Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: bittersweet
  • Music: The Decemberists, "Billy Liar."

First draft stats -- BLACKOUT.

Date started: September 14th, 2010.
Date finished: July 10th, 2011.

Total words: 165,481.
Total pages: 605.
Total chapters: Forty.

Well, that's that. It's done. Three books. More than three years. My first finished series. And while this is only the first draft, it will go quickly through the next few cycles, becoming a finished book in the time it takes to blink. And then it will be over.

Mira Grant was born after this series. Newsflesh became Feed; a standalone became a trilogy; "that zombie novel Seanan keeps threatening to write" became the book that would get me nominated for a Hugo award. The Masons and their friends and their enemies and the science and the politics and the zombies, it all became...

It became...

It became so much bigger than I ever dreamed it was going to become. I am so grateful. I am so sad that it's over.

Alive or dead, the truth won't rest.

Rise up while you can.
Tags: blackout, book status, mira grant, word count
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taraljc

July 11 2011, 03:21:10 UTC 6 years ago

You're a rock star, girlie.

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:30:12 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you.

judifilksign

July 11 2011, 03:27:38 UTC 6 years ago

I look forward to reading it.

I also look forward to seeing you at Context in Columbus, Ohio in your Mira persona.

I am crossing my fingers for you and wishing you luck and votes for the Hugo.

And I hope someone who makes films reads the books and says "THIS!" so I can see it on the big screen!

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:30:23 UTC 6 years ago

That would be AWESOME.

priscellie

July 11 2011, 03:27:43 UTC 6 years ago

You done good, Seanan. *hugs*

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:30:38 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you.

The Middleman agrees with you! Yay!

soundingsea

July 11 2011, 03:32:04 UTC 6 years ago

Yay! I'm so thrilled for you! (And for all of us, who get to read it eventually.)

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:30:51 UTC 6 years ago

I'm just thrilled to be able to work on other things.

gwynnega

July 11 2011, 03:42:14 UTC 6 years ago

Yaaaaay! That is an amazing accomplishment. I can hardly wait to read Blackout.

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:31:02 UTC 6 years ago

Neither can I!

Deleted comment

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:31:09 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you.

trektone

July 11 2011, 03:51:06 UTC 6 years ago

Congratulations and Yay!

Enjoyed your reading last night. The Q & A was more wacky than I expected.

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:31:19 UTC 6 years ago

Ye-ah, that was...special.

idancewithlife

July 11 2011, 03:53:44 UTC 6 years ago

So much work!! Congratulations.

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:31:25 UTC 6 years ago

Thanks.

rollick

July 11 2011, 04:03:31 UTC 6 years ago

it will go quickly through the next few cycles, becoming a finished book in the time it takes to blink.

I am blinking frantically right now…

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:31:54 UTC 6 years ago

"Finished book" doesn't mean "published book," sadly. Or maybe not so sadly; I already get "when can I have the next one?" enough to make me cry.

rollick

6 years ago

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biguglymandoll

July 11 2011, 04:05:08 UTC 6 years ago

Congrats from this corner as well! I'm so glad to be able to report that the main writing is done - I've hooked several folks on Toby but only one so far on the Newsflesh series, and she's just (tonight!!!) finished Deadline and asked me when Blackout was coming out! ;-)

Yay for Mira Grant!

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:32:03 UTC 6 years ago

Yay!

Deleted comment

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:32:11 UTC 6 years ago

I'm glad.

paradisacorbasi

July 11 2011, 04:19:08 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you for all your hard work, your sweat and tears -- I'm hoping the process didn't require actual blood from you other than that represented on the pages of the story.

I look forward to reading the rest.

kshandra

July 11 2011, 05:24:37 UTC 6 years ago

Gold star for screencapping that frame from the trailer.

paradisacorbasi

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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nightfalltwen

July 11 2011, 04:21:08 UTC 6 years ago

I am in awe.

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:32:49 UTC 6 years ago

Yay!

myuki_chan

July 11 2011, 04:31:55 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you so much for writing and I can only hope I'll have enough books from you in the future to fill up multiple shelves. ♥

Congratulations and I can't wait to see the results for the Hugo.

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:33:23 UTC 6 years ago

I can't either. Except for where I can.

alamaris

July 11 2011, 04:39:10 UTC 6 years ago

A hearty kudos and wild applause is in order. Huzzah! Go you!

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:33:31 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you!

snowcoma

July 11 2011, 04:42:15 UTC 6 years ago

We'll take good care of your baby, I promise. *hugs tight*

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:33:42 UTC 6 years ago

Take care of it with a machete.

hoppytoad79

July 11 2011, 04:58:59 UTC 6 years ago

Congratulations, dear. You deserve all the kudos and awards.

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:33:49 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you.

klwilliams

July 11 2011, 05:08:08 UTC 6 years ago

This is fabulous. Good for you. You impress me, always.

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:33:59 UTC 6 years ago

:)

liret

July 11 2011, 05:11:15 UTC 6 years ago

Even second hand, watching the life cycle of this series has been a fascinating process. Thanks for letting us see it.

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:34:06 UTC 6 years ago

Very welcome.

dr_zrfq

July 11 2011, 05:19:52 UTC 6 years ago

Wow.

I will admit that [a] the Newsflesh books aren't as much my cup of tea as the Toby books, but that doesn't mean I don't like them; and [b] I'm actually holding off on finishing Deadline until next year, mostly so that I'm not tempted to throttle you (over the cliffhanger I *know* is at the end) before Blackout goes to print. (And once the latter is in stores I won't HAVE to throttle you for the cliffhanger. I'll just have to buy Blackout.)

Conga rats on making it all the way to the end (first draft). BIG hugs of both congratulation and comfort.

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:34:30 UTC 6 years ago

I actually appreciate people liking Toby better. It's not common enough, which makes me faintly insecure.

kshandra

July 11 2011, 05:25:29 UTC 6 years ago

You are an amazing human being. As are the humans (and fae, and changelings) you create and share with all of us.

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:34:43 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you.

avahgdu

July 11 2011, 05:35:26 UTC 6 years ago

I suppose this is an acceptable reason for forgetting my birthday hug. It's only eleven days late, ya know. ;-P

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:35:00 UTC 6 years ago

I've been busy! I still haven't had my own birthday party! From JANUARY.

alessandriana

July 11 2011, 05:45:53 UTC 6 years ago

Congrats! *giant celebratory hug!!*

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:35:07 UTC 6 years ago

Yay!

jennygriffee

July 11 2011, 06:40:20 UTC 6 years ago

Congrats -- that's a huge accomplishment! -- and I'm so very much looking forward to reading it. :)

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:35:14 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you.

azurelunatic

July 11 2011, 06:45:38 UTC 6 years ago

Congratulations! I'm sorry I missed last night, but I'm getting better! (Jet lag from hell, not Kellis-Amberlee of any stripe.)

notalwaysweak

July 11 2011, 11:46:24 UTC 6 years ago

Uh-huh. Just stick your hand into this box, please, and don't mind the needles.

azurelunatic

6 years ago

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notalwaysweak

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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