Cannons and Subs

I've shipped yet another story to Writers of the Future.  Wish me luck.  I know some people have mixed feelings about this contest because of the sponsors.  Not me.  It's judged by writers and all about writing.  Religion, philosophy, what have you, doesn't enter into it, something that's clear to me based on the judges and the past winners.  The story is what matters here.  If someone feels differently I'd like to hear from you.  Not to exclude those of you who agree.  You're welcome to chime in as well.

In other, potentially exciting news, the family is going to try to book tickets onto a tall ship for a three hour 'battle' in which real cannons will fire--just without the cannonballs in them.  Hey, maybe I can write it off as a business expense (my ticket, anyway) for research for Signet, the sequel to Masks.  What's this?  Of course there's got to be a sea battle in Signet.  You can't have gorgeous sailing vessels in a book without a sea battle (or at least a good storm.)  That's definitely a rifle over the mantle kind of situation.  (The quote, to which I can't find an attribution even with the power of Google, is approx: if there's a rifle over the mantle in Act 1, it had better go off by Act 3.)  Rather than focus on the maneuvers, I'll of course get all visceral with how it smells, how it feels, and how it looks to be in a pitched broadside battle with another sailing vessel.  Woot!  Keep your fingers crossed.  We'll try to book tickets on the ship for June 3.  I'll bring ear plugs but I'll try not to wear them so I can get the full blast.