovely family in isolation with me, I’ve let drafting take a backseat to outlining and scripting. Those tasks are less intensive (believe it or not) and give me the wiggle-room I need to be with my kids during this incredibly trying time.

My current plan is be back on Army in the Obelisk in September, no matter what happens with the world.

I want you to read this one. I want you to come back every month for a new part of the story, dying to find out what happens. (Wait, Osiris from Pathways in the Dark is in it too? How cool is that?)

You will be the first to hear about the launch date. That is my promise to you.

Maybe a nice Christmas present for you after the nightmare of 2020. That sounds nice, doesn’t it?

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