Every time I give an organized talk about books and boats, at least one follow-up question comes as a complete surprise. You could blame that on “insufficiently prepared,” but I prefer to think that my presentation accomplished its most important goal: to inspire fresh thoughts.
A few weeks ago, a lively crowd showed up at the Cape Cod Maritime Museum for “From Fact to Fiction, and Back Again.” It was mostly strangers, with a smattering of old friends—and all paid close attention to examples of how personal history can inspire fiction (and vice versa).
Usually no one wants to be the first to ask a question. But before the applause even had a chance to die down, a hand shot up—and our robust Q and A lasted almost as long as my prepared talk. (You could call this another Cape Cod Surprise!)
I have to admit, there’s a list of questions I’ve learned to expect at such events—including, but not limited to, these three:
FAQs
1. Where do you get your ideas? (The best ones actually “get” me.)
2. Did you meet your husband at the Olympics? (No, we met at Sail Newport.)
3. What was the Olympics like? (I tried to answer that one here.)
NBAQs
On that particular evening, though, none of these came up; instead I had to sputter out answers to Never Before Asked Questions (NBAQs). Looking back, I could’ve come up with stronger responses . . . but here’s what I said in the heat of the moment to the four questions I remember best.
1. What was the scariest moment you ever had on a boat? (The No Good, Very Bad Windiest Day)
2. What surprised you most at the Olympics? (All those pesky details.)
3. What was your longest sail? (21 day transatlantic)
And, most difficult of all:
4. What would be the best boat to sail across Buzzards Bay?
That one stumped me, because it’s what I call a “how long is a piece of string” question: not enough information to make an educated answer. Boat choice is personal—and safe voyages of any distance are extremely weather-dependent. But without going into all that, I tried to explain the need for a stable and large enough platform; hoping to encourage, without implying that I was at all the right person to make such an important decision for anyone else.
Like any book or article, I always have more to say than can possibly fit into one presentation. That’s why I really enjoy the Q and A afterward; it teaches me what one particularly curious audience would’ve liked to hear more about. Especially when they provide their very own Cape Cod Surprise with such an enthusiastic stream of NBAQs.
Got a question I haven’t yet answered here on the blog? Ask it in the comments below, or send me an email. I read every single one, with gratitude. And if you’re looking for a speaker for your next book– or boat–centric gathering, please get in touch.
Thanks for being here!
