Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: geeky
  • Music: Glee, "Red Solo Cup."

Quiet milestones.

Parasite is the first book I've written largely in secret. Not because I was ashamed of it, but because first it wasn't sold, so I couldn't say anything about it. Then it was sold but unannounced, so I couldn't say anything about it. Then, when it was finally announced, I was so far into the writing process that I couldn't force myself into the normal flow of word counts and benchmarks and all the other things I use for motivation.

Pro tip: I work better with word counts and benchmarks. I know this now.

Friday I wound up staying home from my day job, thanks to an inability to breathe that was only resolved when I had another of my amazing fire hose nosebleeds, or, as I like to call them, "blood vacations." (It's not high blood pressure, it's a weakness in one of the blood vessels that runs through my sinuses. My doctor and I have discussed it. So please, no medical advice.) And once I mopped up the blood and got some clean clothes on, I got to work, and quietly, without any real fanfare, passed 500 draft one pages.

It's not a perfect book, by any means; for one thing, it's missing about 8,000 words still, and for another, it hasn't had any editorial, which means that all the Mira Grant "tics"—repetition, over-explanation, Joss-y dialog—are in full display, with no mitigation. But I can see the shape of what will be a good book, once we finish kicking the crap out of it, and that's very reassuring to me.

It will be awesome.
Tags: being productive, good things, medical fu, parasite, writing
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  • 100 comments

alitalf

June 12 2012, 13:51:01 UTC 5 years ago

What you have done in effect is to take the lemon that life gave you and make lemonade with it. Respect!

To misquote someone (Rick Cook?): "...if life gives you hemlocks, do not make hemlockade. It is vitally important to distinguish between lemons and hemlocks."

I'm looking forward to the time (as soon as 2014 maybe?) when I'll be able to buy a copy Parasite. Not wanting to make you over confident, but I have enjoyed everything of yours I have read. Sometimes "Wow!", sometimes just "Good", but never "Meh". On the theory that you will get better with practice (as Blackout suggests) bring on the next story!

seanan_mcguire

June 12 2012, 14:33:36 UTC 5 years ago

Mmmmmmmmmmmm, hemlockade.