Wild Horses: How long have you been writing?

Sally Reeve: I started writing stories when I was sixteen, although I spent a good deal of my childhood making up stories for my Han Solo and Princess Leia action figures to act out!  I was a 'shipper even then!

WH: Did you start out with fanfiction or original writing?

SR: Original writing. My first 'novel' was a fantasy/adventure/romance called "The Power of Love", which, thankfully for everyone, I never finished.  I almost finished a second one about ten years later, but lost most of it when my computer crashed.  I have some of it printed out, but it's not very good so it's no great loss.    

WH: What was your first fandom, and what other fandoms have you written in?

SR: My first fandom was ER.  I was a huge fan of the Susan Lewis/Mark Green 'ship, and when she left him heartbroken on the platform at Union Station I decided that the episode needed an epilogue.  I'd recently discovered the internet, read a few ER fan fics and thought I could have a go myself.  I wrote a couple of ER stories, then moved on to write a few Paris/Torres stories for Voyager, before the show took a nose-dive.  And then I discovered Stargate…

WH: What got you interested in Stargate to the point that you were inspired to write fanfiction?

SR: Without a doubt, the Sam and Jack 'ship.  Until I noticed it, I was just a casual viewer laughing at the overdressed bad guys.  I vividly remember the moment when I first felt the zing between Sam and Jack (100 Days), and from that moment on I didn't miss an episode. 

WH: What are your favorite Stargate episodes? Why?

SR: So many…  I really like the episodes that develop the characters, and of course those that develop the Sam and Jack relationship.  It’s hard to name them all, and my favorites change from day to day.  But today my top five would probably be:

Solitudes - I love this because all the drama comes from the characters.  There are no big bangs, no aliens, just two characters dealing with an increasingly hopeless situation.  And of course the twist at the end is superb.

Point of View - Amanda Tapping is brilliant in this episode.  The scene where she breaks down and tells Jack about her anniversary dinner, snuffed out by the Goa'uld invasion, has me sniffing every time.  It's a great example of how the S/J relationship can be used to increase dramatic tension without becoming the focus of the story.

Threshold - This is my favorite Teal'c episode.  Chris Judge does a wonderful job - Teal'c really comes to life in the flashback scenes. I love the insight into his character and his past. 

2010 - This was such a clever episode, with a spooky take on the future that felt very real.  And despite the fact that I wanted to know more, more, more about the intervening years, I loved the sense of mystery surrounding how and why SG-1 had split up so acrimoniously.  The scene between Jack and Sam at his cabin left everything unsaid, and yet told us so much about the intensity of their feelings for each other.  Subtly done, and brilliant!

Unnatural Selection -  I love this, along with The Other Side, because of the moral ambiguity at the heart of the episode.  One of the things I first noticed about Stargate is that, unlike Star Trek, the heroes aren't always right and don't all sing from the same moral hymn sheet.  I loved the conflict between Jack and Daniel in The Other Side, just as I loved the implicit conflict between Jack and Sam at the end of Unnatural Selection.  They don't know if they've done the right thing, and neither do we.

WH: What are your favorite kinds of stories to write? Why?

SR: Although I've written a couple of straight romances, I prefer writing stories that combine action and romance.  I try to use the S/J relationship to explore the impact of the action on the characters, rather than as the focus for the story itself.   Plus, it’s nice to have a change of pace when I'm writing, so some good action scenes alongside the angsty ones helps keep my writing fresh.

WH: Which of your own stories are you most pleased with? Which didn't turn out like you hoped, or were in any way disappointing?

SR: I’m quite proud of "Deadly Legacy" and "Night Terrors" because they have strong plots, thanks to my co-writer, Marcy.  And they're less self-indulgent than some of my other fics, because I deliberately downplayed the 'ship to make them more appealing to general readers.  I also have a soft spot for "Holding the Line", although it’s probably the least popular of my stories! I loved writing the collapse of the team in the first half of the story, but as it's one of my darkest fics it was hard work. I'm proud I finished it!

I haven't really been disappointed with any of the stories that I've finished, because if a story isn't working I scrap it and start again.  Having said that, I cringe when I read my first ever Stargate SG-1 fic, "Personal Reasons", because not only did I get the technology wrong (they go both ways through an open Stargate!), but my characterization of Sam was way off.  She was far too wimpy and Jack-dependent!

 
WH: What is your opinion about fanfiction awards? Are they popularity contests, a real test of talent, or just fun?

SR: I love winning fanfiction awards!  I’m very proud of all the awards I've won, and grateful too.

But to a certain extent, I think they do rely on name recognition in that the more stories you post, the more people know your name, and the more likely they are to vote for you.  There are so many nominations that I'm sure some people don't have time to read all the entries and so may vote for authors they know, rather than really judging which story in a certain category is the best.  There are certainly some excellent stories out there that deserve recognition, but haven't won any awards. 

WH: What do you have in the works right now?

SR: Since I have a new baby I'm short of writing time.  But I'm about a quarter of the way into a long story called "Future Imperfect" set four years after Season Seven, when Jack is retired and Sam is married to someone else. After losing touch with each other, a chance meeting renews their friendship.  And then a ghost from their past throws them back into action together…   

I hope I'll have it finished before the Wolf SG6 convention in October.

WH: Any advice for people who are just starting to write, or who are thinking about it?

SR: I think the best advice is to finish what you start.  Just sit down, start writing, and see what comes out.  Don’t get hung up on how good or bad it is, just write it until it’s finished and then go back and make it better. 

For more Sally Reeve, check out her website.