For the past ten months I have been working on a new novel tentatively titled ‘The Last Iceberg’. I’m now on my third full draft and I need to make a very important decision, that frankly I’ve been putting off. It was an easy one to avoid in the past two drafts, but the time has come, and seriously, I need a little help here.
I need to name three tugboats.
Wait, why are you laughing? I’m serious. I need help coming up with the names for three tugboats for my novel. Maybe it won’t be so funny if I tell you a little more.
The Last Iceberg is a near future Eco-Thriller about a washed out Coast Guard Pilot who has to chase her best friend across the Pacific on a flying iceberg …
You’re still snickering! Folks, this is a serious matter. Those tugboats aren’t going to name themselves. Oh, I see, you don’t think this is going to be a serious novel. You are expecting some hack job thriller out of me. I get it. Let me show you more:
Maggie ‘Falling Leaf’ Foley is running away from one terrible mistake in an otherwise perfect flying record. As a Coast Guard SAR pilot, one mistake might mean losing a soul at sea, but when that lost soul is her rescue swimmer, and her fiancé, Maggie loses a part of herself too.
Ricki Munoz didn’t start taking pictures to try and save the whales, but he did come to the Sea of Alaska to shame corporations who treat Mother Earth like an ATM. He convinced his best friend Maggie to join him on the Narwhal’s Tusk, an eco-protest ship, as the ship’s only chopper pilot. Maggie figures as long as she isn’t responsible for any rescues she’ll be able to pull herself back together.
Brothers Walter and Jaxson Breugmann need a score. They have come up with a crazy plan to cut ice in an abandoned national park, and fly it to a thirsty American southwest. The plan works, too well, and the brothers Breugmann blow up an entire Alaskan glacier. The Narwhal’s Tusk arrives in time to witness the environmental carnage. Maggie and Ricki take to the sky.
In his brashest move yet, Ricki jumps from the helicopter onto the Breugmann’s score. Untethered and unable to communicate, Maggie isn’t sure if Ricki just made the stupidest mistake of his life, or if he really has a plan to hijack the world’s first flying iceberg! Either way Maggie must choose to swallow her grief and chase her best friend across the Pacific, or risk one more terrible mistake.
See. This is a serious novel, full of drama and action, something I hope you’ll want to read once it’s out.
So back to the tug boats! I really do need your help. It might seem minor, but these tugs play an important role in the story (I’m not giving everything away here, so don’t ask). Their mother ship is named the Sea Fox and in my current draft I named the tugs Larry, Curly and Moe as a placeholder. Their names are too cute and I am looking for three names that will remind the reader that the tugs are all the same type of boat, essentially siblings. I’ve been looking at names of authors, explorers, stars, but nothing is sticking.
Have an idea? Send me some names in the comments. Remember, they should be three of a kind. If I use them in the final draft of the book I will be sure to credit you in the acknowledgements.
Also, if THE LAST ICEBERG or my short stories sound interesting be sure to follow this page for updates.
Thanks for all your help!
RW