Local author writes what he knows, scuba diving in Montana and California

Ferndale’s Glen Watson recently published his first fiction novel, “Monterey Bay 1960: Lady of Cannery Row.” His book is loosely based on a combination of his past experiences scuba diving while living in Glasgow and in Salinas, Calif. and his family’s history combined with fictional elements.

“Diving in Monterey Bay, there was just something about it, nobody was interfering with it and it was just you,” Watson said. “My inspiration was growing up in Montana and scuba diving there was unusual, almost like a destiny thing to go to California and be close to a diving area.”

In addition to drawing on experiences in Salinas and Glasgow, Watson worked on submarines in the Navy. He worked on a diesel submarine in Pearl Harbor in 1963, a nuclear powered submarine in San Francisco and was often involved with “snooping off of Russia” during the Cold War.

The book is a coming of age story set in the 1960s about a young man from Montana who scuba dives in a murky lakes and rivers in his hometown but eventually finds himself scuba diving in Monterey Bay and Cannery Row. One of the areas the main character explores is known as the Red Triangle due to its bloody water from shark attacks.

While scuba diving in California, the protagonist becomes romantically involved with a slightly older woman who already has a significant other. He also becomes interested in a younger woman who also has a boyfriend.

Many of the characters in the book are based on Watson’s family and people he knew such as a man he knew as a child in Glasgow who wouldn’t let Watson play on his property. Even Watson’s father is the basis for a character.

“It started out as our childhood growing up in Montana, but I knew I wanted to make it into a fiction novel,” Watson said. “But as I was writing, I realized how much he (Watson’s father) taught me and it brought up a lot of positive things about him.”

Watson attended two writing conferences at Flathead Valley Community College and would often write from 4 a.m. until 8 a.m. each day. It took Watson about three years to finish this book because he started out jumping between multiple books.

However, Christina Aguilar offered Watson some help and feedback to keep him motivated and focused.

“Nobody had ever encouraged me, if my English teachers were still alive they would flip because I wasn’t such a great student,” Watson said. “When you come up with something the reader won’t suspect, that’s satisfying and what I shoot for.”

This isn’t Watson’s first book, he also wrote a fitness book and one about garage improvements.

“I told my wife I started writing because I didn’t like anything that I was reading,” Watson said.

He is currently working on a few more fictional books, one about a homeowner’s association gone awry, another about characters interacting on a nuclear submarine with their first female crew member, and another about a little league player who decides he’s had enough of adults yelling and just wants to play the game.

“Monterey Bay 1960: Lady of Cannery Row” is currently available for download through Amazon and Barnes and Noble, paperbacks are also available. Watson is currently seeking vendors in the Flathead to sell his book locally as well.