Everything You’re Absolutely Allowed to Get Wrong In a First Draft

Hello everyone. Today, I’d like to give a big warm welcome to Author Craig Boyack, introducing his latest book, Lanternfish. I can’t wait to read this one! Take it away, Craig …

Thanks for having me back, Harmony. I’m here to promote my newest story, Voyage of the Lanternfish. This one is a pirate fantasy. It differs from classic fantasy, because gunpowder is involved. There are flintlocks, cannon, and mortars to mingle with monsters, magic, and adventure.

Lanternfish has two main characters. We have Lieutenant James Cuttler, and Dan Philson.

James is an officer on a merchant ship. Dan is an oyster trawler of no actual standing. He simply works on the ships.

These two were childhood friends. James’ father helped him secure a position of some respect, while Dan moved into the main local business.

I debated telling this story from Dan’s point of view, but abandoned this idea. It would help to make James larger than life, in the way Watson makes Holmes seem larger than life. Ultimately, I decided it didn’t quite work with an ensemble cast.

My style is to write stoic main characters and use the supporting cast to bring a bit of color. I also wanted to distance myself from the Disney franchise. James is more like someone Russel Crowe might portray than someone Johnny Depp would play.

Dan is that nagging voice of caution, and focus. The big bad has taken his sister, who is James’ fiancée, captive. Their purpose is to rescue her, but the bigger picture gets in the way sometimes. Dan helps bring things back into focus.

James’ father was a covert operator for a prior king. He helped start a huge war, but fled with his young son before things really hit the fan.

A shadowy character found James and mistook him for his father. He wants a new war started, and he’s holding the girl to make sure James does his job. James doesn’t exactly know how to pull this off, but must try. Dan is the one who points out everything wrong with this plan. How his sister isn’t the only person who will be hurt if the war starts.

It takes James a while to change directions. He decides his strengths are at sea, and this is how piracy comes into the mix.

Piracy brings its own problems though. The crew become friends, and their goals aren’t necessarily the same as James’. He feels some responsibility for them, and this diverts him for a while. Will he use them, like others in power use underlings? Or will he try to keep them happy and healthy too? It’s Dan that brings him bluntly back to the main task.

It’s a bit of a tightrope, honestly. If I let them wander, the story loses focus. If I use Dan to keep the focus, he risks becoming a bit of a nag. Readers will have to decide if I walked this tightrope well enough.

Find out how James Cuttler becomes the notorious pirate Captain James Bloodwater, by picking up the book, Voyage of the Lanternfish. It’s a Kindle ebook, and Amazon Prime members can read it for free as part of their subscription.

***

Blurb:

An honorable man is mistaken for his disreputable father. Now he’s pushed into a political scheme to start a war that will spread across multiple kingdoms. James Cuttler’s fiancé is being held captive to ensure he goes through with the plan.

He soon decides his skills are at sea and procures a ship to wage war upon those who disrupted his simple life. He can’t do it alone, so he recruits a band of cutthroats to help him. But first, they need guns and munitions to outfit the ship properly. Deception and trickery will only get them so far. Eventually, they’re going to have to engage the enemy.

James’ goals aren’t necessarily the same as his crew. It’s a delicate balancing act to collect enough loot to keep his crew happy, while guiding them back to rescue the girl.

Voyage of the Lanternfish is filled with adventure, magic, and monsters. Lots of monsters. Hoist the colors and come along for the ride.

Purchase Link: http://a-fwd.com/asin-com=B07MP8V633

Bio:

I was born in a town called Elko, Nevada. I like to tell everyone I was born in a small town in the 1940s. I’m not quite that old, but Elko has always been a little behind the times. This gives me a unique perspective of earlier times, and other ways of getting by. Some of this bleeds through into my fiction.

I moved to Idaho right after the turn of the century, and never looked back. My writing career was born here, with access to other writers and critique groups I jumped in with both feet.

I like to write about things that have something unusual. My works are in the realm of science fiction, paranormal, and fantasy. The goal is to entertain you for a few hours. I hope you enjoy the ride.

Craig

Story Empire (Co-authored)

Harmony’s Amazon Author Page

Twitter: @harmony_kent

LinkedIn: Harmony

Goodreads: Author Page