Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: accomplished
  • Music: REM, "Talk About the Passion."

Word count -- BLACKOUT.

Words: 7,639.
Total words: 142,065.
Estimated words remaining: 8,000.
Reason for stopping: I'm tired, and it's time for bed.
Music: really, really LOUD rock and roll.
Cats: Alice, eating; Lilly, loafing on the bed; Thomas, eating

On an average work night, I write between 2,000 and 4,000 words, along with assorted edits, emails, and the rest.

I have an estimated 8,000 words to go in this book. That is, essentially, two days of work. Now, I'm not actually going to finish Blackout on Wednesday; I have edits to process, and the first draft will almost certainly run 3,000 to 8,000 words long, giving me lots of room to go back and cut things that are repetitive or turn out not to be necessary. But I'll hit the point where everything becomes gravy sometime this week. Even with the event this weekend, even with Amy and Wes showing up on Friday, I'm almost there.

It's a weird feeling, sort of pride and terror all tangled up together. A lot of people are reserving judgement on the trilogy as a whole based on this book. If it's not good, they're going to be disappointed in me. So I have to stick this landing like it's the fucking Olympics, and I need to do it with style and grace. It's scary. It's amazing. It's the reason I write books, rather than sticking with stories that come out quicker and clearer and don't bleed on my floor quite as much.

We're almost there.
Tags: blackout, mira grant, word count
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  • 62 comments

tenaya_owlcat

June 7 2011, 04:50:04 UTC 6 years ago

Your other books are amazing, so I'm sure Blackout will be just as great. :)

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 15:14:54 UTC 6 years ago

I have the hope.

sheistheweather

June 7 2011, 04:50:53 UTC 6 years ago

I loved the first two. Thank you for writing them, and thank you for writing BLACKOUT as well.

spectralbovine

June 7 2011, 04:56:55 UTC 6 years ago

IT WAS ALL A DREAM.

vixyish

June 7 2011, 05:21:21 UTC 6 years ago

You're going to hell, dear, you know that, right?

spectralbovine

6 years ago

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vixyish

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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dornbeast

6 years ago

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ladymondegreen

6 years ago

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madchenm

June 7 2011, 05:11:43 UTC 6 years ago

And we have faith that you'll stick that landing like you put glue on your feet mid-air. *nods*

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 15:15:11 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you.

vixyish

June 7 2011, 05:24:05 UTC 6 years ago

It's going to be AWESOME.

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 15:15:21 UTC 6 years ago

I hope so. :(

trektone

June 7 2011, 05:30:20 UTC 6 years ago

BLACKOUT! BLACKOUT! BLACKOUT! BLACKOUT! BLACKOUT! BLACKOUT! BLACKOUT! BLACKOUT! BLACKOUT! BLACKOUT! BLACKOUT! BLACKOUT!

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 15:15:30 UTC 6 years ago

...I take it you're excited.

paksenarrion2

June 7 2011, 06:08:56 UTC 6 years ago

I have confidence that Blackout will be awesome. Normally second parts of a trilogy are not quite as awesome as either parts one or three. Think Star Wars and the Indiana Jones series for example. Also think of the Star Trek movies-odd numbered ones were great, even numbered ones were just so-so. But Deadline was better than Feed-and Feed was great.

So is it next year yet?

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 15:15:42 UTC 6 years ago

Thankfully, no.

spectralbovine

6 years ago

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paksenarrion2

6 years ago

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a moment's distraction for you:

labelleizzy

June 7 2011, 06:29:58 UTC 6 years ago

http://girlgenius-lab.livejournal.com/486075.html?

Re: a moment's distraction for you:

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 15:17:05 UTC 6 years ago

HEE!

Re: a moment's distraction for you:

kengr

6 years ago

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Re: a moment's distraction for you:

seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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Re: a moment's distraction for you:

archangelbeth

6 years ago

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Re: a moment's distraction for you:

labelleizzy

6 years ago

  • New comment

Re: a moment's distraction for you:

seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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fluffworld

June 7 2011, 06:47:24 UTC 6 years ago

Can't wait to read it (can't wait to read Deadline for that matter - hurry UP, Australia Post) and have no doubt you will ace the hell out of it. Go you. :D

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 15:17:18 UTC 6 years ago

Enjoy Deadline!

aircrash

June 7 2011, 06:50:29 UTC 6 years ago

you can do it! *\o/*

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 15:17:26 UTC 6 years ago

<3

notalwaysweak

June 7 2011, 08:23:24 UTC 6 years ago

Honestly? Given how good Feed and Deadline were -- and I'm not just saying this because it's you, I'm saying this because you singlehandedly converted me to be a fan of zombie stories -- the only way you could not stick the landing is if somebody greased the mat.

Quick question, and I apologise profusely if I missed this in the books/countdown: how did the Rising start in Australia? I think you said something about a plane with amplified passengers - is that right or am I imagining things?

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 15:18:05 UTC 6 years ago

The jet incident came later. The Rising started in Australia much as it did elsewhere: in eleven places at once. At least one of them involved one of those kangaroo mobs and a group of dumb-ass tourists.

Bwhahahahahahahahaaa Oprah didn't put that in the brochure!

paynim

6 years ago

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archangelbeth

6 years ago

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Discipline

paynim

June 7 2011, 09:30:02 UTC 6 years ago

Your word count discipline is awesome, I know people have written profiles for your site joking about your clones with your music & pen name/alter ego putting out novels...

...but seriously - your creative output (which is quality, which just goes to disgust me further from a jealous space) is kinda awe-inspiring.

*pom poms*

Re: Discipline

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 15:18:17 UTC 6 years ago

Woo pom-poms!

alicetheowl

June 7 2011, 13:22:50 UTC 6 years ago

I have every faith you'll make it awesome. I've only read one of your endings so far (Sparrow Hill Road), but I think, from the strength I've seen in the rest of your writing, you can't help but nail the landing.

Looking forward to reading it!

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 15:18:25 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you!

katiebabs

June 7 2011, 17:08:51 UTC 6 years ago

Go on with you bad self!

katiebabs

June 7 2011, 17:09:04 UTC 6 years ago

ahem "your"

:P

seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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nightfalltwen

June 7 2011, 18:18:14 UTC 6 years ago

I've just recently become a follower of your LJ. Mostly bceause my friend said Feed was so good and that you had an LJ. I just wanted to say thank you for friending me back. It's really interesting watching a professional writer go through the process of completing a novel. One day I'd like to be doing the same.

:)

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 22:14:58 UTC 6 years ago

Welcome! I love your icon. Really, I love anything involving Matt Smith.

nightfalltwen

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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vincentursus

June 7 2011, 21:56:37 UTC 6 years ago

Sawdust. Spread it on the floor in advance, it'll make it a lot easier to clean up that blood.

You make writing sound glorious.

I'll try writing something tonight.

Hmm, I still owe a drabble.

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 22:15:09 UTC 6 years ago

Yay!

hasufin

June 7 2011, 22:52:41 UTC 6 years ago

I swear I read the cat status as "Alice, eating Lilly" which is oh-so wrong. What a difference a semicolon makes!

seanan_mcguire

June 8 2011, 18:09:56 UTC 6 years ago

If Alice were eating Lilly, I would so not be calmly reporting it here.

hasufin

6 years ago

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yellowblackhaze

June 8 2011, 00:16:27 UTC 6 years ago

Blackout is going to rock, I just know it will.

seanan_mcguire

June 8 2011, 18:01:38 UTC 6 years ago

I surely hope so.

bkwrrm_tx

June 8 2011, 00:28:59 UTC 6 years ago

Damn you (aimed at Mira Grant you).

I just finished Deadline while sitting on concrete in 100 degree Texas weather and was so wrapped up in my Kindle that I didn't even notice how hot it was!

I'm blaming you for my pink arms (and the fact that Blackout hasn't mysteriously appeared on my MUST BUY THIS NOW list yet). :-)

seanan_mcguire

June 8 2011, 18:00:07 UTC 6 years ago

Blame accepted!

orlacarey

June 8 2011, 17:14:33 UTC 6 years ago

Am I remembering right that Blackout is not due out until May??? I just finished Deadline last night and I do not have the words to describe how EVIL you are...

seanan_mcguire

June 8 2011, 17:46:17 UTC 6 years ago

June, actually.

zerosconsort

6 years ago

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amanda_nye

June 9 2011, 01:55:37 UTC 6 years ago

You'll do it. I've got jitters for you, too. It's the first end for you.

You'll leave them wanting more, but satisfied that you told the story, and that's the best place to be.

seanan_mcguire

June 13 2011, 18:38:13 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you.

filceolaire

June 11 2011, 13:14:26 UTC 6 years ago

Just reread Feed and read Deadline. They are just awesome, bringing me to the edge of my seat while trying to hold back the tears. These are characters I feel I know and I admire and I want to hang out with. Then you turn me round again (Clones! WTF Seanan?). If you don't get a Hugo there ain't no justice.

I so want Blackout to be awesome and I'm grateful to you for putting in the hours to make it so. Go you.

Now I'm reading An Artificial night then I'll have to get Late Eclipses.

seanan_mcguire

June 13 2011, 15:43:35 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you so much, darlin'.