Q & A: Chris Wraight

Chris Wraight is a freelance author of fantasy and science-fiction. He’s based in the south-west of England, and has published books set in the Warhammer and STARGATE ATLANTIS fictional universes.

His first novel for Fandemonium Books is STARGATE ATLANTIS: Dead End.

1) How and when did you become a fan of STARGATE ATLANTIS?

I’ve been a fan of the Stargate concept since the original 1994 film, which I saw on its general release in the UK. I got into the TV series relatively late in the day, but enjoyed both SG-1 and, afterwards, Atlantis. The interaction between the major characters in Atlantis was the major draw for me, right from the beginning. It’s hard to pick a favourite one, but if I had to it would be McKay – gotta love all that sarcasm.

2)What’s your all time favourite STARGATE ATLANTIS episode and why?

There’s a number of candidates for that, including the three part Siege series between seasons I and II. But I’d have to go for Before I Sleep from Season I. Apart from having a strong role for Weir (always nice to see), it’s touching, clever, and well-written.

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

When Fandemonium and I started talking about doing a book, I’d written a couple of novels set in the Warhammer Fantasy universe. Though I’ve continued to write fantasy books, I’d always fancied trying my hand at SF, and the episodic nature of Stargate appealed to me. Atlantis was a particular draw, as the Pegasus galaxy still has a lot of history and culture to explore.

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

The hardest thing for me was trying to capture the pace and dialogue of the show in a novel form. I wanted to make fans of the show feel as much at home with the book as they do on the screen, and this wasn’t easy. Thankfully, Sally Malcolm at Fandemonium was a great guide, and I’m proud of the final result. The best thing was coming up with my own little corner of the Pegasus Galaxy to explore – who wouldn’t want the chance to do that?

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

Hmm. This is difficult without adding some spoilers. There’s a scene near the beginning where Ronon takes on a bad-tempered specimen of Khost’s megafauna which I enjoyed writing a lot. I’m also fond of the scene where the Jumper arrives on Khost – but I’m not giving details away about what happens!

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

I hope readers recognise the major characters from Atlantis and get the same pleasure from their interaction (particularly McKay and Sheppard) that the show’s so good at. I also hope they like the implications of the story as it unfolds, and the secrets gradually uncovered on Khost.

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

I’ve been a professional writer for four years, though Dead End is my first attempt to render the Stargate universe in print – most of my work has been for Black Library books, who publish novels set in the Warhammer game universes. As for tips, I’d recommend spending more time reading than writing. Try and analyse the stuff you like, and work out why it does the job so well. Technical aspects of writing, such as the pace at which the story unfolds and the time devoted to character development, can be harder (and more important) to learn than simple prose style.

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

Of course! Fan-fiction is a great way to get started, as it gives you exposure to criticism in a welcoming environment. In my experience, writers of fan-fic tend to get too easy a ride at times – I think this is a shame, as the only way to learn is from constructive criticism. And fan-fic can also be over-written – there’s a tendency to use too much flowery description, when what’s really important is the story, and the characters who inhabit it. That said, there’s a lot of creativity out there, and it’s a fantastic way to get started.

Get more news about Chris at http://chriswraight.wordpress.com.