Ask the Authors (Fandemonium)

[lightsyder]

That's crazy. Expanding the universe is always good in my opinion. It gives the authors more leway too

[krad]

*waves* I've popped in here periodically, and I'm popping in again. I'm Keith R.A. DeCandido, and I've written a ridiculous amount of fiction, both tie-ins and original, including three (so far) contributions to the Stargate oeuvre: the short stories "Time Keeps on Slippin'..." and "Sun-Breaker" in the anthologies Far Horizons and Homeworlds, respectively, and the novel Kali's Wrath.

[timdalton007]

I'm curious about the Big Finish audios (having come to them as much through their Doctor Who work as being a Stargate fan). Given the "enhanced audiobook" feel of the early Stargate audios, how did the writing of those differ from say writing one of the novels?

timdalton007

[SalR323]

I'm curious about the Big Finish audios (having come to them as much through their Doctor Who work as being a Stargate fan). Given the "enhanced audiobook" feel of the early Stargate audios, how did the writing of those differ from say writing one of the novels?

timdalton007

Hi! It was quite different, actually. Telling a much shorter story was a challenge in itself, and so was the way one character had to tell the story rather than using multiple third person points of view (which is what I'm used to). But probably the biggest challenge was conveying what the characters could see without having them describe things in an unrealistic way. The sound effects the BF team put in are amazing, though, and conveyed a lot of external detail.

The later audios had a bigger cast, so those were much more like writing a play which was different again--a totally different way of writing! They were also especially fun because I got to work on the overall arc of the episodes with a bunch of other writers.

[lightsyder]

It's a shame the fans weren't as receptive to the audio dramas. I really liked them and would have loved to have seen a fourth season

[Lorne]

For any author that wants to reply:

1.) Any favorite era of either series that you prefer writing in?

2.) Any favorite iteration of the SG teams that you like working with in a story?

3.) Any characters that you enjoy writing the "voices" of in a story?

4.) Any characters that you tend to avoid using, for whatever reason?

5.) Many of you have written more than one tie-in story in the Stargate universe -- do you try to insert any particular characters (original or canon) into all of your SG stories? Example: a character named Lt. Lou Tennent is featured in the background of all of your stories, even if it's just a one line cameo.

6.) Piggy-backing on that question: is there any attempts at continuity between your own SG stories (Example: one of your novels references the events of one of your other novels) and/or the works of other Fandemonium authors (Example: since your novel and Writer X's novel are both set in Season Four, you throw in a brief allusion to something that occurred in Writer X's story)? I know this is sometimes discouraged in tie-in fiction and was just wondering if there are any Easter eggs we should keep our eyes out for.

Feel free to answer as many (or as few) as you like. Any responses are appreciated.

[Lorne]

*waves* I've popped in here periodically, and I'm popping in again. I'm Keith R.A. DeCandido, and I've written a ridiculous amount of fiction, both tie-ins and original, including three (so far) contributions to the Stargate oeuvre: the short stories "Time Keeps on Slippin'..." and "Sun-Breaker" in the anthologies Far Horizons and Homeworlds, respectively, and the novel Kali's Wrath.

Hi, Keith!

I occasionally quote your blog on this forum (since you post the odd bit of Stargate tie-in news there) and I was wondering if you're okay with that. If you'd prefer I not do that in the future, please let me know and I'll cease & desist henceforth.


Some quick off-topic comments while you're here:

Your story in the X-Files anthology was, hands down, the best of the bunch (even with the incorrect date stamp on the first page ). I would love to read an entire X-Files novel written by you.

I'm listening to the Dragon Precinct audiobook now (I read the actual book years ago) and the British narrator is excellent. He really adds a flavor to the text that I guess I may've neglected to notice when reading it in my head. The story and characters are still just as enjoyable the second time around!

And finally, I'm really looking forward to reading A Furnace Sealed whenever it gets released. I know you're working on it when your schedule permits it; I'm just anxious to read the sucker! No pressure, though.

[GeonnCannon]

I'm always up for an interview!

I'll sort of combine 1-3. I like all seasons since they all provide something unique to play with. Original team learning how to bond, to the "Veteran" old school team teaching the ropes to Vala and Cam. I really like writing for Vala and Jack since humor and snark come easily to me. Plus when you're writing those two, it's a lot of fun to just throw off the restraints and say whatever you want. They don't worry about filters so neither do you. I also really like writing for Teal'c. He's a challenge, and it's hard to do without slipping too far into stoicism, but I still really enjoy his perspective.

As for avoiding characters, I sometimes try to sideline Daniel for whatever reason. I feel like he gets a lot of representation (because people like him a lot!) so I tend to focus, as I said above, on people like Teal'c who might not always get the spotlight.

5&6: It's funny you should ask! My first novel "Two Roads" and "Female of the Species" can be read without the other. But the second novel includes the backstory that Vala used to be partners with Tanis Reynard (from S6 "Forsaken"), which sets up the action of the book. SG-1 wasn't aware of that connection before FOTS begins, so it's also not necessary for the readers to know about it. In the first book, Vala and SG-1 wind up at the same place without ever crossing paths (it takes place post-Prometheus Unbound but before S9). The second book gives me a chance to reveal that "It's a Small Universe After All" connection to all the characters.

[Lorne]

I'm always up for an interview!

I'll sort of combine 1-3. I like all seasons since they all provide something unique to play with. Original team learning how to bond, to the "Veteran" old school team teaching the ropes to Vala and Cam. I really like writing for Vala and Jack since humor and snark come easily to me. Plus when you're writing those two, it's a lot of fun to just throw off the restraints and say whatever you want. They don't worry about filters so neither do you. I also really like writing for Teal'c. He's a challenge, and it's hard to do without slipping too far into stoicism, but I still really enjoy his perspective.

As for avoiding characters, I sometimes try to sideline Daniel for whatever reason. I feel like he gets a lot of representation (because people like him a lot!) so I tend to focus, as I said above, on people like Teal'c who might not always get the spotlight.

5&6: It's funny you should ask! My first novel "Two Roads" and "Female of the Species" can be read without the other. But the second novel includes the backstory that Vala used to be partners with Tanis Reynard (from S6 "Forsaken"), which sets up the action of the book. SG-1 wasn't aware of that connection before FOTS begins, so it's also not necessary for the readers to know about it. In the first book, Vala and SG-1 wind up at the same place without ever crossing paths (it takes place post-Prometheus Unbound but before S9). The second book gives me a chance to reveal that "It's a Small Universe After All" connection to all the characters.

Thanks for the answers, Geonn!

Also, thank you for the episode info on where Two Roads falls chronologically in the series and where the character of Tanis Reynard originates. I always like knowing that sort of thing before starting a tie-in story -- for instance, I'll be sure to watch "Forsaken" now before I read Female of the Species.

I have Two Roads waiting on my Kindle and I plan on reading it shortly.

[GeonnCannon]

I hope you enjoy it! Playing with Tanis was a lot of fun, and MGM let me take a throwaway line ("...a first officer who doesn't like men") and spin it into the fact Tanis is gay. The Atlantis novels have had openly gay characters, but I think this is the first one for SG-1 and the first time a character from the show has been revealed as gay in the books. Plus I'm friends with the actor who played Tanis (Sarah Deakins) and she's just thrilled I'm keeping her alive.

[SalR323]

For any author that wants to reply:

1.) Any favorite era of either series that you prefer writing in?

2.) Any favorite iteration of the SG teams that you like working with in a story?

3.) Any characters that you enjoy writing the "voices" of in a story?

4.) Any characters that you tend to avoid using, for whatever reason?

5.) Many of you have written more than one tie-in story in the Stargate universe -- do you try to insert any particular characters (original or canon) into all of your SG stories? Example: a character named Lt. Lou Tennent is featured in the background of all of your stories, even if it's just a one line cameo.

6.) Piggy-backing on that question: is there any attempts at continuity between your own SG stories (Example: one of your novels references the events of one of your other novels) and/or the works of other Fandemonium authors (Example: since your novel and Writer X's novel are both set in Season Four, you throw in a brief allusion to something that occurred in Writer X's story)? I know this is sometimes discouraged in tie-in fiction and was just wondering if there are any Easter eggs we should keep our eyes out for.

Feel free to answer as many (or as few) as you like. Any responses are appreciated.

1) Probably no surprise to anyone who's read my stuff, but I prefer the classic SG-1 era and team - Jack, Daniel, Sam and Teal'c.

2) Ah, see above!

3) I always try to choose the right voice for the right scene, and they can all be fun to write in their different ways. I suppose I find Jack's voice the easiest to write because it's quite distinctive. I enjoy writing Daniel, because I'm generally closest to his view of the world than I am to the other three in the team, so when I write him I'm often able to channel my own opinions. I enjoy Sam's stoicism and determination to prove herself and Teal'c is always good for the outsider point of view, especially of the interpersonal relationships between the rest of the team.

Aside from SG-1, I really enjoyed writing the Wraith POV scenes in the Apocalypse trilogy. Hammond is also fun--especially when he's dealing with Jack!

4) There's nobody I avoid using, although long scenes from Teal'c's pov can be a little challenging.

5) and 6) You're right that alluding to events/characters from other books is discouraged - MGM really don't like it and have asked for it to be removed from time to time. So I tend to avoid that in books that don't form part of a series. Having said that, my SG-1 novella (Behind Enemy Lines) that's out this summer picks up after the short story "Off Balance" in the Far Horizons anthology. But we're going to include the short story in with the novella, so MGM are okay with that as readers will get a chance to read/re-read the story and won't get confused!

Thanks for the questions!

[AstraPerAspera]

For some reason, GW isn't letting me quote, so I'll try it this way...!

1.) Any favorite era of either series that you prefer writing in?

Like Sally, I'm rather partial to "classic" SG-1, pre-Season 9, with my favorite time period being Seasons 4-8. That said, I wouldn't mind taking a crack at post-S10 if I could find a good reason to reunite the original gang for an adventure!


2.) Any favorite iteration of the SG teams that you like working with in a story?

Definitely the original SG-1 team: Jack, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c--not that I have anything against Jonas, I just have never gotten a good feel for his character.


3.) Any characters that you enjoy writing the "voices" of in a story?

Well, Jack is definitely the easiest! Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the show's writers and RDA, Jack is so distinctive that it's fairly effortless to channel him. Daniel does most of his thinking out loud, so sometimes I just have to step back and let him ramble on. Teal'c can be a challenge, as he's fairly taciturn at times, so I find myself having to occasionally try to nudge him to insert himself into the conversations more, although once he does, his voice, as with Jack's, is fairly easy to tap into because of his more formal way of speaking. That leaves Sam...who oddly is the most challenging, and therefore the most gratifying when I think I've gotten her right.


4.) Any characters that you tend to avoid using, for whatever reason?

Hmm. Not really! As I said, I haven't used Jonas, but then I've not written any S6 stories either...


5.) Many of you have written more than one tie-in story in the Stargate universe -- do you try to insert any particular characters (original or canon) into all of your SG stories? Example: a character named Lt. Lou Tennent is featured in the background of all of your stories, even if it's just a one line cameo.

6.) Piggy-backing on that question: is there any attempts at continuity between your own SG stories (Example: one of your novels references the events of one of your other novels) and/or the works of other Fandemonium authors (Example: since your novel and Writer X's novel are both set in Season Four, you throw in a brief allusion to something that occurred in Writer X's story)? I know this is sometimes discouraged in tie-in fiction and was just wondering if there are any Easter eggs we should keep our eyes out for

Honestly, I didn't know that was discouraged until I read Sally's reply (you learn something new every day!). Even if it weren't, I don't think that's something I would do, personally. I really like to draw my peripheral characters from the show's canon as much as possible, and when I do create a new character for the stories, I prefer to give them a finite story arc. So sorry...no Easter Eggs from me, although I do tend to do a fair number of call-backs to events that happened in the episodes themselves!

Thanks for asking!!

[lightsyder]

Ah, sadly not. We asked MGM but apparently the rights to the story are legally tied up with another company. So no dice, I'm afraid.

Since we were talking about Unleashed, another thread has popped up asking about the timeline of events and the time travel aspects. Thought you might want to check it out. Unleashed thread

It's a shame that we wont get a resolution for the story. Stargate video games always leave us hanging...lol

The above thread spurred me to look up Sekhmut on the Stargate wiki and it says she was the source of the DNA for the Anna human / Gou'ald clone in one of the later seasons. I had totally missed that fact. Did that factor into your choice to use her for the game story? I don't think the two events contradict each other really (Sorry, I'm a continuity / timeline junky...lol).

Any chance you could post some info on how the later episodes would have played out or is that not allowed per MGM's rules?

[Lorne]

Thanks for the replies, SalR323 and AstraPerAspera!


For SalR323:

1.) When you wrote the novelization for SG:A "Rising," had you seen the pilot yet or did you only have the script to go by?

2.) Is the "Rising" novelization a straight adaptation of the pilot or were you able to add supplemental material to the story, like expanded scenes or unseen character moments?

[GeonnCannon]

For some reason, GW isn't letting me quote, so I'll try it this way...!
1.) Any favorite era of either series that you prefer writing in?
Like Sally, I'm rather partial to "classic" SG-1, pre-Season 9, with my favorite time period being Seasons 4-8.

I just want to say thank you both for this, because I think my willingness to dive into the later seasons is one reason MGM has asked me back. This way everyone's happy! It all works out in the end.