Gateway

Hey guys! It’s July! My birthday is less than a week away! Let’s not mention the fact that I keep forgetting about it. That might be a sign of getting older… or maybe just a sign that I shouldn’t schedule events for the day before my birthday (if you’re in Gallup, come see me at the library on Saturday!).

In any case, July means it’s time for a new series, and I’m super excited about the one I’m bringing you this month. It’s taken me far longer than usual to come up with it, but you should’ve seen my happy dance once I figured it out. Seriously. My dog looked at me like I was a crazy person.

All July long, we’re talking about inspiration—specifically, where I’ve gotten my inspiration from, and where I take inspiration from today. We’ll be looking at television shows and books, primarily, because those are the primary things I’ve gotten inspiration from (logic!), and this week I thought we’d focus on two that are near and dear to my heart.

First up:

Stargate

I’m reluctant to even say which Stargate, if I’m being honest. I didn’t see the original movie until well after I’d watched the majority of SG-1, and I absolutely loved Atlantis (and pretend Universe doesn’t exist at all), so I’d say I’m your regular Stargate fan. Stargate was also one of the first ways I got into science fiction, and has been a huge inspiration to me over the years.

Exhibit A:

The Coetir, from Coetir: People of the Woods, are styled after the Nox, aliens from a few episodes of Stargate SG-1.

Exhibit B:

I stylized my first novel series, the Advanced Saga, off the episodic nature of the Stargate franchise.

But it’s not just that. Stargate was a great way for me to learn about writing in general, about creating an interesting story that hooks readers in right from the beginning—the way it did for me. See, from the very first episode I ever watched of this show, I knew this was something I would love. (if you’re wondering, I started on season one, episode two, by sheer happenstance)

Stargate also has some incredibly interesting aliens within their franchise (including the Nox). Now, I’m not saying they were anywhere as creative as the Star Trek franchise, but you know, they did a really good job with the Goa’uld. They created an alien symbiote that would take over the mind and body of a human and enslave others. They created another alien which would carry these symbiotes to maturity within their bodies (in the place of an actual immune system), until the symbiotes were ready to blend with a human or other creature.

That’s a brilliant idea! And the way they did it, the terror of not knowing who’d been taken over by a Goa’uld, was one of the best things I’d ever seen on TV at the time (I’ll admit that I’ve seen better now).

Lastly, Stargate was where I learned to write dialogue. The script for these shows was (and still is, in my opinion) one of the best of its time. Watching these shows and listening to the cast became an easy way for me to master written dialogue, and it’s still something I go back to if I ever need a refresher.

Stargate, I’d say, was my first step into the world of sci-fi—and it’s a step that I’ve never looked back on. It’s also a show I’ll never stop watching, simply because it holds such a special place in my heart.

[love]

{Rani D.}