Jamelia

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Fan
Name: Jamelia, JA Toner
Alias(es): Jam, Auntie Jam
Type: Fan Writer
Fandoms: Star Trek: Voyager
Communities: ASC, ASCEM, PTFever
Other:
URL: http://members.aol.com/Jamelia116/meander.html
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Jamelia is a prolific Paris/Torres writer in Star Trek: Voyager fandom. She wrote many of the earliest and most influential stories for the pairing. She was an active member in the PT Collective messageboard, PTFever mailing list, ASC, and ASCEML. She is also archived in Trekiverse.

Moonlight and Shuttlecraft was her first fanfic.

She was closely associated with Katie Redshoes.

Jamelia's Comments

From the 2000 project, Writers and Writing:

I know I'm known primarily as a Paris/Torres writer--and I do love those two characters--but I really enjoy all of the Voyager characters and most of those in the other series, as well.... I'll discuss the three characters I've enjoyed writing....

First: Tom Paris. This character is one of the favorites of fanfic writers in general. The backstory of the tarnished Starfleet officer--tossed out of the 'fleet, drinking and womanizing too much who hits rock bottom before getting a chance at redemption--is so rich, it's no wonder he's paired off with more of the other characters than any other. That little boy charm and snarky sense of humor doesn't hurt, either. Tom is extremely--entertaining--to visualize (ahem) and loads of fun to write. You want funny? Tom can be funny. You want sincere? Tom can do that. You want infuriatingly immature enough to kick in the rear? That's Tom, too.

Frankly, it's baffling that Tom doesn't have more episodes devoted to his character development on the show, and that when he is featured, the episodes aren't always the best. I know this is a cliche among fanfic writers, but maybe TPTB honestly don't know what to do with him *because* he's such a fascinating character. If they let him, he really could take over almost any episode. Robbie McNeill plays him so well, too. Any of the other characters seems to be the perfect foil for Tom. Tuvok, Neelix, B'Elanna, Harry--even the more underutilized characters seem to shine when Tom is with them. Would I like the producers and writers to do more with Tom Paris? You bet. However, if they continue to underutilize him, the fanfic writers will pick up the slack.

Now, I'm going to surprise some people with my next two choices, I think, because while I love B'Elanna Torres for many of the same reasons I love the character of Tom Paris, I'd have to say that I love writing Seven even more. I know, I know. Talk about overexposure (in every way imaginable, I might add!), but the character of Seven as played by Jeri Ryan is so much more than just the babe in the catsuit. The predicament in which Seven found herself--first losing her childhood and her humanity to the Borg, then losing the security of being Borg when it had become the way she felt most comfortable--is extremely compelling. The subtle way Jeri Ryan plays the character, too, makes for some very interesting story possibilities. I love to get inside Seven's head and have her consider her life. Lots that can be done with Seven's ruminations that can make for good story telling.

Now, TPTB have done the opposite with Seven's character than they have with Tom's. While there are those who can't get enough of Seven, an awful lot of us--even some Seven fans--find her overused in the stories. It's actually a relief to see a "Seven light" episode every now and then. The writers can't get into her head as well in an episode as a fanfic writer can, though, which still allows plenty of room to work if a writer wishes.

Finally, there's one character from TNG I never got enough of on the show. Ro Laren was a recurring character who appeared in only 7 or 8 episodes, I think, but she made an indelible impression. She carries a lot of the same baggage as Tom Paris, of course, but as a Bajoran, she was the template for Kira Nerys as well. It's a well known fact that when Michelle Forbes passed on recreating the character on DS9, the new Major Kira character was created for Nana Visitor. Kira was a wonderful character--but in seven seasons, we learned a lot about her. There's a lot of history that can be written about Ro Laren, simply because we were given a rich back story for her but it wasn't fully explored by the writers.

All of these characters share one thing: angst, angst, and more angst. B'Elanna Torres, too. That quality is terrific for story writing, but I find it more interesting, most of the time, to concentrate less on those bad times and more on their recovery from them. The contrast is there--known to the reader--so that the good times are sweeter because these characters have been to the depths. They appreciate coming out the other side.

Fan Comments

What can I say about the woman who drew me into fanfic. Jam has an amazing mind which delves so deep into each of the characters, drawing me into pairing I would never support otherwise and making me love them. I first discovered amazing fanfiction with last year's Warmth and thought that it couldn't get any better. I was so wrong as I took a look at this years Those Who Are Left Behind. That story had me crying and smiling, all in the same paragraph as I actually felt what the characters were feeling. Jam has the amazing ability to draw the reader into the stories and keep them there. Her characterizations are so close to canon it is amazing. Whether she is writing something like TWALB or a simple episode coda, she is impossible to put down. She is my inspiration and my salvation as I constantly reread her stories when I need help with my own or just a little pick-me-up. Thank you for all your hard work. [1]

Auntie Jamelia wrote one of my favorite 1998 Voyager fanfiction stories, "Those Who Are Left Behind" in which she re-wrote 4th Season canon in a plausible and wonderful way. More than many P/T writers, Jam writes Tom Paris beautifully, embracing his flaws, celebrating his virtues and creating a man we fans can adore. Jam is a driven, focused writer who crafts fun stories as well as the more serious, introspective pieces like "Quid Pro Quo." She's incredibly versatile and deftly writes multiple pairings. I can always pick up Jam's stories and know I'm in for a terrific ride, not to mention a thought provoking, carefully thought through piece of fiction. She is a wonderful mentor to younger writers and always has words of encouragement. The P/T universe would be in sad shape with out Jam! [2]

Auntie Jam! WOW! Um DangerMom want to share to title? Jam does know how to get jamming with words. Don't ask me how but the first time I found Jam's page I missed her Left Behind story. Shot me, but I did. Well what a treat it was to find it months later! Multi-tissue BOX story. One of those what ifs that really gets you thinking. Super storytelling. [3]

Janet writes the Voyager characters like she inhabits them, and her versatility in jumping from romance (besides her excellent P/T and J/C, by far the best K/7 in existence that I've read), to individual character pieces is amazing. She's explored both Tuvok and Janeway's characters with great insight. And her AU series "Warmth" is one of the best around. [4]

Ooh, Jamelia is another favorite. She doesn't do much short stuff -- her stories tend to take on lives of their own :-) -- but they're very much worth the time. I had the honor of being a beta reader on "Log Entries," and it made me despair of ever writing a decent followup to "Torrid" (I got over it, though I haven't done it yet!) -- and ambitious telling of the Voyager story from Caretaker through Day of Honor, from B'Elanna's POV. Outstanding! Not everything Jamelia's done has been posted on ASC yet, so forgive me for mentioning anything that hasn't been put up here yet -- but she's shown an impressive range, from the sweet and soulful "Moonlight and Shuttlecraft" to the angst of "The Mercenary" to the rollicking high spirits of "Satisfaction" to the intensity of "Quid Pro Quo." Not to mention her epic "Warmth" (which she swears to me is coming soon to the newsgroup, right, Janet??) [5]

Notable Works

References

  1. ^ alt.startrek.creative, April 1999
  2. ^ alt.startrek.creative, April 1999
  3. ^ alt.startrek.creative, April 1999
  4. ^ alt.startrek.creative, April 1999
  5. ^ alt.startrek.creative, March 1998
  6. ^ Ended before 2001

Related Links

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