Cascade Library Interview with Sheila Paulson

Interviews by Fans
Title:	Cascade Library Interview with Sheila Paulson
Interviewer:
Interviewee:	Sheila Paulson
Date(s):	2001
Medium:	online
Fandom(s):	fandom, The Sentinel
External Links:	interview is here, Archived version
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In 2001, Sheila Paulson was interviewed for Cascade Library.

Some Excerpts

I was flipping through channels and happened upon a scene in a TS episode. I liked the interchange between Jim and Blair--I am a sucker for 'buddy' shows, so the next week, I made a point of waiting, with a tape in my VCR, and have been a fan ever since.

My first Sentinel fan story was a crossover with the Real Ghostbusters. I tend to start writing in a lot of fandoms that way. It's a way to explore the characters and still have old familiar ones on hand. I knew I wanted to do TS fanfic after I'd seen an episode or two and started reading online fanfic... My first TS story was Legends, a crossover with The Real Ghostbusters. I didn't post it, I sent it to a zine, Compadres, a multi-media zine. The first story I posted wasn't a TS one and I'd been writing for zines for so long that it just seemed like one more place to submit. Most of the things I've posted have been stories previously zined.

In general, non-TS, I'm proudest of Curses, my RGB/Stargate novella. TS? Well, in TS, I think I'm proudest of Nine and Sixty Ways. I wanted to do a story where Blair wasn't helpless and didn't need to be rescued -- and I'd come upon the quote I used for the title twice in a couple of days, and that popped into my head as something Blair would know. Fun to have Simon recognize it, too.

I like writing hurt/comfort best, with a nice little taste of smarm. Crossovers are great fun, too. I like case stories, too. I like h/c because it's a way to show the characters' friendship and support and bring that out a little more than normal guys can admit in the course of the daily routine, when they think they have to be all macho.

My main beta reader is Elaine Batterby, who is the editor of a multi-media zine called Our Favorite Things. She is very good at proofreading, and she also notices glitchy, plothole type things and stuff that doesn't make sense. Lucy Carr, who is an excellent writer, often edits my novellas. She's edited many of my novellas and is very thorough and reminds me when I'm only making sense to myself.

I discovered fanfic existed when I read a book called Star Trek Lives by David Gerrold way back in the 7's. The first con I went to had zines and I bought them all. I sent my first stories off in '78, Star Wars stuff. Zines were the only option then. Once I was on line, I happened upon fanfic fairly quickly though there wasn't much of it in the beginning. In a way, I find much of the zine stuff more satisfying; maybe it's just that I like to hold it in my hands and curl up and read. TS fanfic on line is usually great, but I've read stuff in other fandoms that my friend's five year old could outdo.