Every epic begins with a question. For author Paul Howd, it was this: What if everything we believe about free will is a lie? That idea gave birth to The Common Man, a genre-bending cosmic thriller about control, destiny, and rebellion. In this post, Paul shares how the story took shape—and what readers can expect next.
The Spark of the Idea
Paul has always been fascinated by the tension between fate and freedom. Growing up on a steady diet of science fiction, mythology, and philosophy, he began to wonder: What if humans were being watched—not by gods, but by a governing force that we couldn’t even see? That single thought spiraled into the creation of an entire universe.
Building the Universe
Crafting the world of The Common Man took years of imagination and planning. Paul wanted to blend grounded human emotion with high-concept cosmic forces. The Council, the Milky Guards, the Sorting Table—each element was carefully designed to feel both fantastic and eerily plausible. “It’s not just about spectacle,” Paul says. “It’s about asking hard questions in a strange world.”
Writing as Exploration
As Paul wrote the first draft, the characters began to reveal unexpected layers. Sean and Paul weren’t just pawns in a system—they were mirrors of our own internal struggles. “I didn’t want heroes who knew everything,” Paul explains. “I wanted people who were scared, curious, and desperate to believe their lives mattered.” The process became more than storytelling; it became a search for truth.
What’s Next? The second book, The Scurry, dives even deeper into the rebellion brewing beneath the surface. Readers can expect more revelations, more action, and more of the rich world that made the first book unforgettable. Paul hints that the third installment is already underway—and it promises to change everything we thought we knew about the Sorting.
