How Many Books will be in the Weep Post-Apocalyptic Series?

As of this moment, I think between seven and eight mainline books. I can't say for sure because Slack Jaw was a surprise and Man of Famine became so large, Weep Banshee is now a new part of the series.

I'm not counting A Ring of Oak and Apple in that tally. There'll probably be about four of the shorter stories. Including a sequel to Ring. Frostbite for Edel and I have a story in mind for Burke.

The Lost Letters series will be compiled into two volumes of shorts. Possibly three depending on how long they run.

Main series: 8

Short novels: 4

Short story collections: 2 - 3

Spoilers ahead.

I won't be leaving Ireland with this series. Eight books should see Fin and Samantha on their way. Years ago, when I sat down to plan this out, Fin was going to use the waterways to cross a post-apocalyptic Ireland. A trip that should only take a few days — when weeping zombies aren't involved. It was a simple story. I just needed one book to set him up on the river, but now his feet stay dry until the fifth main book.

When I started the series, Fin's was the only point of view I had in mind. Now Samantha has more screen time. Burke is about to add his voice to the page. There's an entirely new character driving the plot in Man of Famine and Edel has the telling of Frostbite all to herself. Killing your darlings causes me no upset. There isn't enough room for all these voices.

Fins story is still relatively simple. He starts on one side of the country and needs to get to the other. I wrote his first and last chapters at the same time and not much changes for him. To show you how the ideas expand during writing, Man of Famine was supposed to start in Connemara. Then the story would move on to Clare Island and follow the coast by Achill and on to Sligo. Now this book ends on Clare Island.

After Banshee, the next book has a working title of Persistence. A new form of infected will hunt fin. Have you heard of persistence hunters? From the point of view of their prey, they're terrifying. You’re chased relentlessly to the point of exhaustion. Only catching your breath before they're on your trail again. Until finally, when you're too tired to fight, they overwhelm you. Fin must follow the river to make it back to his family, which makes him an easy target. (insert deep cinematic voice) Fin spent his life running, now it’s time to stand and fight.

There's a Televangelist needs dealing with because what self-respecting apocalyptic story would be complete without some form of religious tom-foolery. Ciaran was supposed to be the religious influencer, but that would be too much wicked for one man.

Samantha ends up on a train cutting through zombie infested Ireland, heading straight for The Pale (Dublin). There's a houseboat story in there somewhere. Frostbite only deals with the start of the floating labs, they still need a telling off by someone. Then the last book will take place along the course of the river Boyne. The home stretch. (Insert butter wouldn’t melt cinematic voice) What could possibly go wrong?