Join us for another in a series of interviews with winners of Duty Post awards from our recent 2018 Awards Ceremony. Our goal is to give you insight into how our fleet’s best simmers write, and imagine their characters.
This month we’re interviewing the writer behind Lieutenant Arturo Maxwell, better known as ‘Max,’ who is playing a Human tactical officer assigned to StarBase 118 Ops. He won the Sisko Tactical Cross: “Awarded to those tactical officers who have shown cunning and bravery in battle. Master strategists, and experts in targeting and shield power distribution, these officers have done the impossible to save their ship and the lives of its crew. “
TAYBRIM: Tell us a little about the writer behind the character — where in the world do you hail from?
Maxwell: Hey, well, I’m Iain and I live in Warrington, Cheshire in the UK.
What made you choose to create a tactical officer? Did anything in particular draw you to this duty post?
Oddly my first choice was a Marine character, but I went into Tactical as it was something I was unfamiliar with writing. I guess that was the main drive behind it really, as I was so used to “military fiction”.
What sort of real life knowledge or experiences do you draw from when writing Maxwell?
Max is essentially me, but in space. He’s a bit – a lot – of a dork, and tends to respond to stress by making a joke or lightening the mood. But then there are also little bits of some of my friends ins his character as well. Mostly me, though!
Your character had a journey last year where he was demoted in character while as a player you worked with his character development. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Aah, yes. The pirate attack on the station. Max was injured and his crew was repeatedly goaded by a – then unknown – traitor in their midst. After hints of the truth came out Max interrogated that character and ended up physically assaulting the man. Captain Theo Whittaker – who was a Commander and first officer at the time – was forced to have Max placed under arrest for the assault. It was totally on the fly and I think it caught the rest of Ops a little off-guard, but Theo quickly grabbed the ball and ran with it.
It’s been quite the sub-plot and Max is still feeling the repercussions of it in character. But a flawed character makes for better reading I feel!
What is your favorite moment from your time playing Maxwell?
Now that’s a really tough question. There have been so many so far, from the fallout of Max’s above-mentioned assault, to embarrassed mornings-after as well as dealing with his match-making mother and catty sister. Not to mention an Indiana Jones-esque minecart ride! (And it’s exactly how it sounds)… I’ve have a lot of fun with Max.
Thanks for your time, Lieutenant Maxwell!
You can read more about Arturo Maxwell on the wiki.
