Yes, it’s that time of year again! This Wednesday, September 19th, is the annual Talk Like A Pirate Day. What does that mean? Loads and loads of fun, of course! Since this special day only comes once a year, we need to take advantage of it. Wear your eye-patch to work, let your parrot out of the cage, and dazzle your co-workers with your extensive knowledge of pirate-speak.

Here’s a few useful words and phrases to help you get started:
“Arrrrggghh!” (the classic–all-purpose)
“Ahoy, me hearties!” (to use when you’re about to board the ship–or enter the copy room)
“Weigh anchor! Hoist the mizzen!” (set sail, chase the prize ship! Or go on your lunch break)
“Avast ye varmint” (drop the pieces of eight! Or bring back my stapler)

Some other useful grammar tips include:
Double up on adjectives–the more the better (it’s not a nice ship, it’s a “great, grand, glorious ship”)
Always drop your g’s (rowin’, fightin’)
Say “I be”, not “I am”
When in doubt, start your sentences with “Argh, me hearty”

Some websites to help you out:
Official Site (find events near you!)
Pirates and Privateers (some fun history and links)
More Useful Vocabulary

I’ve been doing research for my next project (to be started when the Sicily-set Regency book is done!), a tale of 16th century pirates in the Caribbean (starring Balthazar from A Notorious Woman), and I’m finding out that being a Real Pirate is not nearly as much fun as being a Movie Pirate. But I’m still going to call Talk Like a Pirate Day useful research and take full advantage of it!

If you could hold a Talk Like A Pirate Day party, what would it be like? Who would you invite (besides the Riskies, of course!)? What are some favorite pirate movies (besides Pirates of the Caribbean, I really love that old Errol Flynn cheese-fest Against All Flags).

And remember, when in doubt–Arrrrrggghhhh!

Last week one of my children’s teachers gave me a homework assignment: to write about my child in a million words or less. We laughed about it over the dinner table. My husband knew I really could write a book about either of our children. (I was proud of myself when I completed the assignment without adding extra papers, though I did fill both sides.) My children asked me if I really could write a million words. I told them I thought I already had and did some estimates.

LORD LANGDON’S KISS: 75,000
THE WEDDING WAGER: 20,000
THE INCORRIGIBLE LADY CATHERINE: 75,000
THE REDWYCK CHARM: 75,000
SAVING LORD VERWOOD: 75,000
LADY DEARING’S MASQUERADE: 90,000

410,000 total published words. But I usually do at least 3 drafts that are pretty much total rewrites (the 4th is polishing). So I’ve probably written about 1,230,000 words in order to create these 6 published works.

And that doesn’t count works-in-progress.

I also have 3 chapters of a proposal I’ve put on the back burner: about 9,000 words. Two drafts of the balloonist story: 200,000 more. And about 65,000 words of first draft on the story I started during NaNoWriMo week.

The grand total (drumroll here): 1,504,000 words.

If I ever start doubting that I am a real writer I’m going to look back at this total!

So how about you, Riskies and friends? Do you think you’ve written a million words yet, or does it just feel like it? I wonder how many we’ve written in total? Probably a brazillion. 🙂

And for our friends who aren’t writers, do these numbers come as a surprise?

Elena

www.elenagreene.com

Ah, lovely Trafalgar Square. When I first lived in England, you had to cross an extremely busy street to get from the main part of the square to the National Gallery. Today, that street is a pedestrian-only zone.

Definitely an improvement.

Now that I have pointed out that I am able to see that some changes are good, let me just say that, in general, change disturbs me. Not on an intellectual level, but on an emotional level.

When I go to London with Todd, there’s quite a bit of “Oh, that’s where that great Vietnamese Restaurant used to be” — “oh, and here’s where the Dillons used to be that got the windows broken in that football riot” — “oh no, that cool little shop in the tube station where I could always find a Diet Tango is gone” — “you’re kidding, they moved the Tourist Information AGAIN?”

And then we go to Norwich, where’s there’s now a MALL on Castle Hill, and the library’s in a gigantic glass building which also has a museum and a Pizza Express.

Okay, yes, these aren’t all bad changes. The old Norwich library (which burned down) was one of those ugly 1960’s type buildings — no great loss.

But part of me wants the world to stay the same. Seeing bits disappear when I’m not looking is like glancing down at my feet to find part of the floor has disappeared.

Which has me thinking.

The Regency was a time of great change, in so many areas. Stunning, staggering change.

How must Regency folk have felt about this? Because, however they felt, they surely noticed it. Did they hate it? Love it? Vary in opinion?

What do you think? Did London folk get upset when buildings were knocked down and streets torn up to make Regent Street and Regent Park? Did older folks complain that fast roads were ruining both the countryside and young men’s morals?

And do you get bothered when things change?

All comments welcome!

Cara
Cara King, author of MY LADY GAMESTER and mourner of the tastiest Vietnamese restaurant in London