If you've been paying attention to that special sub-genre of science fiction
that is Trek Lit – licensed Star Trek tie-in novels and related books - you've
probably read something that Dayton Ward wrote, either on his own, or with
a partner (most frequently Kevin Dilmore). This New York Times bestselling
author and die-hard Star Trek fan sat down to answer a bunch of my
questions and talk about his work. His next book, Star Trek: The Next
Generation: Pliable Truths is coming this May, and you can preorder it now.
(Links at end of interview).
MB: First, for those readers who don't know who you are, or who only
know your work, tell us a bit about yourself. Who is Dayton Ward?
Ward: I’m pretty much just a guy who tries to make a living as a writer. I’m on my
third career at this point, having spent nearly twenty years in the private
sector as a software developer and the decade or so before that in the
military. When I’m not working, I enjoy being a husband and a dad,
watching old movies or football, or reading. I also like tacos and chicken
wings.
MB: Did you always want to be a writer? What led you to making writing a
career?
Ward: I started writing as a creative outlet in my mid-20s. I’d never considered
writing anything professionally and certainly wasn’t looking for a career,
but life is funny, sometimes. I’d put more here, but hey! There’s a whole
next question for that….
MB: More specifically, how did you get involved in writing tie-in novels
for Star Trek (and other properties)? Obviously, you were a fan…
Ward: Some of my early writing was Star Trek fan fiction. This in turn led me to
submit a short story to the very first Star Trek: Strange New Worlds writing contest sponsored by Simon & Schuster in 1997. I sold a story to that first contest and mine along with 17 others were published in the resulting inaugural anthology. I sold stories for the next two competitions, which resulted in my disqualifying myself from entering future contests. One of the Star Trek editors at S&S at that time, John Ordover, invited me to write a full-length Star Trek novel, which ended up being In the Name of Honor, an original series tale published in early 2002. Through an ever-evolving mix of opportunity and good fortune, I’ve been writing Star Trek novels on a
fairly regular basis since then.
MB: You've written novels in at least three of the Star Trek timelines (TOS, TNG, Discovery) – is there one that you're most fond of? Do you have a different favorite as a writer vs. as a viewer?
Ward: I’m a die-hard original series fan, as that’s the one I grew up with. It’s still
my favorite of the shows, both as a fan and a writer. It’s also allowed me to
participate in writing for such TOS-adjacent series as the Star Trek
Vanguard and Star Trek: Seekers novels, all of which were designed to
complement those original series adventures.
MB: Several of your novels were written with a partner (Kevin Dilmore.) What are the greatest challenges of writing as a team, and what are some of the benefits?
Ward: Kevin and I have been friends even longer than I’ve been writing novels.
We’ve always had a rhythm to the way we work together, and our respective
styles and approaches tend to compliment each other. There have been a
few occasions where we di7ered just enough to make things interesting. I
tend to write faster than Kevin, for example. I’m much more “fire from the
hip” and fix it later when it comes to completing a scene or chapter,
whereas he can be far more contemplative and deliberate when he’s at the
keyboard. If a deadline is looming and we’re a bit behind, things can get
entertaining!
MB: In addition to novels, you've also written "travel guides" to Vulcan and the Klingon Empire. And Star Trek: Kirk Fu Manual . What inspired those? Will there be others?
The travel guides were projects devised by the publisher, Insight Editions,
and I was approached by the books’ editor, Chris Prince, based on a
recommendation from Paramount (then CBS Consumer Products). Chris and
I worked out what we thought would be the best approach for the Vulcan
book, and it turned out well enough that I was invited back to write the
Klingon Empire installment. Kirk Fu came about while I was working on the
second guide, after I had a crazy idea for it and sent a proposal to Chris. He
loved the concept, and after he convinced his bosses to take a chance on it,
we were o7. The rest is history!
MB: You have a new Star Trek: The Next Generation novel coming in May:
Pliable Truths. (I pre-ordered my copy the day you announced it on
Facebook.) What can you tell us about that story?
Ward: It’s set during the TV series, which is a first for me. Aside from a single short story
years ago, all of the TNG novels I’ve written were set in the years after Star Trek Nemesis, so it was fun to turn back the clock a bit. Specifically, it’s set in TNG’s sixth season, soon after the “Chains of Command” two-parter, and just before the first episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It involves the end of the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor and Picard mediating discussions between the Cardassians and the newly created Bajoran Provisional Government. A lot of that action takes place on Terok Nor before Starfleet establishes its permanent presence on the station.
There are also subplots unfolding on Bajor itself as well as secrets involving a labor camp on a planet in Cardassian territory. So, you’ll see a few familiar DS9 characters in that context, along with the Next Generation TV cast and a few other familiar faces from the show as well as other Trek stories I’ve written over the years. Keep those eyes peeled!
MB: All writers are also readers, so the obvious question here is to ask who influenced you, and what you read today, but I saw that you contributed to an anthology based on the music of RUSH, so I'd love to know about your musical influences, as well.
Ward: My reading tastes are all over the place, from science fiction and thrillers to history and other non-fiction, comics and graphic novels. I usually have a few things I’m reading at any one time, and that’s not even counting the audiobooks I listen to when I’m driving around or taking walks around my neighborhood.
As for music, I also bounce around a bit there. I like older rock, but I’m also a big listener of music composed for film or television, a bit of classical, and other instrumental music I come across that tickles my fancy. I tend to listen to film or TV scores while I write, so there’s no telling what you might hear if you wander into my office on any given day. I’ve been a huge fan of Rush for many, many years, so the opportunity to contribute a story to a Rush-themed anthology was too amazing to pass up.
MB: What's next for you? More Star Trek fiction, or something else entirely?
Ward: As I answer this question, I’m currently pondering ideas for a military science fiction story I hope to write for an anthology to be published later in the year or early next year. I’ve also got an idea for an original novel I keep threatening to write, and I’m in early talks with a few other writers about working on a collaborative venture we think might be a lot of fun. There are a couple of other things waiting in the wings, but mum’s the word on those for the moment!
Connect with Dayton:
Pre-order Star Trek: The Next Generation: Pliable Truths: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Melissa A. Bartell is a writer, podcaster, voice actor, improviser, and kayak junkie currently living on Florida's Nature Coast. She has one husband, two dogs, and only one kayak (so far). Find her at MissMeliss.com or on social media: Bluesky | Facebook | Instagram | Mastodon | X (Twitter)
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