Claire Gabriel
May. 12th, 2024 12:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kathleen_daileyPaul Gadzikowski (scarfman) has reported the death of his mother, Claire Gadzikowski (known in fandom as Claire Gabriel). Though the news wasn't unexpected, it's still inexpressibly sad. Claire was an exceptionally talented writer, and she was a true friend to me. Paul and his siblings have my deepest sympathy.
I met Claire in 1989, when I wrote her a LOC (letter of comment, for those who weren't around in printzine days) about the first zine edition of Simple Gifts.
I'd ordered Simple Gifts from the fanzine dealer Bill Hupe, whose catalogue had described the zine as "an in-depth character study of Spock." By this time in my life, I'd read way more than my share of zines full of badly written, hilariously mischaracterized, atrociously plotted (or, more often, unplotted) drivel (especially Spock-centric drivel), and I had little reason to hope for anything better. But Bill's description made me decide to take a chance, and so I sent away for the zine.
When the zine arrived, I was captivated from the beginning. I started reading it immediately, and I don't think I put it down except to eat and sleep until I'd finished it. Claire's work was like nothing I'd seen in fanfic before: complex, insightful, thought-provoking, faithful to canon, and with OCs who were consistent in their own histories and personalities. Even though Claire had (knowingly) incorporated some familiar tropes, I was stunned by how far above and beyond typical fan writing she'd gone.
That isn't to say that I agreed with every detail of her perspective. (For instance, not every aspect of her interpretation of Spock, Kirk, Sarek, and Saavik was coextensive with mine.) But her writing and plotting and setting and theme were so well developed and so compelling that I was more than willing to buy into her version of the Trek universe.
I was surprised when Claire responded to my LOC--she was a BNF, and I didn't really think I'd ever hear from her. But her warm and friendly reply was the beginning of our correspondence and our friendship. I was in Toronto, she was in Omaha, and the circumstances of both our lives made it unlikely that we'd ever meet in person. In 1991, however, I was able to assist her in bringing out a new and expanded print edition of Simple Gifts, thanks to timing, luck, and the participation of a few of my professional colleagues who were also Trek fans--editors, typesetters, and print production experts. We launched the zine at a Toronto Trek convention with much fanfare and festivity, and Claire was able to attend the launch in person. We had several days together of talking and socializing and meeting with her readers and fans. I'm so thankful that we had that face-to-face time, and I wish we could have seen each other in person more often.
Our long and frequent discussions about Star Trek, writing, and fandom (and Spock) eventually made me acknowledge that a story that had been nagging at me since season 3 of TOS was never going to be written by any fan or pro author, and that if I wanted to read it I would just have to write it myself. Although I'd worked in book publishing for many years, I'd never been inspired to write any fiction. Claire persuaded me that fanfic was--literally--another universe altogether. Finally, in 1993, with Claire's encouragement, I opened a file on my computer with the working title "Romulan Commander's story."
* * *
Claire generously agreed to beta-read my draft. On the morning that I printed out the first fourteen chapters, addressed an envelope, and drove to the post office, I was as terrified as any novice writer sending her first query letter to an agent. I was used to critiquing, developing, and editing other authors' manuscripts; I had no idea whether I'd succeeded in writing a readable one of my own. When Claire wrote back to tell me that I should finish the story and that it met her standards and mine, I was astounded and elated. I finished the story, and published it in zine format in 1996. Over the next couple of years, with Claire's continuing encouragement and feedback, I completed a sequel. I know that if it hadn't been for Claire's guidance, counsel, and support I never would have written those stories.
* * *
I can't adequately summarize everything that Claire taught me--our conversations about writing fanfic were so wide-ranging (and took place so many years ago) that I've probably forgotten as much as I learned from her. But some random bits of advice have stuck with me:
1. Take the writing of fanfic as seriously as you take your paid writing. Never post any fanfic unless it's passed through the hands of a trusted and competent beta reader--and preferably more than one.
2. If one beta points out a problem and you agree that it's a problem, fix it. If one beta points out a problem but you don't agree that it's a problem, consider it carefully anyway before deciding whether to make a change. If two or more betas point out a problem but you don't agree that it's a problem, then it IS a problem regardless of what you think. Get over yourself and fix it.
3. When writing a long-form love story or a work that includes a love story in its plot, keep the lovers apart as long as credibly possible. Tension and suspense are as crucial to a romance as they are to any other work of fiction, and they're the qualities most often lacking in fanfic.
4. Choose the POV and tense that are necessary to tell the story effectively, lucidly, and skillfully. Trust your muse.
5. Ensure that every scene (including sex scenes) reveals something about the characters or advances the plot--preferably both. If a scene doesn't do one of those two things, rewrite it. If it still doesn't do one of those two things, delete it.
6. There are two kinds of writers in fandom--(a) those who write for reasons of self-expression or wish fulfillment, or to exorcise personal demons, and (b) those who write to tell carefully crafted, well-written, well-plotted stories that feature recognizable and believable characters from the canon. Both types of writing are legitimate for their purposes, but you have to decide which kind of writer you are--and what kind of reader you want to appeal to. And don't be surprised when the other type of reader doesn't buy into your work.
7. Prepare to engage with readers of your fannish writing more often and more intensely than you do with readers of your pro writing. (This is probably no longer true, now that pro writers are so easily reachable by their fans via social media.)
* * *
Much of Claire's writing is now available on AO3 at![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
cgabriel.
TLDR: Claire was my friend for many years, and she was the principal beta reader for almost every piece of fan fiction that I've written. She was my example, my teacher, my critic, and my inspiration. I trusted her opinion and her judgment implicitly, and not only on fannish matters. Although in recent years she wasn't able to read and answer email as frequently as she once did, we remained friends. I will miss her immensely.
scarfman) has reported the death of his mother, Claire Gadzikowski (known in fandom as Claire Gabriel). Though the news wasn't unexpected, it's still inexpressibly sad. Claire was an exceptionally talented writer, and she was a true friend to me. Paul and his siblings have my deepest sympathy.I met Claire in 1989, when I wrote her a LOC (letter of comment, for those who weren't around in printzine days) about the first zine edition of Simple Gifts.
I'd ordered Simple Gifts from the fanzine dealer Bill Hupe, whose catalogue had described the zine as "an in-depth character study of Spock." By this time in my life, I'd read way more than my share of zines full of badly written, hilariously mischaracterized, atrociously plotted (or, more often, unplotted) drivel (especially Spock-centric drivel), and I had little reason to hope for anything better. But Bill's description made me decide to take a chance, and so I sent away for the zine.
When the zine arrived, I was captivated from the beginning. I started reading it immediately, and I don't think I put it down except to eat and sleep until I'd finished it. Claire's work was like nothing I'd seen in fanfic before: complex, insightful, thought-provoking, faithful to canon, and with OCs who were consistent in their own histories and personalities. Even though Claire had (knowingly) incorporated some familiar tropes, I was stunned by how far above and beyond typical fan writing she'd gone.
That isn't to say that I agreed with every detail of her perspective. (For instance, not every aspect of her interpretation of Spock, Kirk, Sarek, and Saavik was coextensive with mine.) But her writing and plotting and setting and theme were so well developed and so compelling that I was more than willing to buy into her version of the Trek universe.
I was surprised when Claire responded to my LOC--she was a BNF, and I didn't really think I'd ever hear from her. But her warm and friendly reply was the beginning of our correspondence and our friendship. I was in Toronto, she was in Omaha, and the circumstances of both our lives made it unlikely that we'd ever meet in person. In 1991, however, I was able to assist her in bringing out a new and expanded print edition of Simple Gifts, thanks to timing, luck, and the participation of a few of my professional colleagues who were also Trek fans--editors, typesetters, and print production experts. We launched the zine at a Toronto Trek convention with much fanfare and festivity, and Claire was able to attend the launch in person. We had several days together of talking and socializing and meeting with her readers and fans. I'm so thankful that we had that face-to-face time, and I wish we could have seen each other in person more often.
Our long and frequent discussions about Star Trek, writing, and fandom (and Spock) eventually made me acknowledge that a story that had been nagging at me since season 3 of TOS was never going to be written by any fan or pro author, and that if I wanted to read it I would just have to write it myself. Although I'd worked in book publishing for many years, I'd never been inspired to write any fiction. Claire persuaded me that fanfic was--literally--another universe altogether. Finally, in 1993, with Claire's encouragement, I opened a file on my computer with the working title "Romulan Commander's story."
* * *
Claire generously agreed to beta-read my draft. On the morning that I printed out the first fourteen chapters, addressed an envelope, and drove to the post office, I was as terrified as any novice writer sending her first query letter to an agent. I was used to critiquing, developing, and editing other authors' manuscripts; I had no idea whether I'd succeeded in writing a readable one of my own. When Claire wrote back to tell me that I should finish the story and that it met her standards and mine, I was astounded and elated. I finished the story, and published it in zine format in 1996. Over the next couple of years, with Claire's continuing encouragement and feedback, I completed a sequel. I know that if it hadn't been for Claire's guidance, counsel, and support I never would have written those stories.
* * *
I can't adequately summarize everything that Claire taught me--our conversations about writing fanfic were so wide-ranging (and took place so many years ago) that I've probably forgotten as much as I learned from her. But some random bits of advice have stuck with me:
1. Take the writing of fanfic as seriously as you take your paid writing. Never post any fanfic unless it's passed through the hands of a trusted and competent beta reader--and preferably more than one.
2. If one beta points out a problem and you agree that it's a problem, fix it. If one beta points out a problem but you don't agree that it's a problem, consider it carefully anyway before deciding whether to make a change. If two or more betas point out a problem but you don't agree that it's a problem, then it IS a problem regardless of what you think. Get over yourself and fix it.
3. When writing a long-form love story or a work that includes a love story in its plot, keep the lovers apart as long as credibly possible. Tension and suspense are as crucial to a romance as they are to any other work of fiction, and they're the qualities most often lacking in fanfic.
4. Choose the POV and tense that are necessary to tell the story effectively, lucidly, and skillfully. Trust your muse.
5. Ensure that every scene (including sex scenes) reveals something about the characters or advances the plot--preferably both. If a scene doesn't do one of those two things, rewrite it. If it still doesn't do one of those two things, delete it.
6. There are two kinds of writers in fandom--(a) those who write for reasons of self-expression or wish fulfillment, or to exorcise personal demons, and (b) those who write to tell carefully crafted, well-written, well-plotted stories that feature recognizable and believable characters from the canon. Both types of writing are legitimate for their purposes, but you have to decide which kind of writer you are--and what kind of reader you want to appeal to. And don't be surprised when the other type of reader doesn't buy into your work.
7. Prepare to engage with readers of your fannish writing more often and more intensely than you do with readers of your pro writing. (This is probably no longer true, now that pro writers are so easily reachable by their fans via social media.)
* * *
Much of Claire's writing is now available on AO3 at
TLDR: Claire was my friend for many years, and she was the principal beta reader for almost every piece of fan fiction that I've written. She was my example, my teacher, my critic, and my inspiration. I trusted her opinion and her judgment implicitly, and not only on fannish matters. Although in recent years she wasn't able to read and answer email as frequently as she once did, we remained friends. I will miss her immensely.
