Countdown to ‘Outlander’ Day 3: Author Diana Gabaldon Talks Spinoffs & Future Books

Hi there, Sassenachs! Join us in our 7-day countdown to the Season 7 premiere of Outlander, featuring a deep-dive into the seventh season, a chat with author Diana Gabaldon, as well as a look back at Jamie and Claire’s love story, and more.

Stay tuned and be sure to pick up TV Guide Magazine’s Outlander Deluxe Collector’s Edition, available for order online now at Outlander2023.com and for purchase on newsstands nationwide.

The clock may be ticking for Outlander on TV, but the story is everlasting for bestselling author Diana Gabaldon, who writes the books (nine and counting) upon which the show is based. Debuting in 1991, the first Outlander novel has spawned several sequels, spinoff novellas and ultimately the intense drama viewers have come to love. With the final two seasons on the horizon and the spinoff series Blood of My Blood in the works, Gabaldon reflects on the show’s impact and offers a peek inside the writer’s notebook.

Season 7 is nearly here. What should readers of the books look forward to?

Diana Gabaldon: One of the things the Outlander production as a whole does really well is battle scenes. We have a certain amount of the [American Revolution’s] Battle of Ticonderoga, the first Battle of Saratoga and a lot of the second Battle of Saratoga, which is the one where Benedict Arnold played a big part. And I absolutely loved the actor playing Benedict Arnold, Rod Hallett. The casting this season has been spectacular. Every character is just right.

Fans are always wondering which books are the basis for each season. What can you tell us about Season 7?

It’s covering An Echo in the Bone [Book 7, published in 2009]and Written in My Own Heart’s Blood [published in 2014].

The show is set to conclude with Season 8. Is there an ending in mind when it comes to Claire and Jamie’s story?

Yes, I have shared the ending scenes with [the creative team]. But as to the actual way that the story [concludes]? No, they don’t know that. [Laughs] But we’ll get there. I don’t write in a straight line, and I don’t work with an outline. This is why it takes me several years to write one of these books — not only the way that I write, which I describe as like playing Tetris in my head, but also just the sheer size and the fact that they are books of a continuing nature.

You’ve written for the show as well, penning scripts for Season 2’s “Vengeance Is Mine” and “Journeycake” in Season 5. Can we anticipate more episodes from you?

Yeah, it’s so much easier than writing novels. [Laughs] It takes me three weeks tops to write a scene. They have a green light for the prequel show as well. It deals with Jamie Fraser’s parents. I will be writing a script for the prequel and one for Season 8.

Did you write any episodes for Season 7?

I wrote Episode 14. They give me a synopsis, and then it’s up to me how I want it to happen. There’s a lot of flexibility to it.

The prequel series Blood of My Blood is entirely original, and will also air on Starz. Do you plan to release any books or stories to accompany the show?

That depends a little bit on timing. I am in fact writing the first bit of the prequel volume at the moment, along with parts of [Outlander] Book 10, and parts of a Lord John book [the series based on Outlander character Lord John Grey].

There have also been discussions about a Lord John series. Is there potential for that project to still come to life?

Sure — it’s a matter of who wants to pay to have it done. They have floated that notion, and I’m all for it if they can get it off the ground. There’s a strong Lord John thread running through Book 10.

Have the Outlander performances surpassed what you envisioned on the page?

Sam Heughan does a fantastic job with Jamie, and Caitríona, while she doesn’t look like the Claire of the books, certainly acts like her and is totally immersive in her character. I’ve [never] seen a bad performance by anyone at any level. This season, the [actors] not in the main cast, like Benedict Arnold and George Washington [Simon Harrison], are just fantastic.

Were you able to make it to the set for any Season 7 filming?

The University of Glasgow gave me an honorary doctorate, so I was there for their commencement ceremony. And was able to [watch filming] on the Lake of Menteith, which they were using as a stand-in for Lake Champlain and shooting pictures of the evacuation of Fort Ticonderoga. It’s always fun just to see a production in real life.

Considering the show’s end is in sight, do you have a favorite memory from the set?

It would probably be the first season where they invited me to do a cameo [as Iona MacTavish] in Episode 4. It was fascinating being part of the set rather than visiting it. I was a cast member for three days. It was just interesting to see how it all worked.

When it comes to the books, is there any truth Book 10 will be the last in the Outlander series?

At the moment I intend it to be the final one—to complete things and fall contiguously with the end of the TV series. They won’t be exactly synchronous, but close probably. And the bottom line is, I’m 71. I don’t know how long I’ll last. I want to be sure of finishing. [Laughs] [When I started] I thought I was just writing Outlander for practice, and no one would ever see it. And here we are.

This is an abbreviated version of the Outlander Deluxe Collector’s Edition Season 7 preview. Order your copy to read the full story and access more fun content on the series.

Outlander, Season 7 Premiere, Friday, June 16, 8/7c, Starz