Karen Traviss on Jacen Solo (from interview)

Charlemagne19 · Sep 1, 2006

At the end of the previous novel, Betrayal, Jacen Solo has just killed a fellow Jedi in cold blood and embarked on the path to becoming a Sith master under the tutelage of Lumiya, an old adversary from Luke's past. It must be a fascinating challenge for you to attempt a sympathetic portrayal of a Jedi's corruption, especially with Jacen believing that he is only doing what is necessary to bring peace and order to the galaxy.

Karen Traviss said:

I don't aim for sympathetic or unsympathetic, actually: I aim for real, and even with a character that isn't built by me -- when I create characters, I build them from the ground up with a psych profile -- I let them do the living and the talking. How does a clever, morally aware man go down the path that Jacen does? By self-delusion and self- justification. Jacen already has a high opinion of his powers and judgment, and that's not misplaced: the man is good at his work. But he just disconnects from the outside world once too often and starts to see himself as having this mission to save the galaxy, and only he can do it...you watch the drift from good intentions to what he sees as necessary evils to all-out self-justification. Sadly, in my previous careers -- as a journalist and later a spin doc working with politicians -- I saw that very human pattern of behavior time after time after time. And I can watch it now in politicians in my own UK government: I won't get too political here, but the capacity of those with power to make themselves believe in their own purity of purpose even when it's obvious to those around them that they're going bad and beyond bad is staggering to behold. They really do shift into a parallel world that only they can see, and shut out all dissent as they focus on what they want it believe and hear. Some of them start out corrupt and opportunistic, and some get sucked into it.

Getting into Jacen Solo's head was one of the most unpleasant experiences I've ever had. When I write, it's very tight third person POV -- there's no narrator. It's all the characters' own voices, seeing the world as they see it with no real help from me, and I just report what they see. Letting go in order to do that is very much like method acting, actors have told me. You become that character for the time being. And boy, was it scary being Jacen. It all seems utterly logical and inevitable to him -- and, like all people who do terrible things, he has no sense of his own evil.

A wise friend described the slide into a personal delusional hell like Jacen's as stemming from a deep-down belief that you're the focus of the universe about which everyone else's destiny pivots. And, of course, that's exactly what Jacen thinks: only he can save the galaxy.

I was so freaked by being in his head that when I switched point-of-view characters, I wanted to launder my brain. It was so easy a trap to slip into. Anyone could do it in the right circumstances. That's what makes evil -- if we can use that value-laden word -- so dangerous. It's not rare, handed only to demons; it's lurking in all of us, and it's pretty banal.
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Thoughts?

Pipboy · Sep 1, 2006

That authors who write multi-writer greater continuity characters don't have to have a good handle on the absolute morality of a character to write them convincingly.

Traviss obviously has a visceral dislike of Jacen. Its mentally painful for her to slip herself into his mind. She can do it an it shows, but just because she feels this way when she is in her quote, unquote right mind, means littler overeall to me.

If for example stover was had written bloodlines you could expect a very different opinion from him, as he is obviously very comfortable with abberant characters.

Excellence · Sep 2, 2006

Had Matt written Bloodlines, we'd have gotten flashy flamboyant prose which, while not illicit in any form, can detract from giving a read a serious ambience. There's a time and place for everything, and too often the Star Wars in question lacks sufficient seriousness in voice.

Queengodess · Sep 2, 2006

Excellence said:

Had Matt written Bloodlines, we'd have gotten flashy flamboyant prose which, while not illicit in any form, can detract from giving a read a serious ambience. There's a time and place for everything, and too often the Star Wars in question lacks sufficient seriousness in voice.
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It too often also lacks flashy flamboyant prose... But you've got a point. Karen Traviss writes an interesting Jacen. But I still love Stover's prose. So pretty...

Pipboy · Sep 2, 2006

Great hijacked by cheese. DOWN WITH GOUDA!

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Karen Traviss on Jacen Solo (from interview)

Charlemagne19 Chosen One

Pipboy Jedi Youngling

Excellence Jedi Knight

Queengodess Jedi Grand Master

Pipboy Jedi Youngling