Bethany Jennings, an author of young adult SF&F, does this thing called WIPJoy, where we authors talk about a work in progress over the course of a month. Seems as good a time as any to talk about the next Nathaniel Cannon story, so here we go!
The low-down on the work-in-progress
Following Nathaniel Cannon and the Panamanian Idol, I intend to return to the Skypirates universe for another entry in the Cannon series. We’ll go back to late 1927, the earliest of the Cannon stories to date, and follow the Long Nines in a tale of piracy and intrigue in the Far East. Expect excitement, adventure, pirate politics, and a new location!
How far in on this job are you?
I haven’t gotten much past the brainstorming. Ordinarily, when I’m working on a Cannon story, I come up with the title first. This time, I found my inspiration in the pages of Jane’s Fighting Ships, 1919 edition, and to avoid spoiling the story, I’ll leave it at that.
Describe it in five verbs
Five verbs? Oof. Let me see.
- Flying: as a Cannon story, The Majestic Affair will feature feats of flying skill not seen since the days of the barnstormers.
- Avenging: easy though it is to forget, given the stories I usually write, Cannon and his Long Nines are pirates. Cross them at your own peril!
- Investigating: mysterious happenings in the East Indies send our heroes to the books.
- Igniting: suffice it to say that things will go down in flames.
- Convening: the East Indies is the center of piracy in the modern age, and when a council of pirates must be assembled, it’s the natural place.
There you are! This was fun. Check back every Thursday (I guess) in September for more.
P.S. Opentaflvecken, a weeklong series of blog posts on tafl games, is currently running over at the Soapbox. Go have a read! That’s what I’ve been up to over the last few days.
