My Return to Kodiak

Hello out there. This is the first post of my first Blog here so bear with me. I thought it might be fun to document the final stages of my writing project. You may or may not be aware that I've spent the better part of two years pecking away at my first novel (OK there's that half-finished one from a few years back, but we're not going to count that one.) At least it looks likely that I'll finish this one so that's the good news I suppose. I hope to have the book completed by the end of 2009.


The picture above is the Kodiak Small Boat Harbor. It's near where the story began on June 18th, 2007 with Skipper Dale Pruitt shoving off for a three to seven day, commercial salmon fishing run aboard the leased vessel F/V Magnum. Dale's three person crew consisted of his niece Cally Rose Pruitt, his son Mitchell, and his daughter Calista. His wife, Mindy had a strange feeling that day as she watched her family pull away from the dock. Similar thoughts raced through Cally Rose's mind aboard the Magnum as she looked from the boat back at the waving Mindy. At the time, they had no way of knowing the peril that awaited them. They would cheat death, and the experience would change their lives; most likely forever.



Alaskan fishing families often tend to be on the superstitious side. But utilitarian needs usually trump creepy feelings when there is money to be made and bills to be paid . Mindy turned to head back to work while Cally Rose and the crew settled in for a fourteen hour deadhead to the fishing grounds.



Dale and Mindy Pruitt are friends of mine from way back at Eastern Washington University in the mid-80's. We hadn't seen each other for twenty years when Mindy contacted me to tell me what had happened to them. This harrowing story of adventure and survival reconnected our friendship when they asked me to partner with them by writing a book about the voyage of the F/V Magnum.



I've thoroughly enjoyed the time spent in pursuit of the goal of publishing my first book. I'm not there yet, but I'm working on it. I am leaving at 6:40 P.M. on Saturday, August 22nd for my second visit to Kodiak. On the first visit I interviewed dozens of people involved in the story and then returned home to write. Now here 21 months or so later I return. In my hand I will carry a 95% completed rough draft.



The book is nonfiction narrative, so on this trip I will sit down with some of the main characters and read through portions of first draft together. I will also go out on a commercial salmon seiner for a couple days (hopefully I won't be too sick!) Finally, I will interview a few more people and do some writing as well. I'll try to blog daily while I'm there so that anyone who's interested can follow along. With any luck in a few months you can look here to find out how to get your very own copy of, From the Wing to the Wedge.



Thanks for reading and look here tomorrow for the next update. Chances are it will be titled, The Day Before the Big Trip or something like that.



-anchor's aweigh