Charlotte Frost

Fan
Name:	Charlotte Frost
Alias(es):	Southy
Type:	fan writer
Fandoms:	Star Trek, Starsky & Hutch, The Sentinel, Twin Peaks
Communities:
Other:	The Fan Fiction of Charlotte Frosthttp://www.magicravenranch.com/tsmenu.html http://www.charlottefrostfanfic.com/
URL:	charlotte_frost at AO3 charlotte-frost at LiveJournal
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Charlotte Frost is a fan writer and BNF who published her first K/S slash 1986 in the print zine Daring Attempt #5 and wrote 44 stories until 1993. In 1988, her story The Healing which appeared in First Time #14 tied for Surak Award in the 'Best Long Story' category. She published the The LOC Connection, a K/S letterzine in the early to mid 1990s.

In 1991 she published her first Starsky and Hutch story in Playfellows and wrote 36 until 2003. She posted 24 Sentinel stories online from 2001 to 2006. In 2005, she announced she was retiring from fandom.

Beginning in 2011, she began posting new Starsky and Hutch stories.

From Charlotte

Charlotte was interviewed for starsky_hutch: Meet your Starsky and Hutch fic writers: Charlotte Frost

From Charlotte: On Her Pseuds

When I was starting to write Kirk/Spock fanfic, I didn't feel that strongly about using a pen name, versus my real name. However, I didn't want to get in a situation where, after a few years, I was wishing I'd used a pseudonym, so I thought it was better to be safe than sorry.

My first criteria for a name is that I didn't want it to be something dorky, and therefore obviously a pen name. I wanted it to sound like a regular person.

My second criteria was that, since I was most interested in writing warm and fuzzy stories, I wanted the name to be something soft sounding. One name I strongly considered was Candice Price. However, there was a very popular K/S author, who had tragically been killed in a car accident, named Toni Cardinal-Price, and I thought that could be a problem.

I liked the tone of the name Charlotte. For a surname, I drew upon my boyfriend's name. His last name was Snow, so that's how I decided upon Frost. There were a few poems in Star Trek genzines with a byline of Donna Frost, but I didn't think the shared surname would be much of a problem.

So, the pseudonym of Charlotte Frost was born. I've always liked it, and have never desired to change it.

I only used Charlotte Frost as a byline for stories, and did all my other fandom participation under my real name. It was fun, for a while, when corresponding with various other fans, to say that I wrote fan fiction "under a pen name" and leave it at that, so they could wonder under which byline I'd written stories.

At one point, the editor of a Kirk/Spock newsletter accidentally referred to Charlotte Frost regarding a post I had written under my real name. So, I was "outed", but I wasn't upset, because I knew it was inevitable that it was going to come out eventually.

When I was in Sentinel fandom, I intended to stop writing fanfic altogether. But after a few months, I decided to write some more stories, but I wondered how they would be received with an unknown byline. So, I chose the name Southy, which was the nickname of a racehorse (official name Seventyfivesouth) owned by a large partnership that I was a member of. I posted stories on an LJ with the same Southy name, and the response was very nice, though very limited.

At one point, during the "Southy" period, I wrote a story that I thought felt like a Charlotte Frost story, so I posted it under that byline. (Someone had once referred to the Southy stories as rather edgy.)

Eventually, I let it be known that Southy and Charlotte Frost were the same name, and there wasn't a single bit of reaction on either LJ. It really don't think there could have been a more resounding response at just how disinterested the readership was in either name.

The Southy stories are all included on the Charlotte Frost website.

The only other time I've considered using another name for a fanfic story was when I wrote the SH novella Sanctuary. I knew that people who normally expected warm and fuzzy from Charlotte Frost stories would have a difficult time with that one. Ultimately, though, I decided to go ahead and use the CF byline. There was indeed a lot of reaction similar to what I had predicted, but also some surprisingly positive reaction. Now, I almost never hear anyone say, "I like your stories, except for 'Sanctuary'." For some, "Sanctuary" is the story they mention the most enthusiastically.

After nearly three decades, and some 150 stories, I'm proud to be Charlotte Frost.

From Charlotte: On Writing

I don't remember being called a particular name or phrase in Star Trek fandom. But back then, as now, I preferred to have the guys approach the idea of sex intellectually. You know, talk it out first. I was at the home of a local fan friend, when we were trying to explain slash to a workman, who was also a friend of hers. I must have said something about writing sex scenes, and my friend deadpanned, "But they talk a lot first." In other words, the talking somehow made the sex... more, or less shallow, or something. That friend is long deceased, but it's still a funny memory.

I recall somebody in Trek fandom once saying that my stories had Spock speaking in too stilted of a manner. Years later, I remember thinking that they were probably right.

Stepping outside my role as a fan writer, and into that of active fan, a Trek fan friend once chuckled repeatedly about how, "You have a letter in every single letterzine." Today, that would be the equivalent of saying I post on every topic on every applicable discussion list and LJ, though it was actually only a few print publications every few months, back then. It wasn't even so much that I liked to hear myself talk (which is my motivation now), but that I believed strongly that something as underground as fandom couldn't exist, without the willingness of its members to participate. I even had a "letter to the editor" of mine, which was rather scathing, published in a actual professionally published Trek book. Not one of my proudest moments, frankly. In fact, I no longer own the book.

My favorite name was in S&H fandom. I was referred to as "The Queen of Hurt/Comfort" -- I think by various people. (Unless it was just one or two repeating themselves.) I considered that a compliment, and didn't have any interest in arguing with the assessment. Plus, since most fans seemed to favor h/c, it had a very positive connotation.

Also, in S&H fandom, my writing was once likened to that of an independent film studio. As in, afterthought. Like, "There's this person, this person, this person, this person who writes in the fandom.... and, oh yeah, there's Charlotte Frost, who never attended the cons. Nice writer, if you actually remembered that she existed." (Actually, I attended a Denver con for a few years in the 90s, and for some reason that didn't count.)

I can also recall somebody in S&H fandom saying that my sex scenes were so overly detailed, that the fan often felt that she was reading a medical text. I can see that, though I don't think it was a majority opinion.

In The Sentinel fandom, it seemed to be bandied about that Charlotte Frost was "The thinking reader's writer." Which I always felt was a polite way of saying, "Nice stories, if you want to be bothered with depth. Which many don't."

Another name I wrote Sentinel under, Southy, was declared by one reader to be "edgy". Those were generally much shorter stories. In fact, it was as Southy that I developed the confidence to write concisely-plotted short stories. Prior to that, I felt I was lousy at short stories.

These are all names I've been called, mostly in public. In private, throughout the decades, statements about my writing were generally more enthusiastic and gushy

ETA: Oh, yeah. I've had a couple of S&H fans call me "vanilla" or otherwise bland. One person said such on a list, another said it during a group of us eating lunch during a con (one of those Denver cons that don't count as attending a con). She put her hand on my shoulder apologetically, like, "now, dear, don't take this badly", and then declared in a "everybody knows it" tone that my writing was quite vanilla.

Volunteers were posting my K/S stories to the archive, starting in 2010, and had gotten eight stories put up. Then there hadn't been any new stories of mine posted for over a year, and I assumed that the powers that be had decided to focus on other authors. Then I got a message from the archivist, pointing out that, due to family issues, she'd been away awhile, but now was back and had just posted another story of mine.

Within a few hours, there were half dozen comments, most very gushy with praise. One person obviously thought I was writing these stories in the present, and so I pointed out that they were 20+yo. Another came along and said, "So nice seeing old K/S stories. There's something magical about them that newer ones lack." I was really surprised to see a comment like that. It's human nature that one's own generation is considered the best generation for any endeavor.

As for the story itself, "The Faces of Love", I'm rather amazed at the gushy feedback. First, it's in first person, which I almost never do. Second, I can actually remember that I originally wrote it as touchy-feely gen, and it was rejected by the genzine editor that I submitted it to. It wasn't published into a few years later, in a K/S zine, in 1988. I admit I don't have the nerve to read the whole thing, even though it's under 4000 words. I browsed through it, and it really is pretty emotive for Kirk -- which, again, surprises me that that kind of tone is so readily embraced by modern readers.

I've said it before and I'm saying it again -- I'm just drop-dead flabbergasted at how well these old K/S stories of mine have been received on the archive. I mean, I'm a away better writer now, than I was then. And even with most knowing these stories are old, and it's not like feedback is going to spur me to go back to writing K/S, readers will still leave comments.

K/S fandom just absolutely amazes me.

From Charlotte: "Twelve Characteristics of a Charlotte Frost Story"

In my own opinion, these are the trademarks of a Charlotte Frost story, regardless of the pairing:

1. No matter if one wants to label a story slash or gen, there is highly likely to be some kind of hugging or cuddling. After all, for me, that's the whole Point of It All. I wouldn't be writing fiction if I can't have some warm fuzzies that have nothing to do with sex.

2. I generally like the guys to take a cerebral approach to sex. It's very rare for a first time sex scene to take place in the same scene where they decide to have sex. I like the idea of them going in with their eyes wide open. I suppose this is part of the whole "they're not blatantly gay/only their partner" approach that is, again, part of the Point of It All for me. Wanting to hump their buddy isn't a default mindset, so they have to sort of think about it, or talk it through first.

3. No flowery descriptions of genitalia in my stories. I'm not a visually-oriented person. I don't like people looking at me, to evaluate my exterior, even if they come up with a complimentary conclusion. So, under the heading of "do unto others, as you would have them do unto you", I don't like characters to blatantly look at each other, and evaluate each other's body parts, whether out loud or in their own thoughts. Needing to evaluate doesn't sound like unconditional love to me.

4. For that matter, no descriptions of much of anything. I'm a writer who focuses more on what the characters are feeling, than what they're seeing. So, I'm not going to take a "time out" to describe a room, or a countryside, or whatever, unless that information is vital to events that are going to happen in the story.

5. I tend to relay lots of inner thoughts. Since I usually display inner thoughts in italics, this wreaked havoc for the generous volunteers who originally scanned my zines stories, so they could be posted to the web. I'm not familiar with the process, but apparently italics makes words come out all dorky, and every italicized sentence had to be fixed by hand. This prompted a good friend of mine to grumble, "You sure have a lot of italics in your stories." (I also use italics to emphasize words. In retrospect, a lot of words I used to emphasize didn't really need to be emphasized, in that the surrounding context of the sentences usually inferred the emphasis. So, italicizing particular words often ended up being a distraction, rather than an enhancement.)

I do think, all in all, having so many inner thoughts from characters, when I'm otherwise writing in a third-person-specific point of view, is probably what marks my stories most, for those readers who specifically like my style. I remember one Sentinel fan who told me she tried to emulate my style, but couldn't pull it off. Off course, trying to write like somebody else is never a good idea, anyway, But I also suggested to her that I'm of the opinion that the vast majority of human beings say something different from what they're really thinking, the vast majority of the time. While I lived most of my childhood in my room, and as an adult I'm a homebody who doesn't "go out", and even hates shopping, which therefore would suggest I haven't had much life experience relative to my age, I have always observed human behavior. When I'd see somebody say to somebody else, "Let's make sure we get together again and discuss this some more", the first thing thats likely to hit my mind is, "They know they'll never get together again." I have those instincts about what people are really thinking, regardless of what's coming out of their mouths. So, in my stories, I often use inner thoughts to show what a character is really thinking, to compliment what they're saying. This same Sentinel fan said to me, "Yes, that's what you do! That's what you do that's so different from everyone else." There's been a few other readers who have suggested similar.

6. I don't like writing in first-person point of view, and I rarely like reading it. For one thing, it's very difficult to get a particular person's inner voice down correctly. For another, it's very limiting, since the reader can only know what that particular character knows. I did do a few early SH stories in first person POV (and I think "Just Love" came out particularly well), but I didn't have a later inclination to repeat that style. I don't think I did any K/S stories in first-person, and I know I didn't do any Sentinel in first-person,

7. I don't ever use an omniscient point of view, where the reader can see inside every character's head. I have wanted and tried to write omniscient, but I always end up in one particular character's head for each scene. Finally, I decided to spare myself the frustration, and just accepted that third-person-specific is how I write most naturally.

8. I copy other writers. Or rather, anything I've experienced in my life is fair game for being included in something I'm writing. If a particular turn of phrase strikes me as really profound in a story I read, then that's now part of my life experience, and I'm likely to indicate a similar feeling in a specific situation in one of my stories. A fan friend lived with me one year, when we had both gotten interested in writing SH, after being in Kirk/Spock fandom, so we'd often watch and discuss the episodes. She wasn't very happy when she read one of my stories, and found a particular phrase she'd coined during one of our conversations. I hadn't meant to include it -- or, rather, at the moment I wrote it, I knew it wasn't "my" phrase -- but it fit so well in the sentence, that I included it. I intended to take it out later, but never got around to it.

I've also read stores where a particular phrase, or feeling conveyed, felt like it came right out of one of my stories. Of course, I never know for sure if that's the case, or if it's merely coincidental. But if the author did "steal" from one of my stories, I'm complimented by the idea that something I wrote had burrowed itself so firmly into their psyche.

9. I like short titles. A Kirk/Spock zine editor long ago said that titles are more likely to be remembered if they're three words or less. I think there's a lot of truth to that, so I think one would be hard-pressed to find a title of mine that's longer than three words.

10. When I write first drafts, I tend to use "and" a lot to start off sentences. "And then he did this. And then it occurred to him that...." Then I have to go back and take them all out, because I know they aren't proper English. Usually, the sentences sound just fine without the And at the beginning. But I still feel compelled to include them, when I'm writing on-the-fly.

11. I tend to like short paragraphs, especially for emphasis. If I want to isolate a particular thought that crossed a character's mine, I'll often put it in a paragraph by itself, so it stands out. In English, a new paragraph is supposed to indicate a new topic or a change of speaker. But if I just want a compelling, or important thought to have more impact, I make it its own paragraph.

12. There is one big change in my writing that took place in my last two SH fanzines, published in the late 90s. I used to (like most everyone else) use "the human" and "the Vulcan" in my Kirk/Spock stories. When I started writing SH, I used "the blond", "the taller man", "the shorter man", etc. I had a new editor on my beta crew for my last two fanzines, and she raked me over the coals for using those phrases. She said, "Just use their names! The reader isn't going to notice, if you use "Hutch" two or three times in a paragraph, just like they don't notice how many times you use words like 'and' or 'the'." Oh. She turned out to be right, lol. So, I stopped using those phrases, and never used them in Sentinel fandom, and never use them now. They're a cringe factor when I read my old stories.

From Charlotte: On Being a BNF

You're a BNF.

Which means people hate my guts, right? And if they met me on the street (or at a con), they'd just as soon spit in my face as say hello?

Actually, I think I'm a Big Name Writer in SH fandom, not a BNF. To me, BNF referred to someone who was a mover and a shaker in the fandom. I never contributed anything to SH fandom, outside of the stories (and that only matters to the people who liked them.) A BNF indicates someone who is *active* in fandom and makes their presence known, so that everyone knows who they are. I never did anything in SH fandom; I was too busy writing and being flustered about how comatose it was, compared to all the enthusiasm I'd be around in K/S fandom.

Also, I only became a Big Name Writer after I'd left SH fandom. Sure, some readers had liked my stuff all along, but it wasn't the kind of thing people talked about out loud. Fans just assumed writers had ESP, and if they told their friend, "I really love Fannie Fran's stories", they seemed to assumed that Fannie Fran knew that. And then, when Fannie Fran would complain about how no one seemed interested in her stories, the readers would be oh-so-shocked and puzzled as to why Fannie Fran didn't *know* that people liked her stuff -- even though they'd never directly told her such.

By the way, it wasn't until I'd been in S&H fandom for five years that any of my stories were ever even in the running for any awards. Once, for the Huggys, my zines weren't even listed on the sheet of eligible zines (even though SH was a very small fandom at the time). As far as public SH fandom was concerned, no such author as Charlotte Frost existed, even though people were buying my zines via mail order. It was a puzzling time. Anyway, as popular as you may think the CF name is in SH fandom, those stories never won any awards. But that's okay... for some strange reason, fans don't remember award winners, but they remember "classics". I'd rather have some stories in the latter category.

(I just think a lot of people in SH fandom would be surprised that CF never won an award, and the vast majority of CF stories -- including favorites like "Compassionate's Heart" -- were never even nominated for anything.)

And if it makes you feel better, I was in The Sentinel fandom for five years and never found my footing. I had to be the most intensely hated person in the slash side of fandom, as my existence irritated a lot of people. I've been "one against the world" on lists a few times where not one single person merely tolerated, let alone agreed with, my point of view. And I have been the subject of I-hate-CF-stories threads on two separate public lists, one with dozens of posters and not one person having a contrasting opinion. I know what it's like to be ganged up on, hatred all around.

So, maybe you'll feel better about the BNF thing if you know that I've had some pretty miserable times in my last fandom where there was, in public, virtually zilch support and a lot of animosity. (Though fans were always wonderful one-on-one. One of my most flattering LoCs came from someone who, a year later, went on a list to rant about how much she hated my writing. A bit schizophrenic, that fandom was.)

The BNF label isn't anything good. It's an extremely lonely place. Be careful of envying it.

From Charlotte: On Legacy and the Future

Most people think of "leaving their mark" via their offspring; but, for me, I envision, hundreds of years from now, a young woman leafing through her great-grandmother's possessions and coming across some old, crinkling 'booklets' which include stories by someone named Charlotte Frost. If those stories leave the woman feeling moved, disturbed, amused, whatever -- just as long as she feels -- then I will have left something valuable behind.

I spend so time and effort on fandom that it's like a second job, and I confess that I sometimes wish I could take an extended vacation from all the responsibility. But the rewards have been tremendous, and when I wonder what will happen when it all fades away, I realize that it doesn't ever have to. It seems new people are always discovering K/S, even as old K/Sers seem to be branching out.

From Charlotte: Starsky & Hutch

When I was fifteen I discovered another TV show that had an even greater impact on my life [than Star Trek]; in fact, I still credit it for having taught me about love. This was STARSKY AND HUTCH. For three years (my mind was elsewhere their fourth season) the show and its actors were the primary focus of my life. Those two guys loved each other so selflessly, and with such a complete lack of embarrassment and self-consciousness that I've never felt the same of way about mankind since, Suddenly, the word "friend" meant something. Before S&H, I was extremely cynical about life and didn't see any good purpose that was served by human beings in the scheme of things. After S&H, while still cynical, I nevertheless looked at my fellow man with a different eye. Out there in the world were millions of potential friends. I'd never had any use for them before; now I knew their value.

Fan Reaction Regarding Her Star Trek Works

Charlotte Frost's writings are distinguished by an ability to convey the warmth of the K/S relationship. Most of the stories I've read, including PORTRAITS, tell of a ripening of the friendship into love that is realistic and consistent with the original characters' portrayal. All of the stories have more plot than most and if there is a weakness, it is that sometimes the plot detracts from the relationship. I have in mind "When Tomorrow Comes." There is a sharp break between Kirk's fantasies and the reality of re-establishing his relationship with Spock which leads to a a more contrived ending than necessary if this had been a vignette. This is not really a criticism. it's just that occasionally I get the impression that the plot has led in a direction you didn't anticipate and you had to assert dominance over it before it got out of hand. (That happens to ae a lot, so maybe I'm just sensitive to the signs that it happens to others, too. It's the rhythm of the story that's most affected.) I think one reason why Charlotte Frost's work is so appreciated is that she respects her subjects and doesn't try to make them into something they're not. You get the feeling she enjoys what she does.

OK, Charlotte Frost. You're in "The Booth". Hopefully, your alter ego, [name redacted], didn't call it that because she expects it to be like an agony booth from the Mirror a/u. Charlotte's work has definitely changed over time. Her stories are not only longer, but they have more substance. Her characterization has improved and so has her dialogue. Yet she could certainly stand even more improvement. It's fair to state that I have index cards representing stories by her from the years 1986-1989. I have read nothing more recent. I still found some characterization lapses in the latter stories written during that period, but the lapses weren't as severe as the ones I found in her early work. If someone were to ask me who is the most typical K/S writer, I would point to Charlotte Frost. Almost all her work deals with the most common concerns and themes in K/S. I consider "In His Image", which she wrote in 1987, her best story because of its unusual theme and focus. I haven't seen her surpass this story's originality and insightfulness in the years since then. I would like to see Charlotte become more ambitious and use her imagination more.

...Charlotte Frost is my favorite author. I've paid attention to everything she's written, and would be surprised to find a piece I haven't read. I enjoy Frost's writing primarily because it is optimistic and loving. Her view of Kirk is of a man, understanding man who is willing to work towards a relationship. It's refreshing, and a consistent characterization which can be found throughout Charlotte's body of work, with the notable exception of "A Wing and a Prayer" from FIRST TIME 27. But this leads me to my first problem with her writing, because occasionally it is too loving, too slow, too static. Although I loved PORTRAITS, and would willingly take it with me to a desert island, there was a point where I thought I would scream if I read one more 'whisper'! So I guess my first criticism is that her Kirk is sometimes just too soft. Even though I like my Kirk's understanding and sensitive, moderation in all things! There are some other stories, though, that I think are truly outstanding. "Convalescing" from AS I DO THEE 8 is my favorite story, and I've commented on it before. "Waiting from AS I DO THEE 11, "As It Should Be" from DARING ATTEMPT 8, and "The Gift of Dreams" from NAKED TIMES 17 are all good examples of Charlotte's earlier work. I appreciate them because they all explore Kirk and Spock's established relationship. I do believe it is much more difficult to write an established relationship story because you don't have the inherent tension of the first time to help you along. And I really do prefer to read about how Kirk and Spock are managing their lives. Charlotte lets us see that. She gives us a glimpse of what the everyday life for Kirk and Spock must be like, not just on board the Enterprise, but sometimes elsewhere as well. She lets us see how they're handling their relationship, and how committed they are to one another. "Waiting" is a wonderfully romantic tale, and Spock isn't even in it. Lots of what Charlotte writes is very romantic, and I think she does it better than anyone else around. The idea of using Gillian Taylor as a means of exposing Kirk's feelings about Spock I thought was clever, and it was well done. An occasional problem Charlotte has is linked, I think, to her romantic style of writing. Sometimes her stories come out a little flat. For example, in "The Gift of Dreams" from NAKED TIMES 17, there is very little tension that can be milked from the plot, since this is really just a little emotional vignette. The description of their bonding and the morning after were nice and loving, but sure lacked much interest. Sort of like ending every first time story you've ever read with 'and then they slept.'... I haven't enjoyed Charlotte's more recent work nearly as much as her earlier stories. In "A Wing and a Prayer" from FT 27, Kirk acts like a real jerk throughout. And I found Kirk and Spock's confession of love for each other to have no foundation in the story itself. I couldn't find any motivation there at all. (I am well aware that I am one of the very few people who did not like that story. So I have no sense of humor. At least it was a departure from the excessive politeness I complained about above.) "Outcast" from COUNTERPOINT 3 gave us a pretty dismal view of Spock's ability to maintain a relationship, and seemed to me to be a slightly different version of the Spock we saw in "Swan" from FIRST TIME 21. Both gave us very weak Vulcans, and I've always thought of Spock as having, to be a pretty strong person just to have survived with all his inner conflicts and still project an integrated personality. I liked "Swan", especially the section where Kirk muses in the rec room about being bi-sexual, but I think that story was the beginning of a Spock characterization I don't find too pleasing.

... I got out a half dozen of your works, including PORTRAITS, and read them, one after another. And it took reading your stories one after another for me to finally realize you do have a 'nit' I can pick at. I rather treasured the darn thing, cause it was the only one I found. You have a tendency to harp or be too repetitious, especially in your longer stories. In "Swan", for example. "Why would she kill herself?" This is a very natural question under the circumstances, and one a parent or someone close would actually ask themselves for years. But I'm only a reader. FOR ME...it got asked too many times, and became irritating. In PORTRAITS. I couldn't believe you'd kill one of the loves of my life right out in plain English and clear print. But you did and it was a shock! So the first few times Kirk understandably wailed, "I thought you were dead!" I was definitely with him. After a few repeats of that sentence I'd had enough of it, and the rest of the time I'd just get good and lost in the story, when that repetitious sentence would crop up and my concentration would disperse for a couple of linutes. Nothing fatal, but...I didn't like it. As for the rest of your writing, here's how I saw that. Language: Excellent! It flowed, never awkward to understand, (well, maybe a time or two, I was not positive just who was talking but very seldom was that a problem.) Plots: All VERY different. Your sureness with them shows either research of the subject or personal knowledge. (Example, when you changed Kirk into a winged horse. Every move and reaction he made as a horse was natural. You even knew where his flanks were. I've read writers who had flanks in every position on the horse from their jaws on back to their stick shift!) Love scenes: So very important in K/S. FOR ME...again, yours are perfect! You put more concentration on feelings and reactions rather than mechanics. Also you never 'stick in' more of thei than the story needs. One of the six I read had no love scene, two had several, all necessary for a good story. Your descriptions of them are easily visualized (making them more fun to read). Attitude: Your Spock is not a wimp, your Kirk is not an alcoholic drug addict who enjoys being tortured. I really like that....Imagination: Excellent. For example, the pentagon shaped heads, their eating habits, their guns. I believe all this was original. Regina, I like your work very much.

Charlotte, one of the things you do best is Spock. His characterization, the psychology of why he does... whatever, is always excellent. I also like the fact that your stories never seem "rushed"; they flow so smoothly that I always wish, no matter how long they are, they were longer! About the only problem I've noticed is dialogue problems. Sometimes there are things that look good written, but would sound stilted if actually spoken. I also occasionally wonder about the degree of explicitness in some K and S conversations, and I don't just mean sexually. This, however, may be personal prejudice on my part. Since I never say anything to anyone, I'l always somewhat shocked when others are freer. You once mentioned (in ON THE DOUBLE #4) that you are a strong advocate of the positive, loving relationship theme. That has always shown in all of your stories -- your greatest asset is being able to capture the feeling of that love. So for me, seeing the name Charlotte Frost on a story is a guarantee of quality.

[Twenty-two years later, Charlotte commented on the above]: If one looks up Charlotte Frost on Fanlore.org, they will find a section of when others commented on my Star Trek works as a whole. That was commentary that I myself had invited others to participate in, and was in a newsletter that I myself published. See, I had always found any kind of feedback or analysis on my stories to be flattering, in that someone was paying attention and willing to spend the time to talk about something I wrote. It all felt good, regardless of what was said. But I suspect, based on conversations with numerous modern fans, who are appalled at the idea of anybody speaking of a creative work in anything other than a thoroughly positive way, that many would now feel that a lot of the comments in that fanlore entry are unduly harsh. Somewhere along the line, something precious got lost.

Fan Reaction Regarding Her Starsky & Hutch Works

Charlotte Frost!! OMG! Some of the first fics I read were Charlotte Frost fics. (I still love to crawl into the Adventure series world).

Fan Reaction Regarding Her Sentinel Works

Cindershadow:

As I have been reading my way through Sentinel fiction, old and new, hers was a name I kept running across as a “don’t miss” writer, but I couldn’t seem to find the stories. Then, to my delight, a notice popped up on one of the TS LJ accounts that she had created a new journal to house her stories. This is a very clever way of getting around the lack-of-website issue, so even writers in other fandoms might want to take a peek at what she’s done...

This is a good place for readers of gen, pre-slash, and slash; she’s got fine examples of each, and they are clearly and accurately labeled (another plus!). What I like most about charlottefrost’s writing is, I think, her psychological insight into the behavior of the characters. The stories focus overwhelmingly on Blair and Jim, although Simon and occasionally Naomi make appearances; the other series characters play only minor roles, with the exception of a couple of shorter pieces such as (not surprisingly) “Like Their Mothers.” Readers who like Simon to consistently be a warm, fatherly figure to Blair will need to go elsewhere, but those who are fascinated by all the possible Simons that can be created consistent with canon will be intrigued. One of the many things I’ve appreciated about fanfiction is that writers can and do interpret the behaviors documented on the show in so many different ways, and in the looser confines of print they can spin out those behaviors into very divergent characterizations. Such is the case here: her Simon ranges from a somewhat distant boss who exhibits some frustration with and even jealousy of Blair to a solid professional who willingly and unhesitatingly crosses the line to support the pair when danger threatens. On the other hand, I find her characterizations of Jim and Blair to be somewhat more consistent, story to story, while still allowing for an interesting range of responses and adapting to a variety of plotlines. This can be quite comforting to a reader; it’s enjoyable to enter a reading experience knowing that you aren’t quite sure what will happen or how the relationship will develop under these particular circumstances, while still feeling confident that the central characters aren’t suddenly going to alienate you by changing who they fundamentally are. Her style is laconic and dialogue-driven, which appeals to me. She is more inclined to show what the emotions are through action and speech than to explain them, and I like that as well. And her plots are logical, realistic, and never repetitive—another plus! With the exception of one pair of stories, all of her works are set in the familiar world of Cascade PD and Rainier University, although many of them are AU in that they depart from canon at different points and develop different, very plausible and interesting “might have been” scenarios. This is yet another thing I enjoy so much about fanfiction: the multiple, branching realities, very much a Star Trek image in action!

Where to start reading? Hmmm . . . My particular favorite is “Self-Discovery 101”—her first story, interestingly enough. (That’s a good sign: a high level of quality from the start!) Why? I particularly enjoy post-TSbBS; I really like depictions of Jim using his senses, especially when sensuality and sexuality overlap; I’m intrigued by Blair’s spiritual odyssey. It’s also a sentimental favorite because it is the first thing by her that I read, which led me to go on . . . sad but true that one can hit just the wrong story (often in terms of one’s own biases, not the writer’s talent) the first time out and then miss out on lots of potential reading pleasure. “Truths that Wake” and “Heart and Home” appeal to me in that they address very honestly some of the tensions that can arise even when things seem to be going better than expected in the wake of the dissertation fiasco. For those who’d prefer something short and gen for an initial experience, any of the episode-based stories here would provide a good feel for her style and her understanding of the thought processes of our two protagonists. “Drop by Drop” and “Concessions” are the more emotionally intense of the bunch.

So, thank you, charlottefrost, for making your justly well-known stories readily available once again to Sentinel readers, and thanks for continuing to add new ones (most recently, “Admire and Desire”—with, as I've noted, keen psychological insights, this time into the dynamic between adult student and teacher).

Star Trek Fanworks

Frost reflects on her Star Trek fiction; archive link Star Trek fiction is indexed here, with links to where to stories are now archived

• 1986: The Ultimate Friend in Daring Attempt 5 | Those Moods in One Night Stand 4/5 | Lonely Dreamer in Daring Attempt 5 | Of Peacefulness, Happiness and Forgiveness in Naked Times 11 | The Taking in First Time 7 | Gentleness in Naked Times 9
• 1987: Lessons and Lovers in Daring Attempt 7 | Private Moments in First Time 9 | Endings and Beginnings in Naked Times 13 | Convalescing in As I Do Thee 8 | As It Should Be in Daring Attempt 8 | In Celebration in First Time 11 | The Waking in Daring Attempt 9 | The Happy Pill in Daring Attempt 7 | 1987 In His Image in As I Do Thee 9 | The Healing in First Time 14 | The Gift of Dreams in Naked Times 17 | Crossroads in Kontinuing Saga
• 1988: Coming Out in Charisma 2 | Contemplations in Naked Times 18 | A Number of Reasons in Off Duty 1 | Waiting in As I Do Thee 11 | No Better Mirror in First Time 20 | Things Worth Celebrating in First Time 20 | In the Name of Love in First Time 19 | Wings in Charisma 3 | A Change of Season in Naked Times 21 | Room 1442 in Within the Mirror 1 | The Faces of Love in KSX II
• 1989: Swan in First Time 21 | Tainted Water in First Time 21 | Perspectives in Counterpoint 1 | The Taming in Way of the Warrior 2 | The Cure in Rejection Slip | three poems Counterpoint 2 | The Blending of Two in Matter/Antimatter 7
• 1990: Portraits in Portraits | A Wing and a Prayer in First Time 27 | Outcast in Counterpoint 3
• 1991: When Tomorrow Comes in First Time 28 | Escape Artist in Counterpoint 5 | Web in The 25th Year
• 1992: Playing with Fire in Within the Mirror 6 | Blanket in Amazing Grace 2
• 1993: Fire in The Way of the Warrior 6

Starsky and Hutch Fanworks

• Frost reflects on her Starsky and Hutch fiction
• all Starsky and Hutch fiction is here

Adventure | Butch and Sundance | Compassion's Heart | The General | Girlfriend | Greek | The Heart Knows | Hero | The Horsemaster | Jenni | Just Enough | Just Love | Keep it Precious | Lying in Wait | Ma's House | A Nod to Regret | Packages | Phantoms | Private Agendas | Promises Kept | A Question of Merit | Reflections of a Microbiologist | Romeo and Juliet | Sacred Place | Sanctuary | Sexperts | Sin and Prejudice | Sink or Swim | Spoils of War | Springtime | A Time for Change | Walls of Glass | Warrior of the Past | Waterfall | What Yes Means | Zebras

The Sentinel Fanworks

Writing as Charlotte Frost:

• Frost reflects on her Sentinel fiction
• Sentinel fiction written as Frost here

Screaming | Silence and Tears | A Bridge Too Far | Trust | The Passing Shade | Choices | Midnight Run | Concessions | Drop by Drop | Like Their Mothers | Destiny's Turn | Paths That Wind | Admire and Desire | Tremors | Distractions | Test of Tranquility | Truths That Wake | Heart and Home | Faith Shines Equal | Hope Creates | Cup Runneth Over | Self Discovery 101 | Where Angels Tread

Writing as Southy:

• Frost reflects on her Southy Sentinel fiction
• Sentinel fiction written as Southy here

Little Surprises | Blair's Testicles | Asshole Aslow | Nudity | Words and Penises | The Glory of Guys | Every Man | The Dreaded DRE | The Only One in the Room | A Man's Man | Testing the Waters | Touch Sense | Snowballs | Knowing Me, Knowing You | A Night Not Remembered | Jim's Bed | Passion's Slave | Eyes Only for Him | Signs | Protector | Protector and Protectorate | The Writer

Twin Peaks Fanworks

• Frost reflects on her Twin Peaks fiction
• all Twin Peak fiction here; Wayback link
• all Cooper/Truman
• 1991 Present Playfellows 1
• 1991 Duke in Playfellows 2
• 1992 Facing Daylight in Playfellows 3
• 1992 Maze in Playfellows 4
• 1993 In Sickness and in Health in Playfellows 5
• 1993 Heart to Heart in Playfellows 6
• 1993 Circle in The Rodilla Project