“We know the start of their story because Jamie (Sam Heughan) told it to Claire (Caitríona Balfe) in Outlander, but of course there is a lot more to tell, as the first part of the story takes part during the 1715 Jacobite Rising,” Gabaldon said. “The story is woven in with the Jacobite Risings – there will be a lot of clan politics and other interesting things.” Gabaldon, who also explained that she is currently writing a prequel novel with the Brian and Ellen love story while she works on book 10 in the Outlander franchise, also told the audience that she has shared her thoughts with Outlander showrunner Matthew B. Roberts, who is writing Outlander: Blood of My Blood and will serve as showrunner and executive producer. “I have written a three-page synopsis of what I conceive to be the beginning of the book,” Gabaldon continued. “I gave them that to work off, which they are doing. Meanwhile, I will show them the pieces of the book I am writing. They will use what they can use. That is all assuming the show is green-lit. If it does, I will certainly be involved in it.” Fans of Gabaldon’s novels have already met Brian Fraser when Jamie’s son-in-law Roger time traveled back to his era in Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, but TV fans have not yet had the experience. A big attraction of Outlander is the passionate love story between Jamie and Claire, and, Gabaldon has created what can be an equally timeless tale of love for his parents. What we know is that in 1715, Brian met and eloped with Ellen MacKenzie during the Great Gathering, and then the newlyweds went into hiding until Ellen was pregnant, as a way of forcing her brothers to accept their marriage. Joining Roberts as part of the Blood of My Blood team will be Maril Davis, who will also executive produce the prequel along with Ronald D. Moore, who developed Outlander for television, under their production banner Tall Ship Productions. “Outlander is a riveting show that from season to season has captured the hearts of its fans around the world,” said Kathryn Busby, President, Original Programming at STARZ. “We are excited to peel back the layers of this vibrant world to bring our audience the origin of where it all began. Matthew, Maril and Ronald will continue to bring their excellent vision and creativity to this new iteration, and we can’t wait to see what happens next.” Season 7 of Outlander, which will consist of 16 episodes and be based on Gabaldon’s An Echo in the Bone novel, is currently in production in Scotland and should return to STARZ in 2023.
