Writing Star Trek Fiction: Advice from A.C. Crispin

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Title: Writing Star Trek Fiction: Advice from A.C. Crispin
Creator: Ann Miller
Date(s): 1985
Medium: print
Fandom: Star Trek: TOS
Topic:
External Links:
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Writing Star Trek Fiction: Advice from A.C. Crispin is an essay by Ann Miller.

It was printed in Genesis.

The essay was written in the mid-1980s, a time when many fans aspired to become writers of Star Trek pro books, following in the footsteps of other fans who had achieved this goal, one of them being A.C. Crispin.

The essay included many "dos and don'ts" for fans, which were mostly repeats of what Trek tie-in publishers had already hammered home. See Bantam Books.

Excerpts

The first word offered by A.C. Crispin (YESTERDAY'S SON) about writing Star Trek fiction is: DON'T!

"It is so difficult to get Star Trek fiction published as to be virtually impossible," said Ms. Crispin in a telephone interview. "Up to 1200 Star Trek novels are submitted each year, more in those years when movies are released, and out of all those submissions only six, one every two months, are chosen for publication. Of those, in 1984 only one selected was by a first-time writer (Janet Kagan's UHURA'S SONG)."

Ms. Crispin advises the potential Star Trek writer to ask this question: Do I want to be a published writer, or a published

Star Trek writer? If that's all you want, if Star Trek is the only writing you want to do, then you really have nothing to lose by doing it. However if you want to be a published writer, then you are wasting your time writing Star Trek. Write in your own universe, with your own characters, and become successful. THEN if you have a Star Trek itch, you have a much better chance of getting to scratch it in print.

Things to avoid at all costs:

  • The "Lt. Mary Sue" wish-fulfillment story where the beautiful, capable, smart, wonderful young woman is assigned to the Enterprise and after all the males (including Spock) have fallen in love with her, single-handedly saves the ship from grave danger (and Spock from Pon Farr).
  • Anything taking place outside the Five Year Mission.
  • Anything that changes the Star Trek universe (for instance, Uhura cannot marry and leave Star Fleet, Kirk cannot father twins, no major characters can die).
  • Deifying the characters. They must be "real" and true to life and not glorified figures on pedestals.
  • Anything that has already been done. Don't offer a rehash of another book's plot.

"Most important," Ms. Crispin stressed, "Is don't revert mentally. Don't write from a fourteen-year-old mindset. If you have the

characters reacting to a situation like a bunch of junior high school children instead of trained professional adults, you'll be far off the mark. If you really want to turn on a Star Trek publisher, then write a brilliant, action-packed, accurate-to-Star Trek story that shows growth and gained knowledge in the characters without changing the Star Trek universe. And then make sure yours is better than all those other 1199 that are submitted that year."

She admits she sounds pessimistic about the chances of Star Trek fiction publication, but feels she should not encourage anyone to take up something that is so likely to be a lost cause when energies could be channeled into other writing that would stand a much better chance of success. "I admit I did it," she said. "YESTERDAY'S SON is the first thing I ever wrote. I rewrote the last three chapters, but that was prior to submission. The book as published is very much the book as submitted. I had to make a few changes, almost pen-and-ink changes, and that was all. But the odds were better when I did it."

Yes, and very importantly, A.C. Crispin is one heckuva GOOD writer. So, potential Star Trek writer, if you're that good, and you feel lucky, then keep on Trekkin'.

Further Reading and Context

References

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