Terry O'Reilly on The Dragon

Terry O'Reilly on The Dragon ...

What's the record for giving birth to a story? I probably don't hold it, but it sure seemed like it with my latest release The Dragon.

It all started over seven years ago when I met Randy online. He was handsome, sexy and had the most marvelous dragon tattoo. As you can see from the picture, it starts on his chest, coils around his body, and goes down his left leg. As Randy and I talked, I became infatuated with him, as did my muse. I began to think about a story involving a young man who is forced into the life of a pirate who feels obligated to brand himself with a tattoo of a dragon. The tattoo seems likely to prove his undoing.

The short story started and stalled, fizzed then fizzled. Other ideas came and pushed Thor -- my pirate character -- into the background. Other stories were written while Thor patiently waited. For several years I left the poor man hanging in the rigging of the mainmast of a seventeenth century sailing ship. But I never fully forsook him, opening the file frequently, reading what I had written, making a note or two, and doing research on pirates' lives.


Finally, Thor begged to have his story told. He was becoming seasick and his hands were blistered from so long being on a pitching ship and clinging to a swaying mast. I took pity on him and finished the book. Yes, the book. It had grown from a short tale to a novel.

I hope Thor -- and his inspiration Randy -- find this tale worth the reading. I also hope it takes less time to read than it did to write.

Terry O'Reilly
terry-oreilly.com

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