So, time for the first challenge. Today it’s about the name of my project, which is Wavesongs (literal translation of Vågsånger, but it actually works pretty well in both languages). In the very beginning, the working title of the book was, actually, The Captain’s Boy. Which isn’t neither subtle nor poetic – it’s just what the story’s about, basically. But I always felt that it didn’t sound quite right and that it was too cheesy, also it covered just one aspect of the story, albeit the main one. So I thought about it a lot and didn’t come up with anything good, but then it dawned on me that it was supposed to be called Wavesongs. For me, it’s a good name for the novel, and also for the entire trilogy, because it sort of captures the romantic theme without being too sugary, and the meaning of it is, really, “stories of the sea”. The plot wouldn’t even exist without my main character’s dream of becoming a sailor, life at sea is a crucial part of the story even though I’d say it’s almost a euphemism for what actually drives Chris from his native village – his desire to find love, a kind of love that isn’t even recognised in his society and that he wouldn’t be able to find anywhere but outside of that society. The song of the waves is mentioned in one passage of the novel, when Chris is on the verge of falling asleep in bed next to the Captain, the man who has showed him that love exists, even for men like them. It’s the sound of freedom, and being so painfully close to another human being, and ultimately about being yourself.