Curious about how scripts come to be in the Star Trek offices? Ever had ambitions to pitch stories to the show? You might pick up a few pointers in the latest issue of scr(i)pt magazine, where an article entitled "The Launching of Enterprise" probes into the writing process of the current Trek writing team.

Story editor Andre Bormanis, co-producers and writing team Mike Sussman and Phyllis Strong, staff writer David Wilcox, and star Scott Bakula (Captain Archer) were all interviewed by author Rich Whiteside about how they do their jobs (or, in the case of Bakula, how he contributes to the writing process) for the magazine which deals with the craft and business of screenwriting.

"We want to keep the shows as well-versed and as well-grounded in science (as we understand it today) as possible. Part of keeping it grounded is making these characters sound credible, as if they know what they are talking about. Part of that means using scientific terms that are real and that have the right ring to them and that are also appropriate for the function that they're serving in the story," said Bormanis, who formerly served as science consultant but then became a full-time writer. "Also, we have to have the freedom to go beyond being grounded in science facts of today because, certainly, we are wrong about a lot of things we believe today. That, I think, is an important part of what Star Trek does. It stretches the imagination of people whether they are scientifically literate or not. It suggests that there may be other ideas, other theories that in the long run prove to be better - or just stand the test of time better - than the things we think today might stand the test of time."

Sussman and Strong started writing their first script for Enterprise, "Strange New World," before the pilot "Broken Bow" even began filming. "We were given the two-hour pilot [script] on our last day on Voyager," Sussman said. "We loved the script and the 'retro' premise, but there was a lot for us to figure out. Captain Archer hadn't been cast yet, and we didn't know his voice ... what would he say? What would he not say? On Voyager, we had six years of Captain Janeway behind us so we knew how she'd react to certain situations. The first script was very tough to get through, a real learning experience, and the final aired episode was very different from our first draft!"

Strong added, "It was a Humans versus Vulcans kind of relationship. [The question was] to what extent would they not be at odds? What were their attitudes when they faced each other?" Sussman continued, "This show was designed as a departure [from the previous four Star Trek series] ... so we had to throw out a lot of what we had learned on Voyager. Even the script we are writing now, which is our sixth for the show, we get notes like, 'This is like a Voyager scene. Do better.'"

The writers spoke about the nerve-racking but sometimes rewarding experience of the "pitch session," the practice of hearing story ideas from free-lance writers. "It's a roller coaster," Bormanis commented. "You go in with all this anticipation and anxiety, but most of the stories that you pitch typically have problems that you just don't see or that you aren't aware of ... or there is a very similar story in development, and your story steps on that premise."

The interviewees were asked what they look for in a pitch. "I hope I'm going to hear a great idea — simple, conceptual, insightful — that instantly grabs me," said David Wilcox, one of the newest members of the creative team. "I know these writers have put a lot of effort into it, and I want to be appreciative of that effort. It's a difficult thing coming in cold to pitch, and I empathize. But the fact is, it's not easy coming up with ideas for this show."

"First and foremost, the stories should be about the people on this ship. The most common mistake writers make is telling stories that are all science fiction plot and have little if anything to do with our people," Bormanis replied.

"People too often pitch a cool idea with a bunch of new aliens, and you wouldn't even know that our people were part of it," Strong added.

"We want ideas that are unique to Enterprise and couldn't necessarily be turned into a Voyager or a Deep Space Nine story — something that could only be done on our show. Those are hard to find," Sussman said.

Bakula, in a sidebar, spoke about the frustrations of being a producer in Hollywood, which "continues to be a town that prefers to say 'no' rather than 'yes'" to material seeking a place in the market. Asked if he contributes to the development of the Archer character in the Enterprise scripts, Bakula replied, "When they wrote the pilot, I didn't have any input. However, I've had a lot of input since. They've been, 'Did you like this? How do you feel about that? This is what we're thinking about.' They're great about asking my opinion on things and taking my suggestions."

Discuss writing for Enterprise (but don't give away any of your ideas!) at the Star Trek message boards!