Write about pirates
Justin Somper is an award-winning author and creator of the Vampirates series, which so far consists of six books. Here he shares his tips to help our write your own story about pirates. Over to you, Justin...
I never set out with the intention to write about pirates. The word “vampirates” just dropped into my head one day and I knew I had to grab this amazing and unique idea for a story. Back then, I knew very little about vampires and even less about pirates, so I started researching pirate history and vampire myth. These days, I love writing about pirates! If you fancy having a go yourself, here are my 10 top tips to help get your story sailing...
Setitwheneveryoulike
One of the most exciting things I learned is that although we often think of piracy belonging to the 17th and 18th centuries, there have been pirates in pretty much every period of history. So you are free to decide to set your story in the past, present or (like I did) the future.
Find locations
There have been pirates from all over the world. That gives you masses of options for where you want your story to start – remember that pirate ships can travel a long way.
Dream up characters
For inspiration, read up on some of the most famous pirates from history. Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, was one of my main inspirations for Captain Molucco Wrathe.
Find a lead character
Think about who your hero or heroine character is going to be. Is it one of your pirate crew? Or someone who has stowed away on the ship? Did they dream of being a pirate or are they simply swept into this dangerous world by accident?
Plan your story
Or don’t! When writing Vampirates, I often use big sheets of graph paper and sticky notes to map out the story but now I’m working on a new book without doing that.
Create an inspiration board
This should feature characters, locations and ships – using postcards, maps, pictures cut out of The Week Junior or printouts from online searches. This will help to immerse you in your story.
Add a shanty
Shanties are so popular right now. I wrote one for Vampirates – “I’ll tell you a tale of Vampirates/A tale as old as true...” It’s another fun way to intensify the atmosphere. Hear mine at tinyurl.com/TWJ-shanty
Start writing
Mute your phone and other distractions and take a deep dive into your story. See how much you can get done in one hour. You might be surprised.
Don’t worry if you get stuck
It’s just part of the process. A good trick is to not write with an idea of where the story is going next. Something else that works well for me is to read the last few pages I’ve written just before I go to bed or before going out for a dog walk.
Have fun
If you’re having fun with the story, it’s highly likely it will be entertaining for your readers too.