Lois Lane: Fallout Read-Along discussion

And we're closing in on the end (next week) and then Double Down comes out, yay! I have a sense we've already talked about the big things, but I'm still game to answer any questions you guys may have.

In the first of these chapters, Lois has her first serious fight with her dad and we have an inkling of just how worried/frustrated our SmallvilleGuy was when he couldn't reach Lois after school. Then we get our gang in detention, which my-life spoiler alert is based on my high school detention (I just went back there for as school visit and they were cracking up when I revealed this; I always chose the classical music for ours because my mom was the principal--don't worry, I wasn't in for anything serious ;-). I wanted this and what comes next to be important moments for Lois, asking for her new friends' help and also being worried that she's screwed things up.

These chapters are also when Devin and Lois get summoned into the game by SmallvilleGuy only to discover Devin's castle has taken a big hit, and face off against the Warheads WITH Anavi in tow. Lois is, of course, grounded over the weekend and this is where we see her raiding General Lane's stash of spy gear--and where she gets busted by her dad and they have a talk about what Lois wants from life (this was one of my favorite scenes to write). And then it's on to planting the bug and listening in at the lab...

DUM DUM DUM.

Next week, the big rush to the ending!

You built real tension through all this. This is where out becomes virtually impossible to put the book down, no matter how late it is, or how early you have to get up for work.

I was really impressed with the fight with her dad because of the nuance. Even though the reader is on Lois's side? I think Sam Lane comes across as sympathetic too. I am torn on how the comics have written him. One one hand I appreciate the tension between the two of them but I also wish there was more ambiguity to it.

I agree with Keith: at this point, I had to stop rocking the baby and start pacing! I loved how delightfully intense everything gets by the end!

Question: How old do you see them? I thought the ambiguity was nice (works well if it runs to a long series, hope hope). SmallvilleGuy's farm license makes him seem 14-ish, which fits with the 14/15 I held in my mind, though Anavi is stated to be 16 (and they're all in the same class, so…). Just wondering.

Well, Lois' dad also says she's 16, so that's answered, lol. So allow me to rephrase.
How did you settle on 16, and do you see Clar- er, SmallvilleGuy as younger?

Keith wrote: "Well, Lois' dad also says she's 16, so that's answered, lol. So allow me to rephrase.
How did you settle on 16, and do you see Clar- er, SmallvilleGuy as younger?"

Welllllll, I have an answer, but I think I'd better not say in the event there is a book three where we find something like this out.

One of the advantages I have in writing General Lane over how he's portrayed in the comics is that this is also his origin story in a way. I really think of that night in Kansas as a critical juncture that plays a big role in both his and Lois's futures (it's even part of the reason why he's taking a permanent post in Metropolis, though I can't remember if that's stated outright in Fallout). It's their different reactions to what they saw and the choices they begin to make as a result that shape their futures. So I hope he is more sympathetic here, but also that we begin to see the road ahead for him.

Gwenda, what is your process for writing a book three? Do you have just some general concepts, or have you gotten a tentative outline? I suppose it makes sense to wait until you've received clearance for book three before writing, especially since I know you have several other things going on as well. But how much do you have ready to go/how long would it take you to draft it? What is your process from receiving a go ahead to an actual book being written?

I love that the main focus of this book is Lois Lane and her side of the Superman mythology instead Superman's origin story has been done so many times. However, I was wondering if we will get anything from the perspective of Smallvilleguy and his views on the relationship he has with Lois?

Hey, y'all! I've been traveling and will answer these tomorrow! Promise!

Timothy wrote: "Gwenda, what is your process for writing a book three? Do you have just some general concepts, or have you gotten a tentative outline? I suppose it makes sense to wait until you've received clearan..."

Oops again! Sorry this took so long to get to. Vegas was a rough trip--what with the smoke in the casino and getting stuck in the airport for 11 hours or so on my return trip, I'm just now recovered.

I have a pretty solid idea (*twirls fingers*) that it wouldn't take me long to develop into a detailed outline given the green light to proceed with it. Perhaps because I do those very detailed outlines up front, I've found my drafts tend to be a bit faster and cleaner with the Lois books, plus my editor(s) and I have a good rhythm established. So at this point, we all just cross our fingers and hope for the go ahead! I'd *hope* for at least four to five months to draft. But it's true, I don't work ahead too much these days until there's ink on a contract.

Thank you, Kristin! I don't think I can answer, other than what we can infer from his side of their interactions -- but...maybe? I don't want to close off any possibilities until I know a) if there will be a book three and b) have it all approved. I can't imagine leaving Lois's POV exactly, but maybe for an extra or something. :-)