Each month we interview a First Officer of the fleet as part of our “First Officer in Focus” column to get to know them better, and learn more about what their positions entail.
This month, we’re interviewing the First Officer of the starship USS Astraeus, Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek-Skyfire, an Al- Leyan and Human Hybrid Female.
Harford: Tell us a little about the writer behind the character — where in the world do you hail from?
Rosek-Skyfire: Hi all! It’s great to be here! I’m a native Arizonan, born and raised (that’s in the United States) and I’ve been with the fleet on and off over the last 18 years. Outside of the game, I’m a 4th grade teacher transitioning into a Special Education teaching role and working toward my Special Education teaching certificate. I’m the very blessed wife of an amazing husband who supports me in everything I do and the mother to our two sons, 12 and 8.
What are the more rewarding parts about playing a First Officer and what have you found more of a challenge?
It’s not an easy role. It comes with an immense amount of responsibility and it requires a servant mindset. I’m not in this for what I can gain, but for what I can offer others. My experience in the fleet and my love of mentoring and guiding the next generation of leaders help keep things in perspective when challenges arise. Ultimately, I’m here to help others grow and become the best versions of themselves. I enjoy the relational aspect, helping others to find their place in our community and helping them discover and use their talents for the benefit of others. However, that relational aspect presents its challenges, too. I’ve watched Captain Mei’konda (Aaron) over the years. The patience he displays with new players has always amazed me. I admit that’s challenging for me. I’ve had to learn to take a step back and remember that every player has a different learning curve and comes to the game with different expectations. I must be able to meet them where they’re at and do all I can to help them build the skills that I’ve developed over the years.
Tell us more about your writing style. What’s your process for putting together a sim?
I spend the bulk of my time preparing to sim. This entails comparing my last post with each of the posts that have occurred since, ensuring that I have all tags that have been filled. I also often include narrative from the other players in the process to help give me the whole picture and guide me as to how my character should respond. Any narrative that I will need to replace with my own is highlighted in yellow. Once I have all of the other pieces, I proceed to fill in my tags and insert any narrative. When it comes to narrative, I try to insert at least 2-3 sentences of narrative for every 3-4 sections of dialogue. For me, the narrative is an opportunity to introduce aspects of my character’s past, their reaction to something that is happening that they can relate to, or to examine their view of or reaction to another character’s words or actions.
In one of my most recent sims, I introduced a new scene with my character throwing a stress ball against the wall. She grabs it too tightly and causes it to explode. This bit of storytelling reveals a few things about Lael–she’s stronger than she realizes, she has Human moments where she takes a break from the grind to process and daydream, and she has a quirky sense of humor. I don’t get a lot of opportunities to show this side of her, so I enjoy it when I can. Newer writers must realize that your character development isn’t restricted to shoreleave. Everything that’s going on around them is an opportunity for them to react and for the reader to learn more about who they are at their core as well as what’s important to them.
What’s been your favorite plot you’ve been involved in?
Oh, wow! There’s been so many that it’s hard to choose. But I guess if I have to choose just one…it’s the recent fleet Blockbuster focused on Frontier Day. I’ve had numerous plots in the past that helped hone and develop Lael’s command style while helping me to find who I am. However, I loved being able to explore how far Lael has come since her first days in this kind of leadership role. As some in the fleet are aware, this isn’t my first rodeo as a first officer and is in fact has seen Lael (and me) come full circle. I was blessedly selected as first officer for the Astraeus’s original launch and I’m stoked to again have the opportunity to help Aaron lead this amazing crew. Lael, while in command of the saucer section, dealt with some very big decisions while fighting against her telepathic and empathic gifts. It’s a testament to how far she’s come with regard to her self-control and her judgment.
Looking back on your experience in the fleet so far, what would be one piece of advice you’d give to anyone who’s just joined?
So many things that I could share. I’ve learned so much about myself in this process. I guess if I had to whittle it down to just one, I would say take feedback as just that–feedback. Ultimately, we’re all here to help each other improve. Anything that your mentor gives you is to build you up and help you hone and grow. It’s not meant to pick on you, but to help you become a stronger writer and a more valuable contributor to the community.
Thanks for your time, Lt. Commander Rosek-Skyfire!
You can read more about Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek-Skyfire on the wiki, here.
