Every Wandering Thought
So finally, after penning the outlines for the McCoy and Spock novels of the Crucible trilogy, I arrive at the Kirk tale. And this one event, this crucible, that I had envisioned impacting all three of the main Star Trek characters, had affected the good captain in a very clear and obvious way. I readily see the story that surely must flow from the events in one of Trek’s most popular episodes, and I know just how it will tie in with the overall themes of the other two books.
I know at once that I can’t write such a novel.
Here’s the thing. For good or ill, I like to defy reader expectations. I strive in my writing not only to deliver a satisfying story, but also to surprise. When it works, that can be a very good thing. But there’s a risk involved there too, in that a reader who has strong expectations going into a novel might be disinclined to enjoy it if those expectations aren’t met. I know this, of course, and yet I nevertheless like the challenge of attempting to deliver something new and unanticipated to readers that they will still end up appreciating.
In this case, after writing the McCoy and Spock novels of the Crucible trilogy—Provenance of Shadows and The Fire and the Rose, respectively—I realized that I had myself established reader expectations for the third volume. I couldn’t have that. If I take readers from Point A and then to Point B, you can rest assured that I’m going to do my best to avoid following that up with a tale that brings them to Point C. Too obvious. Way too obvious.
So I began again. I examined Jim Kirk’s life, knowing which of his characteristics and experiences I wanted to illuminate, and I searched for a different lens through which to do it. I found it in a place I hadn’t expected, and I ended up putting together a tight little tale that actually surprised even me—partly for its relative brevity (I tend to write long, as many of you might have noticed), partly for its linear nature (well, mostly linear), and partly because of its content. I hope that means that I’ll end up surprising readers too. I guess you’ll find out.