51°55'44"N 8°34'14"W
Southwest wind of 10 knots
Sunny and a most comfortable 70 degrees
Captain's Log: 8/1/2025
This past 30 days have been quite the eventful days. One of the duties as captain is I seldom ever get a break. Brief moments to breath are most appreciated however. When operating my life at 110% with daily matters, it's a wonder how I even manage to get any writing done. Rest assured writing has been done, but with projects all over the place, and now it's time for the report on my writing activities.
Concerning my writing:
While working on the sequel to, The Last Pirate King, I've recently come to a realization that I've neglected while outlining the book-- Mythology symbolism!!! For my dear beta readers whom have read through the first book, and neglected to notice such symbolism. So before going back to fix up things in the first book, I'll be taking the matter of properly placing symbolism throughout the second. Mythology plays a relative, but present role, in The Last Pirate King. Outside of philosophy and debates on right and wrong, underneath is a subtle group of key elements that point towards a certain regional mythology. What that mythology is, I'll leave up to you to discover my dear reader 😉
On another note, while not many pages have passed in the second project since a month ago from my last entry, many other outlines for more projects have been started. If there's one thing I know a publisher will appreciate more than anything else, is knowing I'm already in the works of another manuscript. For this very reason is why I enable the creative monkey to create crazy contraptions in the heat of creativity. Yes! The Creative Monkey! That's what I call my moments of brainstorming, especially when I'm trying to focus on my current project, but then the Creative Monkey proposes the entire plot and title of a completely different project either further down the line of my *ahem* present series, or another project outside of the Elric Saga. Due to enabling the Creative Monkey, he's turned what was meant to be a single standalone novel, into a four book series; and due to recent creative endeavors, possibly now five. Even though I promised myself I'd stop at four, but at this point who knows. But nonetheless, lots of projects are on the way.
Concerning my opinion on writing:
As I silently scroll through r/writers, one thing I've noticed a lot of are the lack of confidence in first time writers who struggle to get through their first draft without feeling as if they need to perfect it on the first draft. As someone who often struggles with this as well, with my mother's words Do it once, do it right, constantly looming over my head while sitting on my third draft, I've come to silence her words by reminding myself the words of Ernest Hemingway The first draft of anything is shit. The major difference between the two is Ernest is a world renowned author, my mother is NOT. Thus her words are silenced and held at bay, even though they constantly try to be louder than the words of my writing masters.
So to many first time writers, working on their first drafts like me. Just write drunkingly. Get the words down. It's far more difficult to write if you're trying to write with an editor's mindset. Just allow the creative monkey to take the helm with your first draft, because I assure you; I did exactly that while working on Draft 1 of TLPK. It was absolute dogshit compared to the improvements I made with draft 2. Even then, there's still lots of work to be done, and trust me when I tell you; it's so much easier to modify an already written story than it is to modify one that hasn't been written yet. So do your future self a favor, and get those silly scribbles down.
Best way to have this mindset is similar to how you criticize a movie or TV show's writing direction and what they could've done better to make the climax more thrilling or how to make the stakes even more intense. That's the mindset you want to have when going over the edits for your second draft. After you finish your first draft, read through it as if you weren't the one who wrote it. It's a real game changer I assure you.
But first thing's first, take a deep breath, and get to work on that first draft, because whether you like it or not, you're going to stumble and trip before you get to a running pace. Make mistakes with your narrative, dig those plot holes, misplace characters, get your time settings mixed up; my point is get that first draft written. Because nobody else is going to write it but you.
Hopefully these words of encouragement help a bit 😊
Concerning the Captain:
I've been doing well, and my health couldn't be better. Outside of possibly drinking one shot of Bacardi too many haha. Drunken jokes aside, I'm doing well and my spirits are as high as they can be for now. Keeping my wits about me as I go through my daily tasks of keeping to a tidy ship. I don't fancy a messy deck!
A few weeks ago I was treated to a showing of Superman and I was moved by it to such a degree that I was brought to tears. Having grown up watching the movies and the cartoons, it was a Superman movie that truly felt like it hit home for me. Granted I'll forever love The Man of Steel and Henry Cavill will always be one of my favorite Supermans, but this movie truly had me walking away with a sense of hope. I'm grateful to know that Cleveland was one of the cities for which the movie was shot, and seeing the Terminal Tower several times, as well as the Cleveland skyline made the movie feel even more like a tribute to home. I'll forever love this movie as I'll forever love Cleveland.
Recently there was a picnic at my job and I treated everyone to a few ballads with my guitar that I've had Since I was but a wee lad. I only regret not having practiced as often when I was a kid as I am now as an adult. But it's never too late to learn something new, or in my case re-learn something as if it were new. Plus learning to play an instrument is healthy for the mind and spirit. I'm not one to turn down spiritual and mental medicine wherever I can find it.
Concerning the crew:
Morale is well and the crew be active with many planning family trips and looking into upcoming vacations. I as well have been thinking about another trip to Europe, and I've recently had Scotland on my mind. As much as I would go back to Ireland without a second thought, I would enjoy a trip to see the wonders of Scotland.
For now the crew is well.
Until we next make full sail,
Flynn Forecastle ⚓
