New Writer, New Series
- Thread starter smeos
- Start date
Because I'm bored, I decided to cast some of the supporting characters.
Adm. Willy Hoyt - Morgan Freeman
Cmdr. Nathan Greenwald - David Morse
Maj. Gen. Arthur F. McAuliffe (forthcoming) - Brian Cox
Dr. Lawrence Potter - Wallace Shawn
Captain Alyssa Rhodes - Laura Linney
Adm. Willy Hoyt - Morgan Freeman
Cmdr. Nathan Greenwald - David Morse
Maj. Gen. Arthur F. McAuliffe (forthcoming) - Brian Cox
Dr. Lawrence Potter - Wallace Shawn
Captain Alyssa Rhodes - Laura Linney
Just completed Archangel myself--sorry it's taken so long, but it's been a busy time for me as well. Echoing CeJay, you do a very good job with your characterizations and your plot weaving--I think those are your strong points. The fact that Baxter smokes cigars doesn't bother me--I have a feeling that once anticarcinogen drugs and other such come into being and should they find a way to genetically modify tobacco to reduce its harmful effects, that particular vice will find a way to come back--human beings--even in the enlightened 24th century--will find a way to satisfy their vices--after all, it's human.
It's next to impossible not to avoid 20th/21st century references as that is what we are most familiar with and that isn't necessarily a bad thing as CeJay pointed out. I like the idea of a civilian Federation law enforcement body and believe very strongly that there would be one--the idea of Starfleet handling all law enforcement is, frankly speaking, a frightening one once you think about it.
The danger in writing canon characters is that you have to be very careful not to insert too much of your own feelings--especially if they're strongly positive or negative towards that character--in how you present the character. Riker can be an incredibly difficult character to write on that basis, as can Picard--in that its easy to go one way or another with those characters. In a way, the fact that they are canon characters and already have a rich background makes them harder--and not easier--to write. Still, there are directions you can take them that can be totally original, yet still remain within the essence of how the character was portrayed on screen.
A very well done effort!
It's next to impossible not to avoid 20th/21st century references as that is what we are most familiar with and that isn't necessarily a bad thing as CeJay pointed out. I like the idea of a civilian Federation law enforcement body and believe very strongly that there would be one--the idea of Starfleet handling all law enforcement is, frankly speaking, a frightening one once you think about it.
The danger in writing canon characters is that you have to be very careful not to insert too much of your own feelings--especially if they're strongly positive or negative towards that character--in how you present the character. Riker can be an incredibly difficult character to write on that basis, as can Picard--in that its easy to go one way or another with those characters. In a way, the fact that they are canon characters and already have a rich background makes them harder--and not easier--to write. Still, there are directions you can take them that can be totally original, yet still remain within the essence of how the character was portrayed on screen.
A very well done effort!
That was my intent with the smoking, as Baxter points out in my next novel "They can always grow me a new pair of lungs". Also, like I pointed out earlier, Farrell and Baxter are supposed to be veterans of the Cardassian Front, which was dirty and far from the pristine Federation. The FBI thing simply came about because I wanted a civilian group and didn't want to spend all night coming up with a cool acronym. So I swapped out Federal for Federation and called it a day.
The reason why I put in the part about Farrell being something of an amateur historian was precisely so he could make all sorts of pithy observations about human history without it seeming like it was coming out of left field.
I totally agree with the canon thing. That's why I didn't even include a recurring or supporting character from the shows as part of my crew, except in very small cameos (i.e. the DS9 crew on Archangel). Nechayev shows up in the next one, but again, she doesn't really have much to do.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed it. I'm about 65,000 words into Death Before Dishonor, and hope to have it done within the week.
The reason why I put in the part about Farrell being something of an amateur historian was precisely so he could make all sorts of pithy observations about human history without it seeming like it was coming out of left field.
I totally agree with the canon thing. That's why I didn't even include a recurring or supporting character from the shows as part of my crew, except in very small cameos (i.e. the DS9 crew on Archangel). Nechayev shows up in the next one, but again, she doesn't really have much to do.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed it. I'm about 65,000 words into Death Before Dishonor, and hope to have it done within the week.
And I'm looking forward to finishing it. Frankly, this one has been a bit of a nut kicker in terms of writing. The previous two flowed much easier than this one has at times. The one after that has been weighing on me pretty heavily lately, so I'll be much happier when this one is off my plate. For those that are interested, here's a little summary I wrote up:
The Klingons have attacked the Cardassian Union and withdrawn from the Khitomer Accords. With tensions between the Klingons and the Federation at an all time high, Captain James Farrell and the crew of the USS Repulse are assigned to evacuate Federation aid workers from a Cardassian colony under siege by the Klingons. Once there, he may have to choose between saving the civilians, or plunging the Federation into open war with the Klingons . . .
hellsgate
Commodore
James Farrell - Ron Livingston
Elizabeth Grant - Sasha Alexander
Dave Rice - Glenn Morshower (mentioned this earlier)
Peter Mbeka - Richard Brooks
Natalya Zhurova - Jennifer Finnigan
Jeff Sanderson - ???
Kaitlyn Chandler - Kristin Kreuk
Androvar Kovax - Michael Chiklis
"Iron" Mike Baxter - Adam Baldwin w/ Goatee
Adm. Willy Hoyt - Morgan Freeman
Cmdr. Nathan Greenwald - David Morse
Maj. Gen. Arthur F. McAuliffe (forthcoming) - Brian Cox
Dr. Lawrence Potter - Wallace Shawn
Captain Alyssa Rhodes - Laura Linney
Smeos: Any word on a "Book 3" in the coming few months, between family, work & everything?
Elizabeth Grant - Sasha Alexander
Dave Rice - Glenn Morshower (mentioned this earlier)
Peter Mbeka - Richard Brooks
Natalya Zhurova - Jennifer Finnigan
Jeff Sanderson - ???
Kaitlyn Chandler - Kristin Kreuk
Androvar Kovax - Michael Chiklis
"Iron" Mike Baxter - Adam Baldwin w/ Goatee
Adm. Willy Hoyt - Morgan Freeman
Cmdr. Nathan Greenwald - David Morse
Maj. Gen. Arthur F. McAuliffe (forthcoming) - Brian Cox
Dr. Lawrence Potter - Wallace Shawn
Captain Alyssa Rhodes - Laura Linney
Smeos: Any word on a "Book 3" in the coming few months, between family, work & everything?
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Michael Chiklis for Kovax? He's way too old dude. I decided on Sean Murray.
Yeah, Death Before Dishonor could maybe be done by the end of the week. I'll send it as soon as I'm finished.
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There is precedent for it. The "Federation Naval Patrol" that Tom Paris wanted to join when he was younger, the Federation Security team from Search for Spock, the fact that most if not all Federation planets have their own individual security forces...Starfleet couldn't afford to do police work on all member planets, really.
I'd always thought of the Naval Patrol as being more like the Coast Guard than a pure law enforcement agency. Basically, I just wanted to create one that had the reach and authority of Starfleet, but was solely dedicated to civilian matters.
On a side note, I am finally ready for the big finish to Death Before Dishonor. When this one is done, I'm gonna smoke a whole pack of cigarettes in celebration and get roaring drunk this weekend before starting on the next one.
On a side note, I am finally ready for the big finish to Death Before Dishonor. When this one is done, I'm gonna smoke a whole pack of cigarettes in celebration and get roaring drunk this weekend before starting on the next one.
That's it? I need your praise to feed my ravenous ego!
Seriously, I do agree with you. Looking back, Baptism tends to wander and drag (mainly because I was winging it), whereas I find Archangel to be more tightly plotted.
I had qualms with using Hoyt two novels in a row, but I felt that he had to be introduced before he could make a compelling villain.
Which brings me to another question - what did everyone think of Hoyt? I never intended him to be a black or white bad guy, but someone who 'did the wrong things for the right reasons'. Someone who, if he weren't so extreme, you could find yourself sympathizing with. Did I succeed, or is he just a douchebag that everyone hated?
Seriously, I do agree with you. Looking back, Baptism tends to wander and drag (mainly because I was winging it), whereas I find Archangel to be more tightly plotted.
I had qualms with using Hoyt two novels in a row, but I felt that he had to be introduced before he could make a compelling villain.
Which brings me to another question - what did everyone think of Hoyt? I never intended him to be a black or white bad guy, but someone who 'did the wrong things for the right reasons'. Someone who, if he weren't so extreme, you could find yourself sympathizing with. Did I succeed, or is he just a douchebag that everyone hated?
Read 1st chapter. Promising start. I liked it that you used original as opposed to canon characters.
Hoyt is just a douche bag, quite honestly. Yes, he means well, but his justifications for the actions he takes aren't quite there - his actions are too extreme to be justified. For example, I don't think I could agree with the mission he sends the marines on in Archangel and the way he sets our Captain up to take the fall for him - he's no willing to be taken into account for his actions and I think that lowers the esteem for the character. Not only is he a douche bay, he's a cowardly douche bag willing to hide behind the crew of the Repulse and let them take the fall.
I liked he was in two novels, the stories seemed like a two part mini-series (two two hour stories) that formed the pilot of the series as a whole - we met Hoyt in the first story and then really hated him in the second. Or, it's like the novelisations we got in TNG where we only really got novelisations of two parters - and the odd special episode - and we've essentially got the series premiere and the mid-season two parter in Baptism and Archangel - so there's essentially a dozen episodes between them each.
I liked he was in two novels, the stories seemed like a two part mini-series (two two hour stories) that formed the pilot of the series as a whole - we met Hoyt in the first story and then really hated him in the second. Or, it's like the novelisations we got in TNG where we only really got novelisations of two parters - and the odd special episode - and we've essentially got the series premiere and the mid-season two parter in Baptism and Archangel - so there's essentially a dozen episodes between them each.
Well, I guess that's about as concise and direct as it gets. There's a bit of a break from him before he reappears in the series. I always envisioned him as a returning nemesis ala Dukat or Sloan.
hellsgate
Commodore
ASDF1: Don't worry. If/when "Death Before Dishonor" gets completed, smeos will e-mail it to me to edit & it'll be linked to "Star Trek: New Worlds" for everyone to right-click, save to desktop, print off at work, at school, or at home, & add to their own personalized three-ring binder of TrekBBS fan-fic goodies.
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