Officially the Princess of the Kingdom of Poison and Flame.: seanan

Officially the Princess of the Kingdom of Poison and Flame.

You guys.

This is so hard to write. I've literally started this post eight times, and deleted it every time, and started over, trying to find the words I want. Words are usually something that I find pretty easy—sometimes too easy, as my tendency to never shut the hell up can testify. Not right now. Right now, the words are very hard. So very hard.

I spent most of this year's WorldCon in a cheerful fugue state, throwing myself into things as hard as I could in order to keep from thinking about the Hugo Awards. Jeanne, Cat, Rob, Liz, Paul, Mondy, Jay, Shannon, John, seriously, thank you so much, because if you hadn't been there, I would probably have spontaneously combusted. As it was, it was occasionally difficult not to ask how people could be so damn calm when the votes were in and there was nothing we could do and why couldn't we just know already?

Sunday, Jeanne, Gretchen, and I descended on Cat's hotel room to get ready for the Hugos. Cat met us at the door, and ordered me to close my eyes. I am a trusting blonde; I closed my eyes. She led me into the main room, and let me open my eyes, to find myself facing a bed covered in tiaras. Covered in tiaras. "Because," she said, "your friends wanted to be sure that no matter what, you went home with a tiara."

You guys.

I love you so much.

Susan came to do our hair. We put on dresses and makeup and nail polish and smiles, like nothing about the night mattered...and to a degree, right then, it didn't. We sang along to "Firebird's Child" and "Ship Full of Monsters," and the Night Kitchen in Seattle filled with people watching the live feed and sending all their love across the sea. We were together, and the world was full of magic, and we went to the reception and drank free champagne and had people tell us how amazing we looked, and it was amazing. (Cat and I managed, totally accidentally, to acquire dresses in basically the same colors. I felt like I should have brought her a corsage.)

Then we went to the actual award ceremony. Cat and I sat in the second row; Gretchen and Jeanne sat right behind us. The order of the evening was "opening speech, video presentation, First Fandom Award, Big Heart Award, Campbell Award." Jay Lake and John Scalzi presented the Campbell. They took the stage together, and explained the tiara, and read the nominees, and I clutched Cat's hand like the audience was an ocean and I was going to go under. Kathryn Daugherty came out, holding the award, name turned toward her so no one could see it. John opened the envelope.

"And the winner of this year's John W. Campbell Award for best new writer is..."

And they said my name.

And I sat there, because the room was spinning and I could taste sounds and they couldn't mean me. And Cat pushed me to my feet, and everyone was clapping, and I walked to the stage while the Buffy: the Vampire Slayer theme played and the room spun and tears made everything blurry, and I just said "Oh my God" over and over again, because there was nothing else in the whole world that I could say. And Kathryn gave me the plaque, and John and Jay gave me hugs, and they put the tiara on my head, and you guys...oh, you guys...

I am the Princess of the Kingdom of Poison and Flame. I am the 2010 Campbell Award winner. I am the first urban fantasist to win the Campbell Award. Because they said my name.

I will be more coherent soon. I will write about my acceptance speech soon. I will stop gasping a little every time I see the tiara soon. But oh, you guys.

I won.

bayushi

September 9 2010, 23:46:13 UTC 6 years ago

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Seanan, congratulations, I am absolutely delighted for you. Just...mazel tov!

seanan_mcguire

September 11 2010, 21:49:09 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you!

technoshaman

September 9 2010, 23:53:26 UTC 6 years ago

Wow.

When they said you were speechless, they weren't kidding, eh? I did wonder why I didn't see a torrent of words this general direction sooner... matter of fact, I did wonder how I slept through the worldwide torrent of SQUEEE!!! ... I guess I know now... (as for the latter, I *have* slept through a tornado, so...)

Mary is right. Wear it long and well, because between four books and an album, you've EARNED it.

gothicsparrow

September 9 2010, 23:55:28 UTC 6 years ago

Congratulations! I was so happy on monday morning when I got the newsletter and found out you won!

*bows to the Princess*

September 11 2010, 21:49:28 UTC 6 years ago

I danced!

I'm dancing now!

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wendyzski

September 10 2010, 00:17:11 UTC 6 years ago

*giggles*

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mythos_amante

September 10 2010, 00:24:06 UTC 6 years ago

WOW, Seanan, you look GORGEOUS!!!

Also, woo woo!

amanda_nye

6 years ago

September 10 2010, 00:23:30 UTC 6 years ago

YAY YAY YAY!!!!!!! Congratulations!!! <3 <3!!!

September 13 2010, 14:38:47 UTC 6 years ago

bloolark

September 10 2010, 00:24:02 UTC 6 years ago

I have never commented on your journal before, but I'm doing it now. I am so glad you won, and I'm SO GLAD that you keep selling books and I'm SO GLAD that you keep writing books. I got An Artificial Night and read it in one gulp, then started it over again and have leisurely devoured it a second time.

Congratulations! You absolutely deserve it.

September 13 2010, 14:39:04 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you so much. I'm really over the moon.

salexa

September 10 2010, 00:35:29 UTC 6 years ago

Congratulations! It is certainly deserved.

September 13 2010, 14:39:15 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you. :)

deakat

September 10 2010, 00:41:45 UTC 6 years ago

I set my alarm for 5:45 am on Sunday morning, so that I would have time to make myself some coffee and settle in for the viewing. My dog was mightily confused, and the video wasn't the greatest, but I was able to watch you accept your award and feel the love that we all shared at that moment, across the oceans and intertubes.

You are amazing and so deserving of that award, and more!

September 13 2010, 14:39:26 UTC 6 years ago

Wow.

Okay, that's love.

September 10 2010, 00:54:37 UTC 6 years ago

So, SO happy for you, really. You deserve it, and it's wonderful. I wish I could have seen it, because that must have been like winning for the audience.

September 13 2010, 14:39:39 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you.

Deleted comment

September 13 2010, 14:39:58 UTC 6 years ago

Daaaaaaamn. That's high praise.

And I love May, too.

arielstarshadow

September 10 2010, 01:02:32 UTC 6 years ago

We love you!!!

September 13 2010, 14:40:08 UTC 6 years ago

I love you, too!!!

tollers

September 10 2010, 01:09:19 UTC 6 years ago

I had serious alarm clock fail and slept through the oh-god-early live feed. When I did wake up and my brain parsed "daylight" and turned it into "crapIMissedTheAwards", I promptly picked up my phone and pulled up Vixy's Twitter feed 'cause I knew I'd find the info fastest there. :-) And I did. So I squeeed, and got alll teary-eyed, then emailed the rest of the band and squeeed at them.

I'm so happy for you. You've worked your tail off to make excellent worlds and characters we can care about, and it was a truly wonderful thing to see that rewarded. :-)

*Hugs* to you!!!

September 13 2010, 14:40:20 UTC 6 years ago

Hugs right back!

Thank you so much.

saruby

September 10 2010, 01:29:53 UTC 6 years ago

Perfect! You more than deserve it.

September 13 2010, 14:40:27 UTC 6 years ago

twfarlan

September 10 2010, 01:31:57 UTC 6 years ago

Simply and utterly and truly well deserved win, dear lady, and may this be but the first.

September 13 2010, 14:40:40 UTC 6 years ago

It'll be my only Campbell win! :)

September 13 2010, 14:40:52 UTC 6 years ago

It's kinda epic.

dormouse_in_tea

September 10 2010, 01:57:13 UTC 6 years ago

I have to admit, several categories in this year's Hugo awards really disappointed me.

I forgive the entire community, however, because YOU WON! :D And it's amazing, I'd forgotten no urban fantasist had won it before.

Now, next year, maybe we can vote you a Hugo for Feed.

September 13 2010, 14:41:08 UTC 6 years ago

That's our terrifying thought for today!

shaharazad

September 10 2010, 02:04:29 UTC 6 years ago

What an amazing moment! Congratulations!

September 13 2010, 14:41:19 UTC 6 years ago

huskiebear

September 10 2010, 02:19:16 UTC 6 years ago

Of course you won. You made me - an avowed urban fantasy nay-sayer and zombie eye-roller - read and love both genres. Well deserved congratulations!

September 13 2010, 14:41:31 UTC 6 years ago

That's true victory, right there.

hamletkitty

September 10 2010, 02:25:16 UTC 6 years ago

Congratulations!

September 13 2010, 14:41:39 UTC 6 years ago

it_aint_easy

September 10 2010, 02:29:35 UTC 6 years ago

Congratulations, you.

September 13 2010, 14:41:47 UTC 6 years ago

a_mae_zing

September 10 2010, 03:10:36 UTC 6 years ago

Oh my gosh! Congratulations, Seanan! You deserve it! \o/

September 13 2010, 14:41:55 UTC 6 years ago

jeffreycwells

September 10 2010, 03:21:15 UTC 6 years ago

Just because I haven't yet said it in any other venue, super-extra-megacongrats on all this.

September 13 2010, 14:42:03 UTC 6 years ago

Awesomesauce.

tal125

September 10 2010, 03:55:29 UTC 6 years ago

You deserve it. So MUCH. So very happy for you and my wife and daughter can attest to being woke up to be told the news. They're happy for you too!

September 13 2010, 14:42:17 UTC 6 years ago

Since they didn't kill you for waking them up, I guess so!

patoadam

September 10 2010, 03:58:27 UTC 6 years ago

Way to go! Congratulations! You deserve this.

September 13 2010, 14:44:22 UTC 6 years ago

mondyboy

September 10 2010, 04:06:14 UTC 6 years ago

It was easily one of my fave moments of the con. I lost a good chunk of my voice just cheering you from the bleachers. And you wear the tiara very well.

September 13 2010, 14:44:44 UTC 6 years ago

There was a lot of cheering. It was sort of totally awesome.

Thank you so much.

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Officially the Princess of the Kingdom of Poison and Flame.

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