Why Does D.C. Fontana Never Speak About Trek?

I have never seen any interviews with D.C. Fontana that were published in the last ten-twenty years.

Does she not like to talk about Trek?

And:

Has she ever written anything about her experiences?

 

She did an interview for the TAS DVD set, and that only came out a few years ago.

 

There's a whole featurette named after her on the "Star Trek Remastered" DVD set! It's an interview called "Writer's Notebook - D.C. Fontana". I really respect how much experience she has with Star Trek, her enthusiasm about Star Trek, and the fact that she's done so much great writing in different Star Trek shows. I was very happy to read an interview where she said how much she loved DS9 for the excellent characters and character development.

 

Alright, we've established that she does talk Star Trek. However, one must also realize that there is a lot more to her life than just this one show. I know as proud as I am about certain accomplishments in my life, at times I get tired of talking about them, too. Especially if I've been talking about them for 40 years.
I know I went to a lecture she gave at my university some years ago, and she gave the entire talk without mentioning Star Trek. Her talk was about screen writing, and it was very interesting and informative.
At the end, when someone did mention Trek, she was quite happy and accomodating to answer any and all questions.

 

To be fair, in Philadelphia in 1976, I did see a drunken fistfight start over matter-antimatter cold intermix...

 

Reminds me of the time Leonard Nimoy spoke at my college back in the eighties. The poor guy was trying to promote his tv show, IN SEARCH OF, which he was heavily involved with at the time, but every time he took a question from the audience, it was about Spock and STAR TREK. He was gracious about it, but it must have been kind of frustrating. (I don't think anybody asked a question about IN SEARCH OF all night!)

 

The exception that proves the rule. It's just too much trouble for me to change my signature, so it stays.

 

Has she seen the movie? I'd be curious to hear her take on it.

 

D.C. also (co-?)wrote the story for the "Star Trek: Legacy" game. That was only, what, two years ago?

Everything I've ever read about her contributions to TOS and TNG make me think she is due a lot of credit that she doesn't get. For that, she could (and I'm not saying she necessarily is) be a bit weary of talking Trek too much.

Me too.

 

Not her best work IMO, but we can forgive her this time I think

Interesting how many of the top flight episodes were written by D.C. - we owe her a lot, and it would have been fascinating to see how a Justman-produced, Fontana-script edited third season might have turned out.

 

I would be surprised if D.C. Fontana would feel good about how her work was taken by the new Star Trek production... haven't heard any kudos from JJ or Orci/Kurtzman for DC... let alone any remuneration for basically lifting a couple of her scenes for the movie... And next week comes more rip off of DC, "Land of the Lost"... yet, DC is never mentioned as a creative force for that either... I would think she would be feeling a bit dejected.

 

It's weird. As a struggling writer, I know that my mindset right now is geared towards the idea that I would be incredibly grateful to have that one thing that managed to break through into the world and make an impact, even change a few lives for the better (which I believe Star Trek did). But at the same time, I know that as an artist I would be frustrated to find my efforts to tell new stories beyond that one moment of brilliance being met with indifference or entirely too much dedication to that one moment of brilliance.

If that makes sense.

The closest I can come to it can be drawn from my experience writing stage plays. The first one I ever wrote was a pretty decent hit, seeing productions in Chicago, Philadelphia, my old high school and a prestigious theater festival in Richmond. At certain points, it was even very nearly adapted into both comic book and short film form. I spent a good couple of years after that focusing my time and energy on other plays, some of which were far and away (in my opinion) much better than that first effort. But I could never get any of them out the door. The only luck I ever had with stage plays always came back to that first one.

It's nothing on the level of Fontana or Nimoy, so I guess that's why my mind still has this idea that having one thing hit people on the level that Star Trek has wouldn't be so bad.

Not that they seem bitter about it or anything.

I've since moved on to writing screenplays in the scriptwriting field, but I still occasionally try to shop my stage plays around.

The play saw its biggest success over five years ago. It's still probably the biggest hit I've had as a writer. And in those cases, when enough time passes, you do begin to fear that you only had the one good moment in you.

Again, it's weird.

 

Trek XI borrowing? D.C. Fontana stories

Please tell us which scenes in ST:XI and which stories/episodes from DC Fontana were used.
Details please. Sources?

 

Re: Trek XI borrowing? D.C. Fontana stories

Scenes from "Yesteryear" come to mind when Spock's childhood is explored in the new movie.

 

Re: Trek XI borrowing? D.C. Fontana stories

I checked Memory Alpha.

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Yesteryear

 

Well barnaclelapse, there's no accounting for taste! Success is a kind of alchemy, and those in the business all their lives still don't know, exactly, what makes a hit a hit. That's why you see so many duplications, and yet, some new blood comes along and changes the game with a low-budget wonder, and a story that resonates.

Congratulations on your success!

In fact, you do see a lot of Trek actors bucking against being typecast. Goes with the territory. As for writers, they are too often the last to get recognized!

DC Fontana is a great storyteller. I love her episodes.

 

Didn't she also co-create TNG with Roddenberry, Justman, and Gerrold, for which no0ne of them (aside from Roddenberry) got any credit?

Fontana on canon:

 

Not surprising. I mean, he's been in other shows and movies but does anyone really remember? Spock is the most dominant.


Just like the guy from the Mac commercials. He's been in movies but people always say "hey, you're the guy from the Mac commercials!!"