Join us for another interview in a series which highlights the winners of awards from our 2401/2024 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 Lieutenant Gila Sadar playing a Mizarian medical officer assigned to the USS Artemis. They won the Quarks Bar which is awarded to members who are regularly active on the chat room, and forums, and have been supportive and involved in conversations enhancing the overall community experience with activities like keeping a quote thread up to date, consistently nominating simmers in the Appreciations forum, starting engaging chat discussions, attending chat events regularly, or being a helpful presence for new players.
Here’s what their commanding officer had to say:
Few of us might use the term “chatterbox” in a positive light, but I think the term certainly applies to Michelle, the writer behind Gila Sadar. They are an immensely important part of the OOC morale among the Artemis crew, always contributing to the conversation both in the Artemis ship channel and Officer’s Chat. Additionally, Michelle is frequently highlighting the contributions of other writers on the forums, and someone who understands the value of welcoming new members to our community.
“Gila has been a MASSIVE part of why I immediately felt welcomed from the start on the Artemis.”
Part of what makes 118 so special is the opportunity to form special connections with the others we write with, both IC and OOC. Michelle is the embodiment of everything we look for from a Quark’s Bar recipient, and I am personally grateful for all she has done for morale on the Artemis! Congratulations, Lieutenant!
Nilsen: Why don’t you reintroduce yourself to our readers? Who are you out-of-character, and who do you play? Any hobbies, interests, or machinations you want to share?
Sadar: Hello everyone! As stated by my Captain in the obnoxiously positive quote above, my name is Michelle and I first joined the 118 Fleet in June of 2023. I’ve simmed Gila Sadar, my beloved socially anxious Mizarian, ever since I joined, and I’m proud to say that – despite the Artemis crew’s best efforts – she remains as hopelessly incompetent in social circumstances as ever.
When I’m Off-Screen, I’m a primary school teacher at a small local private school in Denmark, and I’m also a wife and a mother to the Ronin’s Captain’s Aide, Alexander (who picked a very problematic imaginary friend in the Head Tribble, Karrod Niac, himself). I’m a gamer and a nerd, and besides playing TTRPGs and playing video games, I also play volleyball recreationally.
Last time we met, you said that you planned “on keeping Gila an Ensign for a long time.” That plan has been foiled, I see.
Who put you up to this? Was it the Captain? I have never been more insulted in an Interview 🙁
In seriousness, yes. I was hoping to keep Gila as an Ensign since her leadership abilities weren’t supposed to develop this quickly, but alas, here we are. Word to the wise: Don’t trust Addison MacKenzie by even an inch. If Matt thinks you should get a promotion, he will give it to you, your own opinions be damned!
From one chatterbox to another, we often run into each other on Discord but rarely get a chance to sit down and talk. You put a lot of work into the social side of 118, so I think it’s safe to say that 118 has some meaning for you.
118 is an amazing community, and has been a big part of my life for the past two years. While my intentions weren’t to ‘put work’ into it, I don’t think I can honestly say that I haven’t, sometimes to my staff’s great headache. Any big organisation with 140+ writers of various creeds, belief systems or cultural norms is bound to be a lot of work to keep positive and constructive, but thankfully, I’ve found that everyone here puts genuine work into keeping the fleet a place where people are happy to be.
You have cultivated a community on the Artemis, with one person saying, “Gila has been a MASSIVE part of why I immediately felt welcomed from the start on the Artemis.” Is there a science to cultivating such a community, or is it more of an art?
I don’t know if there’s a ‘science’ to it, so much as it’s just making sure to bring Ensigns into the crew in an open and welcoming manner. I remember when I first joined as Gila, it was in Act 3 of a Mission. Missions are easy because there’s a certain pace and structure to fit in. Shore leaves are when it gets really chaotic, and that’s where the established writers have to put conscious effort into including new writers and getting them involved. I remember the first day of my first shore leave, I immediately had three tags waiting for me from different crew members, and my intention aboard the Artemis was to pay that forward to everyone coming in after me.
What advice have you received since joining the community that you wish you’d had at the beginning?
Oh gosh, so much of it. Of course, there’s a lot of writing advice that’s been extremely helpful, and the 118 mentorship system is a wonderful resource, both in terms of improving your writing but also to have a sounding board when you first start out as a member of the crew.
I think the most concrete piece of advice when it comes to dealing with the social aspect, however, is “remember to take a break”. It’s such a rudimentary thing, but it’s something many of us forget, I think, especially with Discord communication which can be so unbelievably fast-paced and always available to us. ‘Take a break, go out and touch grass’ – it often provides some much-needed perspective when the world of the fleet gets a bit overwhelming.
We are approaching your two-year anniversary in the fleet (we joined within a month of each other). Have you got a favourite out-of-character story or anecdote that you’d love to share?
We did! It’s been a joy to follow your meteoric rise, Lt. Commander ; )
I think part of what keeps motivation up on a Ship is having small inside jokes or things that can continue to tie the Ship together, even after so long. On the Artemis, I do monthly chatterbox rankings (IE who has posted most posts in the Ship’s Discord Channel) and we have a Ship Chart with Ship Names for each pairing of crewmembers.
The best Ship Names currently on the list, in my humble opinion, are “Mean Girls” (Addison MacKenzie/Vailani Zoyara) and “Airlock Day” (Addison MacKenzie/Tho’Bi), which just tells me MacKenzie is a very shippable character. (Though I still miss “The Salsa Boys”, one of whom unfortunately isn’t simming with us anymore.)
What’s next for you, both out-of-character and in-character? Are you planning to stay at LT, or are you hoping those plans are foiled as well?
I am planning to stay at LT, how on Earth did you know? >_>
I never hope any of my plans are foiled, and despite the Artemis’ staff’s threats to the opposite, I do have a good feeling that this one is going to stick since I’ve sternly told my email to place that dreaded Lt.Cdr. questionnaire in the spam folder.
I play the long game, and despite simming Gila for almost two years now, I still haven’t scratched the surface of the plans I’ve had for her since her inception. I only hope I can do it justice in the coming months.
Thanks for your time, Lieutenant Sadar!
You can read more about Lieutenant Gila Sadar on the wiki.
