Why?
Okay,
In response to Linda's questions in the first blog entry, and using them as a guide, I'll attempt to offer some insight into why I do what I do:
Status on current projects: At present, I have a couple of balls in the air. First, I'm working with my co-writer, Kevin Dilmore, to wrap up a Star Trek novella which will be published next year.
Along with that, I'm editing a science fiction anthology for a small-press publisher based in Denver, Colorado, which will be published in May.
I'm also starting to put together an outline for a new Star Trek novel, currently scheduled for publication late in 2010. On the side, I've been toying with an outline for an original novel with an SF bent, which I hope to pitch to publishers later this year.
News on upcoming releases: Just out is the latest issue of Star Trek Magazine, which focuses quite heavily on the Star Trek: Voyager series. My contribution to the issue is an "inside-the-box" retrospective of Captain Proton, featuring the complete history of the character in radio, film, and print, as well as an episode guide to the "movie serials" of the 1940s. I had a lot of fun writing that, as I love the old Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, and Superman serials.
The trade paperback collection of the Star Trek: Mere Anarchy e-Book miniseries is fast approaching. This originally was a set of 6 novellas spanning 30 years in the history of the original Enterprise crew. Kevin and I developed the overall storyline and wrote the first novella. I'm excited to see this published, because I'm proud of the entire project and want it to find a larger audience than those who checked it out in e-Book form.
Next up is my Star Trek: Vanguard novel, Open Secrets, due out in May. This will take the Vanguard storyline forward in a few major ways, and set the stage for David Mack's next installment, Precipice, due out in December.
I'd like to know what makes you sit down and do it... aside from the paycheck, of course. Well, writing Trek comes easy, as I'm a lifelong fan. The idea of contributing to this vast tapestry of what many consider modern mythology is a fan's dream come true. As for my other writing, it's just something I enjoy, and while I didn't start out in life planning to be a writer, now I can't imagine not wanting to do it. It's just part of who you are, I guess.
Just how is it done? Can you offer any inspiration to someone that wants nothing more than see my name on a book, somewhere maybe on a shelf near where your book is? Is it a natural talent, or is it something I can learn? The way you do it is the way you do anything: You sit down, and you do it. Every day. If you want to make a real go at writing and getting published, then you have to treat it to a large extent like a job. You have to put words to paper; you have to hit deadlines; you have to write when you don't feel like it, or when you'd rather be doing anything else. "Waiting for your muse" is nice, but it won't get the job done. The best muse I know is a deadline over which I have no control. As for talent vs. learned craft: I think it's a mixture of both. Just like any skill, you improve your writing through practice, and the only way to practice is to write, write, and write some more.
Thank you for what you do. Even if you had to fuss with kids to get it done, maybe on some level they had some input into what ended up on your page. Give them a hug for me. Looking forward to your next project.
Thank you!
In response to Linda's questions in the first blog entry, and using them as a guide, I'll attempt to offer some insight into why I do what I do:
Status on current projects: At present, I have a couple of balls in the air. First, I'm working with my co-writer, Kevin Dilmore, to wrap up a Star Trek novella which will be published next year.
Along with that, I'm editing a science fiction anthology for a small-press publisher based in Denver, Colorado, which will be published in May.
I'm also starting to put together an outline for a new Star Trek novel, currently scheduled for publication late in 2010. On the side, I've been toying with an outline for an original novel with an SF bent, which I hope to pitch to publishers later this year.
News on upcoming releases: Just out is the latest issue of Star Trek Magazine, which focuses quite heavily on the Star Trek: Voyager series. My contribution to the issue is an "inside-the-box" retrospective of Captain Proton, featuring the complete history of the character in radio, film, and print, as well as an episode guide to the "movie serials" of the 1940s. I had a lot of fun writing that, as I love the old Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, and Superman serials.
The trade paperback collection of the Star Trek: Mere Anarchy e-Book miniseries is fast approaching. This originally was a set of 6 novellas spanning 30 years in the history of the original Enterprise crew. Kevin and I developed the overall storyline and wrote the first novella. I'm excited to see this published, because I'm proud of the entire project and want it to find a larger audience than those who checked it out in e-Book form.
Next up is my Star Trek: Vanguard novel, Open Secrets, due out in May. This will take the Vanguard storyline forward in a few major ways, and set the stage for David Mack's next installment, Precipice, due out in December.
I'd like to know what makes you sit down and do it... aside from the paycheck, of course. Well, writing Trek comes easy, as I'm a lifelong fan. The idea of contributing to this vast tapestry of what many consider modern mythology is a fan's dream come true. As for my other writing, it's just something I enjoy, and while I didn't start out in life planning to be a writer, now I can't imagine not wanting to do it. It's just part of who you are, I guess.
Just how is it done? Can you offer any inspiration to someone that wants nothing more than see my name on a book, somewhere maybe on a shelf near where your book is? Is it a natural talent, or is it something I can learn? The way you do it is the way you do anything: You sit down, and you do it. Every day. If you want to make a real go at writing and getting published, then you have to treat it to a large extent like a job. You have to put words to paper; you have to hit deadlines; you have to write when you don't feel like it, or when you'd rather be doing anything else. "Waiting for your muse" is nice, but it won't get the job done. The best muse I know is a deadline over which I have no control. As for talent vs. learned craft: I think it's a mixture of both. Just like any skill, you improve your writing through practice, and the only way to practice is to write, write, and write some more.
Thank you for what you do. Even if you had to fuss with kids to get it done, maybe on some level they had some input into what ended up on your page. Give them a hug for me. Looking forward to your next project.
Thank you!
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