Join us for another in a series of interviews with winners of awards from our recent 2022 Awards Ceremony. Our goal is to give you insight into how our fleet’s best simmers write, and imagine their characters as well as their out of character contributions and achievements.
This month we’re interviewing the writer behind Lt. Commander John Carter playing a male human Counsellor assigned to Amity Outpost. He won the Order of the Valiant Heart: “Awarded to Counselors who have demonstrated exceptional expertise in preserving their crewmates’ mental health, clearly exhibiting the excellent capacity to care for, support, and soothe those in need.”
DeVeau: It’s been a while since we’ve had the pleasure of an interview with you. Would you be willing to tell us some things about yourself, where you’re from, hobbies, or anything you’d like to share?
Carter: Absolutely, and thank you. My name is Ken, and I’m originally from Houston, Texas and currently residing in Rochester, New York. I’m a locomotive engineer and enjoy reading, writing, and lifting weights ( training for a Strong Man competition when I can ). I also work on older railroad equipment, like steam locomotives when I have the time. I am also working on a novel whenever I have the time.
How did you get interested in Star Trek and what is your favourite series and/or characters?
I’ve been into Star Trek since I was very young, with first the Original Series and the rest of them. My favourite series is Deep Space Nine, with TOS running a very close second. My favourite character is Benjamin Sisko because he had IMHO more dilemmas and personal demons to deal with than any other character, and that made him all the more real.
You’ve been a long-standing member of Starbase 118. How did you get into roleplaying in general and SB118 specifically?
Actually, I had heard of Star Trek RP groups from something I had read on the internet. In this case, Google was my friend and I took a look at the site, and instantly I knew this was the place for me to be.
Your previous character, Hannibal Parker, served in Security, Tactical, Strategic Ops, and even as a First Officer, but your current character, John Carter, is a Counsellor. What interested you in this current role?
It interested me because it’s such a difference from Hannibal, almost a 180-degree difference. It was a challenge that I wanted to take on, and thankfully, I was able to pay attention to what some others have done and make John Carter my own brand of Counselor.
Counsellors are important to the mental health and well-being of the crew. Would you please share with us some ways you have served the crew in this manner?
One of the things I have done, and also with my PNPC Counselor Lt. Commander Katy Toliver, is to make them different but also able to give sound, solid advice to those who enter. I also try to have my patients use their own hobbies and dreams to assist them in whatever issue they may be dealing with. Of course, each client is different, and sometimes, all that is needed is a listening ear, and they already have a solution in mind, and they just need to know that they are on the right track.
There is more to a counsellor than working with the crew on their mental health. What are some ways you have explored Carter’s skills outside of a strict counselling capacity?
John is an absolute starship nerd and a pilot, and he does enjoy flying, but he never gets to do it enough. On his last mission, he devised a plan to “dead stick” a shuttle from the Kitty Hawk down to a planet’s surface. That was fun, although the shuttle didn’t like it too much…
What are some goals you have for yourself and Carter in the future here at SB118?
John is slowly seeing himself as command material, already bridge qualified and has been in command of the USS Independence B during Beta Shift and the ship being caught in a gravity well. He always wondered how he would do in a crisis, and he exceeded his own expectations during that emergency. He’d absolutely want his own command one day, and should that chair be offered to him, he would take it. But before that, he still has some things to learn before he can take that step, like being a good First Officer.
Thanks for your time, Lt. Commander Carter!
You can read more about Lt. Commander John Carter on the wiki.
