Celebrating this week’s release of his novel The Triton Run – out on Thursday through Northodox Press! – Paul S. Edwards walks us through the genesis of the book.
Name: Paul S Edwards (he/him)
Based in: Chester
What genres/subgenres are you drawn to?
Science fiction – a wide range within that but perhaps I have propensity toward space opera. Other genres tend to only get picked up when on holiday and I fancy a thriller by the pool.
Is writing your full-time focus, or do you have a day job as well?
I work full time as a lawyer. Writing gets squeezed around that and a very busy family life, as well as other interests.
The book: from pen to print
What was the genesis of this book? Where did you get the idea from?
I had been looking for an idea, and started with a scene where two of the characters meet up. That scene was later deleted, but it got the ball rolling.
The first time I thought I had something to write about was when I saw an article on the BBC about a ‘ferryman’ – these daredevil pilots who deliver small planes across the world, taking the planes beyond their safety parameters to fly across oceans with no support. I thought that was something that could be transferred into space. After that I thought I had to have first contact and some characters who were all seeking redemption. It took a while to pull together!
How many drafts did you go through before you felt it was ready to query? How long did that take you?
I am not sure about drafts, but I wrote 166,000 words, edited it back down to 85,000 and ended up at 108,000 eventually – so it was quite a journey. The whole process took circa 5 or 6 years because I started querying, received some really helpful feedback and went back to revise parts of it. Meanwhile I was writing two other books.
Did you work with beta and/or sensitivity readers? How did you find them? How did you incorporate their feedback?
No, I didn’t feel that I needed to. There were a few parts of the first draft that I ultimately realised might be upsetting to some, and weren’t really needed. So I removed a couple of sections as a result, only alluding to those events in passing.
What was your querying process like? How long did it take?
It certainly got easier as time went on. As with most, at the start it was daunting. I bought the Artists and Writers Yearbook and spent weeks online drawing up a big long list of target agents. I made a few mistakes (it’s important to follow guidelines to the letter!) in the early days but felt that I was doing quite well. Agents are so inundated that it can take an age to get a response, if indeed they reply at all. I have to say I found the whole not-replying thing quite frustrating. I think if they are too busy to even send a form “no” then perhaps they should narrow their windows for submission?
Anyway, it was certainly difficult to wait, hence I threw myself into something completely different! I felt that I did pretty well, I had quite a high hit rate for being asked for full manuscripts which at least showed I was doing something right. The rejections that followed were all largely helpful, filled with positivity even if the book wasn’t quite right at that time.
I’d just finished something else and was thinking about pivoting to query that when I came across Northodox Press online. They are an up and coming independent press and didn’t need authors to have an agent. The rest is history: they liked the Triton Run, and we went from there.
Once it was in the hands of your publisher, what was the process to get it ready for release?
It took several months from the contact being agreed before I got an edited copy back, but that was normal. Thankfully they were supportive of the structure and approach, so it was effectively putting right the mistakes or inconsistencies that had developed in my style, which was perhaps natural bearing in mind the book had been written over several years.
The most fun, but also stressful, was working on the cover. It took a few goes to get a cover that was in the right place, however I didn’t like it. I am not sure why, it just wasn’t what my imagination had in mind for it. James Keane, who designed it, had done a fabulous job and left me with four covers to consider. I went into Waterstones and showed a bookseller the four options. They helped choose the one we went with. Everyone who sees it has been nothing but positive, which just proves that I know nothing. I’ve learned to love it!
And now your book is about to be unleashed on the world! How are you feeling?
Excited and terrified in equal measure. I think imposter syndrome is usual though? I am looking forward to celebrating its publication. It’s a long road and I am aware of how lucky I am.
What would you like us to know about this book?
That it’s accessible, and hopefully entertaining to read. Yes, some bad things happen to a lot of people, and all the characters are seeking redemption for different things they’ve done in the past, but ultimately it’s an exciting story that I hope people enjoy. I have tried to make various components of it different to other stories and there might be a few set pieces that will surprise readers. Also, that I am proud of it. An awful lot of time has been put into it!
Oh, and that while it is readable on its own, a sequel will be out in 2026.
Who’s the ideal reader for this one? What sort of things do they like to read about?
Well, it’s sci-fi, classed by the publisher as a space opera. I would hope it might attract a wide range of sci-fi readers, but in terms of modern authors who are in the same wheelhouse I’d say perhaps Alastair Reynolds, Gareth L Powell, and the writers of the Expanse series.
Your writing process
Are you a plotter or pantser or somewhere in between? How do you do your first draft?
Definitely somewhere in between. I often have a good idea about how the ending will work, and then think about a few big set pieces or scenes that will happen as it progresses. Then it’s a case of stitching it together. For the last few weeks I have been 90% of the way through the sequel and knew the ending but needed to find that linking piece of the story and I had to just write, make it up, until something fitted.
How do you approach writing? Are you the type or writer who needs to treat it like a job? Is there a particular time of day you find best for you to write?
I wish I could treat it as a job! Instead it’s a case of writing whenever and wherever possible. This involves typing chapters into my phone when sat on a train or while waiting for a concert to start, or onto the iPad in front of the telephone. I have learned that I can write very early if the dogs wake me at 6am, or sometimes I stay up later after the family have gone to bed and work then. So while I try to treat it professionally, I don’t punish myself if I can’t write on some days.
I definitely believe that it’s important to get something down, no matter how rough and ready. It can be edited and improved later. For me, a book is like a 3D game of snakes and ladders, or a patchwork quilt: Each square needs to be filled in, but that is done not necessarily in order. I often jump around; if I get stuck I will skip to a later scene, then I might go back and rewrite something. Eventually all squares are filled in with something, and that’s when extra layers are added. They could be extra plot, extra character or detail, or it could be something that links the beginning to the end.
Geek out about stationery: do you use a notebook? A specific type of pen? Or are you computer all the way?
My handwriting is terrible and as I type this I am scared about signing books at my launch party! Everything is typed into emails, Word documents or Scrivener.
Is any of that different for editing?
Final edits are all done in Scrivener, where I only use some of its functionality but it’s good the way you can move scenes around. It’s only at the end that it gets converted to Word and I then give it another once-over to put together for submission.
Where do you work? Do you have a comfy, creative space at home or are you someone who has to grab the moment wherever it comes?
I have an amazing office space that I also work from home in. But in reality most drafting is done on a phone or iPad. I only tend to retreat to the office for writing when it’s time to do final edits and I need all the text in the exact same format.
What’s your writing soundtrack?
I do need noise to write to; silence puts me off. But beyond that I can write to anything, television or background music.
Do you have a writing ritual?
No, and while not ritualistic I do wish I could be more consistent in my approach.
Where can we follow you / find out more about your work?
My website, which I update regularly. Also I am on social media.
The Triton Run is out now through Northodox Press!
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