Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: busy
  • Music: Board mix of "Mama Said."

10 things that surprised me about Toby.

We are now ten days from the release of Late Eclipses [Amazon]|[Mysterious Galaxy]. Since this is the fourth book in the series, people who've been following since the beginning have come to know a great deal about Toby and her world. So here is a list of ten things that have surprised me about these books. (Note: These are ten things about the text of the books themselves, not ten things about the publishing process.)

10. Danny. No, seriously. Danny was not originally in Rosemary and Rue; he was added when I revised the book for publication and needed to shuffle the action around a little bit. So I gave this big Bridge Troll a walk-on role, and figured I was finished. The joke turned out to be on me, as Danny gradually became a bigger part of the cast, and is now utterly integral.

9. In the same vein...Quentin. Quentin has been a part of the series since the beginning, but was originally intended to be much more of a mini-me for Etienne. You know, mannerly, proper, well-trained, and regularly scandalized. Then came the revisions on A Local Habitation, and suddenly he had ideas of his own. I love him so much more this way, but wow, was it a shocker.

8. The pixies. They were supposed to be setting. They turned into something a great deal more important, and more fun to write. Even if they don't make sense, as such.

7. The fae being nocturnal. In the original drafts of the first few books, almost everything happened at night, but it was never explicitly stated that the fae were nocturnal. Despite their magic being damaged by sunrise, and despite midnight being explicitly stated as "fairy time." Luckily, I caught on before anything saw print.

6. The Luidaeg. Like Danny, she was supposed to be a one-time character, someone who showed up, did what she needed to do, and then left. But Toby just had to start bringing her bagels...

5. April.

4. The naming structure of the months. All the fae with month names have those month names for a reason. It's even a good one. But I never dreamt that the series would include more than just October herself, much less the sheer number of them to have fetched up at this point.

3. The names of the books themselves! The original name of book one was Hope Springs Eternal, to be followed by The Fall Won't Kill You and Winter of Our Dismemberment. Yes, it was a seasonal theme. No, I don't know what I was thinking. Yes, I like these names better.

2. The importance of geography. I know most of the Kingdoms in North America, and most of the Duchies and large political divisions on the West Coast. I never thought this would be important. I am an idiot.

1. Toby's diet. I have no idea why she eats some of the things she eats. At least she's happy? Also, ew.
Tags: late eclipses, math is awesome, ten things, toby daye
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  • 67 comments

cupcakery

February 19 2011, 20:07:56 UTC 6 years ago

Quentin I love more and more with each re-read.

seanan_mcguire

February 21 2011, 00:46:43 UTC 6 years ago

Thanks!

rymenhild

February 19 2011, 20:12:26 UTC 6 years ago

The switch from seasons to Shakespeare in the titles is obviously a good change -- you wouldn't want to run out of potential titles after Book 4!

mariadkins

February 19 2011, 23:13:18 UTC 6 years ago

mari concurs

seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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bardling

February 19 2011, 20:15:34 UTC 6 years ago

This is a really cool little read, an interesting insight, thank you for sharing! :)

seanan_mcguire

February 21 2011, 00:47:04 UTC 6 years ago

Very welcome.

tygerversionx

February 19 2011, 22:13:16 UTC 6 years ago

Thank goodness for expanded Luidaeg and Danny and Quentin. Toby needed friends after what she was through (prior to the first book, even!), and reading about her getting along with new people in her life reminds me so much of my own forays back into friendship.

brightlotusmoon

February 19 2011, 23:09:46 UTC 6 years ago

Ditto. I want Danny as a friend now.

mariadkins

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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Cynical Nymph

February 19 2011, 22:21:29 UTC 6 years ago

Wow, going by some of these surprises, I am even MORE on tenterhooks waiting for Late Eclipses. I honestly didn't think that was possible.

fayanora

February 19 2011, 22:30:03 UTC 6 years ago

Sadly, while I love the Toby Daye books, I have yet to finish "An Artificial Night." I got to the part where she went to the bad guy's realm, and just stopped. Haven't picked it up since then, and that was months ago. I don't know why. It's rare for me to not finish a book I start. It's only ever happened once before (and that was just as much of a mystery as this).

idancewithlife

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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fayanora

February 19 2011, 22:27:07 UTC 6 years ago

I love all these! It's so fun when characters surprise you. Recently, a scholar character of mine surprised me. I was writing part of his back-story, where he got conscripted into the military. It surprised me how good he was at it! He was very keenly observing the area and coming up with tactics on the fly that I'd never thought of. Of course, the story is on its third rewrite because I totally suck at all things military and have had massive help from friends who don't suck at military stuff. But still, it's cool.

Some of the relationships have surprised me as well. Sam Dryson, in my first Traipah novel ("I'll Tell You No Lies," the only book of mine that is published), was meant as a minor character, but then in the second book she and the main character Nokwahl (who, aside from being an alien, is a hermaphrodite) started dating each other.

I also like the season-themed titles, especially "This is the winter of our dismemberment." :-D

seanan_mcguire

February 21 2011, 01:10:15 UTC 6 years ago

That's awesome.

fayanora

February 19 2011, 22:35:26 UTC 6 years ago

Also, re: diet, my dark sorceress character Lyria doesn't allow conversation at meal times, which surprised me, since my own family has always been the opposite.

seanan_mcguire

February 21 2011, 01:10:29 UTC 6 years ago

Huh.

Cool.

vincentursus

February 19 2011, 22:58:32 UTC 6 years ago

I envy that.

I do a spot of writing, but very rarely do my characters talk to me to tell me how things should be.

mariadkins

February 19 2011, 23:14:35 UTC 6 years ago

i can let you have mine. they won't stfu.

alicetheowl

6 years ago

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mariadkins

6 years ago

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alicetheowl

6 years ago

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mariadkins

6 years ago

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jarissa

6 years ago

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alicetheowl

6 years ago

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alicetheowl

6 years ago

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trialia

6 years ago

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alicetheowl

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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alessandriana

February 19 2011, 23:14:28 UTC 6 years ago

So glad for #6; I'm not sure why her friendship with Toby makes me so happy, but it does. :)

seanan_mcguire

February 21 2011, 01:11:19 UTC 6 years ago

Good!

jenrose1

February 20 2011, 00:04:47 UTC 6 years ago

The pixies. They were supposed to be setting. They turned into something a great deal more important, and more fun to write. Even if they don't make sense, as such.

Dude, they're pixies. They're not supposed to make sense.

mariadkins

February 20 2011, 00:10:17 UTC 6 years ago

this


(nice icon!)

seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

February 21 2011, 01:26:00 UTC 6 years ago

Heeeeee.

azurelunatic

February 20 2011, 00:18:40 UTC 6 years ago

I love Danny and Danny's pets.

seanan_mcguire

February 21 2011, 01:26:07 UTC 6 years ago

Me, too.

faithfulcynic

February 20 2011, 00:32:41 UTC 6 years ago

I'm glad you kept the Luidaeg in :) I like her and Toby's relationship.

seanan_mcguire

February 21 2011, 01:26:14 UTC 6 years ago

Me, too.

markbernstein

February 20 2011, 01:26:43 UTC 6 years ago

"But I never dreamt that the series would include more than just October herself, much less the sheer number of them to have fetched up at this point."

Hmmmm . . . that May have been intentional.

seanan_mcguire

February 21 2011, 01:26:22 UTC 6 years ago

Bah.

jenjen4280

February 20 2011, 01:26:47 UTC 6 years ago

I love, love, love the Luidaeg. Almost as much as I love Toby. Really.

seanan_mcguire

February 21 2011, 01:41:34 UTC 6 years ago

I love her, too.

liret

February 20 2011, 01:37:21 UTC 6 years ago

I agree with the people who are glad the Luidaeg and Quentin went past their designed roles, because I love them both.

Winter of Our Dismemberment would be a pretty awesome title for something, though.

seanan_mcguire

February 21 2011, 01:41:52 UTC 6 years ago

It'll probably wind up an InCryptid story.

jane_dark

February 20 2011, 03:05:38 UTC 6 years ago

I wish more authors posted things like this. Thank you.

Also: my Wicked Girls CD arrived today! It's wonderful!

seanan_mcguire

February 21 2011, 01:42:03 UTC 6 years ago

Yay! I'm glad you like it.

fullcontactmuse

February 20 2011, 05:06:36 UTC 6 years ago

6. The Luidaeg. Like Danny, she was supposed to be a one-time character, someone who showed up, did what she needed to do, and then left. But Toby just had to start bringing her bagels...
<3

Thst's really all I have to say.

seanan_mcguire

February 21 2011, 01:42:13 UTC 6 years ago

Heee.

hoppytoad79

February 20 2011, 05:42:15 UTC 6 years ago

It's amazing what we learn about our characters the longer we know them. Mine have been taking up space in my head for years and I'm still trying to extract information from some of them. One or two are so reticent I'm ready to threaten to take away their coffee if they don't start talking.

seanan_mcguire

February 21 2011, 01:53:02 UTC 6 years ago

Caffeine deprivation is cruel but fair.

hoppytoad79

6 years ago

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ravenclawed

February 20 2011, 18:22:39 UTC 6 years ago

I love Danny, Quentin, the Luidaeg, April, and the pixies. I hope we get to see more of all of them.

Did you make a map of all the kingdoms and duchies, or is it all in your head?

ailsa_cf

February 20 2011, 22:02:21 UTC 6 years ago

I love this icon!

ravenclawed

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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ravenclawed

6 years ago

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rhoda_rants

February 20 2011, 19:37:48 UTC 6 years ago

I can't imagine the Luidaeg not being a returning a character. She's so badass and awesome.

seanan_mcguire

February 21 2011, 01:54:17 UTC 6 years ago

Agreed.

hoppytoad79

6 years ago

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ladymondegreen

February 22 2011, 21:22:16 UTC 6 years ago

I don't think I will ever forget the look on your face as regards #9.

seanan_mcguire

February 24 2011, 22:05:03 UTC 6 years ago

Hmmmmph.

tsgeisel

March 2 2011, 10:54:49 UTC 6 years ago

I was ok with much of Toby's diet until Late Eclipses. As you say..."Ew."

seanan_mcguire

March 4 2011, 16:47:07 UTC 6 years ago

Yeah, well. She's weird.