Join us for another in a series of interviews with winners of awards from our 2024 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 & First Officer Aine Sherlock playing a Human Female Security Officer assigned to the USS Chin’toka. He won the Prestigious Service Medallion: “Awarded to members in the fleet who are steady and unwavering from their chosen Duty Post” for his continued excellence as a Security Officer.
S. Richards: Let’s start off with a tough one! You have won a good amount of awards. What do these awards mean to you and which one means the most to you?
Sherlock: It’s interesting, because for me, awards time is about recognizing others. But I guess we sometimes forget that we are others too. So getting that kind of recognition is pretty validating knowing that others thought highly enough to nominate you. Picking a favorite award, that’s a tough one. But I’d have to say the Sheathed Sword. I got that two years in a row. We all joke about “torturing” our characters, but on a serious note, delving into the trauma, how it affects them and even changes them, is great. It makes for organic character writing in that suddenly everything you may have had planned can change. So where do you go? How does your character handle it? And how, if at all, do they move past it? With the recent blockbuster, I’m sure there will be a lot of those questions being asked and answered, and I’m looking forward to seeing it from everyone.
Looking back over your time with SB118, is there a particular achievement that stands out as something you are especially proud of IC or OOC?
I could give the answer most would think I’m going to say and that would be becoming a First Officer, but that’s too easy. That was an unexpected one, and one I am very proud of. But for me, the biggest was helping one of my mentees progress. They were writing a character that was new to them in a duty post they’d never written and they’d had some difficulty previously. Helping them to develop their writing and their character in a way that made it fun for them to write and fun for others to read was really rewarding. They’re still here and doing well!
What is it about the Security duty post that continues to inspire you? How hard has it been for Aine to leave the gold uniform behind for command red?
Security is a complex duty post. Though a lot of missions end up in action scenes, and you get IC recognition for it via ribbons, in my mind (in universe anyways) it’s a duty post that’s probably not remembered as well. When we talk about Starfleet, exploration and discovery are prime tenants. Doctor’s cure diseases. Scientists make discoveries. Things that can leave a legacy of sorts. So why does someone choose security? The character has to believe in what they’re doing, that it’s contributing to the greater good, and to do it selflessly. I’ve always kept that in mind and tried to emphasize that to others as well. Don’t do it to seek glory for yourself.
As for Aine leaving behind the gold, it’s a big change. Not just in the uniform or the job, but in her. Her priorities have to change and she will have to evolve along with that. It’s still early days, so there’s no telling how she’s going to handle it.
How often does Aine’s response to a situation surprise you, the writer? How do you balance keeping your character’s voice separate from your own?
Every. Single. Time. The longer you write a character, the more they take on a life of their own. Many times I’ve read a sim and thought I’d know exactly how to respond, but as I write out the response, it comes out completely unexpectedly. There’s times that I’ve written something out and quickly deleted it because it sounds more like me talking rather than her. Keeping the voices separate is pretty easy for me because she’s taken on a life of her own.
What advice would you give to our newcomers? Just general advice that would help someone just joining settle into the community.
There’s a couple things actually, mostly don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid of criticism. And don’t be afraid to be self critical. Don’t beat yourself up over things, but also looking at your writing and the stories you create objectively, I feel, is an important skill. Don’t be afraid to engage with others. From your commanding officer all the way down. Sometimes you’ll fall into loops with your writing, don’t be afraid to break those loops by stepping out of your comfort zone. And don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice no matter if it’s writing, IC goals, OOC goals, etc.. Whether it’s your CO, FO, mentor, or just someone in the chat you’ve met. Whatever you’re stuck on, I can promise someone’s been there and can help.
We know Aine just announced some life changing news, Congratulations! What else can we expect to see in her future? Any big plans?
What can I say? She doesn’t always make the best choices. Kidding, thanks. Who knows, though, what’s coming in the future. As I write this we’re on shore leave and she’s going back home for the first time in over seven years, she might be a little shocked how some things have changed. Mostly she’s going to be focusing on the new job and how best to adapt to the new responsibilities, new ship, and new crew. I think this year will be the first I try to flip things around and try to be nicer to her, give her at least one good year. I’ve spent a lot of time the last couple of years writing about trauma and its effects, and of course recovery. I’ve now set in motion a couple things that continue on the path of recovery and hopefully will keep that going for a while…give her a bit of a break.
Thanks for your time, Lt Commander Sherlock!
You can read more about Lt. Commander Aine Sherlock on the wiki.
