Research -
Seriously, why was I never this good at it in high school or college?
Backing up, poor Kalena has gotten herself into another fine mess with me. A nice two-tiered story with a 19th century storyline and a modern storyline. Honestly, you'd think she would RUN when I type, "Hey, I've got an idea..."
So this story requires a serious knowledge of Hawaiian pre- and post-contact history, just after Kamehameha I takes over but before the missionaries get good and appalling, as well as Nantucket whaling and the beginning of basing whaling out of Lahaina. To date, I've read "In the Heart of the Sea", to refresh my knowledge of the wreck of the Essex (first boat sunk by a sperm whale but not the last!), various articles on homosexuality in pre-contact Hawaii, focusing on the aikane relationship (and boy! would Jack Lord have freaked if he'd known the traditional meaning of the word), Cannibalism and homosexuality in Melville (poor dude was one crazy bastard), a couple of kids' books on Hawaiian mythology and whaling and a truckload of websites about Nantucket and New Bedford gravestones and boarding houses. And that's just since the Solstice.
Presumably this will result in a piece of fiction at some point. Or Kalena will require a nice rest cure someplace that serves decaf Kona and doesn't have email access so I can't pester her.
Backing up, poor Kalena has gotten herself into another fine mess with me. A nice two-tiered story with a 19th century storyline and a modern storyline. Honestly, you'd think she would RUN when I type, "Hey, I've got an idea..."
So this story requires a serious knowledge of Hawaiian pre- and post-contact history, just after Kamehameha I takes over but before the missionaries get good and appalling, as well as Nantucket whaling and the beginning of basing whaling out of Lahaina. To date, I've read "In the Heart of the Sea", to refresh my knowledge of the wreck of the Essex (first boat sunk by a sperm whale but not the last!), various articles on homosexuality in pre-contact Hawaii, focusing on the aikane relationship (and boy! would Jack Lord have freaked if he'd known the traditional meaning of the word), Cannibalism and homosexuality in Melville (poor dude was one crazy bastard), a couple of kids' books on Hawaiian mythology and whaling and a truckload of websites about Nantucket and New Bedford gravestones and boarding houses. And that's just since the Solstice.
Presumably this will result in a piece of fiction at some point. Or Kalena will require a nice rest cure someplace that serves decaf Kona and doesn't have email access so I can't pester her.