Untitled Pirate Novel
So. Plume does Camp NaNo. Because why not? In truth, I need something to jumpstart my prose writing again. I finished the first draft of my novel and then kind of lost inspiration and didn't write for... wow. We're probably coming up on a year now. Oopsies. I mean, I wrote other stuff, like poetry and short stories, but for some reason, I couldn't commit to something as big as a novel or go back to my old WIP to revise it. I just didn't feel ready
Premise/Background
This idea loosely formed into being after reading the Grishaverse novels because I fell in love with them and wanted to replicate the effect they had, except with two of my favorite things added in more liberal quantities: pirates and wlw romance. I still feel like gay fiction and just media in general is dominated by mlm stories, and don't get me wrong, they are totally valid and I love them so much, but I feel like I've yet to see a wlw book that makes the quick-fire list of must-reads for queer fiction. You've got your Aristotle and Dantes, your Carry Ons, your Simon Versus, your Gentleman's Guide, your Heartstopper, etc, but even if they do include wlw relationships, they're not the main focus of the story. That's not to say there aren't amazingly written lesbian love stories out there; I adore the Priory of the Orange Tree and the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. But still. And that's not to say this draft will somehow become the best lesbian book ever written, but it takes every little step to hope that someday it'll be as mainstream as your straight and mlm relationships.
Second point: pirates. I love pirates. So fun. Historical hijinks? Sign me right up. Essentially like a gang but at sea. (Again, you see the Six of Crows influence). And I adore ensemble casts of characters, and sticking people in the middle of the ocean on a wooden vessel is a very effective way to put a bunch of wacky people all in the same place. Originally, I was thinking I'd have a dual POV from either side of the lesbian romance, but now I think I'll have six POVs with characters who will end up in relationships with each other. (Side note: with the whole queer pirates thing, you may be thinking this sounds very similar to Our Flag Means Death. But I swear, I'd been thinking of this way before I ever saw that show.)
Anyways, after that background—here's a very, veeerry vague premise/description. Keep in mind, I'm a pantser by practice, so this is quite hard for me lol.
Long ago, when the golden days of piracy had just begun, the fearsome pirate (insert epic name) ruled the seas until his enigmatic demise. Thousands have searched for the sunken remains of his ship, which carried a vast fortune along with irreplaceable artifacts, but have yet to find the final resting place.
Captain Perry believes she's more than up to the challenge of finding the lost treasure, enticed by the promise of a certain talisman that she believes could lift the curse she's had to deal with for nearly a decade. With her crew that includes an honest first mate, a calculating navigator, a sweet musician, and a pair of royal brothers they pick up along the way, she intends to find the hidden hoard of (epic pirate man), even if it means dying in the process.
Goals
My goal is honestly to just write. We'll say 10,000 words, so a tiny little scene a day. I'm predicting that most of this isn't going to end up in the very hypothetical final draft. I'm just writing to get a sense of the characters and vibe of the story, mostly. And also to try and get back into writing. I want to learn to love the process again.
Now, to actually execute it.
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