A.C. Crispin's Blog, page 5
July 1, 2011
VOTE TODAY ON MY NEXT WRITING POST!
Okay, aspiring writers, it's time to click on that "comment" bar and VOTE for what you want me to address in my next writing post! We have only two votes so far, one for "avoiding predictability" and one for "writing query letters." I need a majority of votes here, so I know what you want learn about!
This is a real opportunity for you — a free chance to learn what I know about a writing topic. Respond here on the blog, tell me which of the following topics you'd like me to address in my next post. (I'll probably do them all, sooner or later, but YOU get to decide which will be sooner!)
• Creating believable characters in fiction.
• Writing query letters that get results.
• How to satisfy the reader without being predictable.
Today is Friday. I'll give you until Monday at noon to respond, then write the blog post next Monday afternoon.
So cast your vote! Savvy?
-Ann C. Crispin
June 29, 2011
The Answers
Ahoy mates! Here, as promised, are the answers to the Pirates of the Caribbean trivia contest. Diana and Chris, I received your emails and will be mailing out your autographed copies of The Price of Freedom tomorrow. Again, thanks to everyone who participated!
1. Which of his cherished personal "effects" did Jack Sparrow lose in "On Stranger Tides?"
Answer: His beloved brown leather tricorne hat and his frock coat.
One of the entrants pointed out that he also dropped a sort of whip-line thing into the street in London when he was shinnying out the window of the palace, and a boy picked it up. Very observant…but that wasn't the answer I was looking for.
2. What is the name of the ship Elizabeth Swann stows away on during "Dead Man's Chest?"
Answer: The Edinborough Trader
3. Two part question: In The Price of Freedom, what is the name of the Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea? What is the name of his vessel? (each part is worth 2.5 points)
Answer: Boris (Borya) Palachnik, who was Captain of a ship named Koldunya.
4. In the film epilogue to "At World's End," how old is the child we see with Elizabeth Turner?
Answer: (This was a toughie, but two people got it!) He would have been nine years and three months old.
5. In The Price of Freedom, what does Cutler Beckett collect that Jack Sparrow admires, and attempts to touch?
Answer: Cutler Becket's netsuke collection.
6. What was Governor Swann's first name?
Answer: Weatherby Swann.
7. What sea creatures festooned "Bootstrap Bill" Turner 's face while he served aboard The Flying Dutchman?
Answer: (Note that I said "sea creatures" plural!) A starfish and barnacles.
8. What was the name of Captain Barbossa's Royal Navy ship in "On Stranger Tides?"
Answer: HMS Providence
9. When Jack Sparrow negotiated with Davy Jones, how long did Captain Jones give him to be Captain of the Black Pearl before his debt to Jones had to be paid?
Answer: 13 years.
Jack got to be Captain of the Black Pearl for thirteen years in exchange for serving for 100 years before the mast aboard the Flying Dutchman.
10. In The Price of Freedom, what is the name and rank of Ayisha's mother?
Answer: Queen Tiyy
11. Two-part question: In "Curse of the Black Pearl" which of Barbossa's cursed crewmen had only one eye? What was the significance of this crewman's wooden eye? (Each answer is worth 2.5 points.)
Answer: Ragetti's wooden eye, which was actually Captain Barbossa's piece of eight.
12. As seen in The Price of Freedom, what kind of cannon does the Wicked Wench have on her gun deck, (also referred to as the main deck)?
Answer: Twelve pounders. (BIG cannon!)
13. Which three Spanish conquistadores/explorers are mentioned by name in the POTC films?
Hernan Cortez, Francisco Pizarro, and Juan Ponce de Leon. (I gave full credit even if response was just the last names.)
14. What type of ship is Cutler Beckett's flagship, The Endeavour, as shown in "At World's End?"
Answer: A first-rate ship of the line. I would have also accepted "battleship," since that's an alternate way of saying the same thing.
15. In The Price of Freedom, what is Captain Teague's first name?
Answer: Edward
16. In "Curse of the Black Pearl" which famous pirates established the rules for "parley?"
Answer: Henry Morgan and Bartholomew ("Black Bart") Roberts. I gave credit for just names used in the film, which were "Morgan and Bartholomew."
Real history note: These two famous buccaneers were NOT contemporaries, so they couldn't have gotten together to create any additions to the Pirates Code. Their piratical careers were separated in time by three decades. Henry Morgan died in 1688. He was 53. Bartholomew Roberts died in 1722 at the age of 40, and he'd been a pirate for only four years. (During that period he took almost 400 ships, however!)
17. In The Price of Freedom, where did Doña Pirata first learn to fence?
Answer: Her grandfather, Don Rafael taught her, plus she hired the finest fencing masters in Barcelona while she was attending the convent school there. (I accepted "Barcelona" as a full-credit response.)
18. In "At World's End," what is the name of Captain Sao Feng's flagship?
Answer: The Empress
19. In The Price of Freedom, what item of clothing worn by Princess Amenirdis casts a powerful illusion?
Answer: The gray shawl she always wears.
20. In "On Stranger Tides" what is the bottom-most item on the new "dingle" that hangs down over the left side of Jack's red bandanna?
Answer: A gold tooth. In an interview, Johnny Depp stated that Jack Sparrow lost one of his gold teeth and accidentally swallowed it. When it reappeared, he attached it to his dingle. Can't throw away gold, savvy?
21. (The tiebreaker essay question): Briefly explain why you hope you're the one to win this trivia contest and an autographed copy of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom. Here are the two essay responses:
Chris Karstens:
• I would love to win the autographed copy as a gift for my Mother-in-law. She is a great fan of Captain Jack and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, as am I. The book would be a wonderful token of my thanks and gratitude for all the work she did planning my wedding a few years back, and as a gift it would hold far more sentimental value than anything I could spend money on. Her diligence spared us huge amounts of stress, and both the ceremony and reception turned out beautifully. Our friends and family keep telling us how perfect everything was, so I wanted to do something for her that would have value outside of the money spent. My wife and I agree that this would be perfect. I was already considering getting her a copy of the book, but a signed copy that was won would be far more personal. Since I already purchased a copy of The Price of Freedom I didn't need a second one for myself, and cannot think of anything I could get for her that she would enjoy more.
• Diana Quirk:
• I hope to win this trivia contest and an autograph copy of the book because July 1st is my 30th birthday. It would be a nice present to have for a milestone birthday.
So, there you have it, mates. I hope you'll all join me in wishing Diana a very happy birthday, and congratulations to Chris on his nuptials!
Remember, I still have bookplates, and I am sending them out usually twice a week these days. Send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Ann Crispin, P.O. Box 827, Bryantown, MD 20617-0827, and I'd be pleased to autograph one for you! (If you'd prefer having your actual book signed, you can send that, instead. Just make sure you include a stamped mailing envelop with sufficient postage for me to mail it back to you!
Thanks very much for participating in the trivia contest!
Next blog post will be a writing post. I'll let you folks choose the topic I address, okay? Respond here on the blog, tell me which of the following topics you'd like me to address in my next post. (I'll probably do them all, sooner or later, but you get to decide which will be sooner!)
• Creating believable characters in fiction.
• Writing query letters that get results.
• How to satisfy the reader without being predictable.
Today is Wednesday. I'll give you until Monday AM to respond, then write the blog post next Monday afternoon. Savvy?
-Ann C. Crispin
Ahoy mates! Here, as promised, are the answers to the Pi...
Ahoy mates! Here, as promised, are the answers to the Pirates of the Caribbean trivia contest. Diana and Chris, I received your emails and will be mailing out your autographed copies of The Price of Freedom tomorrow. Again, thanks to everyone who participated!
1. Which of his cherished personal "effects" did Jack Sparrow lose in "On Stranger Tides?"
Answer: His beloved brown leather tricorne hat and his frock coat.
One of the entrants pointed out that he also dropped a sort of whip-line thing into the street in London when he was shinnying out the window of the palace, and a boy picked it up. Very observant…but that wasn't the answer I was looking for.
2. What is the name of the ship Elizabeth Swann stows away on during "Dead Man's Chest?"
Answer: The Edinborough Trader
3. Two part question: In The Price of Freedom, what is the name of the Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea? What is the name of his vessel? (each part is worth 2.5 points)
Answer: Boris (Borya) Palachnik, who was Captain of a ship named Koldunya.
4. In the film epilogue to "At World's End," how old is the child we see with Elizabeth Turner?
Answer: (This was a toughie, but two people got it!) He would have been nine years and three months old.
5. In The Price of Freedom, what does Cutler Beckett collect that Jack Sparrow admires, and attempts to touch?
Answer: Cutler Becket's netsuke collection.
6. What was Governor Swann's first name?
Answer: Weatherby Swann.
7. What sea creatures festooned "Bootstrap Bill" Turner 's face while he served aboard The Flying Dutchman?
Answer: (Note that I said "sea creatures" plural!) A starfish and barnacles.
8. What was the name of Captain Barbossa's Royal Navy ship in "On Stranger Tides?"
Answer: HMS Providence
9. When Jack Sparrow negotiated with Davy Jones, how long did Captain Jones give him to be Captain of the Black Pearl before his debt to Jones had to be paid?
Answer: 13 years.
Jack got to be Captain of the Black Pearl for thirteen years in exchange for serving for 100 years before the mast aboard the Flying Dutchman.
10. In The Price of Freedom, what is the name and rank of Ayisha's mother?
Answer: Queen Tiyy
11. Two-part question: In "Curse of the Black Pearl" which of Barbossa's cursed crewmen had only one eye? What was the significance of this crewman's wooden eye? (Each answer is worth 2.5 points.)
Answer: Ragetti's wooden eye, which was actually Captain Barbossa's piece of eight.
12. As seen in The Price of Freedom, what kind of cannon does the Wicked Wench have on her gun deck, (also referred to as the main deck)?
Answer: Twelve pounders. (BIG cannon!)
13. Which three Spanish conquistadores/explorers are mentioned by name in the POTC films?
Hernan Cortez, Francisco Pizarro, and Juan Ponce de Leon. (I gave full credit even if response was just the last names.)
14. What type of ship is Cutler Beckett's flagship, The Endeavour, as shown in "At World's End?"
Answer: A first-rate ship of the line. I would have also accepted "battleship," since that's an alternate way of saying the same thing.
15. In The Price of Freedom, what is Captain Teague's first name?
Answer: Edward
16. In "Curse of the Black Pearl" which famous pirates established the rules for "parley?"
Answer: Henry Morgan and Bartholomew ("Black Bart") Roberts. I gave credit for just names used in the film, which were "Morgan and Bartholomew."
Real history note: These two famous buccaneers were NOT contemporaries, so they couldn't have gotten together to create any additions to the Pirates Code. Their piratical careers were separated in time by three decades. Henry Morgan died in 1688. He was 53. Bartholomew Roberts died in 1722 at the age of 40, and he'd been a pirate for only four years. (During that period he took almost 400 ships, however!)
17. In The Price of Freedom, where did Doña Pirata first learn to fence?
Answer: Her grandfather, Don Rafael taught her, plus she hired the finest fencing masters in Barcelona while she was attending the convent school there. (I accepted "Barcelona" as a full-credit response.)
18. In "At World's End," what is the name of Captain Sao Feng's flagship?
Answer: The Empress
19. In The Price of Freedom, what item of clothing worn by Princess Amenirdis casts a powerful illusion?
Answer: The gray shawl she always wears.
20. In "On Stranger Tides" what is the bottom-most item on the new "dingle" that hangs down over the left side of Jack's red bandanna?
Answer: A gold tooth. In an interview, Johnny Depp stated that Jack Sparrow lost one of his gold teeth and accidentally swallowed it. When it reappeared, he attached it to his dingle. Can't throw away gold, savvy?
21. (The tiebreaker essay question): Briefly explain why you hope you're the one to win this trivia contest and an autographed copy of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom. Here are the two essay responses:
Chris Karstens:
• I would love to win the autographed copy as a gift for my Mother-in-law. She is a great fan of Captain Jack and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, as am I. The book would be a wonderful token of my thanks and gratitude for all the work she did planning my wedding a few years back, and as a gift it would hold far more sentimental value than anything I could spend money on. Her diligence spared us huge amounts of stress, and both the ceremony and reception turned out beautifully. Our friends and family keep telling us how perfect everything was, so I wanted to do something for her that would have value outside of the money spent. My wife and I agree that this would be perfect. I was already considering getting her a copy of the book, but a signed copy that was won would be far more personal. Since I already purchased a copy of The Price of Freedom I didn't need a second one for myself, and cannot think of anything I could get for her that she would enjoy more.
• Diana Quirk:
• I hope to win this trivia contest and an autograph copy of the book because July 1st is my 30th birthday. It would be a nice present to have for a milestone birthday.
So, there you have it, mates. I hope you'll all join me in wishing Diana a very happy birthday, and congratulations to Chris on his nuptials!
Remember, I still have bookplates, and I am sending them out usually twice a week these days. Send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Ann Crispin, P.O. Box 827, Bryantown, MD 20617-0827, and I'd be pleased to autograph one for you! (If you'd prefer having your actual book signed, you can send that, instead. Just make sure you include a stamped mailing envelop with sufficient postage for me to mail it back to you!
Thanks very much for participating in the trivia contest!
Next blog post will be a writing post. I'll let you folks choose the topic I address, okay? Respond here on the blog, tell me which of the following topics you'd like me to address in my next post. (I'll probably do them all, sooner or later, but you get to decide which will be sooner!)
• Creating believable characters in fiction.
• Writing query letters that get results.
• How to satisfy the reader without being predictable.
Today is Wednesday. I'll give you until Monday AM to respond, then write the blog post next Monday afternoon. Savvy?
-Ann C. Crispin
June 28, 2011
We Have Winners in the POTC Trivia Contest!!!!
Hi, Pirate fans! I received a fair number of entries for the Pirates of the Caribbean trivia contest. Last night I printed them up, and today I went through them and scored them, just like a quiz in high school.
I wish every one of those who entered could be a winner…but when I finished scoring the entries, two entrants had a perfect or near-perfect score on the trivia questions, and both wrote a good, brief essay. Both the essays were well written, and I honestly couldn't choose between them…so I'm officially declaring TWO winners.
Chris Karstens, you have won an autographed copy of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom!
Diana Quirk, you have also won an autographed copy of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom!
Chris and Diana, please message me on Facebook, or email me (my email address is on my my website) with your addresses, plus any special instructions for how you'd like your copies inscribed.
I hope everyone enjoyed the contest, and will be able to read the book. If you can't afford the Amazon.com price of $13.99, more and more libraries are now purchasing it. Also, if you do get a hardcover copy, remember, I will be happy to send you an autographed bookplate, personalized to you.
Tonight Michael and I are going to see The Return of the King, so we need to be leaving soon. Tomorrow I will post all the correct answers for the contest, plus Chris and Diana's winning essays.
Thanks so much for participating in the trivia contest!
-Ann C. Crispin
June 20, 2011
Win an Autographed Copy of The Price of Freedom! New POTC Trivia Contest!
Ahoy, mates! As promised, here is the trivia contest to win a FREE copy of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom. I'm going to list the rules below, then the twenty trivia questions and one essay question tie-breaker.
* You must respond as a comment to this post, not on Facebook or via email or Twitter. Responses will be held in the moderation queue and will not appear on the blog, so don't think it got lost.
* Each correct answer is worth five points. There will be 20 "scoring" questions, so a perfect score would be 100.
* The contest will run until 5:00 PM next Monday, June 27, 2011. Entries after that time will not be counted.
* In case of a tie score, the winner will be chosen on the basis of the tie-breaker essay question. Points for originality and sincerity.
* It's my blog, so I'm the sole judge.
* The trivia questions will be taken from the four POTC films, OR from the posted excerpts of The Price of Freedom on my website (http://www.accrispin.com/projectp.htm).
* If there's a tie score and two equally impressive answers to the tie-breaker question, I'll give away a second autographed copy of the book.
* The winner(s) will be asked to email me the name and mailing address, so I can send them their copy of the book, savvy?
* I reserve the right to post the winning essay(s) on the blog.
So, if that's clear, let's proceed with the questions!
—————————————————————————————————–
1. Which of his cherished personal "effects" did Jack Sparrow lose in "On Stranger Tides?"
2. What is the name of the ship Elizabeth Swann stows away on during "Dead Man's Chest?"
3. Two part question: In The Price of Freedom, what is the name of the Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea? What is the name of his vessel? (each part is worth 2.5 points)
4. In the film epilogue to "At World's End," how old is the child we see with Elizabeth Turner?
5. In The Price of Freedom, what does Cutler Beckett collect that Jack Sparrow admires, and attempts to touch?
6. What was Governor Swann's first name?
7. What sea creatures festooned "Bootstrap Bill" Turner 's face while he served aboard The Flying Dutchman?
8. What was the name of Captain Barbossa's Royal Navy ship in "On Stranger Tides?"
9. When Jack Sparrow negotiated with Davy Jones, how long did Captain Jones give him to be Captain of the Black Pearl before his debt to Jones had to be paid?
10. In The Price of Freedom, what is the name and rank of Ayisha's mother?
11. Two-part question: In "Curse of the Black Pearl" which of Barbossa's cursed crewmen had only one eye? What was the significance of this crewman's wooden eye? (Each answer is worth 2.5 points.)
12. As seen in The Price of Freedom, what kind of cannon does the Wicked Wench have on her gun deck, (also referred to as the main deck)?
13. Which three Spanish conquistadores/explorers are mentioned by name in the POTC films?
14. What type of ship is Cutler Beckett's flagship, The Endeavour, as shown in "At World's End?"
15. In The Price of Freedom, what is Captain Teague's first name?
16. In "Curse of the Black Pearl" which famous pirates established the rules for "parley?"
17. In The Price of Freedom, where did Doña Pirata first learn to fence?
18. In "At World's End," what is the name of Captain Sao Feng's flagship?
19. In The Price of Freedom, what item of clothing worn by Princess Amenirdis casts a powerful illusion?
20. In "On Stranger Tides" what is the bottom-most item on the new "dingle" that hangs down over the left side of Jack's red bandanna?
(The tiebreaker essay question): Briefly explain why you hope you're the one to win this trivia contest and an autographed copy of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom.
June 11, 2011
Writing and Marketing The Price of Freedom – New Interview
I was interviewed today by Marla Miller of MarketingOurMuse about writing and marketing Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom.
Thanks, Marla, for the chance to visit your show again! Click here to listen to the interview.
-Ann C. Crispin
June 8, 2011
There Are Still Collector Edition Bookplates Available!
Attention, readers of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom.
Do you have your copy of The Price of Freedom yet? If you have the novel, or have ordered it, and would like it AUTOGRAPHED, I'd be happy to do that for you. Of course, it's a big book, and expensive to ship, so instead you might want to take advantage of the FREE, collector-edition bookplates Disney supplied me with for this book. They are gorgeous. They show the infamous skull that's the back cover of the book, against a background of blue ocean and endless sky. The skull depicted is the one used in "On Stranger Tides."
The bookplates are about four inches high, by three inches wide. They fit perfectly below the title of the book on the first title page. I sign them in red ink, which shows up very nicely, and I'm happy to personalize them.
When you get your bookplate, all you have to do is carefully peel off the back, and it will stick into your book, and hey! You have a personally autographed book! Neat, huh?
To receive your copy of the bookplate, send a SASE (stamped, self-addressed envelope) with instructions as to who you want it signed to, and any special message, such as "Congratulations, Graduate!" or "Happy Birthday" — you get the idea.
Send the request, with the SASE, to: Ann Crispin, P.O. Box 827, Bryantown, MD 20617-0827.
I know this post is a repeat of a previous one, but several people have written to me privately to ask whether there are still bookplates available, and my answer is a resounding YES!
If anyone reading this blog has any questions or comments about the book, after reading it, I'd love to discuss it. Just put a spoiler warning before typing anything that's a major plot revelation, okay?
-Ann C. Crispin
June 5, 2011
How to Trick Your Mind Into Solving Writing Blocks and Plot Problems
Basic Writing Tip #15: When you get stuck in a difficult scene, and your brain won't produce a solution, get away from the computer or the pad of paper and go do some mindless chore, such as scrubbing a floor or shower walls. When your mind has nothing to focus on, it will likely, out of sheer boredom, burrow into your story problem and solve it, just for something to do. I've come up with innumerable solutions to difficult character or plot problems in this manner. Sometimes I do it deliberately, sometimes it just happens.
Taking a walk in some well-known area, where there's nothing much to look at, can accomplish the same thing, but remember…to trick your brain, you have to BORE it into problem solving!
Discussion?
May 23, 2011
BEA and Walt Disney World Signings!
I'm happy to report my signing at the Stories Comics and Regal Commonwealth IMAX and Stadium 20 Cinemas went well. I think we sold about 50 books or so. SFWA member Bud Webster and his wife Mary came over to keep me and the two booksellers from Stories Comics Uno company on Friday, and then it was just me and Cheryl Pryor on Saturday.
The signing itself was the most unusual I've ever done. Cheryl has promised me pictures, and I'll post them when I get them. Regal publicity mogul Lee Milstead, the gent who invited me to come and sign had done the lobby of the theaters up to reflect the opening of POTC 4, "On Stranger Tides." The big lobby was filled with mermaids sitting on styrofoam rocks, pirates, redcoats, parrots from Parrots of Paradise, a table filled with historical replicas from the Hampton Museum, and two museum docents, who gave little history lessons about things in their exhibit, Pam Kinney, an author who writes about real life ghost stories of Virginia, plus vendors selling comics and all kinds of POTC merchandise. And me, with The Price of Freedom.
Lee Milstead stomped around the lobby dressed as Blackbeard, and looked quite fearsome indeed! At one point the redcoats dragged him out to the lobby in chains. It was a hoot.
I met a lot of folks, encountered several FB "friends." It was fun, though after 10 hours of signing books on Saturday, I was glad to pack it in and go back to my hotel room for a good night's sleep.
I did an interview for SciFi4Me.com about writing The Price of Freedom, and you can listen to it here:
This afternoon, Michael and I will be taking the train up to NYC for my BEA signing. It's tomorrow morning from 9:30 till 10:30 AM. I hope folks will show up wanting signed books!
And then, on Thursday, I'm leaving for Walt Disney World and my two signings there.
Then, on Saturday, May 28, I'll hope to see some of my friends at the Balticon launch party for The Price of Freedom. It will be next Saturday at 6:00 PM at Balticon, which is being held at the Hunt Valley Marriott.
All of these events are described on my appearance calendar on my website.
Have a great week, folks!
-Ann C. Crispin
May 19, 2011
Heading out for Adventure (And Signings!)
In a few hours I head south to Richmond, for the first of a succession of booksignings and events. It will be a fun (I hope!) and exciting 10 days, though I'm sure I'll come home tired. 
I won't have much access to email or the internet, so I thought I'd give you a heads-up in my blog.
If you're from Richmond, or attending BEA, or live near Orlando, or are attending Balticon, please check my appearance calendar on my website for details as to just where and when I'll be popping up!
See you all anon…
-Ann C. Crispin
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