Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: stunned
  • Music: Bloodhound Gang, "Bad Touch."

Alive or dead, the truth won't rest. Rise up while you can.

Newsflesh trilogy, final stats.

Start date: September 4th, 2005.
End date: September 2nd, 2011.

Volumes: Three.
Words: 455,814.
Pages: An awful lot.

...so yeah. That happened.

Last night, at approximately 9:15PM, I finished processing the last of the editorial changes to Blackout, and kicked the manuscript off to The Agent for a final typo check. She kicked it back to me this morning, and at approximately 5:21AM, I finished correcting the last of the grammatical and typographical errors. The book is back with her for a final final check, and then it's off to The Other Editor, to begin the process of transforming into something you can read.

It's over.

I have other things to do in this universe, other stories to tell and to enjoy telling, but this story, this trilogy...it's over. I am finished with the Masons. Their tale is done.

I've never finished anything like this before. I feel a little numb and a little scalded and a little overwhelmed, all at once.

Thank you. Thank you to everyone who's read these books, recommended these books, loved these books, hated these books, or interacted with them in any way. Thank you to Michael and Amanda, Kate and GP, Spider and Steve, Alan and Jude, Brooke and Vixy and Bill and Mike and Rae and Sunil and Amy and Cat and...and...and everyone. Just thank you.

Thank you for helping me tell this story. I never could have done it on my own.

Alive or dead, the truth won't rest. Thank you for helping me to rise up while I could.
Tags: being productive, blackout, deadline, feed, gratitude, mira grant, turning it in, writing, zombies
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groblek

September 2 2011, 19:44:12 UTC 5 years ago

Congratulations! I look forward to the day we get to read Blackout and share in the conclusion to this story.. It's been a great ride so far, and has prompted silly moments like our regularly telling Josh that he's to small for amplification yet when he tries to nibble on our heads. :)

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:10:37 UTC 5 years ago

Hee. :)

This pleases me.

avahgdu

September 2 2011, 21:07:10 UTC 5 years ago

Your uncanny resemblance to Lysystratae (my ex wife and best friend) that interested me in you. But it was Shaun Mason that made fall in love with you. It was getting to know YOU that made me want to be your actual friend. I cannot wait for this book. But I am crying over the "finished with the Masons' part. HUGS

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:10:47 UTC 5 years ago

*hugs*

subtlefire

September 2 2011, 21:55:56 UTC 5 years ago

Hooray! Congratulations :)

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:10:55 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you!

wood_dragon

September 2 2011, 22:21:31 UTC 5 years ago

I'm very much looking forward to Blackout. I think these books will be on my "keep forever" shelf.

See, I don't like zombies. Movies, videos, books. Not my thing. But I love the Toby books and thought I'd give Feed a try. I picked it up on vacation and read a good chunk of it on planes and in airports on my way home. (Between my exuberance for a book about zombies and the Day of the Dead skull bracelets I was wearing, I may have ... startled my seatmate.)

You changed my mind about what zombie books can be.

Congratulations on the end of this particular journey.

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:41:02 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you.

emmasee100

September 2 2011, 22:35:30 UTC 5 years ago

Congratulations on your finish: I am delighted for you.

Blackout will be the best birthday present I get next year. (You thoughtfully release them on my birthday. Thank you for the lovely present.)

I'm a scientist, and your pseudo-science is good and plausible. (I'm not in the biology field, though.)

Some of your other work has also become an anthem for a friend and me. It's your "Wicked girls". We are a very non-talented running team : Team Stupidly Determined (generally taking out the highly regarded last spots), and when we need to encourage each other we use your words. (Other things too, but often it is the lyrics from your songs.) I have tattoos, but none of them are of words. Last weekend, I was busy earning last spot in a half marathon, and when it was getting ugly, I was singing your song in my head, which made it easier. Then I realised, I've never had words on me, because I didn't know my "Forever words". During that run, they came to me. "Stupidly Determined Wicked Girl". Thank you, also, for my forever words.

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:41:18 UTC 5 years ago

Oh, wow.

You are so welcome.

paksenarrion2

September 2 2011, 22:39:37 UTC 5 years ago

Congratulations and thank you.

You are one of two writers who I've been recommending all over the place. I remember reading Feed on an airplane trip back East and no fewer than 4 people wanted to know what I was reading that made me gasp-I handed them all my Kindle and let them read a little bit and every single one said they would go out and buy the book. At least three other internet friends and four IRL friends have also bought your books as well.

A part of me is sad to know that their story will be ending but it is your tale to tell and I have and will continue to be grateful to you for sharing it with us.

Is it May yet?

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:41:38 UTC 5 years ago

Not yet. But soon!

aircrash

September 2 2011, 23:19:43 UTC 5 years ago

SO, SO EXCITING. congrats on such an awesome achievement!! c:

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:41:49 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you!

matociquala

September 2 2011, 23:28:35 UTC 5 years ago

Win.

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:41:58 UTC 5 years ago

Yes!

Bill Silvia

September 3 2011, 00:48:51 UTC 5 years ago

And thank you for writing them. Those of us who like good stories appreciate it!

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:42:07 UTC 5 years ago

:)

vincentursus

September 3 2011, 01:23:51 UTC 5 years ago

Oh my.

*hugs*

Thank you for sharing this with us. It has been a wonderful journey. I appreciated the opportunity to meet the Masons et al.

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:42:20 UTC 5 years ago

You are very welcome.

qnofhrt

September 3 2011, 01:27:49 UTC 5 years ago

I resisted reading Feed because I don't usually read horror novels or zombie books. Strange I know. Until I read the review of Feed that described it as "Night of the living dead" meets "The West Wing". Since I'm a political junkie who loved The West Wing, I had to read it after that.

It is a phenomenal book and Deadline was even better. I can't wait to read Blackout. Congratulations on having finished the series!

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:42:31 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you!

ironed_orchid

September 3 2011, 01:29:03 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you for writing these books, and congratulations on finishing.

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:42:41 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you!

asthecrowfly

September 3 2011, 03:01:48 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you for writing this series, and congratulations on finishing.

I still owe myself a Feed logo tattoo.

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:42:54 UTC 5 years ago

I will want to see pictures.

notalwaysweak

September 3 2011, 03:15:31 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you for writing books that I look forward to every time instead of worrying that you'll be rehashing the same story just with different characters (Bryce Courtenay, I am looking at you).

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:43:04 UTC 5 years ago

Heh.

tsgeisel

September 3 2011, 03:29:22 UTC 5 years ago

Yay!

Congratulations!

But mostly yay!

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:43:14 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you!

fullcontactmuse

September 3 2011, 04:38:26 UTC 5 years ago

It's really cool that I can go to work and talk about these books with my boss and my coworker. I am both excited for Blackout in 9 months and any more stories in the universe and terrified of what we may find.

Congratulations on finishing the story.

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:43:26 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you!

rhoda_rants

September 3 2011, 04:59:26 UTC 5 years ago

I'm both sad, and completely filled with glee for you. It's always bittersweet, coming to the end of a project, isn't it? And it seems so abrupt, but maybe that's just because Toby has so many more books in her universe.

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:43:44 UTC 5 years ago

Exactly. The other worlds go on and on and on.

obzidian

September 3 2011, 06:57:59 UTC 5 years ago

I am an avid and fast reader, reading upwards of 17 books a week on occasion. I cannot begin to tell you just how much I love these books so far. I have recommended them to all my friends, lent out copies, etc. I already loved your Toby Daye books, but with this series you moved from one of the authors who I loved (and who's books I MUST HAVE on release day) to my absolute favorite. Some of the quotations and commentary are just quite simply profound. I cannot remember the last book that I read that really had such a deep resonance with me and that I could find absolutely no flaws with. I have felt that way about both Feed and Deadline. I am incredibly eager for Blackout and am already anticipating gifting these books to friends.

Thank you. Thank you for giving me such satisfying books that I will re-read regularly, books that make me think and inspire me. Books that refresh and invigorate me. You've made a fan for life.

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:43:57 UTC 5 years ago

Oh, wow.

Thank you.

ashabardon

September 3 2011, 12:26:30 UTC 5 years ago

Oh yay! I can't wait but I'm also very sad, I do hope you don't let the universe fade with Blackout. The world needs more zombies!

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:44:10 UTC 5 years ago

I don't think I could if I wanted to.

bzarcher

September 3 2011, 13:00:24 UTC 5 years ago

Feed was my introduction to your writing, and I've been incredibly hooked since. I cannot wait to read Blackout - I'm incredibly excited!

Congratulations and well done. :) Thank YOU for giving us windows into the Newsflesh world.

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:44:23 UTC 5 years ago

You are very welcome.

scholarinexile

September 3 2011, 13:27:35 UTC 5 years ago

Congratulations! This is an awesome achievement, not only for you personally, but for zombie fiction as a whole. Thanks you for letting all of us into your world.

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 16:44:34 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you for coming!

silvormoon

September 3 2011, 21:09:26 UTC 5 years ago

Adding to the pile of positive comments here...

I will start by saying I do not read horror novels. I do not like things with monsters and gore and creepiness, and stay as far away from them as I can. But my friends read Feed and Deadline and said, "Read these books, you'll love them." And I said, "Sure, maybe," to appease them because I do not read books with zombies in them. But my friends are sneaky things and gave me the books for my birthday a couple of months ago. Then I couldn't not read them, because that wouldn't be nice, so I figured I'd slog through them to be polite.

Well, it turns out that I do, in fact, read books about zombies if you write them, because I blazed through both books in the course of a weekend. And then when I was done, I went around telling my friends, my family, and sundry other people, "Read these books, you'll love them." So thank you for indirectly providing me with the best birthday present I've been given in a long time, and for expanding my horizons. I look forward to Blackout with complete confidence that I'll be saying the same thing about it.

seanan_mcguire

September 6 2011, 15:07:07 UTC 5 years ago

That makes me happy. :)

estelendur

September 3 2011, 22:47:09 UTC 5 years ago

<3

seanan_mcguire

September 6 2011, 15:07:13 UTC 5 years ago

:)

batyatoon

September 4 2011, 00:54:31 UTC 5 years ago

AN AWESOME IS YOU.

All the hugs and high fives, dear one. All of them. You do good good work.

seanan_mcguire

September 6 2011, 15:07:22 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you, sweetheart.

katiebabs

September 5 2011, 02:03:15 UTC 5 years ago

And thank you for writing an amazing set of books.

seanan_mcguire

September 6 2011, 15:07:30 UTC 5 years ago

Yay!
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