Read the interviews with our most courageous, adventurous, and daring authors on Wattpad and take a look into the minds of the brave, the brilliant and the bold writers that bring our favorite adventure stories to life!
Today we are interviewing the author of Lions of the Sea, a historical pirate tale written by MonicaPrelooker!
About the story
1670, Caribbean Sea. She's the daughter of a legendary pirate. He's a Spanish captain. Their countries are at war. Their fathers killed each other. And they were destined to follow on their steps.
But sometimes destiny isn't written in stone: it's written in the deep blue of the sea.
A story full of adventures at sea, set in the thick of the war between Spain and the pirates for control over the New World.
And a different look at the challenge of being a woman in a world ruled by men with an iron fist.
At age fifteen, all Marina dreams of is sailing, but women are banned from the ships berthing in Tortuga. And when she finally makes it, her ship is attacked by the champion of the Spanish Armada, a young captain fighting pirates to avenge his father.
That battle pushes Marina back to the sea, yearning to take it back on the young captain, who turns out to be no other than the son of her father's sworn enemy.
All they want is to kill each other, and they'll sail the Caribbean Sea tirelessly until they come across each other.
An encounter they were destined to since they were born, and that will change their lives forever.
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Questions for our author
How did you find Wattpad and what drew you to writing/publishing your stories on this platform?
My son told me about it back in 2015 and it seemed a great way to share my stories with people from all over the world.
When you don't write stories or read on Wattpad, what do you do on your free time?
I actually work a whole lot of hours a week, so writing is my only regular activity on my free time.
Would you say you are a planner, someone who outlines the story before writing, or pantser, someone who 'wing it' and let the story lead the way?
The first draft is always to let the story go its way and get to know the characters. Then, I put to work on giving it a more polished shape.
Negative criticism is unavoidable. Have you ever received negative criticism on any of your stories? If so, how did you deal with it?
Hand to heart, I can't remember ever getting any negative criticism. I'm always open to other people's thoughts and views –we're all entitled to our own opinions– even though that doesn't mean that what other people think will influence or change my work.
What inspired you to write Lions of the Sea?
I was inspired by Emilio Salgari's awesome novels, like the Black Corsair saga and the Sandokan saga, which my mother introduced me to when I was six or seven.
Writing can at times be difficult, what was the toughest thing/part to convey in your story Lions of the Sea?
My personal challenge was finding a balance between the historical setting and the characters' journey. Because this story has tons of nautical jargon, and everything worked so differently from what we're used to –from guns to society, and I wanted all those differences to work for the story instead of hinder it
What tip would you give to beginner authors?
Writing, like any kind of artistic expression, isn't like riding a bike. It's more like a sport: you gotta train, you gotta get ready. That's why you need to write a lot, keep your pen and your mind sharp, and never sit back to wait for inspiration to strike. That way, if you keep yourself in shape, whenever you find THE story you wanna tell, you are ready to do it.
Thank you for tuning in! You have read Master Adventurers. Stay tuned for our next author!
