Blackout
Page 44
Drawing so many disparate strands together was tremendously exciting. By the time I hit the big payoff—the finale and epilogue of Blackout—I couldn't stop writing. The last thirty pages spilled out of me in a session that started at 9 AM and ended at 4 AM the next morning. I doubt I'll ever write that much in a day again.
This series, in total, is almost exactly one million words long. At least for me, the last ten thousand were the most thrilling of them all.
Oh, one last piece of the series' origin story. Just like I'd done with my prior four rejected books, I almost submitted Breakers to agents and publishers. At that point, though, I was so exhausted with the submission process that on February 7, 2012, I just threw the book online to see what would happen. Also, I'll admit that I was so broke that the thought of an extra $20 or $40 each month was a big deal.
If I'd had the energy to go on submission again, it could have taken a year before my book had made the rounds. Probably, it would have been rejected, same as my others. At that point, I would absolutely have had to have found find a better job. I think I would have kept writing anyway, but my time would have been much more limited. It might have been years before I wrote another book. And it definitely wouldn't have been a sequel to a rejected Breakers!
Instead, as I write this, it's early August in 2015. I've written thirteen books since, including seven more Breakers novels. I'm a full-time writer and I think I will be for a long time. Now, self-publishing Breakers wasn't some bold stroke of calculated genius. Quite the opposite. I was tired, that's all.
Somehow, though, it worked out. And one book became a world. One that tens of thousands of people have taken a chance on. As incredible as that's been, there are some days when this feels like a job—it's hard to come up with new ideas every single day!—and other days when it simply feels normal to be writing stories for a living.
Mostly, though, it feels unreal. And I have everyone who's reading this to thank for that.
While there are dozens who deserve it, there are a couple people I'd like to thank by name. The first is Stephanie Mooney, who's done all the covers for the Breakers series. Her work is a major reason why mine has found an audience.
The second is Geoff Dunn. He emailed me out of the blue over three years ago to say he'd liked The White Tree, thought Breakers was better, and wanted to help edit my future books, no charge. This is a highly unusual request—normally, writers have to approach editors, and pay them well for their services—but he didn't seem like a crazy person, and I knew I'd be better with another pair of eyes on my books. I said yes.
Ever since, I've been sending my first drafts to him as I write them. And he's sent back copious notes. No writer in history has agreed with every one of their editor's suggestions, but Geoff's input has made every single one of my books better. Sometimes significantly so. It's turned me into a better writer, too.
I think Blackout is the last book he's going to work on. (Of mine, anyway. He's just started writing a novel of his own, and if his skills as an editor are any indication, I think it's going to turn out very good.) So if my books go downhill from here, you all know who to blame.
Just kidding. Thanks, Geoff. I couldn't have done this without you.
So. Where to from here? Well, if you haven't read them yet, the Rebel Stars series picks up a thousand years in Breakers' future. I intend to finish that series next year (2016) and then start a rip-roaring space opera even further in its future. (This time, I'll be stealing from Iain M. Banks rather than Stephen King!) And while the main Breakers series is finished, there may be additional entries, in some form or another. I've already been contracted to write a Breakers short story that should be out this fall. If inspiration strikes, I could see myself writing another novella down the road. I won't close the door on another full book, either.
For now, though, while I hope you get a kick out of my other series, I consider this one complete. Going into this book, I didn't know how it would feel to reach this point. I know a lot of you are sad to see this series come to a stop.
I am, too. I spent the last four years with these characters. They gave me my career. It's going to be hard to let them go.
But I'm so proud to have given them the end of their story.
Thanks for following me all this way.
- Ed Robertson, August 1, 2015