Rocky on Seema

1. Given feedback, awards, recommendation lists, archives requests, etc.....

a) what is/are your most popular story/stories? (Not the ones you consider best, but the most popular.)

The DS9 story "All Things..." was hailed by many (and deservedly so) as the best story of the past year. "Lines In The Sand" is also pointed out as one of the best post-return VOY stories.

b) what is your average amount of feedback per story? (Throw out extremes to reach a correct mean.)

I'm guessing Seema receives about 10 per story. Though that is probably on the low side--some of Seema's more popular probably get upwards of 50.

c) do you notice significant differences in your feedback for longer versus shorter? Serious versus humorous? More action versus less action? (indicate other types as applicable to you.)

Humorous or poking fun at standard 'types' get more than serious tales (judging by the response to Seema's badfic). And 'conventional' like P/T also probably get more than non-standard pairings.

d) has any story received over 50 letters of feedback (from different people, not 50 letters from the same 10 people for stories of multiple parts published serially)? Any received over 100? Over 200? Why do you think that story was such a success?

I'm guessing that perhaps "All Things" or some of Seema's classic P/T has gotten over 50. "Lines In the Sand". Possibly "The Sweetest Days" is up there as well.

2. Do readers likely associate you with a particular type of story, or with the exceptional handling of a particular character or characters?

I know I associate Seema with wonderful descriptions that really make the setting come alive until it's practically a living, breathing character in its own right. Standard or classic P/T, definitely (along with excellent B'Elanna and Tom as individuals). Good Kira and DS9, yes. And though Seema probably won't agree, she does a very good Chakotay.

3. Have you ever written a story that .....

a) helped 'redeem' or alter (in a positive way) popular perceptions of a character/s? Have you written one that essentially formed a popular perception (postive or negative) of a particular character in a fandom?

W/D in DS9. B'Elanna as a strong yet vulnerable character, without making it a contradiction in terms.

b) created something that became an article of "fanon"? (What was it?)

I'm not sure. If I had to guess, I would assume something in W/D.

c) created an original character that another author asked to borrow for a story? Who?

I don't know.

d) had a story that you thought was copycatted by another author? (Be fair in this; a true copycat involves a high coincidence of similar details, not just a similar basic plot.)

Perhaps one of Seema's P/T stories?

e) helped to create a subgenre within a fandom?

Seema was one of the first W/D writers, right? And definitely one of the few people who can write a believable and plausible C/7. Plus, Seema's inspired a number of people to try their hand at 'second person POV' stories (unfortunately, without her degree of success).

d) had a noted (and publicly referenced) impact on another major/important/significant story?

Without Seema, "Glory Days" would have been a one-shot deal and not a series :-). Seema has also inspired/challenged some of my more memorable efforts, plus there are a lot of other people walking around clutching stories muttering, "Seema made me do it."

f) created an AU universe or round-robin?

"Lines In The Sand" is an amazing AU. Seema certainly helped create the "Glory Days" universe as well as flesh it out. And the Blog Wars counts as a round-robin .

4. How well-known do you think you are, outside your own 'niche' of the fandom? Do many people read your stories who are not fans of that particular type of fiction or subgenre?

Seema is very well known in all Trek fandoms (ASC and related that is) as a premiere writer. I think there are a number of people who read her work regardless of what series or genre she writes in. (X-files, Gladiator, ENT). Even before I got to know her, I always thought of Seema as one of the Big Names at ASC and when I first heard from you about one of my stories, I was all 'wow, Seema noticed me!'

5. Regarding awards ....

a) If you've won an award or awards in your fandom, which one (or two) are you most proud of AND think that you earned most fairly? (Friends/fans ... which do you think the author earned the most fairly?)

I think the ASC Best Author was very well-deserved, but I know Seema has issues with it. Aside from that, "All Things" was an exceptional story and it was recognized as such.

b) Have you ever won an award that you think you didn't earn, why do you think you won it, and who do you think should have gotten it instead?

I know Seema has issues with ASC Best Author as well as winning best J/C story. But really, they were both 'honest' and well-deserved.

c) How many have you received, across how many years?

Seema's been in fandom for 5 years? Does 'basketful' count as a number? ;-)

6. What story have you written that you think has received less recognition/attention than -- in your estimation -- it should have? Why do you think that's the case?

Perhaps some of Seema's more 'daring' stories, like the one with Tom and the hologram, or the one in which Tom finally said 'I love you' to B'Elanna. Probably because some readers are uncomfortable with seeing their conventions overturned or played with in any way.

7. (For the friend/fan only) When you describe this author's work to others, how do you most typically do so? That is, what's distinctive about this person?

I say that Seema is one of the best writers I know of, and very versatile. She doesn't limit herself to just one series or even fandom, but in each case careful attention is paid to characterization. She always makes sure to get the details right. And her descriptions, particularly setting, are absolutely amazing.

I would also say that aside from m.c. moose, Seema has had the most impact on me as a writer and I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for her. In helping me improve my craft, in inspiring me to 'stretch' myself as a writer and try things I might not have on my own, and in helping to fire up my muse.

And she's also a darn good friend.

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Seema on Seema

1. Given feedback, awards, recommendation lists, archives requests, etc.....

a) what is/are your most popular story/stories? (Not the ones you consider best, but the most popular.)

Hmmm, if I had to look at it today, I think it would have to be the stories in the "Glory Days" universe - "Do the Walls Come Down," "Latitude," and "The Sweetest Days." But I would say that, in terms of FB, "Lines in the Sand" and "Red" are my two most popular stories, mostly because I think I really messed with people's perceptions ;-) and readers felt the need to tell me so ;-).

b) what is your average amount of feedback per story? (Throw out extremes to reach a correct mean.)

I would say between 5 to 10 FBs. I assuming this means on initial posting versus over the longterm - the number is a little higher over the long term. I'd up the figure to 8 to 12 for longterm FB.

c) do you notice significant differences in your feedback for longer versus shorter? Serious versus humorous? More action versus less action? (indicate other types as applicable to you.)

No, not really. But I've never been good at predicting FB. Granted, I think generally short fics get the most FB, but all of my novels have received quite a bit of generous FB.

d) has any story received over 50 letters of feedback (from different people, not 50 letters from the same 10 people for stories of multiple parts published serially)? Any received over 100? Over 200? Why do you think that story was such a success?

"Lines in the Sand" and "A Case of Need" both received quite a bit of FB, whether it's 50 or more I'm not entirely sure, but it's probably pretty darn close. I think 100 or 200 is pushing it a bit ;-).

2. Do readers likely associate you with a particular type of story, or with the exceptional handling of a particular character or characters?

I don't think so. Certain people, like Rocky, are known for the way they write a certain character, but I don't think I'm consistent enough to be known for anything in particular. Except flakiness .

3. Have you ever written a story that .....

a) helped 'redeem' or alter (in a positive way) popular perceptions of a character/s? Have you written one that essentially formed a popular perception (postive or negative) of a particular character in a fandom?

I wouldn't say so in VOY, but in DS9, I tried very hard to write Worf as someone else other than the brute, unromantic type that was a very popular stereotype among non-W/D fans. I also tried to write Bashir in a way that was more sympathetic than most W/D fans wrote him - and that's how I met one of my best online friends (who happened to be a J/J fan) as she wrote to me, thanking me for writing Bashir the way I did.

b) created something that became an article of "fanon"? (What was it?)

I don't think so.

c) created an original character that another author asked to borrow for a story? Who?

No, I don't think so here either.

d) had a story that you thought was copycatted by another author? (Be fair in this; a true copycat involves a high coincidence of similar details, not just a similar basic plot.)

Yes, but I think I'll keep the details to myself. Sorry. :-/

e) helped to create a subgenre within a fandom?

W/D, because there were so few authors there - I can remember Ginomo and Parmoo as being the only other authors out there before I showed up. Of course, there were a few others that showed up around the same time as I did - Carrie, Naomi, Jadz14Wor, Ishana Nemera - but after this initial "rush" of authors, there was no more "new blood," so the first (and last) authors to W/D are the ones who formed that subgenre.

d) had a noted (and publicly referenced) impact on another major/important/significant story?

Uh, am I allowed to mention my endless nagging of Rocky for the "Glory Days" universe? These stories, I think, are important to people because they are among the few that tackles life *after* Voyager, but without focusing on romance. Yes, there is quite bit of work done on post-VOY relationships, but with the exception of the P/T relationship, we're focusing on the platonic relationships between the characters and how that stands up to the test of time, when you're not around the same people day in and day out.

f) created an AU universe or round-robin?

"Lines in the Sand" is way AU. Of course, I knew that when I first started writing it in the summer of 2000, and I'm still ::gulp:: working on it. As for round-robin, hmmm... Lori and I are working on one right now (that I really must go add to!) and the results have been... interesting.

4. How well-known do you think you are, outside your own 'niche' of the fandom? Do many people read your stories who are not fans of that particular type of fiction or subgenre?

It's hard for me to say figure this out. In the W/D fandom, I'd say very well-known, among the 2 or 3 readers still left ;-). As for VOY, I'd say not as well known as other writers like Rocky, monkee or Penny. My FB comes from all sorts of fans, from P/Ters and J/Cers and W/Ders, etc, and non-shippers so my guess is that a lot of people do read my fic from a variety of niches, but I'm not necessarily sure that *everything* I write appeals to *everyone* who comes upon my page; it's that flaky problem, I've got, ya know? ;-)

5. Regarding awards ....

a) If you've won an award or awards in your fandom, which one (or two) are you most proud of AND think that you earned most fairly? (Friends/fans ... which do you think the author earned the most fairly?)

I have to be proud of the Best Author Award even though I feel ambivalent about it. Yes, it was fair and even though I was involved in the vote counting process, I know that others were involved as well (including non-awards staff who like to keep track for their own reasons), so I don't feel any discomfort on that. That award says a lot, but I think my favorite Award is from '99, from a contest Cheile ran. You had to get nominated for that contest in order to qualify and someone nominated "In His Own Words," a little Jake story I'd written and it actually won the Luna Award for most distinctive story of that year. So I'm very proud of that one.

b) Have you ever won an award that you think you didn't earn, why do you think you won it, and who do you think should have gotten it instead?

I do feel very strange about winning two of the J/C awards for the ASC Awards because I'm not a J/C writer the same way as monkee, Rocky and Penny are and it just feels weird to have that recognition for something I don't really pay attention to and don't care about as passionately as they do. In a way, it does feel as though I'm robbing the others of a distinction that they so richly deserve. So any of those three named, they richly deserve to have placed in the J/C Awards category.

c) How many have you received, across how many years?

Hmmm, would you believe that I don't know? I have to go count. I didn't start to keep track until the last couple years, and I know there are a few that I never mentioned at all (though at one time, I did have a webpage devoted to awards, but it went toes-up during a server move). If you're really interested, all of my Trek awards are listed here.

6. What story have you written that you think has received less recognition/attention than -- in your estimation -- it should have? Why do you think that's the case?

One of my favorite stories I've written is "A Delicate Affair." I think it's probably the story *no one* in fandom liked. Seriously. Maybe it's because no one wants to see P/T come undone so ambigiously, and there are no happy endings in that story. In DS9, the reaction to "Surfacing" was really disappointing because I absolutely fell in love with this story while writing it and the lack of reaction - positive or negative - was just really disappointing to me.

note: Read the entire thing here.

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