The conversation covers the guest’s early influences, entry into professional authorship, and experiences with tie-in writing for various franchises. It delves into the challenges of capturing character voices and immersing oneself in different universes. The guest also shares insights into the tie-in writing process and the varying levels of involvement from franchise creators. Keith DeCandido discusses his experiences writing for various Star Trek characters, his interactions with actors from the Star Trek series, and his thoughts on the changing landscape of publishing and the rise of AI-generated content. He also shares insights into his creative process and upcoming projects.

Takeaways

• Early influences shape a writer’s passion and desire to create.
• Tie-in writing requires immersion in the universe and capturing character voices.
• The tie-in writing process involves adherence to approved outlines and the challenge of getting character voices right.
• The level of involvement from franchise creators varies, impacting the tie-in writing experience. Diversity of Characters: Keith DeCandido has written for a variety of Star Trek characters, including Kira, Wharf, Picard, and President Rillick, and expresses a desire to write for Saru and Christopher Pike in the future.
• Interactions with Actors: Keith DeCandido shares positive experiences with actors from the Star Trek series, highlighting their enthusiasm and enjoyment of their work.
• Changing Landscape of Publishing: Keith DeCandido discusses the evolution of publishing, the impact of self-publishing and audiobooks, and the challenges and opportunities presented by AI-generated content.

Chapters

• 00:00 Early Influences and Passion for Writing
• 07:30 Immersion in Franchise Universes
• 19:55 Writing Tie-In Novels
• 25:42 Tie-In Writing Process and Challenges
• 32:43 The Most Fun Captains to Write