Q&A with: David Niall Wilson & Patricia Lee Macomber

David Niall Wilson & Patricia Lee Macomber co-authored STARGATE ATLANTIS: Brimstone. Here they talk about what they love about the show and what they hope you will love about their book.

1) How and when did you become a fan of Stargate SG1 and/or Stargate Atlantis?

DNW: I came late to the game. I have led a life of travel, and a lot of shows I would have watched slipped past me, so when SG-1 got popular, I didn't really see much of it. I became a fan of Stargate Atlantis very quickly after watching it a few years ago. We got all the seasons through Netflix at that point and caught up. I am also a fan of the new show, Stargate Universe.

PLM: I watched the original "Stargate" movie way back when it was first released. David and I are both avid science fiction fans, so we spent one summer catching up on the seasons we had missed and our love affair with Stargate continued into the current season of Stargate Universe.

2) What’s your all time favourite Stargate SG-1 and/or Stargate Atlantis episode and why?

DNW: Hide & Seek is my favourite. I cannot get the opening scene out of my mind, Sheppard tossing Rodney off the balcony, Dr. Weir asking if they thought a good first test was being tossed off a balcony, and Rodney saying, "Oh, no, he shot me!" Rodney is definitely my favourite character.

PLM: I part ways with David on favorite characters. I adore Ronon and Teyla. I have to agree with the episode Hide & Seek, though. Rodney's exuberance over the new-found force field was priceless.

3) What made you want to write a Stargate novel?

DNW: Much like when I wrote my Star Trek Voyager novel, it was the chemistry of the characters. When I get to the point that I can hear them all talking in my head, I know I can write something that fits. The characters, even through different seasons and different interactions, all held together wonderfully for me in Atlantis, so I felt comfortable there. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to become part of the canon.

PLM: Again, I live for Ronon and Teyla. Their interplay is amazing and the tension between Teyla and Sheppard and Teyla and Ronon is wonderful to work with. I've been writing science fiction since I was 15, so moving into the Stargate multi-verse seemed a natural.

4) What’s the hardest thing about writing in the Stargate universe? And what’s the best thing about writing in the Stargate universe?

DNW: For me, it's remembering all the permutations of technology. Being a fan of many different SF shows, and watching them constantly, I have to shut off most of my brain and focus to keep things working the way they should.. The best part is getting to bring the characters to life – and the best part yet to happen? Hearing from the fans. Really hoping they're going to like what we had to offer. Actually, the BEST part of this particular book was having the chance to write with Trish again. She and I have been collaborating for a long time, words, life, and love; our finest collaborative work is named Katie...

PLM: Getting the technology right is important, yes. Sometimes, that part can be tricky. But I believe that all fiction is character-driven. If you have great characters and spend any length of time with them, they will tell you what the story should be. Stargate has great characters, fully fleshed-out and multi-layered. I hope I hit the nail on the head. At least I had a great collaborator to help.

5) Tell me about your favourite scene in your novel.

DNW: I have decided NOT to tell you about my absolute favourite, because it would give away things that are too important. I'm going to go with the dream Rodney is having at the beginning of the book, where he's about to be recognized for his genius, and Dr. Weird is presenting the award, dressed provocatively. I think the conversation he has with Ensign Cumby immediately after that is hysterical. Of course, I wrote it...

PLM: If I told you my favorite scene, I would ruin its impact. So, just a hint: It's toward the end and involves Rodney. My favorite scenes usually involve Teyla or Ronon, but this time, Rodney steals the show, I think.

6) What do you hope readers enjoy most about your novel?

DNW: The way we handled the characters, particularly Rodney and Sheppard. I think we have some great twists in our plot, and even a small message to the work as a whole. I am hoping that the ending has the effect on readers that we hope it will.

PLM: I hope they enjoy the way we sort of unleashed Rodney. And I hope they can find a bit of themselves in these wonderful characters.

7) How did you become a professional writer? And do you have any tips for budding authors?

DNW: For me, it was a long process. When I decided to write professionally, after years of saying I was "a writer," I took a course from Writer's Digest Books called "Writing to Sell Fiction." My instructor was J. N. Williamson. He taught me a lot, but more importantly, he got me "connected" to the small press, fanzines, and writing organizations. I started having more success after publishing my own magazine for a while and practicing editing other people's work. My first published novel was the Star Trek Voyager Novel :"Chrysalis". I would say the most important thing for writers today to do is to not get caught up in all the magic get-published-quick schemes out there. Take your time, learn the craft, work toward being published and accept the stones and arrows of editors along the way. Unless you are a prodigy, you aren't as good as you think you are; none of us are.

PLM: I set out to become a famous writer when I was 15. Of course, I thought it would be so simple then. Turns out it wasn't. I wrote for pennies a lot, or even for free. I wrote a lot of stuff for hire and some stuff that I still look back on, convinced that it was awful. I still think some of my best stuff is up in the attic in a file cabinet, never to be seen by anyone. I would advise any budding writer that they should study great writers to a certain degree, but study people even more. If you know what makes people tick, you can write great characters. In this business, it's really not about WHAT you know, but WHO you know.

8) What’s your opinion of fanfiction? And have you ever read or written any?

DNW: I took a different road, so I have not really written much fanfiction. I have good friends, like Kay Reynolds, who made a real name for themselves in that world. If the work is well-written and not too far off into the erotic side of things, I enjoy reading it, but for the most part, with my own publishing company and deadlines looming on all sides, I seldom get the opportunity. I think it's a great place to hone your craft if you are interested in writing "tie-in" work, as well.

PLM: I adore fan fiction. I cut my writing teeth on Star Trek fan fiction, back in the days when people like Sondra Marshak were unknowns. We were all devoted, working for copies, weaving together stories that touched us. I went on to write X-files fan fiction, though by that time the internet was the venue of choice. But when you write a story and someone takes the time to send you a hand-written fan letter...that truly means something. Fan fiction will always be near and dear to my heart and I don't think I'll ever stop writing it entirely. It's just that now, I get paid for it once in awhile.

David's biography: David Niall Wilson has been writing and publishing horror, dark fantasy, and science fiction since the mid-eighties. His novels include, Vintage Soul, The Mote in Andrea’s Eye, Deep Blue, the Grails Covenant Trilogy, Star Trek Voyager: Chrysalis, Except You Go Through Shadow, This is My Blood, and the Dark Ages Vampire clan novel Lasombra, On the Third Day, The Orffyreus Wheel, and the upcoming novel Maelstrom.

He has over 150 short stories published in five collections, one of which, Defining Moments, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in 2007. He has won the Bram Stoker Award for his poetry, and his short fiction. He wrote the screenplay for the movie GODHEAD, released in 2007 from Blurgirl Productions ( http://www.godheadthemovie.com ), and his Dark Noir Comedy KILLER GREEN has been optioned by Ambergris Films.

David lives and loves with Patricia Lee Macomber in the historic William R. White House in Hertford, NC with their children, Billy, Zach, Zane, and Katie, occasionally his college genius daughter Stephanie, two Pekingese, and a chinchilla named Pook Daddy.

Patricia's biography: Patricia Lee Macomber has been writing since she was 15. Her first novel was contracted that same year but never published. She spent several years writing Star Trek fan fiction and finally finding publication in "Best of Trek #13."

Years later, she turned to writing horror and found a home as editor-in-chief of Chiaroscuro magazine. Her stories can be found in "Shadows Over Baker Street," "Shivers 2," and the "Dark Side" anthologies.