Bay City Library Interview with Valerie Wells
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| Interviews by Fans | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Bay City Library Interview with Valerie Wells |
| Interviewer: | Wolfpup |
| Interviewee: | Valerie Wells |
| Date(s): | October 2004 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom(s): | Starsky & Hutch |
| External Links: | interview is here, Archived version |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
In 2004, Valerie Wells was interviewed for the Bay City Library.
See List of Starsky & Hutch Fan Interviews.
Some Excerpts
I wrote my first S&H story in high school, when I was 16 and the series was still on the air. I still have it, in fact, and though it's embarrassingly awful writing, the plot was actually a good one. I know this because they made an episode almost exactly like it a short time later. LOL I abandoned my story when I saw the ep, because obviously I couldn't do better than they did. It was one with Kristy McNichol when her good-for-nothing father died and they set her up with Kiko and his mom. I'm awful about ep titles, sorry about that. Sue could tell you how bad I am. My story had them finding and rescuing a younger kid -- mine was only 6 -- but other than that, it was too similar to that ep. What made me write it then was the same thing that makes me write now. Writing's what I DO, and when I write fiction, I want to write about whatever's nearest the surface of my so-called mind. The boys generally seem to be there. LOL
Far and away, the [story] I get the most e-mail on is "It's Always Darkest." That was an early, early story in my current "career" as an S&H fan fic writer and when I re-read it, I sort of cringe at some of the soapier bits, but people seem to like those bits the best. Go figure. LOL I think feedback is important if it's honest. I'm a pro; I can take "this sucks" commentary if it's thoughtful and kindly meant and constructive. But I won't deny I also eat it up if someone sends a glowing "I LOVE YOUR STORIES" e-mail, too. LOL What bugs me is when somebody takes exception to something and they're wrong -- I mean, if they say "cops don't do this" and I know they do because of the cops in the family and the fact that I cover the cops beat at work on occasion. I've been on the scene when cops are answering calls. I hear them on the scanner. I know as much as the average bear about cop procedure. TV shows are way off base, generally speaking, yet people think that's the way it really is.
... there are lots of similarities between the relationships of Catherine and Vincent and Starsky and Hutch. There's a soul-deep connection between both pairs. There are several instances of one saving the other's life or one standing between the other and danger. In both relationships, either one would go to hell and face Satan himself if necessary to protect the partner. And though Catherine and Vincent have a romantic relationship and Starsky and Hutch don't (in my world they don't), the bottom line in both relationships is deep, abiding, unconditional friendship. Both pairs complement each other in a way that no one else could do. They can communicate without words because the connection between them is so strong. There's a sense of being able to let down one's hair and be completely oneself without worrying about putting on a mask to be acceptable. They can say anything to one another and be understood. I thought it would be interesting from a writer's point of view to compare the two relationships by putting them all in a story together. I may do it again sometime if I can come up with a feasible plot.