Blogathon 2007: Reader Q & A.
written by Julie R. Neidlinger 3 comments link this postThe following are some questions submitted to me (via email) by a couple of readers. I love that someone had questions about where the story was going because it made me think that some were really into it, even if the story was a bit weak. But also, it reminded me that it was not only they who had no idea where it is going, but neither did I. I truly do not plan the story ahead, but write it as I go, letting the props that I have and the arrangements that I come up with for each shot lend direction to the story.
Feel free to ask your own questions in the comments section, as well as contribute additional discussion on the answers.
Questions I received "mid-stream":
1) Does Rogers ascend to captain, past his test, and be the hero in the end?
2) Does he have a love interest?
3) Does the stargate get repaired?
4) Is there a battle with the Star Queen?
5) What is the signficance of the three stars?
Q. It's obvious that you have incorporated as many references to contemporary science fiction and fantasy movies in your story as is humanly possible, including Star Trek, Star Wars, Galaxy Quest, The Dark Crystal, 2001, Serenity/Firefly, Stargate, The Snow Queen . . . Have I missed any? What led you to use this as a plot device? And knowing your love of zombies, werewolves, vampires and other monsters, why haven't we seen them in your story up to this point?
A. To start with the second question first, I view werewolves, vampires, et. al. as a kind of sub-genre of science fiction, a horror/myth kind of thing. I was going more for an Asimov/Arthur C. Clark/Flash Gordon version of science fiction for this installment. Regarding the references...I'd say you have most of them. I threw in a little Soylent Green, some Tom Swift (a kind of Hardy Boys version of science fiction that I enjoyed as a kid), Alien, a little Dune towards the end (I'd hoped to get more Dune in, but everything got away from me) -- I think that's about it. I used that as a device since last year I did the Western genre device and wanted to do something similar but in a different genre.
Q. How many different sets did you have to build for this year's story, and do you have a favorite one from an artistic standpoint? And personally I'd like to know where you got that cool spaceship in post 19?
A. I only built one complete set, the inside of the space ship. The rest of the sets are what I called "assembled" sets, which is me using separate items to complete a look (i.e. backdrops, rocks, plants, etc.) As to the spaceship...check out the videos. I talk about that briefly.
Q. If Doogle is so evil, why does the captain even deign to deal directly with this malevolent force? Are you saying that it is sometimes necessary for us to "touch evil" in order for us to overcome it?
A. By now, after finishing out the story, I think you have an idea of what Doogle was meant to represent. I don't think it is a question of us finding it necessary to touch evil to overcome it, but rather a statement that we seem to gravitate towards touching it, regardless of the necessity. The idea being that we can use it "for good" and that it won't get the best of us.
Q. In chapter 23 you write, "And now, here they all were, on Planet Doom, the dark half, parched, and in the presence of something evil.Something dark. Something illogical. I find it interesting that you use the word "illogical" to describe evil. What's behind this word choice?
A. My immediate answer won't impress you much: I wanted a Spock tie-in. The concept of evil is like the concept of space and time to me, a thing that bends and confuses my mind. In moments, evil either makes complete sense, or no sense at all. Since I come at things with a Christian view of things, the presence and seeming power and success of evil is a difficult thing to grasp. It is, in that view, illogical. Yet, I would hate to use the word "logic" in reference to something such as evil (and its implied opposite, pure good).
Q. Are you aware if there are folks out there who have posted spoilers about this work for others to read before it has been fully published on the web, and what would you say to such would-be spoil-sports?
A. I'm not aware of any, and if there are people out there creating fan fiction from this...I feel very sorry for them. Because that's just sad.
Q. I think many of your readers would like you to complete the various "triads" (if that is the word) that you refer to in your posts. Such as "Christianity was one of the three religions still followed from ancient earth." What are the other two? Or "Humans were one of the three species to survive ancient earth." What are the others. Will you fill us in on these and the other "threes" you have written about?
A. I bet many of my readers would like me to complete those triads. But...I think I won't. Where's the fun in that? There are a lot of things that I like to be left up to the reader. It's either because I'm cruel, or I'm lazy. Or both.
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Labels: blogathon
Copyright (c) Julie R. Neidlinger 7/29/2007 07:30:00 AM
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3 Comments:
Wow! Just, wow! Great job, Julie.
By 
Gwynne, at
29/7/07 11:58
Was the spaceship a hood ornament from an old ford?
By 
, at
30/7/07 12:47
I talked about the ships in one of the videos. They are, indeed, hood ornaments, but not Ford. One is from a '56 Chevrolet and the other from a '54 Buick. Or something like that.
By Julie, at
30/7/07 14:00
