J Winter

TrekGirl welcomes J Winter.  One of the most productive writers around, and his work manages to be both entertaining and original.  If you haven't heard of him or read any of his work, I hope this interview helps to put paid to the mystery....
 

TrekGirl asks:


How would you describe yourself?

I'm 34, married, 2 cats.  I work as a PC/network technician with delusions of programming for an insurance company.  I'm something of a history buff, like cheap detective novels (Robert Parker and Sue Grafton are my faves), classic rock (Pink Floyd tops the list, and some of John Lennon's early solo work), the occasional Shakespeare play, baseball (Hate the Yankees), German beer, and...  uh...  Oh, yeah... Star Trek.

How long have you been writing?

I've been taking stabs at it since childhood.  I attempted to write a novel when I was nine, and, even with my  meager  knowledge  of  literature - dime store or classic - I knew I wasn't ready after chapter one.  The dog enjoyed it, though.
I almost gave it up until a teacher in high school, named Murphy, kept encouraging me in some of my more irreverent efforts.   It  was  a complete turnaround from my sophomore year, when my English teacher then proclaimed that science fiction was not true literature, rock and roll will cause heart disease, and we kids were too naive to understand anything beyond the latest Madonna tune.

After high school, I toyed with fanfic for awhile, then tried to go pro; but realized I wasn't quite ready.  After I met the future Mrs. J, I got back into writing fanfic, and the rest is history.  Well, a footnote anyway.  <G>

What is your preferred fandom and why?

Star Trek.  It's the one I'm most familiar with.  While I enjoy "The X Files," "Star Wars," and "Babylon 5" I've never had the urge to read anything fan-generated from those story lines.

Why write about Star Trek?

The standard canned answer, which applies nonetheless, is its vision of the future, the positive picture it painted.  The personal answer is that I was hooked on Captain Kirk and company since age 5, then hooked again by Picard and his crew when The Next Generation premiered.  It's like an old friend, basically.

I normally ask, at this juncture, "Who are your favourite characters..." but as you write, mainly, what is described as miscellaneous fiction, I'd prefer it if you could take me through the genesis of the "Alliance" stories.  What was the inspiration for setting an original crew against the framework of the Original series (TOS)?

Well, the TOS crew are my favorites, particularly Kirk and Scotty.  And Alliance sort of grew from that.  When I was a kid, I was that one guy who always got picked last for teams.  On the playground, I never got to be Kirk or Spock or McCoy.  I was always the red shirt who got killed by the time the recess bell rang.  I got sick of it and made up my own crew.  A friend of mine and I took over a room in my parents' basement that became the bridge of a starship (whose name I forget).  I played the captain character, who, several name changes in 15 years, became Durant.  My friend invented a boisterous chief engineer named Duffy.  The name and personality of Duffy are all that really remains of those early shenanigans.

As I got older and became more interested in writing, I started working on making the characters we'd invented into a viable universe.  It'd work on and off.  I tried writing them as another crew in the Trek universe, tying Kirk's crew into them to make them more acceptable, then gave up after high school.  I concentrated more on becoming a detective novelist, which also sputtered.  By the time my fiancee got me interested in fan writing, I started to seriously look at making this more of its own incarnation, something I felt more comfortable with after TNG became successful, and rumblings about Deep Space 9 began.  I wrote some background stories about Durant, some of which became "Yesterday's Heroes" and, once I stumbled onto (ASC) alt.startrek.creative, got the gumption to finally write "Alliance."  It just took off from there.

What sort of freedom of expression do you achieve when writing stories that,
almost exclusively, focus on original characters?

I tend to like to stay in canon when possible, so an all-original crew lets me skirt that freely.  With the exception of Helen Noel, none of the characters have been seen on screen or in a movie, so there's no established background; they're all a blank slate.  Still, early on, I pulled in elements from pro-fic that interested me and built on them, used throwaway lines from the movies and the later Treks to back project elements into the time frame I write about.  And it's always challenging to tell about familiar characters from another point of view... the guy who knew some of the regulars at one point or another before they were who we know and love.
It's a very good lens for that sort of thing.  And its easier to get the original characters' voices.  Kirk is my favorite of all the captains, but I find it extremely difficult to get into his head and get him to speak.

It could be argued that because you concentrate on Trek miscellaneous characters your work could be construed as Marty Sue (male version of Mary Sue).  Is this a fair comment?  Is your captain, TJ Durant, your alto ego or your fantasy self and are you living vicariously through him or any other of your main characters?

Well, as I said before, Durant evolved from me playing captain as a kid in my basement.  As I got more skilled and much more serious about my writing, though, I realized that this wasn't going to make a viable character unless I divorced his identity from my own.  Hence, the alien bloodline, the radically different upbringing, and interest in certain things.  I have given him some of my own traits - He loves the blues and early space exploration - but he has, I think, different faults than I do.  I may not have completely separated him from myself, but he's definitely his own character.   So, yes, he was originally a Marty Stu, right up  through those early drafts of "Yesterday's Heroes."

I find that lately, though, I have a much easier time getting into Ripley's head.  I've been having a terrific time exploring her character and fleshing out her background.  She really has taken on a distinctive voice, which I like, because she's really a transplant from an aborted police story I tried to write.  She's found herself a home here.

Are the relationships you feature in your stories in any way based on characters we may already be familiar with from TOS or one of the other incarnations of Trek?  If so, what sort of parallels are you trying to draw? If not, describe the sorts of relationships you are trying to create?

In some ways, there's the central trio concept that dominates TOS.  Durant, Ripley, and Duffy are the players this time.  They've served together in one combination or another for years, and Duffy and Durant are Academy classmates.  I think the romantic longings between Durant and Ripley, though, are unique.  You might say it's similar to Picard and Crusher or Janeway and Chakotay, but I think they push the envelope further than those pairs.  They're two people who need each other on more than just a romantic level, so they almost avoid any attempt to take the relationship all the way to avoid risking their bond.  I'd like to get more into Thaven's interaction with the crew.  He's damaged goods being given a second chance by a reluctant Starfleet, and he's bitter about the whole deal.  Before, he was a hero, a captain, and he had a family.  Now he's demoted, answering to a much younger captain who's his total opposite, and abandoned by his family.  I'd like to explore how he has to recover from all that on a ship full of strangers.

What do you think makes for a good story?

Characters are the bottom line.  Characters with good chemistry, who are really well defined, can drive a good plot and bring a setting to life.  After all, they perform the actions, have all the motivation.  The characters ARE the plot, the setting, and everything else that goes into a story.  I don't mind a fast-paced, plot-driven story if the characters are people I can love or hate.  If the characters are flat or don't ring true, I can't be bothered.

When you read another author's fan fiction what do you look for?  Are these
elements to be found in your own work?

Again, characters.  Really compelling characters or well drawn takes on canon characters grab me.  I'm always amazed at how well some fanfic writers outperform the writers on Voyager because they seem to know why that crew should tick and how to make some of the writing gaffs on TV into believable and compelling stories.  Forget the show, I'll just read it on the newsgroup.

William Vodrey, who's been my main beta reader for a long time (5 years, folks!), does his characters much differently.  Whereas I focus on one or two characters in a story,  he'll  write  these  finely balanced  ensemble pieces, whether it's his own crew, Deep Space 9 or TNG, it's always a sort of group shot with him.  Charlie Rando is sort of the middle ground there.  He's good at including his whole set of characters, but he gets some really fine character portraits from one or two of them every time.  (And he used to crank out one a month without really faltering.  I'll get him for that. <G>)

Jungle Kitty plopped a really compelling and interesting original character, Suzanne Brandt, right into the TOS universe, made her closer than close to one James T. Kirk, and maybe single-handedly resurrected the original series for a lot of readers.  And I can't leave out Macedon and Peg, whose writing was flawless, the height of credible.  It didn't hurt that Macedon was also a very good teacher.

Let's see.  What else?  I love a good psychological bent in some stories.  Istannor and Marlissa Campbell are very good at that.  I like when people take the unusual or the overlooked and spin a really good yarn from it.  Think Rabble Rouser, who did it with Harriman and Scotty.  Basically, tell me a story.  Make me care about the people in it.

Do your stories have a theme, such as loss, belonging, abandonment etc?
What are they?

I think loyalty is a major theme.   It's  part  of  Durant's core, as  well  as Ripley's, and it's a trait most of the Alliance characters share.  Not a blind loyalty, mind you, but staying true to people you've come to trust, even when they prove to be something less than perfect.  I also try to make these people a little flawed, not larger than life.  They're willing to make mistakes and willing to learn from them.  Sometimes it gets the better of them, but they do carry on in the end.

I'd like to share an example of your writing style, please choose a scene from one of your completed works and describe what you are trying to achieve in the snippet (dialogue or narrative direction).

This is from my most recent story, "Excessive Force."  I chose it because it has elements of TOS and the Alliance series mixed in.  The story takes place mid-to-late 2273, almost two years after Star Trek: The Motion Picture.  The
story itself compares the Alliance crew to the TOS regulars and lets them interact rather nicely.  I'm especially fond of a later scene where McCoy and the Alliance CMO sit in a bar grumbling about their respective captains.
This scene, however, features Durant with Spock and Kirk, who are familiar figures from different eras in his life.  It gives a good sense of who these three men are, since they are the central characters in this story, and it's a good intro to readers who might not have read any Alliance stories before, giving them something familiar to work with while they get to know the newer characters.

The scene takes place aboard a starbase that seems to be slated for closure in the not-too-distant future.  As a result, there are no psychiatrists or lawyers to handle a particularly messy incident that occurs just before the Enterprise's arrival.

From "Excessive Force"....
The station commander's office was small, tucked off of the Ops Center, with a view out over the topside.  Through a view port, one could see the Enterprise, the Alliance, and a smaller vessel moored at    the external berths ringing the station.  Beyond that, the blue-green sphere of Belran VII dominated the sky.  The view was somewhat unsettling with at least three of the gas giant's moons visible against the surface.
The image may have been spectacular, but it also gave many a faint spell of vertigo.  The sight of the moons, with the play of light and shadow from two suns, sometimes gave the impression of dizzying height rather than mere distance in space.

Tarbell leaned against a plain, grey metal desk covered with papers, datapads, and a stained coffee mug.  The office itself was unremarkable, as though the view outside were all the ornamentation Tarbell required.  On the walls hung the standard official notices, the logo of Starfleet's Base Operations Division, and, the sole exception to Tarbell's utilitarian tastes, a poster of the Mars/New Vegas parrises squares team.

 He gestured for his three visitors to enter.
"Gentlemen, please, sit down.  Make yourselves comfortable.  Can I get you anything?"

 "No, thank you," said Spock as Kirk and Durant shook their heads.

The three men were a study in contrast.  Spock sat to Kirk's right, ramrod straight, hands folded in his lap, eyes expectantly on Tarbell.  Durant flanked Kirk from the other side, his posture the exact opposite, leaning back in the chair, looking impossibly relaxed, stroking a neatly trimmed goatee, yet his eyes also on Tarbell, waiting.

Kirk, though, leaned forward, perched on the edge of his seat, resting his forearms against his knees.  Unlike his companions, he gave the impression that he would jump to his feet at any given moment.  This posture of tightly restrained energy clashed with a facial expression of pure calm.  "What can we do for you, Captain?"

Tarbell sighed.  "I don't know where to begin."

Spock shifted slightly.  "The beginning would be a logical place."

Tarbell smiled weakly as he glanced down at the deck.  "I suppose it would."  He looked back up at his guests.  "As you know, Starbase 18 is not as fully staffed or equipped as it once was.  We fund some of our operating expenses by letting private vessels berth here. Vessels of any type, within reason."

Kirk smiled.  "So you don't have Klingons demanding shore leave rights under the Treaty of Organia, then."

"Too far from the Neutral Zone."  Tarbell folded his arms.  "The closest thing we get to Klingons are Nausicaans."

Both Spock and Durant cocked eyebrows at the mention of Nausicaans.

"Isn't that asking for trouble?" said Durant.  "Nausicaans are not noted for their friendly, peaceful ways.  In fact, they have a very bad habit of wrecking bars within the first ten minutes of their arrival."

Tarbell smiled.  "The guards at the door in full armor sporting compression rifles generally soften their attitudes."
The smile faded.  "But not always.  They have some strange
ideas about human women and their tastes in men."

"Uh-oh," said Durant.

"About three nights ago," Tarbell continued, "a Nausicaan scout ship arrived and berthed at the station.  As usual, we took their money for the berth, and were more than happy to take more for our liquor.  I posted two extra guards in the bar that night, and made all of them armor up and break out the rifles.  I make it very clear to them every time.  I will not tolerate their brand of brawling on my station.  Did you know that they've been known to impale people over something as simple as a spilled drink?"

Kirk nodded.  "I've heard.  Some of the survivors boast that they picked the fight."

"Well, this night, our friends from the scout decided not to behave themselves."  He shifted his feet uncomfortably.  "One of the Nausicaans decided that he rather liked one of our officers, a Lieutenant Densmore.  The feeling was less than mutual.  The Nausicaan, his name was Maulk, loudly disagreed with her assessment.  The guards aimed their rifles at his head, and Maulk backed down.  They tossed him out of the bar."

"I don't understand," said Kirk.  "You need our input on a rowdy Nausicaan?"

"I'd have confined the crew to the ship after that one," added Durant.  "Not that I'd have let them off in the first place.  I've had to clean up after too many of them."

Tarbell sighed.  "I agree.  That's an open-and-shut case.  When Lieutenant Densmore left later that night, however, the situation worsened.  Maulk had remained nearby, waiting for her to come out.  When she did, he took advantage of the lack of people in the corridor that hour, grabbed her, and pulled her into a Jefferies tube, where he attempted to rape her."

The reactions of the three men were immediate.  Spock seemed to wince, Kirk's calm faded somewhat, and Durant sat up, the whites of his eyes taking on a pinkish tint.

"Captain," said Durant, "I don't think, in that case, even lethal force would be questioned this far out.  Nor would permanently barring the crew from the station."

"It's not the amount of force used when Maulk was caught in the act, Captain Durant."  Tarbell's face was hard.  "It's the type.  Ensign Saewan, one of our low watch comm officers, just happened to be passing by when he saw Maulk trying to force himself on Densmore.  He immediately rushed to her aid."

"What did he do?" asked Kirk.

"I'm not sure I understand it entirely," said Tarbell.  "It would seem that he 'cooked' the Nausicaan's brain.  An 'invasive empathic episode' is what my CMO calls it.  Whatever it was, Maulk is now in our Infirmary, little more than a jabbering vegetable.  He fears anyone and anything that approaches him.  He's unable to speak, and has to be restrained..."

"You said Saewan attacked Maulk empathically," said Spock.  "What species is he?"

"He's a Deltan," said Tarbell.  "The trouble is that Starfleet wants a review before they decide whether to press charges or not.  And we don't have the legal expertise out here to handle it.  A full inquiry not conducted by the JAG Corps requires a minimum of three officers ranked commander or higher."

"Yourself," said Spock, "Commander Duffy, who is the Alliance's chief engineer, and Lieutenant Commander Thaven, who was once a captain, should be sufficient."

Tarbell shook his head.  "Starfleet wouldn't hear of it.  Thaven's been demoted, and Duffy is not exactly noted for his legal expertise.  You three, however, have all been on both sides of a court-martial.  Between your respective ships, you have an enormous amount of medical, psychological, and scientific resources available that we don't.  Captain Durant, I believe your chief of security is also a law student.  Certainly, you could bring all of that to bear."

"We could," said Kirk, "but wouldn't it be simpler to bring in Fleet Security and have them perform their own investigation?"

"I mentioned that to Starfleet Command myself. Unfortunately, the Nausicaan government is pressing for a quick resolution, meaning a quick hanging of Ensign Saewan.  I told Starfleet that I wasn't so sure Saewan was wrong, and that we needed an impartial investigation.  Their response was that we had one ship of the line in port already, with the flagship due well before an investigation team could even be assembled."  Tarbell shrugged.  "Let's face it.  You three have a lot of pull these days."

Kirk managed a half grin as he glanced at Durant.  "Well, some of us are on pretty good terms with royalty.  Makes Command really happy these days."

Durant just glared at Kirk.  "Very funny, Jim.  And how is the Dolman these days?"

Kirk smiled.  "No comment.  Well, Captain Tarbell, it looks like you have yourself a board of inquiry."

Tarbell looked relieved.  "Excellent.  Thank you, gentlemen.  Thank you."

Spock cleared his throat.  "Perhaps we should observe the Nausicaan before we adjourn for the evening.  It would give us a point of reference."

Kirk and Durant shifted immediately back to more businesslike demeanors.

"I'd like to see your security reports as well," said Durant.  "Maybe Commander Ripley can shed a little light on the subject for us."

"Sounds good to me."  Kirk rose.  "TJ, could you possibly ask...?"

"Helen Noel's going to order me on the couch the minute I get back to the ship," said Durant.  "I'll let her know once we're through with our session.  Shall I send her to..."  He saw the look on Kirk's face.  "...McCoy?"

Kirk said nothing.

"Under the present circumstances, Captain," said Spock, "that is the most logical course of action."

Kirk cleared his throat and changed the subject.  "This isn't the most pleasant way for you to return to duty, is it, TJ?"

Durant shrugged.  "What duty?  Seeing an attempted rapist with all his synapses toasted is my idea of relaxing.  How about you, Jim?"

"Oh, sure," said Kirk.  "And then I plan to see a Denebian public execution.  Pack a lunch.  Bring a date."

"Are they always like this?" asked Tarbell to Spock as the others stepped out of the office.

Spock permitted himself a small frown.  "No, Captain, they're not.  Usually, they're prone to even more irrational, childish behavior than this."

"I heard that, Spock!" Durant shouted back.

.... End of Scene
Do you consider yourself an improving writer or the finished article?

Improving.  The day I'm finished is the day I stop doing it.

How do you keep improving your skills, what help did/do you have?

I brainstorm with other writers.  I belong to a writing group called Ironclad, which William Vodrey runs, that requires participants to finish a mission started by one of the members.  It's a challenge sometimes, especially with my schedule.  I'm constantly writing, constantly reading, and try to do different things outside of my job and my home whenever I can.  I think, though, as long as I keep writing, I can keep getting better.

Do you consider beta readers a help or a hindrance and what do you expect from them?

Definitely a help.  A necessity, in fact.   They're the people that keep me from saying, "Oh, it's fine.  Post it."  I have different people do different things.  William Vodrey will slash up a hard copy with a red pen, giving me a ton of stylistic suggestions, which I whittle down to the ones that fit best.  Jungle Kitty and I  will  swap  individual  scenes  and  look  at  them by themselves.  That started when we swapped Brandt and Durant for a couple of stories, and just sort of continued on unrelated projects.  Jay P. Hailey is that rare creature who will tell you, "It's great, man!" but will break down why it works.  Others occasionally help out spot-checking plot points and characterization.  In the end, I've got to make the tough decisions and get the story to work.  Without them, I'd be too involved in the story to make a rational decision about that.

Is professional publication your goal or are you just having fun?

I'm currently working on a pro-fic project.  Yes, the detective stories are back.  <G>

Which of your own stories would you recommend to the Internet reader and why?

I'm personally closest to "Alliance," which was the first of the series.  Despite its flaws and some of the regular characters not yet written, it's still my favorite.  I also like "All Lit Up Again," which doesn't feature Durant other than some passing mentions.  It's more about Anne Ripley and her character, and I really loved writing for her.

Based on reader feedback, I'd say "Falling Into Destiny," which is really one big rough draft, but it's fun.  "Excessive Force" also drew some good responses.  "Burden of Conscience" seemed to strike a chord with a lot of people, I think partly because of the character of T'Paar, and also the presence of Sarek, which was unplanned, actually.  Oh, and "Yesterday's Heroes."  I'll get lynched if I don't mention "Yesterday's Heroes."

You have a chance to recommend another fan fiction, not your own, what would it be and who is the author(s)? (consider any pairing or characters)

Anything by Jungle Kitty.  I  love  Brandt, and think  she  should be in command of the Alliance, not Durant.  (Let him go play James Bond for Special Ops.  <G>) Still, that's not going to happen anytime soon, so I'll recommend my favorites: "Just Friends," "Rain Check" (and not because of a certain character's appearance.   More like  the  line "Yes! W-w-war!"), "Random," and "The Uneasy Dancers."

I really like Rabble Rouser's writing.  Her "Captain for a New Age" and "Last Call," about Scotty, were particularly good.  I'm a huge fan of Charlie Rando's Infinity series, and especially recommend "Separation Anxiety."  William Vodrey spins a very good yarn, and I highly recommend his "Kearsarge Chronicles," which you'll have to email him for.  (No web site, and not available from Orion anymore.)  Rob Morris is the only person who can take a cheap prop, some uncomfortable subject matter, and every television show in history and make a Trek story out of it.  For him,  I especially recommend "Along the Way" and his "Ancient Destroyer" series.  Macedon and Peg's "Talking Stick" series are a must read, as is Dave Rogers' "Virtues" series.

What else?  Um... I'm fond of Jay P. Hailey's Outwardly Mobile series, which lurches and halts along with a role-playing game.  I've watched his writing improve as he tries to work around the role of his sadistic game master pal's dice.
Istannor's  "Dear Sam,"  "Doctor's Logs,"  and  "Spock's Logs."  Very thoughtful.  Did you want more?

Well, if this list isn't enough food for thought I don't know what is. ;-)

Here's your chance to get on the soapbox and rant, if you wish. ;-)  Are there any comments you'd like to make about fan fiction in general or how it's developed in recent years, especially if you were involved (whether reading or writing) in fanzines?

Well, since people have given me a chance and let me spread my wings with an original series, I want to plead with you all to give some of these other writers a chance.  The reason Infinity and Alliance have lasted so long is, I think, because Charlie and I are stubborn jackasses.  (Charlie's stubborn.  I'm the jackass.  <G>)
A lot of really good series wither and die, though, because no one takes the time to read them and let the author know how they're doing.  It's a narrow field that should be a lot wider.  Folks, you're missing a lot of really good characters out there, and there's a lot more in the wings waiting.  Take a chance.  See what someone else can do with Trek.

But keep reading me and Charlie in the meantime.  <G>

Is there a question that you wished I had asked, and if so, what was it?

Who are your favorite pro authors?

Now, answer your own question! :-)

Stephen King, Sue Grafton, John Berendt, and Dick Francis.  Oh, and the Bard.  He was THE professional.

Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with me, I hope you enjoyed it.

My pleasure.
 

15 October 2000


Please do not reproduce this interview anywhere on the Net or on any Newsgroups without either my or the interviewees express permission.
--TrekGirl

All links and excerpts are used with the author's consent.

The featured author's recommended own work :
Alliance, All Lit Up Again, Falling Into Destiny, Excessive Force,
Burden of Conscience, Yesterday's Heroes

E-Mail the featured author : J Winter

The featured author recommends *you* read :
Jungle Kitty
Rabble Rouser - Recommended stories include "Captain for a New Age," "Last Call," and "Sympathy for the Devil."
Charlie Rando's - Infinity series
William F.B. Vodrey - Contact William via email to read his "StarTrek: The Kearsarge Chronicles," or for information on his "Ironclad ST" email writing club.
Rob Morris
Macedon and Peg - "Talking Stick" series.
Dave Rogers - The "Virtues" series
Jay P. Hailey - "Outwardly Mobile" series.
Istannor - "Dear Sam," "Doctor's logs," and "Spock's Logs."
 

E-mail TrekGirl


 Complete the Circle