We have actual writers here...

[stonester1]

You know who they are. Many of them play with us here, and I think that's very cool. Most of them write Trek. But I'd like to hear from them what other universes would they like to play in?

I would like to see the writers doing Vanguard write Babylon 5 stories, for example.

I'd like to see Christopher write a Star Wars novel.

I've never seen Diane Duane here, but I think she would write some bitchin' Farscape.

Diane Carey? Firefly would be a natural for her.

And any of them I'd like to see tackle Doctor Who.

 

[captcalhoun]

someone already posted this idea in the Trek Lit forum, you should have a look at the thread, as several of the writers responded.

 

[Lonemagpie]

And any of them I'd like to see tackle Doctor Who.

Been there, done that...

I'd love to do Star Wars or James Bond (but the latter will certainly never happen so long as they're going with big-name guest thriller writers. Speaking of which, they need to get Lee Child to do one)

I'd also love do something with Saints Row... And lots of other things

 

[DS9Continuing]

Looking through a sci-fi bookstore in Brighton recently (or was it Stockholm? I'm so cosmopolitan I get them mixed up) I looked through the shelves of non-Trek books, and saw a surprising number of familiar names. I guess sci-fi tie-in writing is a transferrable skill. But if you can make a career out of it, why the hell not?

.

 

[Greg Cox]

Well, this question has come up before, but I'll play again. Although I've written for plenty of series, I would love to do something with the Universal Monsters--and I still regret that I never got a chance to write a full-length XENA novel. (Although I did squeeze in a short story.) PLANET OF THE APES is another franchise that I've yet to get my opposing thumbs on . . . .

PRIMEVAL would be fun, too.

 

[Christopher]

I'd like to see Christopher write a Star Wars novel.

Only if I could do it without the "Wars" part. I don't do war stories.

I'd like to do Stargate or Doctor Who.

 

[Greg Cox]

I guess sci-fi tie-in writing is a transferrable skill.

Oh, definitely. The same basic skills apply regardless of whether you're doing Terminator or CSI: you need to be able to work with licensors, learn the ins-and-outs of a fictional universe, mimic the voices of the characters, and meet your (often stringent) deadlines.

Personally, I like the variety. I've been a Trekkie my whole life, but I'd go nuts if I wrote nothing but "shields down forty-percent!" all the time. Thanks to my tie-in work, I've written science fiction, horror, murder mysteries, spy thrillers, even a historical romance. No westerns yet, but that's probably only a matter of time!

(Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind doing a CONAN novel as well. Sword-and-sorcery is another genre I have yet to explore in a big way.)

 

[Lonemagpie]

No westerns yet, but that's probably only a matter of time!

I'd love to do a Western...

 

[Captain Craig]

No westerns yet, but that's probably only a matter of time!

I'd love to do a Western...

This is going to sound ignorant, cause on this question I am, but how do you guys/gals write and get published?
I'd guess you have material sitting around you'd like to publish but no one's interested? Do you have a contract with a publisher and they farm out ideas or franchises to you? You then research and write?
So if you'd like to do a Western is it cause your publisher doesn't have one they want or cause you don't have a story in mind yourself? Same for any, just using this as my springboard to pose the question.

 

[Greg Cox]

Good questions. Where the tie-in work is concerned, the books are commissioned by the publishers, working in conjunction with the movie and tv people. One of the reasons you keep seeing the same names is that editors naturally tend to hire people who have experience writing tie-ins and whom they've worked with successfully before. Generally speaking, one does NOT sit down and write a SPIDER-MAN novel and THEN try to get it published (although this is a common misconception). It's more like I get a call from one of my editors along the lines of, "We need a new SPIDER-MAN book by April. What's your schedule like?"

In terms of figuring out the plot, sometimes the editors or licensors may already have an idea for a story. Other times, it's more vague. ("We need a VOYAGER outline by Thursday.")

Typically, you write a twelve-page outline first, get it approved by the movie or tv people, then start writing the actual book . . . .

Hope this answers your questions.

 

[Mistral]

No westerns yet, but that's probably only a matter of time!

I'd love to do a Western...

Maybe you could fix Cowboys and Aliens?

 

[Lonemagpie]

No westerns yet, but that's probably only a matter of time!

I'd love to do a Western...

Maybe you could fix Cowboys and Aliens?

Actually I was thinking more Red Dead...

 

[Greg Cox]

I'd love to do a Western...

Maybe you could fix Cowboys and Aliens?

Actually I was thinking more Red Dead...

I see that Hell on Wheels has been picked up for a second season. Maybe somebody will do book tie-ins?

Meanwhile, Titan is doing Spartacus books these days. Those could be fun.

 

[Captain Craig]

Good questions. Where the tie-in work is concerned, the books are commissioned by the publishers, working in conjunction with the movie and tv people. One of the reasons you keep seeing the same names is that editors naturally tend to hire people who have experience writing tie-ins and whom they've worked with successfully before. Generally speaking, one does NOT sit down and write a SPIDER-MAN novel and THEN try to get it published (although this is a common misconception). It's more like I get a call from one of my editors along the lines of, "We need a new SPIDER-MAN book by April. What's your schedule like?"

In terms of figuring out the plot, sometimes the editors or licensors may already have an idea for a story. Other times, it's more vague. ("We need a VOYAGER outline by Thursday.")

Typically, you write a twelve-page outline first, get it approved by the movie or tv people, then start writing the actual book . . . .

Hope this answers your questions.

Yes, it did, thanks. That was about what I thought how it might come down.

Speaking of are you doing an Underworld Awakening adaptation?

 

[Greg Cox]

Speaking of are you doing an Underworld Awakening adaptation?

Unfortunately, there are no plans to novelize the new movie. I'm disappointed, of course, but looking forward to seeing the movie anyway. And, for once, I won't have read the script first!

Kind of hard to avoid spoilers when you're writing the novelization!

(Thanks for asking, btw.)

 

[Lonemagpie]

I see that Hell on Wheels has been picked up for a second season. Maybe somebody will do book tie-ins?

Don't know anything about that one - it hasn't even debuted over here...

ETA - taking a quick look at Wikipedia, I see TCM here will be airing it in 2012, but no specific date. Cast looks pretty good, though the premise reminds me too much of Blazing Saddles!

 

[JD]

I'd also love do something with Saints Row... And lots of other things

Actually I was thinking more Red Dead...

With all of the game franchises getting novels now, I wouldn't be surprised if these two did happen in the near future.

Well, this question has come up before, but I'll play again. Although I've written for plenty of series, I would love to do something with the Universal Monsters--and I still regret that I never got a chance to write a full-length XENA novel. (Although I did squeeze in a short story.) PLANET OF THE APES is another franchise that I've yet to get my opposing thumbs on . . . .

PRIMEVAL would be fun, too.

This actually brings up a barely related question for me. I know the we've had several British (and at least one Scottish that I know of) novelists do Trek, so I was wondering, have any American novelists done any of the British franchises (DW/TW, Blake's 7, Primeval, ect.)?

 

[Gothowitz]

Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind doing a CONAN novel as well. Sword-and-sorcery is another genre I have yet to explore in a big way.

Mr. Cox, have you considered exploring Kull of Atlantis instead?

As REH's pre-Conan much is transferable with less problems linking X to Y in the bibliograpichal sense as little is known about the character.

Dark Horse comics is publishing an ongoing loose-chronological Kull adaptation and is currently on issue #11 with one more issue to finish the adaptation of The Cat and the Skull before presumably moving on to The Skull of Silence.

I believe Del Rey has publication rights for Kull. Since I'm unaware of any Kull novel pastiches, it might be an interesting niche to develop as an author with far less fan scrutiny and criticism.
DHC might be of some assistance in determining if a market is there based on sales of their Kull adaptation.

Maybe something to consider?
Has the time for new Kull stories finally come around?

With your history of Khan: in many ways a "modern day" Kull or Conan, it might be especially appropriate for you.

 

[Greg Cox]

^ Actually, what I'd really like to do is Solomon Kane. But, aside from reprinting the REH originals, publishers havely largely left Kane and Kull alone. I mentioned CONAN mostly because there's a long history of new authors adding to CONAN saga.

(It's a small world, though. I actually edited the novelization of KULL THE CONQUEROR way back when.)

 

[Christopher]

This actually brings up a barely related question for me. I know the we've had several British (and at least one Scottish that I know of) novelists do Trek, so I was wondering, have any American novelists done any of the British franchises (DW/TW, Blake's 7, Primeval, ect.)?

Our own KRAD has written two works of Doctor Who short fiction, "UNITed We Fall" and "Life from Lifelessness," and edited the DW anthology Short Trips: The Quality of Leadership, which in turn includes stories by several American writers including Peter David, Allyn Gibson, Terri Osborne, Richard C. White, and John S. Drew (and US native/Ireland resident Diane Duane).