Welcome back to the Promethean Author Commentary! SPOILER WARNING is in effect as I discuss the bonus scene that ended up making its way into the novel, and what an idiot I am for every thinking about leaving it out.
In the beginning…
Pretty dramatic, but cue the music and dim the lights. The year was 2015. I had no clue what I was doing and living off no sleep with two toddlers in the house. (Scary situation, right?)
In the fever dream that was my life back then, DSA Season One was conceived. Each installment was to be 12 parts with two or three sub-chapters per part. They would release weekly through a subscription service or newsletter. Each book would come with its own bonus material. The Clearing contained a short journal entry written by Morgan Dunleavy called Day One. It was her way of coping with what happened in Bellbrook as well as a way to better explain the circumstances of the missing population.
For Promethean, I went a step further and scripted a scene with Morgan and Coroner Diana Phelps.
But wait, that scene is in the book. What happened?
Well, me being an idiot thought the scene could easily be summarized by Morgan the next morning while Ben and Zac are rummaging through Henry Reed’s storage unit. Morgan explains how the body went up in flames before their eyes and they all realize the threat that they are facing.
See, back when I started, having a smaller beat sounded more reasonable. It felt like the way to go to keep readers engaged in the story and the scene itself could be offered as a bonus for those interested in what happened at the Coroner’s.
Bonus Scene, my #^@…
I love the scene. Every time I revisited the outline, every draft I wrote for Promethean, I kept coming back to that moment with Morgan, Phelps, and the burning body of Henry’s mother.
And every time I said, this has to be in the book.
It had to be.
Luckily, the format changed. With the novella size available to allow the story to breathe, I drafted a prose version of the bonus scene. Chapter Sixteen was born and it is the lynchpin for the entire book, in my opinion. It offers a clear look at what is happening, it gives a chance to showcase the true threat against the DSA when Hendricks’ team infiltrates the office to steal the body, and I really enjoyed writing the character of Phelps.
Side characters are the best.
Diana Phelps didn’t have to obey any rules when it came to putting together this scene. She has her part to play and then she is out for the rest of the book. No baggage. No backstory, except for what I slipped into her dialogue.
I love scenes with characters like these. They flesh out the world. Phelps curses up a storm, her enthusiasm is infectious, and she brought such a sense of wonder to the scene–a counter to Morgan who is really trying to piece this mystery together.
These are my favorite bits to write. If you look at other books I’ve written there is usually one scene where some random bit player shows up and spouts off about some aspect of the world. That’s pretty much me in a nutshell, and for Promethean, Phelps was my outlet.
Should she show up again? Let me know what you think.
