^ He was projecting his wishful thinking for the series run on NBC
I believe his full-length report mentioned a "Herb from NBC", who bore a striking resemblance to 20th Century performer Elliott Gould.
--Ted
Writing a Trek novel...
- Thread starter Joel_Kirk
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I believe his full-length report mentioned a "Herb from NBC", who bore a striking resemblance to 20th Century performer Elliott Gould.
--Ted
Given how much the whole thing was made up as they went, I profoundly doubt that he had any thoughts about the overall standard practices for the fleet at large. But the concept predates the opening narration. His original 1964 format contains an "excerpt" from Captain April's orders stating that the mission of the Yorktown (as it was then known) was "Galaxy exploration and Class M investigation: 5 years." And as Dayton says, that figure was probably chosen based on the hoped-for lifespan of a network television series, rather than having any detailed in-universe worldbuilding behind it.
You haven't read Lord of the Rings yet? It's a must read. Go get it as soon as you can!
It also should be the great ideal as to how a great novel should be crafted, and how detailed a universe should be created. Just once I'd like to see an author put as much effort into a Star Trek novel as Tolkien put into Lord of the Rings.
Hahahaha....
I actually read The Hobbit way back in....elementary school? (I recently read an excerpt from the same book for a creative writing class: Science Fiction and Fantasy).
I owned the other books, but never really read them.
I understand Tolkien literally created his world: The maps, the languages, etc...
Well, you're basically showing that you can write.
If you write a strong plot and outline, you may be able to get it published eventually when/if they take you on.
I find the guidelines similar to the premises in the Fanfiction area, or the premises given to students in writing classes. (I still say it's about bringing something new to the table).
Looking back at the older Trek books, I find most of the stories involve the ENT breaking up two factions battling one another; the novel Troublesome Minds even does that. (My proposal even does that, even though it doesn't take place in TOS...lol)
I would like to come up with another premise, but I guess my task is how to make a new spin on the premise, and find some creative manner to present the story.
And most importantly, have fun doing it....
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Not really nice...
...and totally uninformed.
The Hobbit is supposed to be a childrens book. The Lord of the Rings is the sequel and a whole different pair of shoes.
Indeed, Roddenberry has a line in his novelization of TMP, that Kirk's Enterprise 5YM was the first time a starship had returned with the ship and crew "relatively intact".
I don't know why Kirk's second mission had to be also five years. Maybe it was just an open-ended set of missions?
I don't understand...
Yeah, I remember reading something like that. The Hobbit wasn't exactly connected to The Lord of the Rings until later...
But still, Tolkien created a world all on his own. (I understand he was an linguist, so he was able to create the languages that people could actually speak)....
Pretty interesting...
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Honestly, if you want to shake things up, tie-in writing is not the way to go. The Star Trek franchise can be more permissive than most, but, generally, most licensors prefer you follow the example of Smokey the Bear and leave the campground exactly the way you found it.
Wanting to put your own unique stamp on an ongoing franchise is just going to scare editors away . . . .
Sorry about that. But I suspect that the understandable desire to have a lasting impact on one's favorite universe is what trips up a lot of would-be Trek writers. In general, that's the one thing you DON'T want to do . . . .
Sorry about that. But I suspect that the understandable desire to have a lasting impact on one's favorite universe is what trips up a lot of would-be Trek writers. In general, that's the one thing you DON'T want to do . . . .
No problem, Greg.
Although, I do have a question:
Let's say a writer has a certain style or attributes, but he or she is able to stay within the bounds of what Trek is about.
Wouldn't that be permissible as long as the story still feels like a Trek story?
[I'm asking this in regards to the newbies, like myself, trying to break in; and, hypothetically, if I were to write one or two entries that are stand-alone or part of a series].
For instance, I read 'Nightshade' expecting something typical of Laurell K. Hamilton, something that would have her stamp on it (and this was before Anita Blake and Meredith Gentry)...but it was somewhat of a typical TNG story....[albeit a story I would probably read again].
Of course, the current Trek authors seem to have their own styles...
Of course. Plenty of Trek writers have their own characteristic styles and storytelling approaches. That kind of individuality is exactly the sort of thing I'd imagine the editors are looking for -- someone who stands out from the crowd and does something distinctive.
Indeed, that might even be part of the reason why the guidelines are so specific in what they permit -- so that there's kind of a consistent baseline for all the submissions, to make it easier to compare them to each other and see who really stands out in terms of style and creativity.
Well, as you say, Nightshade was one of her earliest works of fiction (her second novel), so maybe she hadn't yet developed what's now recognized as her distinctive voice.
That's another reason I enjoyed SNW so much. I got to name Scotty's mother and sister, and Paris & Janeway's lizard kids.
Not that they'll stick throughout Trek Lit ... but they're in print at least once.
--Ted
Just to be clear, I was mostly talking about plot, not style. If you're just starting out, you're not going to be able to marry off Chekov, blow up Bajor, or give Guinan a hitherto-unmentioned twin sister . . . .
You have better odds if you stick to the guidelines and don't try to overturn the Star Trek universe.
You have better odds if you stick to the guidelines and don't try to overturn the Star Trek universe.
^Yeah, you're not a David Mack.
Seeing that the entire tie-in literature is "overturning" the universe by introducing new ships and characters like Titan, Vanguard, Excalibur, making Ezri Dax captain, killing off Janeway, having a huge Borg invasion, and so forth... stuff that makes good stories because there are actual character arcs that don't end up where they began, unlike a regular episode where nothing changes at all and where nothing can be at stake for the regular cast members.
I just find it hard to believe that they'd actually throw it away without reading just because it's not 100% fitting the guidelines. You can't even submit for Titan, or any TNG era story set after Nemesis. Not to mention the big gap between TOS and TNG where there would be decades to fill with new stories.
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Well, that explains the rejection of my last 217 pitches to Pocket ... although my story about Bajor disappearing ("Wake Me When the Planet Gets Back") was a runner-up in SNW two years in a row.
--Ted
And if you can't give Guinan a never before mentioned sister, then you also can't give Riker a never before mentioned lover who has an actual impact on him.
I wonder if a story like Pegasus would work. Dark secrets in Rikers past, introducing Federation cloaking technology... no, wouldn't work either.
I wonder if a story like Pegasus would work. Dark secrets in Rikers past, introducing Federation cloaking technology... no, wouldn't work either.
Again, you're forgetting that the guidelines are an audition process for new authors, to test your ability to follow a set of instructions and work within other people's limits -- both necessary skills in the tie-in business. As I've said before, you're not trying to sell them a particular story, you're trying to sell yourself, to prove your ability as a writer and your ability to follow instructions. The outline you submit through the guideline process is a demo, an illustration of your skills and discipline. If you're good enough to pass the audition, then you're good enough to come up with more ideas than just the one. And once you've proven yourself to the editors, once you've shown you can master the basics, that's when you get the chance to pitch stories that aren't bound by the guidelines.
It's no different from applying for any other kind of job. They don't just set you loose and let you do whatever you want. First you have to prove yourself by passing whatever tests they set you, demonstrating that you can master the basics. In a job interview, for example, there are certain expectations of dress and demeanor, certain standard questions they'll ask you and that you'll need to answer in a way that satisfies them; you can't just come in wearing whatever you feel like and tell them "We're going to talk about what I want to talk about."
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