Pirates, pirates everywhere

For the last two months, my life has been ruled by pirates. This isn’t something I’ve wanted a lot of people to know, but now I’m coming clean.

Stacked on my desk are half a dozen books on the subject, each one outlining the nefarious deeds of men like Captain Kidd, Blackbeard and the man who launched a thousand mojitos, Henry Morgan. My recent descent into the realm of buccaneers started with an assignment from Capstone Press and it’s spiralled out of control from there.

I’m just putting the finishing touches to four new books in the “Real World of Pirates” series for Capstone. The books will be out next year and they crack open the secret world of piracy, bustin’ myths and telling the truths that other landlubbers were too scared to speak. (Did you know the whole walking the plank thing is a load of pirate’s grog? Never happened. Except in movies and books. )

Soon word got out that I was the go-to guy for all thing piratical. About a month ago, I was hired by Stone Arch Books to write a historical graphic novel about the demise of Blackbeard. I’ve just finished the first draft of that and had a lot of fun writing it.

Up until that point, my interest in pirates was purely professional. But I’ve crossed a line. Two weeks ago, I became a pirate.

Every night from 7 pm until about 10 pm, I climb on board my brig and set sail across the tropical waters of the Caribbean, aiming my cannons at any unfortunate merchant who crosses my path. Just because it’s in the world of Sid Meier’s Pirates doesn’t make it any less real for me. But it is starting to scare me.

What started out as research has now spiralled into something more weird. Now I lurk around the shipping lanes just off Barbados, waiting for treasure-laden merchant ships. I lie awake at night wondering if pirate Jack Rackham will track me down and demand his treasure back. And now I can’t write unless I’m wearing my trusty eyepatch.

This is a warning to all those who are tempted to write about pirates: they’re addictive. They’ll suck you in with their charming villainry, daring deeds and sadistic tortures. (Did you know that Montbars of Languedoc cut open the stomach of a prisoner, nailed the entrails to a post and then forced the victim to dance by beating his backside with a burning log?)

I’d tell you more, but I’ve got to set sail. There’s a Spanish treasure ship out of Havana with my name on it. Those ship repairs aren’t cheap, y’know.

tagged: [writing] [pirates]