Fanfiction

Mar

2015

Review – Friday Visit

Friday Visit fixes some plot holes.

Background

For a look at Doug and Lili‘s early married life, from even before Joss, I went with what was essentially a scene missing from Together.

In Between Days

In that story, Lili is already in possession of the Cuff of Lo.

But how did she get it in the first place?

Plot

Newlyweds Lili and Doug are talking in their rented home on Lafa II as the story opens, and Doug reminds Lili to take it easy and get some rest. She is pregnant and they have recently opened Reversal. Her pregnancy also isn’t as easy as it could be. She is being run ragged.

But she reminds him that they are going to visit Treve and his family. Because this is after the events of Reversal, Chawev is in prison. Yipran is out of the medical center, but is shaky. Chelben is still a little boy, and Yimar is still a fairly young tween.

When Yipran predicts that the cuff will go to Lili’s third child, Doug and Lili look at each other in some surprise. It seems as if Jeremiah Logan – Joss – would be something of a miracle child, given Lili’s age and the fact that Doug is actually a Terran and not, truly, a human. It does not seem to make any sense that there could be two more in the future. But they are polite and do not dismiss Yipran’s prediction out of hand.

Story Postings

Rating

The story is Rated K.

Upshot

I liked putting together a little slice of Calafan life. It seems that, often, Star Trek fan fiction does not fill in the blanks when it comes to civilian living, or to the lives of aliens. I hope I have filled in the missing pieces a bit with this story.

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Feb

2015

Progress Report – February 2015

February 2015 was another fairly light month as I was busy with work, school, podcasting, and my published work. It was also the snowiest month in Boston’s history so I was rather busy shoveling snow and dealing with all of that. Yes, it was really that bad.

Posted Works

First of all, I added It Had to Be You and Alien Encounter to the G & T Show forums. I also combined Coffee and Siberians, releasing them as Caffeinated Voyage. I combined D’Storlin and the two Freak School stories, releasing them as The Archer Academy at Oberon. Hence that site saw a lot of my Voyager fan fiction and some of my more out-there stuff. Because who does not like a little Gorn in their life?

In addition, on Wattpad, I continued contributing to Intolerance.

Finally, on Fanfiction.net, I continued adding to Everybody Knows This is Nowhere.

Milestones

Twenty Star Trek fan fiction stories now have 10,000 or more reads, either individually or in combination. And another twenty stories have 75 or more reviews. However, the only story with both is Reversal. In addition, the only non-fan fiction story with both is Revved Up. Hence I have a pretty decent readership but not an overwhelming one. And that is all right!

See the Stats page for individual read and review counts.

WIP Corner

I continued working on The Badge of Humanity, the last of the wholly original Obolonk trilogy.

Prep Work

I worked on promotions for my published work. I also believe I may have a viable idea for this year’s NaNoWriMo.

This Month’s Productivity Killers

School at Quinnipiac<, plus continuing to support my published work, both (understandably) kept me from writing more fan fiction. The incredible snowfalls didn’t help, either.

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Jan

2015

Review – Entanglements

A Look at Entanglements

Entanglements was not originally a work I had planned.

Background

Entanglements

The idea was to go straight from Reflections Down a Corridor to The Three of Us. But Reflections ended up being way too long. I like where and how it was split, though, as it serves the title themes moving from individuals to couples to a threesome. Hence this book achieves a kind of bridging effect.

Entanglements is mainly about coupling, both romantic and erotic, and the tangling of fighting and also getting involved – for better or for worse. Just as Reflections is about individual exploration, Entanglements begins to show people colliding with each other. Naturally, there is a great deal of collateral damage from these collisions.

Plot

The story opens with Captain Archer announcing the wedding of Tripp Tucker to T’Pol. As he makes the announcement, the single men in particular are beginning to notice that it affects them. Part of it may be some desire specifically for T’Pol. But it is also because this is the second wedding on the Enterprise. This generational ship is starting to slowly, inexorably, convert itself into the equivalent of a flying small town.

But the real crisis arises from a different relationship. When Josh Rosen proposes to and, eventually, marries Karin Bernstein, it puts fellow Jewish crew member Ethan Shapiro onto a steep downward spiral. That sequence was one of the first parts of the story that I knew I wanted to write and, once I got to it in the plot, it flowed quickly and smoothly.

Music

Dusty says it all

Story Postings

Rating

The story has an M rating.

Upshot

This story is more transitional and so the beginning and the end are a tad more abrupt than for the other three in the E2 series. But I like the bookending of the Tucker/T’Pol announcement with the Jenny/Aidan wedding, and was particularly pleased to be able to use Jenny’s wedding song again – and to denote that Aidan isn’t quite the right partner (in the prime timeline, she marries Francisco).

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Jan

2015

Review – Reflections Down a Corridor

Reflections Down a Corridor kicks off a series which I feel is one of my best.

Background

I had wanted to explore the E² timeline for quite some time.

Reflections Down a Corridor

The first of four Star Trek fan fiction books covering that era was this one. The title refers to not only the subspace corridor where the Enterprise was hit by a Kovaalan particle wake (and thereby thrown back in time over a century); it also refers to personal reflections.

So personal reflections include the mirrors that we hold up to ourselves (this is, for once, not a reference to the Mirror Universe), the relationship a person has with himself or herself, and reflection in the pure sense of thought. Hence as the NX-01 can no longer perform too many exploratory duties, it’s too early to be defensive and go after the Xindi, and going to Earth is out of the question. So exploration begins to come from within.

Plot

For the crew of the USS Enterprise, the stars are all in the wrong places. The story opens with beginning to understand just what happened. This includes learning just what the date really is, as they can’t just up and ask the Vulcans. Immediately, Captain Archer figures out that there are going to be some uncomfortable restrictions on movement and communications. He enlists the help of not only the regular senior staff (e. g. the other canon characters), but also begins to lean on some heads of the smaller departments, such as Chef Slocum in Food Service, and Shelby Pike in Botany.

Navigating his own depression, and the crew’s, while honorably stepping back as the women begin pairing up with others, Archer in particular is affected. But others’ feelings begin to surface. Ethan Shapiro, Andrew Miller, and Josh Rosen begin cautiously circling the only female Jewish crew member, Karin Bernstein. Maryam Haroun asks Phlox‘s help in deciding between the two Muslim male crew members, Azar Hamidi and Ramih Azar. Lili O’Day does her best to keep it together, but also believes rumors about Jay Hayes and Malcolm Reed.

And then there are Daniel Chang and Sandra Sloane ….

Music

The Belle Stars – Iko Iko

Story Postings

Rating

The story is Rated T.

Upshot

So these four books really were a labor of love, and I had great fun writing them. This one, I feel, aptly kicks it all off.

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Jan

2015

Review – Bribery

Bribery fills in a storyline gap.

Background

After writing Reversal, I got to thinking about a missing piece of information.

Before Days

Just how – and why – did Yimar and Treve go along with everything? And how did Polloria insinuate herself into the family?

Plot

As a prelude story, the information given about the Calafans is pretty sketchy. Chawev, the First Minister, plays a guessing game with his three children, Treve, Yimar, and Chelben. He wants them to guess who’s coming to dinner, quite literally. Bits of background information flow in, that Yipran is comatose, and is being cared for by a Dr. Baden. Baden has helpers, but only one is female. And that’s who’s on her way to join them.

Adding to the background information, their home is filled with the smell of cooking prako. Treve explains that it’s an expensive dish, and Chawev counters that their guest has generously provided it. Further, he tells them that things are going to be different, and they’re going to eat better from then on. This rather neatly conforms to what Doug and Lili are eventually told during Local Flavor.

When Polloria, the guest of honor, arrives, she comes bearing gifts. There’s a pretty stylus for Treve, who is still, at that point in the timeline, destined for a diplomatic career. Yimar is given a small bracelet, prefiguring the Cuff of Lo gift in Friday Visit, Together, and Temper, and the bracelet for Melissa in Fortune. Chelben, who is still a rather small child, is given a stuffed linfep toy. Treve and Yimar, at least, see through Polloria, at least in her efforts to insinuate herself into the family. As for her ambition to become the new High Priestess, that part is mentioned but they don’t seem to realize just how far she will go, or how far she has already gone.

Story Postings

Rating

The story is Rated K.

Upshot

I like the little glimpse into Calafan life, including the use of a fork, which prefigures a small plot point in Reversal.

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Dec

2014

Review – Gossip Gossip

Gossip is universal.

Cindy Adams as Rona Moran (image is for educational purposes only)

Background

I like the idea of a futuristic fluff columnist and reporter who pries a bit into our heroes’ lives, just like the real life ones do now. In addition, I was also looking to prepare a bit of a prequel story in Star Trek fan fiction, where some of the estrangement that Malcolm has from his parents is not explained, but it is certainly felt. Hence the story provides that background as well.

Plot

While the NX-01 Enterprise is in the Delphic Expanse (thereby pinning the time at being during the third season of the show’s run), fluff maven Rona Moran reports that a senior officer is dating an alien on board the ship. She provides no additional information.

Watching at home are Malcolm’s elderly parents, Stuart and Mary. They jump to a conclusion, knowing that there is a Vulcan on the ship. They assume that it is Malcolm who is dating T’Pol, not realizing that it’s Tripp. There is also not thought whatsoever (like I have often seen with ‘shippers) that it could even be the Denobulan, Phlox. Hey, why not?

Story Postings

Rating

The story is Rated K.

Upshot

I liked the little misunderstanding and what it might say about not only Stuart and Mary as people, but also about what readers might be like. Furthermore, as I state above, I felt it was a wry testament about their not having regular (or, really, any) communications with Malcolm. Their son remains utterly and heartbreakingly closed-off, even from them, a fact that really bites him during the E² timeline in particular.

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Nov

2014

Review – The Tribe

What is your tribe?

Background

I wanted to cover a moment where unlikely allies would work together.

Before Days

The end of Mary Reed’s first day at work proved a great backdrop. I also had wanted to revisit her new job, and so this prompt made for a great opportunity to do just that.

Mary would be needed – and that can sometimes be an issue for people with grown children. How do you find a new purpose so that you can feel needed again? For this little story, Mary was absolutely indispensable.

Plot

As Mary takes the maglev train home to Kota Baru after a long day at work, the train suddenly stops. Briefly, the lights go out, which is a little scary but not a lot. This is her first day on the job, and she was asked to start on the day of her interview, so the whole thing has been even more unexpected. Nearly as importantly, her husband, Stuart, has not been fully supportive of her working outside the home, even as a part of the Earth-Romulan War effort. And now she is going to be late, and his supper will be delayed. It is hardly an auspicious beginning to her working career.

When the power comes back on, a heavily pregnant woman sitting across the aisle from her looks mighty uncomfortable.

A young Tellarite male comments, and it becomes obvious very quickly that the pregnant woman’s water has broken. Except for the young Tellarite, all of the men in the train car leave. Two Vulcans come over and begin timing the contractions. A few women donate sweaters or the like to create an impromptu pillow. Mary’s job is to talk to the woman, whose name is Penda (this is a reference to a possible canon name for Uhura).

When the train finally starts moving again, the people are not friends. But they have shared something all the same. And Mary, like the pair of Vulcans and the young Tellarite and others, returns to her life.

Story Postings

The Tribe on Fanfiction.net
In addition, The Tribe on Fictionpad
The Tribe on Wattpad
The Tribe on Wattpad (second posting)
Finally, The Tribe on The G & T Show forums

Rating

The story is Rated K.

Upshot

I liked this little slice of her life, and how even in the future something like a birth could have the potential to truly go wrong, or at the very least get messy.

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Nov

2014

Review – Gainful

Gainful comes from a prompt about first jobs.

Background

I wanted to show someone who wasn’t so young entering the workforce for the same time.

Before Days

I particularly wanted to pay tribute to my maternal grandmother. She had only worked outside of the home for a few years, and that was all during the Second World War, as a part of the war effort.

Yes, my grandmother was a kind of Rosie the Riveter type (she worked in the Brooklyn Navy Yard).

Enter Mary Reed.

Plot

We Can Do It poster for Westinghouse, closely associated with Rosie the Riveter, although not a depiction of the cultural icon itself. Pictured Geraldine Doyle (1924-2010), at age 17. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I figured Mary would be as driven to help out during the Earth-Romulan War as my own grandmother had been during World War II.

But Mary seemed to not be as strong as my part-Polish grandmother, so it would be more of an intellectual pursuit. Furthermore, this is the future of Star Trek, and so brute force or assembly lines would not be in the cards.

I recalled a character I had created while writing two pieces for Dispatches from the Romulan War – pop singer Kurt Fong. I hit upon the idea of Fong needing a new person to help open his mail and respond to it, and so I was able to attach Mary and her diplomatic skills to this project. It would be a fun job for her, but also a challenge. She would be reminded, as others wrote to Fong, that Malcolm could be injured or killed at any time, too. Her boss, Ehigha Ejiogu, would be a Nigerian man young enough to be her son. Her coworker, the Tellarite Cympia Triff, would have an impressive beard.

Sharp-eyed readers will recall that Ejiogu and Fong are, in the Mirror Universe, two of Doug‘s kills.

Story Postings

Rating

The story is Rated K.

Upshot

I really like how this one turned out, and was pleased to write a sequel, The Tribe. As for whether I’ll revisit Mary at work, the question remains up in the air.

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Oct

2014

Progress Report – October 2014

October 2014 was full of work!

Posted Works

I started the month finishing The Canadian Caper, the Postmodern Jukebox adventure which is highly likely to be the first popfic ever written about the band. On Wattpad, I finished Before Days by adding First Born. I also finished The Social Media Guide, and began to post Reversal. I submitted eight works to the #Wattys2014 (The 2014 Watty Awards):

On Fanfiction.net, I continued spinning out The Three of Us. And on Ad Astra, I added a response to a prompt about discoveries. Because it was the first of the month, I called it Linfep Linfep Linfep. I also responded to a prompt about embarrassment by posting a Melissa–Leonora story, Red. In addition, I posted Theorizing.

Finally, on the G & T Show forums, I finished spinning out Recessive and added Across the Universe.

Milestones

So with over 75 stories with at least 10 reviews and 1000 reads, I am beginning to see some real benefit from this kind of popularity. Hence at this point, the In Between Days collection is the third-most read story on Ad Astra. So it benefits from the Top Ten listing. Also, In Between Days is also the fourth-largest series on that site, and is the series with the most reviews. In addition, I am the third-most prolific author and may very well hit second place before the end of the calendar year. Finally, on Wattpad, I have more than 500 followers and am looking to get 1,000 as I believe I will get a lot more reads there once I do. That is because it seems to be an identifiable milestone that is respected there.

See the Stats page for individual read and review counts.

WIP Corner

I continued working on The Polymer Beat, the second book in the wholly original Obolonk series.

Prep Work

I entered the title of The Polymer Beat into the NaNoWriMo site. So I have entered as a so-called rebel, as I don’t have the time to start something new this year.

I created a Facebook Author page to promote my work.

This Month’s Productivity Killers

In preparation for beginning to take two courses at a time at Quinnipiac (to start in January of 2015 and go for all three semesters of that year), I continued working hard to get ahead on work such as keeping the Twitter stream filled, etc. I also worked on social media for the G & T Show.

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Oct

2014

Review – Legends

Legends – As a companion piece to Voice of the Common Man, this is the story of the changing of the guard for the religious half of the Calafans‘ religious constitutional monarchy. For these highly spiritual people living in a psionically charged system, the changing of the religious guard is as big a deal as the changing of the political guard.

Legends Background

Therefore here, the predecessor chooses a new High Priestess. Whereas in the other story, the people democratically elect a new First Minister .

As I recall, the prompt was probably the same as the title of the piece. The idea of myths and mythology dovetailed rather nicely with the concept of the four original Calafans. These are people who are seen as larger than life. They are possibly divine, and their lives, certainly, are exaggerated.

Plot

Legends

With Yipran nearing her death, a successor High Priestess must be selected by her, before she is unable to do so. Sharp readers will recall that a large part of the plot of Reversal was to try to jigger the succession and undermine the correct process. There is a fear that any more of a delay will result in her death before the power transfer, and the natives are afraid that things could become chaotic in the interim.

As Calafans and humans gather, Treve and his siblings tell the legendary story/myth of Lo, Abic, Fep, and Ub, as Yipran can no longer do this. Finally, after a short period of meditation, she chooses her successor, a most unlikely woman.

Story Postings

Rating

The story is Rated K.

Upshot

Finally, it was rather satisfying to be able to pull in this aspect of a Calafan power transfer. Plus I was able to underscore just how bad the undermining of the power transfer would have been in Reversal, if things hadn’t turned out the way they did.

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Review – Friday Visit

Background

Plot

Story Postings

Rating

Upshot

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Progress Report – February 2015

Posted Works

Milestones

WIP Corner

Prep Work

This Month’s Productivity Killers

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A Look at Entanglements

Background

Plot

Music

Story Postings

Rating

Upshot

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Review – Reflections Down a Corridor

Background

Plot

Music

Story Postings

Rating

Upshot

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Review – Bribery

Background

Plot

Story Postings

Rating

Upshot

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Review – Gossip Gossip

Background

Plot

Story Postings

Rating

Upshot

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Review – The Tribe

Background

Plot

Story Postings

Rating

Upshot

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Review – Gainful

Background

Plot

Story Postings

Rating

Upshot

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Progress Report – October 2014

Posted Works

Milestones

WIP Corner

Prep Work

This Month’s Productivity Killers

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Review – Legends

Legends Background

Plot

Story Postings

Rating

Upshot