Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Ask the Authors (Fandemonium)

Collapse
This is a sticky topic.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    #16
    Sonny - thank you! That helps a lot I'm a landscape photographer, and I'd been thinking of submitting some pictures to a couple of publications. I think I'll do just that!

    Thanks again
    sigpic
    Part 2 coming very soon!! (this is a fic btw, not the Fandemonium novel)

    Comment


      #17
      All right, Sonny, I'm here, but if I get nothing accomplished tonight, I'm blaming you. And I'm forum-illiterate, so bear with me ...

      Hi, all -- I'm Beth, Sonny's occasional partner in crime. Since she's already given you the basics on how I got involved with the Stargate novels (summary: Sonny is the coolest person on Earth for bringing me in on the fun), I'll simply fill in a couple of details:

      The reason Sonny mentioned Wright-Patterson AFB in conjunction with me is that I work there; I'm a civilian engineer for the U.S. Air Force. Not a surprise that I'd be intrigued by a show where the heroes (okay, some of the heroes) wear USAF blue. Beyond that, I love the irreverence of these shows. I'm impressed by the balance of drama and humor, and I really like the fact that the characters are human enough to make pop-culture references or give blank looks to techno-babble every so often.

      (Brief digression: you guys have character smilies here? Those are adorable! Good lord, there's even a Wraith smiley ... I'm far too amused by this, but damn, those are cute.)

      With regard to writing with a partner: Sonny and I have a great setup, because we have complementary strengths. She's a master at devising complex plots and mapping out action sequences, while I focus more on characterization and dialogue. And we have a built-in sanity check for each other's work, which results in a better product when it reaches the editors.

      Because characterization is a priority of mine, I'll echo what Karen said above (nice to sort of meet you, Karen!). We have a responsibility to keep canon in the novels, both fact-wise and character-wise, if that makes sense. A lot of readers have an incredible eye for detail, and we want them to be drawn in by the story, not stopping to think, "But didn't McKay say in 'Redemption' that he wanted to be a pianist, not a pediatrician?" We don't want anything to detract from people's enjoyment of the book.

      It can be tough to keep track of 9+ seasons of SG-1 and 2+ of Atlantis, but it's part of the job. And what a terrific job it is.

      Sabine, hope the massive home improvement project is going well ... and Sonny, I have work to do, and you know I have work to do, so I'll sign off for now.

      Thanks for opening this thread -- glad to be here!

      Beth
      Beth
      http://www.elizabethchristensen.com
      http://www.stargatenovels.com

      Comment


        #18
        And right back at you, Beth! Congrats on doing such a fine job launching your career as a novelist. One of these days we all have to meet up in the same room together, I swear!

        Re: hard characters to write. Well, if I can answer that back to front, I've always had an affinity with Jack because we've got a lot of similiarities, personality-wise. I too am a crusty snarky curmudgeon.

        What I found when writing Alliances, which of course should've been obvious but wasn't until hindsight kicked in, is that Teal'c is a very tough character to put down on paper. He's such a formidable presence on screen, even when he's not saying anything he's so forcefully there, with a look or an eyebrow lift or a glint in the eye, he's so profoundly visual -- and you kind of take that for granted as a viewer. But that incredible visual presence doesn't translate so well when it comes to capturing him two-dimensionally on the page. And when you add that to the fact he's not exactly verbose ... suddenly you've got a real challenge on your hands! Fingers crossed I've done him some justice, because he's one cool guy.
        http://www.karenmiller.net
        http://karenmiller.livejournal.com

        Comment


          #19
          Originally posted by dipsofjazz
          Is there any character you find difficult to write, or do you find them all easy since we know them so well from the show?
          Good question—again! Is that a habit or something?

          I don’t think any one character is easier or harder. They all have their moments—especially Teal’c, when he suddenly starts sounding like Spock… but I digress. ‘Getting’ them is a question of practice, I guess. If I look at my very early fanfics I want to cringe, because the voices are so obviously wrong in so many places—especially Teal’c, but then, back then he didn’t get to say a whole heck of a lot, poor thing. So the trick is writing them, and writing them, and then writing them some more.

          I also believe it depends on the situation and what you want to achieve. For instance, where it comes to drama and angst and what-have-you, I find Jack very, very easy to write—funnily enough for pretty much the same reasons as Karen Totally different ballgame with those one-liners, though. It’s partly to do with comedy being an amazingly difficult discipline for starters, but the fact that RDA’s comic timing and delivery are superb doesn’t really help. Because, basically, if you’re writing one-liners for Jack, you have to recreate the delivery without having the benefit of the actor’s performance… Gee! Thanks, Rick!

          Having said that, it’s huge fun, and actually getting it right and knowing you got it right feels pretty darn good.

          In other news: Evenin', Beth! Nice to see you join us Karen, can't wait to read Alliances! And Sonny, no diving until the house is finished. Tomorrow I'll start on the siding

          Comment


            #20
            I was wondering how involved you all are in each others novels? Reading the acknowledgements in the novesl, alot of folk seem to all thank Tom or Sally but how involved are you all in helping your fellow authors get through the novel? Do you provide second opinions, a proof reading eye?

            And another one for Sonny. Along side Sally, you're the only writer present who has written a novel for Atlantis and for SG1. What are the differences for writting for the two franchises?

            Thanks to the mod who stickied this BTW.
            sigpic
            Stargate Destiny - Coming Again Soon

            Comment


              #21
              Wow, this is turning into quite the party. Did anyone bring beer?

              Hello to Sabine and Beth! What with Karen and Sonny too, I feel like I'm surrounded by talented ladies...

              Originally posted by sueKay
              To all the authors: How were your first forays into the world of Stargate, and what published writing have you done before?
              My first fictional piece of 'Gatery was the short story 'Choices' in the SG magazine, a little mood-piece/flashback about Aiden Ford, but before that I'd done coverage of the show in journalist mode for a few media magazines. One of my coolest experiences was the time I got to spend on the SG-1 set back when they were shooting 'Double Jeopardy', interviewing cast & crew and generally just geeking out on the whole thing...

              As for my other writing; I originally started out as a media journalist working for magazines like SFX, Starlog, Star Trek Monthly and the like, but I always had a hankering to be a creative writer. I got my big break when I sold two stories to Star Trek Voyager (which became the episodes 'One' and 'Memorial') and in recent years I've shifted more into writing novels, short fiction and scripts.
              Halcyon, my Atlantis novel, is my fourteenth book; I've written stuff as diverse as steampunk westerns for teens, Doctor Who audio drama, videogame scripts, movie novelisations and gothic science fiction - check out my bibliography Here.

              Originally posted by Elite Anubis Guard
              How did you all get involved in writing for Fandemonium?
              I called them up and said "hey, you guys looking for any writers?"

              Originally posted by dipsofjazz
              I would like to know how difficult it is to stick to the show canon in your stories. If you get a great idea do you then have to cut it because, say, Jack would be out of character?
              This is part and parcel of writing in an established universe. You have to stick to canon as closely as you can, because any tie-in book has to serve the source material (in this case, the TV shows), not the other way around. Simply put, if a character acts out of character, unless there's a good explanation for it (taken over by a Goa'uld, replaced by evil twin, etc.) it shouldn't go in the story.

              Originally posted by dipsofjazz
              Is there any character you find difficult to write, or do you find them all easy since we know them so well from the show?
              With the Atlantis crew, I felt like I *got* them all, but some made me work a little hard than others. I found Teyla and Weir challenging beacuse I think both of them have depths that haven't been explored enough on the TV show yet.

              These are all great questions, thanks!

              Out Now:
              Stargate Universe: Air, Stargate Atlantis: Nightfall, Stargate SG-1: Relativity and Stargate Atlantis: Halcyon (from Fandemonium Books)
              Stargate SG-1: Half Life, Stargate SG-1: First Prime, Stargate Atlantis: Zero Point and Stargate SG-1: Shell Game (from Big Finish Productions)
              "Outsiders" (Stargate: The Official Magazine #20), "Choices" (Stargate: The Official Magazine #10)
              ---------------------------------------------------
              Twitter

              Comment


                #22
                Tee hee! James and his harem ...

                At this point the only other author I've consulted with is Sally. I'm only just meeting these folk now, but who knows what the future holds?
                http://www.karenmiller.net
                http://karenmiller.livejournal.com

                Comment


                  #23
                  Hi! First off, let me say that I admire all of you for your talentand your tenacity to stick with it.

                  As to a question, I was wondering if there was one scene above all others (in either show) you wish you could re-write, what would it be and why?

                  Thanks for visiting us and answering our questions too. Very cool!
                  sigpic
                  My LJ & Fics * Proud Member of W.A.S.P. * Pay It Forward

                  Comment


                    #24
                    I'm as excited to be in this thread as a fan at a con! Thanks, authors, for taking the time to talk to us.

                    Can you give us a rough estimate of your novel's journeys from Fandemonium's acceptance of your outlines to their publication?
                    Gracie

                    A Cherokee elder sitting with his grandchildren told them,
                    "In every life there is a terrible fight – a fight between two wolves.
                    One is evil: he is fear, anger, envy, greed, arrogance, self-pity,
                    resentment, and deceit. The other is good: joy, serenity, humility,
                    confidence, generosity, truth, gentleness, and compassion."
                    A child asked, "Grandfather, which wolf will win?"
                    The elder looked the child in the eye. "The one you feed."


                    Comment


                      #25
                      Hello there, James! Great to meet you!

                      Originally posted by KarenMiller
                      Tee hee! James and his harem ...
                      And thanks Karen! I now have visions of poor James in baggy, flimsy pants and a turban surrounded by the lot of us in same (which, in my case, is not something to wear around the water cooler, let me tell ya!). My life will never be the same again.

                      Originally posted by Elite Anubis Guard
                      I was wondering how involved you all are in each others novels? Reading the acknowledgements in the novesl, alot of folk seem to all thank Tom or Sally but how involved are you all in helping your fellow authors get through the novel? Do you provide second opinions, a proof reading eye?
                      I’m actually in a really privileged position here, because, yes, I do. I’m lucky enough to know—though in most cases not face to face—just about everybody, with the exception of Karen and James whom I only met here.

                      Up until about eighteen months ago, I lived in London and Sally (who’s a terrific lady and great fun) and I had an initial meeting that very quickly developed (or should that be deteriorated? ) into a monthly girls’ night out at that neat Turkish place in Covent Garden. At some point she asked me if I would be interested in editing her books, and I jumped to the chance—hey! It’s a great way of getting sneak previews! It kind of grew from there, and I ended up editing Reliquary and meeting Martha, Exogenesis by Sonny and Beth (the manuscript of The Chosen I proofread for the sheer fun of it), and Siren Song by Holly and Jaimie—who are terrific writers and, again, major fun to hang around with. I also know Julie, who wrote Sacrifice Moon, is an absolute riot, and whose Weather Warden series (which she publishes as Rachel Caine) has to be one of my all-time favorite reads. So, as I said I do feel very privileged to know all these very talented people and, in some cases, actually have a chance to work with them.

                      Originally posted by Tok'Ra Hostess
                      Can you give us a rough estimate of your novel's journeys from Fandemonium's acceptance of your outlines to their publication?
                      Not sure if you mean time-wise or in terms of process, Tok'Ra Hostess. Time-wise, I'm probably the slowest ever—okay, I had an excuse for Survival: emigrating halfway through a book does kinda put a spanner in the works, but I didn't have much choice in the matter—whereas Julie or Sonny and Beth write so fast it makes your head spin.

                      In terms of process, roughly what happens is that, after the outline has been accepted, not only by Fandemonium but also by MGM (basically for them to make sure that it's within canon, does not conflict with upcoming episodes etc), you get cracking. After a while, Sally or Tom will come knocking on your figurative door and ask in a nice, unthreatening manner if you think you'll be finished on the deadline you've agreed on. Unless you're me, you'll say yes, and they wander off again, happy. Once the manuscript is finished, it goes to Fandemonium's editor. The editing process takes a couple of weeks or so, then you get back the MS and start on the revisions. Only after you and Fandemonium are happy with the revised version, the manuscript goes to MGM, where it'll be checked again for canon, style, rating, copyright issues etc. When MGM is happy, Fandemonium can go ahead and do the galleys, which then go back to the author for a final check-up (during which you'll always miss at least one typo, I promise ) And after that, at last, it'll go to the printers. So as you can see, it's a pretty complicated and involved process.

                      Comment


                        #26
                        Originally posted by Sabine Bauer
                        Up until about eighteen months ago, I lived in London and Sally (who’s a terrific lady and great fun) and I had an initial meeting that very quickly developed (or should that be deteriorated? ) into a monthly girls’ night out at that neat Turkish place in Covent Garden. At some point she asked me if I would be interested in editing her books, and I jumped to the chance—hey! It’s a great way of getting sneak previews! It kind of grew from there, and I ended up editing Reliquary and meeting Martha, Exogenesis by Sonny and Beth (the manuscript of The Chosen I proofread for the sheer fun of it), and Siren Song by Holly and Jaimie—who are terrific writers and, again, major fun to hang around with. I also know Julie, who wrote Sacrifice Moon, is an absolute riot, and whose Weather Warden series (which she publishes as Rachel Caine) has to be one of my all-time favorite reads. So, as I said I do feel very privileged to know all these very talented people and, in some cases, actually have a chance to work with them.
                        Didn't you write the first novel in the series though....?
                        sigpic
                        Stargate Destiny - Coming Again Soon

                        Comment


                          #27
                          Originally posted by Elite Anubis Guard
                          Didn't you write the first novel in the series though....?
                          Indeed

                          And the seventh The editing is an additional hat, which I hadn't banked on at all and which I'm enjoying immensely because, as with everything in this business, I find I'm learning an awful lot. Plus, I'm lucky enough to work with people who have the same, slightly bizarre sense of humor

                          Comment


                            #28
                            Hi everyone

                            Didn't want to be the odd one out, so I thought I'd pop in and say hello...

                            I'm Sally Malcolm (aka Reeve), author of the SG-1 books A Matter of Honor and The Cost of Honor, and the novelization of Rising, the SGA pilot.

                            If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask away! I like to talk. In the meantime:

                            Originally Posted by sueKay
                            To all the authors: How were your first forays into the world of Stargate, and what published writing have you done before?
                            My first venture into Stargate was through writing (a lot of) fan fiction! But prior to these novels my only published writing was journalistic.

                            Originally Posted by Elite Anubis Guard
                            How did you all get involved in writing for Fandemonium?
                            I'm one of the directors of Fandemonium, so...

                            Originally Posted by dipsofjazz
                            I would like to know how difficult it is to stick to the show canon in your stories. If you get a great idea do you then have to cut it because, say, Jack would be out of character?
                            It's very subjective, and some readers might disagree with me, but I don't think I find it hard to stick to show canon. My thought process tends to start with the characters, rather than the plot, so I've never found myself thinking 'wouldn't it be cool if X happened, but darn it Jack would never do that'. I tend to think things like 'I'd love to see Jack deal with the aftermath of Abyss' and then work out a plot to make that happen. Hope that makes sense!

                            Originally Posted by dipsofjazz
                            Is there any character you find difficult to write, or do you find them all easy since we know them so well from the show?
                            I feel that I know the SG-1 characters very well indeed, and by and large I think I have a good handle on their voices and characters. But if I had to pick one of the team I think I'd have to say I find Carter the hardest to write. Much as I love the character, Sam keeps her cards close to her chest which makes her difficult to read at times. I hope I get her right, but I believe some might think I write her a little too emotionally.

                            Aside from Rising, which was a completely different experience, my first foray into writing the Atlantis characters is in a short story called "The Companion" which will shortly appear in the Official Magazine. I have to say, it was a lot of fun writing for characters I was so much less familiar with - but also a little scary!

                            Thanks for the great questions!

                            Sally

                            Comment


                              #29
                              Well hello Sally. Here's a Q just for you. What was it like novelizing Rising? How different was it to the "Matter Of.." novels? Well..apart from being a helluva lot shorter and more expensive to buy lol.
                              sigpic
                              Stargate Destiny - Coming Again Soon

                              Comment


                                #30
                                Originally posted by SalR323
                                Hi everyone

                                Didn't want to be the odd one out, so I thought I'd pop in and say hello...

                                I'm Sally Malcolm (aka Reeve), author of the SG-1 books A Matter of Honor and The Cost of Honor, and the novelization of Rising, the SGA pilot.

                                Aside from Rising, which was a completely different experience, my first foray into writing the Atlantis characters is in a short story called "The Companion" which will shortly appear in the Official Magazine. I have to say, it was a lot of fun writing for characters I was so much less familiar with - but also a little scary!

                                Thanks for the great questions!

                                Sally
                                I bought the novelization of Rising just so I could ahve the complete collection of SGA novels (so far). I actually found that i enjoyed the read quite a bit.

                                My question: When writing the novelization how much leeway were you given to further develop the scenes and characters?

                                I thought you did a great job capturing certain moments much better in the book than the pilot did.
                                sigpic

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X