Pirates of the Caribbean: The African Star - Author's Notes
PIRATES of the CARIBBEAN: THE AFRICAN STAR
Well … So that's that.
Odd, it feels rather empty around here, now.
I hope this tale has been a voyage worth taking for you, my good readers. The writing of it has been a journey whose scope I never anticipated. When I began, (way back in September) it was with no more than a vague, airy notion of writing a little something that might carry on the spirit of fun and adventure found in the original movie. Little did I know that it would evolve into a challenge of my writing abilities that more than once had me sitting with my head in my hands, wondering if I could ever pull this off. I have never written a tale so purely action-adventure. I have never had a plot so get up and run away with itself. I am not even sure if I have ever written anything this long, before. I definitely have rarely written anything that sent me so frequently scrambling for research and inspiration as this.
It was worth it. Whether you can see it or not, this story marks a writing achievement that I was not sure I could accomplish. I did not write this story so much as I pursued it, and a merry chase it was. Jack Sparrow truly is the very devil to catch, and that whippersnapper of a blacksmith kept surprising me, too. Not to mention a certain clever commodore. However, I had the support of a marvelous great lot of readers and honest reviewers who truly kept this story afloat. Not so much hearing that the chapters were going well, although that was uplifting, but it was the responsibility of the thing that kept me going. People were reading, people were caring what I wrote, and no matter how flat the muses went or how slowly the words came, I dared not let you down.
And that is something I could use a lot more of, the discipline to actually sit down and write, even when it seems I can't.
Do I have plans for a sequel? At this time, no. Folks, my brains are tired. I just finished writing a book. In about four months' time I wrote 32 chapters, which in MSWord is 253 pages and 97,450 words. But … if Jack should come swaggering around with another tale to tell, I most certainly will not turn him away. Or that blacksmith, either. :-) Plus I do have a couple little ficlets I could share here, too.
Thank you all for being the wind in my sails and the stars I could steer by. Without knowing you were there, all of you … I honestly don't know if this story would have turned out half so well as it did.
It's been a heck of an adventure, mates. Thank you for coming along. May you have fair winds and following seas! I'll shout you a round the next time we're in Tortuga. ;-)
God speed ~
Erin
10 January 2004
~~*~~
"Pirates of the Caribbean" title, characters and concepts © Disney Enterprises and Jerry Bruckheimer, 2003
~*~
"Pirates of the Caribbean: The African Star"
An Over-Caffeinated Production
In Association with My Obsessive-Compulsive Tendencies
Written by:
ErinRua, 2003-2004
Directed by:
Captain Jack Sparrow and Commodore James Norrington
Produced by:
ErinRua in conjunction with copious doses of Folger's Classic Roast ™ and Hershey's Hot Cocoa Collection Dutch Chocolate ™
Executive producers:
Assorted bedraggled muses who have now retreated for a long period of seclusion and rehabilitation, accompanied by soft lights and restful music.
Post Production Crew:
Celebsul, proof-reader - thanks is not enough!
Plus The_Black_Pearl_Sails_FanFiction Yahoo!Group
Language assistance: Eledhwen ~ Merci beaucoup!
Visuals and Special Effects:
My Weird Right Brain
Parrot Wrangler:
Mister Cotton
Special Thanks:
To all my readers and reading friends, whose energy and encouragement kept the wind in my sails, when I began to fear I might drift off-course. Without you, this tale might not have been told or at least not told so well. Bless you all.
To the "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" creators:
Gore Verbinski, Jerry Bruckheimer, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio
And cast including but not limited to:
Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightly, Geoffrey Rush, Jack Davenport and Zoe Saldana:
THANK YOU for all your hard work, talent and spectacular imagination. I've not had so much sheer fun with a movie since "Indiana Jones" or "The Princess Bride."
Music:
"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" movie soundtrack
By Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer © 2003
"Gladiator" movie soundtrack
By Hans Zimmer, Klaus Badelt and Lisa Gerrard © 2000
"Master and Commander, Far Side of the World" movie soundtrack
By Iva Davies, Christopher Gordon and Richard Tognetti © 2003
"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" movie soundtrack
By Howard Shore © 2002
Special Notes:
The pirates seen killed in this story are actually retired in the Bahamas, with a personal staff, private beach and their own sailing yacht. It is not recommended that visitors bring any valuables with them.
Sir John Biltmore and Thomas Fry were eaten by Vietnamese potbellied pigs.
A Will Turner original sword was recently auctioned at Christies for $100,000 to an undisclosed buyer.
Sewing, mending, patching and chicken soup for the cast was done by Mrs. Mavis O'Malley, who is now living in a penthouse overlooking Central Park.
The Mexican who changed emptied rubbish bins on set every day is now CEO of a garlic cooperative.
Are you still reading this? Go home!
~ * ~
Well … So that's that.
Odd, it feels rather empty around here, now.
I hope this tale has been a voyage worth taking for you, my good readers. The writing of it has been a journey whose scope I never anticipated. When I began, (way back in September) it was with no more than a vague, airy notion of writing a little something that might carry on the spirit of fun and adventure found in the original movie. Little did I know that it would evolve into a challenge of my writing abilities that more than once had me sitting with my head in my hands, wondering if I could ever pull this off. I have never written a tale so purely action-adventure. I have never had a plot so get up and run away with itself. I am not even sure if I have ever written anything this long, before. I definitely have rarely written anything that sent me so frequently scrambling for research and inspiration as this.
It was worth it. Whether you can see it or not, this story marks a writing achievement that I was not sure I could accomplish. I did not write this story so much as I pursued it, and a merry chase it was. Jack Sparrow truly is the very devil to catch, and that whippersnapper of a blacksmith kept surprising me, too. Not to mention a certain clever commodore. However, I had the support of a marvelous great lot of readers and honest reviewers who truly kept this story afloat. Not so much hearing that the chapters were going well, although that was uplifting, but it was the responsibility of the thing that kept me going. People were reading, people were caring what I wrote, and no matter how flat the muses went or how slowly the words came, I dared not let you down.
And that is something I could use a lot more of, the discipline to actually sit down and write, even when it seems I can't.
Do I have plans for a sequel? At this time, no. Folks, my brains are tired. I just finished writing a book. In about four months' time I wrote 32 chapters, which in MSWord is 253 pages and 97,450 words. But … if Jack should come swaggering around with another tale to tell, I most certainly will not turn him away. Or that blacksmith, either. :-) Plus I do have a couple little ficlets I could share here, too.
Thank you all for being the wind in my sails and the stars I could steer by. Without knowing you were there, all of you … I honestly don't know if this story would have turned out half so well as it did.
It's been a heck of an adventure, mates. Thank you for coming along. May you have fair winds and following seas! I'll shout you a round the next time we're in Tortuga. ;-)
God speed ~
Erin
10 January 2004
~~*~~
"Pirates of the Caribbean" title, characters and concepts © Disney Enterprises and Jerry Bruckheimer, 2003
~*~
"Pirates of the Caribbean: The African Star"
An Over-Caffeinated Production
In Association with My Obsessive-Compulsive Tendencies
Written by:
ErinRua, 2003-2004
Directed by:
Captain Jack Sparrow and Commodore James Norrington
Produced by:
ErinRua in conjunction with copious doses of Folger's Classic Roast ™ and Hershey's Hot Cocoa Collection Dutch Chocolate ™
Executive producers:
Assorted bedraggled muses who have now retreated for a long period of seclusion and rehabilitation, accompanied by soft lights and restful music.
Post Production Crew:
Celebsul, proof-reader - thanks is not enough!
Plus The_Black_Pearl_Sails_FanFiction Yahoo!Group
Language assistance: Eledhwen ~ Merci beaucoup!
Visuals and Special Effects:
My Weird Right Brain
Parrot Wrangler:
Mister Cotton
Special Thanks:
To all my readers and reading friends, whose energy and encouragement kept the wind in my sails, when I began to fear I might drift off-course. Without you, this tale might not have been told or at least not told so well. Bless you all.
To the "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" creators:
Gore Verbinski, Jerry Bruckheimer, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio
And cast including but not limited to:
Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightly, Geoffrey Rush, Jack Davenport and Zoe Saldana:
THANK YOU for all your hard work, talent and spectacular imagination. I've not had so much sheer fun with a movie since "Indiana Jones" or "The Princess Bride."
Music:
"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" movie soundtrack
By Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer © 2003
"Gladiator" movie soundtrack
By Hans Zimmer, Klaus Badelt and Lisa Gerrard © 2000
"Master and Commander, Far Side of the World" movie soundtrack
By Iva Davies, Christopher Gordon and Richard Tognetti © 2003
"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" movie soundtrack
By Howard Shore © 2002
Special Notes:
The pirates seen killed in this story are actually retired in the Bahamas, with a personal staff, private beach and their own sailing yacht. It is not recommended that visitors bring any valuables with them.
Sir John Biltmore and Thomas Fry were eaten by Vietnamese potbellied pigs.
A Will Turner original sword was recently auctioned at Christies for $100,000 to an undisclosed buyer.
Sewing, mending, patching and chicken soup for the cast was done by Mrs. Mavis O'Malley, who is now living in a penthouse overlooking Central Park.
The Mexican who changed emptied rubbish bins on set every day is now CEO of a garlic cooperative.
Are you still reading this? Go home!
~ * ~