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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swevene

July 11 2011, 07:25:00 UTC 6 years ago

Finishing a series is an amazing accomplishment. I'm impressed- I wish I could finish even one book that I could dream of getting published. You're an inspiration!

And I'm really looking forward to Blackout.

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:35:40 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you.

ashabardon

July 11 2011, 07:45:20 UTC 6 years ago

Congrats and here's to more Mira Grant books, they - and you - are awesome. Can't wait to finish the trilogy.

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:35:57 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you.

tattercoats

July 11 2011, 07:48:00 UTC 6 years ago

Well done, dearheart. May your inspiration never wane and may rest and focus bring you balance and ease.

Proud of you.

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:36:08 UTC 6 years ago

Making you proud is one of my life's goals.

notalwaysweak

July 11 2011, 11:48:32 UTC 6 years ago

You are amazing. The trilogy is amazing. I am super proud of you for finishing, and I send yay!hugs and also awww!hugs your way, because I can understand being sad about it being over.

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:36:16 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you.

pbristow

July 11 2011, 11:59:26 UTC 6 years ago

So this means you'll soon have more time for writing about Toby, yes? Yes? [MAKES PUPPY EYES]

...Or perhaps in your case it'll be "lie down while you can". =;o}

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:36:32 UTC 6 years ago

Actually, first, I revise Discount Armageddon.

beccastareyes

July 11 2011, 12:07:26 UTC 6 years ago

Congrats.

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:36:37 UTC 6 years ago

Thanks.

archangelbeth

July 11 2011, 12:15:06 UTC 6 years ago

Woo!

(I just woke up. That's all the brain I've got right now.)

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:38:49 UTC 6 years ago

Glee. :)

michaeldthomas

July 11 2011, 12:16:15 UTC 6 years ago

w00t! Congratulations! :-)

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:38:57 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you!

black_faery

July 11 2011, 12:17:55 UTC 6 years ago

Congratulations!!

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:39:04 UTC 6 years ago

Thanks.

phoenixrave

July 11 2011, 12:33:02 UTC 6 years ago

Not that Toby isn't inspiring, but Newsflesh is also full of people that I want to be like. Crazy as they may be, I aspire to be like George and Shawn, in some ways, whereas I think of myself AS Toby. (Crazy as SHE may be!) I await Blackout with love and trepidation. Thank you!

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:39:11 UTC 6 years ago

Very welcome.

rhoda_rants

July 11 2011, 13:17:55 UTC 6 years ago

*happy dance*

And it is so, so not over yet. You have all of our squeeing to look forward to when we get to read it.

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:39:20 UTC 6 years ago

True...but the writing is done.

rhoda_rants

6 years ago

  • New comment

fullcontactmuse

July 11 2011, 13:18:03 UTC 6 years ago

Yay! It's been a fantastic ride. Thank you for sharing it with us!

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:39:31 UTC 6 years ago

Very welcome.

irish_ais

July 11 2011, 13:32:46 UTC 6 years ago

Homg, yay! This is the most EXCITING NEWS right now! :D

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:39:40 UTC 6 years ago

I am glad to be exciting!

rarelylynne

July 11 2011, 14:00:08 UTC 6 years ago

*applause*

HURRAH!

*throws confetti*

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:39:46 UTC 6 years ago

Glee.

keristor

July 11 2011, 14:13:32 UTC 6 years ago

It's not all over until everyone's a zombie! But yes, much as I am looking forward to the publication (next year!) of it it's always sort of sad when a series is complete. But then there are the spinoffs (the collected countdown stories, the movie, the TV series, the merchandise, the spinoff series *g*).

And also next year is InCryptid! Forward to which I am also looking. And more Toby, and hopefully some of your other series...

You go, girl!

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:39:56 UTC 6 years ago

Yay!

ladymurmur

July 11 2011, 14:29:32 UTC 6 years ago

My local Hallmark store doesn't carry any "Congratulations on finishing your book/trilogy/series" cards, more's the pity. So I'll just say it:

Congratulations on finishing!!! What an accomplishment - and thank you so much for letting us come along for the ride! :-)

Oh - my friend that you made cry when she read Feed? just got Deadline from the library, where there is apparently a very long reservation list indeed! I'd been bouncing and chattering at her about the Countdown tidbits approaching its release, and she was determined not to start reading Deadline until she'd read Countdown "so I can enjoy it as much as you did!". I grovel for your forgiveness, but I copied each entry out into a big Word document for her to read. I think she must have finished it , because she just emailed me to say "WAH! SHE DID IT AGAIN! *sniff*". (It would be a very different email if she were, oh, not quite halfway through Deadline...)

You're my hero. :-)

seanan_mcguire

July 11 2011, 14:40:18 UTC 6 years ago

Aw, yay. :)

ayashi

July 11 2011, 16:06:06 UTC 6 years ago

Ahhhh I can't wait!! :) So looking forward to it!

seanan_mcguire

July 12 2011, 14:11:04 UTC 6 years ago

Yay!

kyburg

July 11 2011, 16:09:37 UTC 6 years ago

And every bit as good as you could have hoped. Worth every bit of waiting for.

seanan_mcguire

July 12 2011, 14:11:16 UTC 6 years ago

No, it's crap.

But it will improve.

ladymondegreen

July 11 2011, 19:30:20 UTC 6 years ago

You have made a real zombie: Something that will never die.

I love you.

seanan_mcguire

July 12 2011, 14:11:26 UTC 6 years ago

Love you, too.

phoenix_singing

July 11 2011, 20:02:06 UTC 6 years ago

Wow, huge congratulations to you!! :D

Related: I just started the Toby Daye books (just started A Local Habitation) and am loving them every bit as much as Feed and Deadline. You've quickly become my favorite author. Oak and ash!

seanan_mcguire

July 12 2011, 14:11:35 UTC 6 years ago

Yay!

yellowblackhaze

July 11 2011, 22:11:39 UTC 6 years ago

I'm not a zombie person, they don't grab me overall, but after hearing Seanan discuss Feed at last years Worldcon and thinking that the premise of it was so insane it might just work, I picked up a copy of it and read oen of the best books of the year. Deadline was an awesome followup and I have no doubt that Blackout will knock it, and us, completely out of the park.

seanan_mcguire

July 12 2011, 14:11:44 UTC 6 years ago

<3

morvab

July 11 2011, 22:29:21 UTC 6 years ago

I am in awe! Of course, you are frequently awesome. Congratulations and sympathies - I would think it is a bit analogous to sending your child out into the world and knowing that it is no longer just the two of you. Exciting and scary and sad and proud all mixed up together. Try not to worry - the world is very excited to see this child and will take good care of it. With bullets and machetes if necessary. We send virtual hugs and frozen treats and adorable baby animal photos in your direction by way of tribute!

seanan_mcguire

July 12 2011, 14:11:54 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you!

vincentursus

July 12 2011, 01:20:10 UTC 6 years ago

*hugs*

Have some ice cream. Though this journey has ended, there will be others to come.

Meanwhile, those of us who follow the paths you have tread will be awed by the wonders and terrors you have shown us.

seanan_mcguire

July 12 2011, 14:12:05 UTC 6 years ago

Hooray, ice cream!

estelendur

July 12 2011, 07:00:37 UTC 6 years ago

Huzzah! Congratulations! Thank you so much for writing these wonderful books. :D

*relurks*

seanan_mcguire

July 12 2011, 14:12:29 UTC 6 years ago

You're very welcome!

mlerules

July 12 2011, 18:00:47 UTC 6 years ago

COOL!

seanan_mcguire

July 12 2011, 19:31:19 UTC 6 years ago

Yay!
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