When I was a teenager watching all night Star Trek marathons, I didn’t realize what valuable lessons I was learning or that one day I would be able to apply them to my writing career. Here are a few of my favorites.
Be Bold
It is right in the show’s tag line: to boldly go… I’ve heard it many times from editors and NYT bestsellers. Your voice is what will make your career. If you write sexy, make it very sexy. If you write funny, make it very funny. I you write tear-jerkers… You get the idea. Find your voice and use it boldly. Don’t let it get watered down to meet the expectations of others. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t learn the craft of writing, it just means to protect your voice in the process.
You May Need Help To Make It So
In Star Trek – The Next Generation, Captain Picard often said “make it so” to his right hand man, Riker. Picard was the captain, but he knew he couldn’t operate the ship alone. In your writing career you must be the captain but you will need the help of trusted experts along the way. Editors, artists, publicity people. Whether you publish in the traditional way or travel the self-publishing route, you’ll need them. Seek them out, ask questions, and keep your ship on course.
It Takes A Crew
Star Trek has always been an ensemble cast show. When you think of space, you might think it is a vast, lonely and dangerous place. It doesn’t seem that way on the show, with a whole crew of colleagues and friends around. Writing can seem like a lonely, soul rending business. Don’t let it be. Connect with other writers and your readers. Form close bonds and have fun. The setbacks are easier to recover from when you have a crew of friends and fans on your side.
Don’t Be Afraid To Be Different
Ever notice that Spock was one of the most loved characters on the original Star Trek series? How about Worf on The Next Generation or Odo on Deep Space Nine? Each of these characters stood out as different from the rest of the crew. That made them memorable. Make your characters memorable. Make your career memorable. Be different!
Learn To Reinvent Yourself
How many movies and television shows have spun off from the original Star Trek series? Too many to count. Each a little different and not all equally successful. Even if you take the things I’ve learned—be bold, be different—and apply them, things might not always work out as you hoped or your success might not last as long as you’d like. That doesn’t mean you should give up on being bold. The most recent movie installments in the Star Trek franchise were a reboot. It took the original story line and revamped it for a new audience to great success. Don’t let any setback end your career. Just reboot!
First published on the Savvy Author Learning Center blog.