Sunday September 24
Sunday the 24th we got to check off a “bucket list” item for both of us. We went on the tour at Neutral Zone Studios in Kingsland, Georgia. It was spectacular, amazing, and we had a wonderful time. There will be pictures at the end of the post. This place is the result of the creativity and perseverance of a lot of people, and I was incredibly impressed with what they have accomplished.
But to understand what this meant for me - for us - we have to look back at how we got here.
My professional creative journey with writing started with Star Trek. It seems incredible to me to look back and realize that my first professional sale was twenty-five years ago - but it was!
In 1997 Simon and Schuster announced the Strange New Worlds writing contest. For the first time the publisher would accept submissions from beginning writers - those without professional credits - for fiction based in the Star Trek universe. That included me, and I was thrilled for the opportunity. Prior to this contest, most of these tie-in worlds were closed to writers who were not known to the editors. Unofficially, we understood that this was the chance to make ourselves known to the editors who were able to offer us writing jobs.
That first year I placed in the contest, and saw my first professionally published story appear in the anthology published in mid-1998. I was officially, finally, a Star Trek writer! (I also placed in the second year, and was the last one cut from the third year, when I disqualified myself by selling a novel.)
From there I got several opportunities to write for Star Trek, we got the chance to write Star Trek together, and it opened the door to many possibilities.
In many ways I truly owe my writing career (modest though it is) to Star Trek, its wonderful, welcoming, and supportive editors, and to taking a chance even when I didn’t think I was “good enough.”
I can only imagine what the founders of Neutral Zone felt when they took the chance to build their sets and create fan films. They were faced with huge challenges,not least of which was whether they could finance construction, and then generate operating funds for the future.
The enthusiasm of their volunteers, and their obvious love for what they are doing, came through clearly when we visited the studios. I am in awe of the energy and dedication that brought the studio to life, and the hard work that keeps it operating.
Thank you, Neutral Zone Studios, for a true celebration of creativity!
First stop on our tour - engineering!
Complete with warp core ...
and dilithium crystal!
We then moved into the corridors, to see the rest of the ship.
Bio-beds in sickbay, complete with monitors.
The transporter controls, with the pads in the background...
... and the three of us ready for our away mission. For photographic purposes, perhaps the shortest person shouldn't be standing in the back!
The Jeffries Tube, which we did not crawl through,
and a ladder, which I didn't climb. I would have much preferred turbolift.
We each rook a turn at the science station, and I couldn't resist ...
Communications! (With thanks to the legendary Nichelle Nichols.) [I think I was at the right station - the heat was addling my brain.]
We thought we had come the farthest - and so did the staff - until this couple showed up. They were there to celebrate his 50th birthday - all the way from Italy!
A poignant tribute to Grant Imahara, who gave so much to Neutral Zone, and played the part of Lt. Sulu in some of the fan films made there.
We spent a couple hours in the studio and probably could have stayed even longer, but we had to let other people have a chance to have their own big adventure. But there was one last thing we had to do before we left ...
Because there was no way we could leave without taking a turn in the Big Chair!