Ethlie Ann Vare
 Ethlie was very busy when she answered our questions. In fact, we sent her a lot of questions and she wrote back sparingly, sending a few answers here and there. She was extremely nice about the whole project.
If you want to know more about Ethlie's background, check out the official Ethlie Ann Vare Web site. We'll just dip right into the questions (which were compiled from suggestions made by Xenite.Org staff members). The first question was actually suggested by Ethlie, as she often heard it from fans.
Xenite.Org: Did you go to film school?
Ethlie Vare: No. I went to the University of California at Santa Barbara, entering as a pre-med student and graduating with a degree in World Literature. Everything I've learned about either journalism or screenwriting, I've learned through apprenticeship.
Xenite.Org: You're Andromeda's executive story editor. Does that mean you have the
responsibility for catching major continuity gaffes concerning characterization and history? If so, how do you keep up with the unfolding universe? If not, what, exactly, do you do in THAT capacity?
Ethlie Vare: Season One my title was Executive Story Editor. Season Two, I'm a Co-Producer. All these titles are just staff writer stripes: The members of the writing team have varying levels of experience and responsibility, but we pretty much do the same job. All of us write scripts, all of us maintain continuity, character development, etc. Robert Hewitt Wolfe is the top dog -- the head writer, his title is Executive Producer. And since we all work together and discuss everything all the time -- we quite literally live in the Andromeda Universe every day -- it's not hard to keep up with.
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Xenite.Org: You wrote "The Pearls That Were His Eyes" and "It Makes A Lovely Light". Flash figures prominently in both episodes. Was that your concept or did you make the pitch for writing stories about it? Also, did you draw upon your Rock entertainment background (as a journalist and historian) for inspiration in portraying out the Flash phenomenon (i.e., the impact it has had on pop culture)? What is the rationalization for Flash catching on in a futuristic universe? Why did people need or want to be stronger, faster, etc.?
Ethlie Vare: People are always going to want to be faster, stronger, better, don't you
think? Flash was actually in the series Bible; that Beka Valentine's father was a drug burn-out really interested me, and I wanted to write stories around it. And I was the perfect writer to do it, not only because I identify with Beka but because I overcame a pretty nasty drug habit myself, once upon a time. I do a lot of work in drug recovery now, and the dynamic of the drug-addicted family, the inherited aspects of drug dependency, the affect of an addict or alcoholic parent on the self-image of a child.... that's all really strong character stuff to work with, both for the writer and for the actress. I think Lisa Ryder did a tremendous job with a challenging role in both those episodes.
As far as how Flash (an obvious cocaine analogy) relates to the pop music community -- there's one moment in It Makes A Lovely Light when Dylan asks Tyr why he didn't tell anyone that Beka was using Flash. And Tyr just shrugs, "It was working." That's why a lot of musicians (and movie stars) never get better. There are too many people making too much money from them being just as messed up as they are. It's sad.
Xenite.Org: Trance is an enigma who has entranced many fans, especially guys. Do you look at the scripts by the other writers where they deal with Trance and try to impose order on the chaos? What people want to know is, do you folks have any more of a clue as to who and what Trance is than we viewers do?
Ethlie Vare: Yes, we know a lot more about Trance than we're telling. Keep watching. All will be revealed in due time....
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