Well the USS FalseBill has opened it hailing frequencies and what do I discover? Only to find I’ve got more homework from Admiral Miranda Fave.

Q1. What do you consider as ingredients for a character?

A1. For me character needs to have a key virtual, a vices and a unique voice. The ability to stand up to you as the write and go no that not what I need, when writing them. When reading someone else character I think to be consider as a character is when they to give you the impression that they have also chosen they path of action more than the author did.

Q2. Do you begin with a sketchy outline or a cookie cutter template so to speak when you create your characters and crews? For example, do you say – I need a science officer let’s make him geeky and a buffoon with the ladies – or do you employ something a little more organic than that?

A2. I’ll say that each of my characters starts differently, some just start as a cookie cutter template while some are just randomly inspired by random casting ideas, i.e. I sew an actor and wonder what Starfleet character and species would they excel at. Other characters just enter stage left, hijack a scene and don’t leave. (Not mentioning any names, here like say Schick)

Q3. Do you look for traits, species, role; personality mixes with other characters when you conceive the character ideas?

A3. Well that depends if it a planned character or not. For most of my senior bridge crew I try to balanced the gender and races mix, once I’ve got those two characteristics I’m try to work out what personality and quarks might go with the character and not unbalance the rest of the crew. Yet in the end I still end up with a suck it and see approach and some habits disappear and get replaced and some quarks of character aren’t revealed.

 

Q4. What helps you recognize that a character is working (for you the author) within a story?

A4. Because they don’t always behave and they do their own thing in the middle of your crafted scene that makes it a different scene that you weren’t expected. They voice and action comes naturally without you really thinking about it.

Q5. Conversely, what makes you realize they don’t work or at least within a certain story context?

A5. When they disappear in the middle of a scene for a coffee break or every line feels forced, when it feels like you’re bend the character or the story to reveal the plot and the next step or conversations feels artificial forced.

Q6. What do you do then – jettison wholesale, rework and reshape, box and file and save for another story or day?

A6. Well it depends if I think the problem is the character or the story. I try not to jettison wholesale but re-cast or re-work the story or box it till I’ve time to reevaluate it with a fresh view.

I admit that I’ve currently have two stories sitting in the box and ready for beat the block challenge in Week 10. The question is do I go with the old Mirror universe precise I found during moving about an ex-Klingon lanky who once he tastes freedom, wants to keep it?

Or do I have another go at the Ariane at Denobula in the week after the Romulans direct attack on Earth and Denobula trying to give humanitarian aid to a devastated city and people who blames humans as much as Romulans for the war damage. So do you have any preferences dear reader?

The pictures are as always from www.trekcore.com

Anyway safe trekking till next time.

False Bill