--<-@ Over 30 SW Writers Club! @->--

Hi Everyone, Welcome!

This thread is intended as a meeting and greeting place for all of the fabulous writers out there on the Fic boards who are over 30 and are old enough to remember waiting in line in 1977 to see SW when it was first released in Theaters! (No we won't discriminate if you're in that 25-29 age bracket- you're welcome too! )

We are the original fans who helped keep the OT going strong even during the 90's and gave Lucas the added push and incentive to make the PTs.

Let this be a place for us to discuss our life-long love with the SW films/ universe- as well as a place to present our own, unique perceptions of the expanded universe and how we write our fanfics! And as a place to realize that there actually are writers over teen-level writing on these fanboards! (Not that there's anything wrong w/ our teen writer friends- we're just greatly outnumbered )

Hop in and introduce yourself!

(I think that Fanfic READERS who are over 30 should feel free to join in the fun as well... just let us know who your fav authors are to read...)

We can start w/ a few simple questions:

1) Age- you can post range if you prefer

2) How long have you been writing on these boards and post links to your stories.

3) Favorite genre, saga of SW to write

4) Favorite characters and why.

5) Why has SW always been so special to you?

Finally...

6) Fav tips or advice for writing.

(Feel free to answer as many, or as few of these, as you would like!)


Closing since new thread was created!

 

BRILLIANT!!!!


Me: Darth Breezy

Age:

Old enough to be a memeber of this group, young enough to still be vain about my age...


How long have you been writing on these boards and post links to your stories.

Since June actually...
Links are in sig and in my bio...

Favorite genre, saga of SW to write

I'm a prequal Junkie... Anakin 'centric stories... he's such a rich, multi layered character who's sometimes too passionate for his own good....



Favorite characters and why.

See Above... [face-innocent] I don't know why... we have NOTHING in common...



Why has SW always been so special to you?

Well, I grew up with it... the films and perhaps most importantly, the spirit behind them has actually had a great influance on my like... I'm an artist and part time model maker/costumer ect ect because of it in part....



Fav tips or advice for writing.

Chats can have WONDERFUL influance on story telling...

From "Bed Blanket Lawn Party" to the monster epic that is culminating in "Come Undone".. they all started in chats that brought up the premise of "what if...."

Biggest advice?

Remember... NO idea is too "silly"... write from the heart, the rest will follow...

Anakin in the tales is often very different to the Anakin who's in my head...

 

Okay. I'll play along. This should be fun.

Darth_Lex

1) Age
28. (Taking advantage of your offer to cheat a bit, PLJ! ) I remember ESB in the theater very clearly. (But not ANH... )

2) How long have you been writing on these boards and post links to your stories.
Since November. (I wrote starting in May, but didn't post until later.)
The links are in my bio. [Edit. Easier that way. ]

3) Favorite genre, saga of SW to write
I first wrote two A/P stories with lightside endings ("One Choice" and ABR), trying to understand how things could have developed differently. While writing Anakin's dark side temptation in ABR (and Padme's too), the reader response was very interesting, so I ended up writing a darkside A/P ending too. Now I've made my peace with young A/P, I think, good or evil. And I've turned to what I really have been itching to write all along -- an epic-scale story with lots of action, as well as drama and romance. Something on the movies' scale, not just a small character story. It's a sequel to (lightside) ABR that I'm going to post starting next week that allows me to include everyone -- A/P, H/L, L/M. Well, everyone except...

4) Favorite characters and why.
Vader. I've always preferred villains. Iago from Othello is a close second for me. Even before the PT, I found the gradual changes in Vader from ANH to ROTJ fascinating. The PT makes me like Vader even more -- as Vader. (Hey, I like Anakin too, but he's lower on the list.)

After the PT, Yoda comes in second on my list. In the OT standing alone, I thought he was too goofy and comical; a great character but too silly. The PT, displaying his savvy and power and insight, makes the way he handles Luke in ESB so much more interesting. He manipulates the heck out of the kid! Very cool.

5) Why has SW always been so special to you?
I'm a sucker for marketing. That and I've always been very engaged by the mythological and epic elements of the films.

6) Fav tips or advice for writing.
I write ahead, then let what's written stew and germinate in my brain. Then I edit and tinker and revise, sometimes considerably, before I post. It's very effective, at least for me.

 

1) Age-

36

2) How long have you been writing on these boards and post links to your stories.

Just over three years now, and links to my stories are in my profile.

3) Favorite genre, saga of SW to write

Hmm, I'm in a period of transition at the moment. I used to like JA stories, but now I find I'm being drawn towards the OT, more specifically ... Wedgewards.

4) Favorite characters and why.

All the Wraiths. All the Rogues. Why? Because of the great books that gave us so much insight and depth into their characters along with great action and great humour. Hooray for Aaron Allston and Michael A. Stackpole!

I still have a lingering fondness for Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, too.

5) Why has SW always been so special to you?

At the time, I just thought it was a great adventure that I loved to watch over and over again. I think now, though, that the triumph of good over evil was a large part of it, too. I remember daydreaming about being part of the Rebellion during my teenage years, wanting to help overthrow the evil Empire. I'm sure there are lots of other reasons that I can't think of right now.

Finally...

6) Fav tips or advice for writing.

Read something every day. Write something every day.

 

1) Age- you can post range if you prefer

Thirty-two. Mostly likin' it.

2) How long have you been writing on these boards and post links to your stories.

I came to TFN in Sept '99, because I was running into prequel hostility elsewhere and wanted to find a nice SW board. I don't remember exactly when I decided to start posting fanfic. Might have been late '99 or early '00. First one was an early draft of "Father's Heart."

3) Favorite genre, saga of SW to write

I'm an Anakin fan, have been since RotJ, and all the cool new info has me writing him addictively. I enjoy writing AUs a lot--what if "x" didn't happen, how would these characters react? But the one it surprised me to find was the most fun to write was a Jedi Quest era story with Obi-Wan and Ani in their father/son dynamic. I like the parent/child stories.

4) Favorite characters and why.

Anakin, because, well... he's Anakin. He turned his back on his entire life to save Luke, and that's a huge plus--also, it fascinates me. What kind of person can live inside of evil for so long without being entirely conquered by it?

Padme. I tried for seventeen years to figure out what the twins' mother would be like--I should have been disappointed, but this character totally captured me. Much better than anything I would have come up with on my own. She's strong without being a "tough broad," she's unabashedly intelligent and take-charge, but not bossy... she could have been made to be some sort of pale Leia imitation, sharp-tongued and pragmatic, but Lucas made an incredibly good choice in making her more like RotJ-era Luke: patient, kind, and sad, but unwilling to put up with injustice. It took me until TPM to really have much of a handle on Leia, but Padme as a female character just jumped right off the screen.

Luke. The touchstone, the one whose morality is the essence of the saga. What else is there to say?


5) Why has SW always been so special to you?

It was magic. I saw it when I was seven, and I was sitting on the theater floor, way up front. It was the biggest, most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, and I decided right then that I wanted to make Star Wars when I grew up. (No idea what meant at the time of course; I thought it would involve becoming Princess Leia.)


6) Fav tips or advice for writing.

To stay away from the ones that everyone thinks of (write naturally, be true, etc), I'll go with my favorite little discovery: gender-bending for strength and flexibility. Smartest thing I ever did for myself as a writer was to spend time writing male characters in first person. You lose that psychological roadblock fast.

 

and I decided right then that I wanted to make Star Wars when I grew up. (No idea what meant at the time of course; I thought it would involve becoming Princess Leia.)

Goes to show....

I was leaning twords threepio back then...

As for the "be true"... I think in order to write successfuly, you need to be true to yourself... writing to please someone else just doesn't work if you're doing it for pleasure...

 

Woohoo! 30 somethings have arrived.

Since I started this thread, I figured I'd spill my beans about myself as well:

1) Age

32- was 7 when I first saw "Star Wars"

2) How long have you been writing on these boards and post links to your stories.

I actually joined TF.N shortly after seeing AOTC- I was so completely wound up by the brilliance of the film I feared going insane w/o an outlet to babble about my love of the film. Low and behold I found this wonderful place where I discovered thousands of people as insanely crazy about the works of GL that I was. I felt like I'd found a new home.

When the thrill of AOTC started to wear off- the thrill of writing remained, I wrote a proposal viggie for Anakin and Padme- then I started my epic "Destinies Entwined."

3) Favorite genre, saga of SW to write

I loved the EU until the NJO books came out. When I heard they killed off Chewie I got totally pissed at the books and refused to read them. I almost lost touch w/ SW until the PT came out.

When I came here and started looking around the fanfic boards I realized people wrote AU stories- so I created my own AU- EU universe w/o the icky Vong, and that I feel is more in line, storywise, to belong with the canon of the films in the terms of themes, etc.


4) Favorite characters and why.

Actually I love writing the Solo Kids in my fic. Why? Well it's an AU story so they've pretty much morphed into my own characters who I've given heavy douses of character from their grandparents and parents.

I would love to write more stories about Anakin and Padme or maybe Luke and Leia- pre EU.

5) Why has SW always been so special to you?

I love writing family bonding scenes and conflict. I guess a big part of why I love the OT so much is that Han/Luke/Leia really bonded and became a family in those films. The characters chemistry and fierce devotion to each other always fascinated me and has always made me cherish the films.

I fell in love w/ SW because of the mythology in the films. As a kid I loved the quest and epic grandness of the stories. I suppose I also really identified with Luke and his dreams of discovering his destiny. Although I loved the space battles, lightsaber duels, etc- it was always the struggles of the characters and their dreams and tenacity that made me return to view the films over and over and over.

Later I read Mary Stewart's Merlin series of books and fell hopelessly in love w/ King Arthur. A lot of the elements in the story reminded me of SW- especially the young Arthur/ Merlin bonding- it always and immediately reminded me of Ben/Luke. Since AOTC has come out I've done quite a lot of research into the study of Myth and I find myself amazed at the depth and levels of storytelling richness that GL weaves into each story. Father quests, destiny quests, fallen heros, redemption, they all exist in SW - the story is what continues to draw me in- like a moth to a flame.

6) Fav tips or advice for writing.

Keep at it- the more you write the better you get. Don't fear asking for help from others- seek out beta readers and also learn to recognize your weaknesses (grammar, dialogue, whatever) and really focus on improving that aspect.

Only by constant work and attention to detail will you find that it becomes easier and second nature.

 

1) Age- you can post range if you prefer

38, and older than I feel

2) How long have you been writing on these boards and post links to your stories.

I found TFN by following a link to ami-padme's and Darth Pipes "What If the Empire" over from FFN back in 2000. I've been posting here for a little over two years.

3) Favorite genre, saga of SW to write

I love writing prequel because it seems so wide open - there is a lot of unaccounted for time to fill up. I'm more prone to write action, because I find it easier, but I've tried my hand at romance and drama, too.

4) Favorite characters and why.

Han - I love his rough edges, cynicism, and "cut the Gordian knot" approach to life. I don't really write him all that well, but I love him as a character.

5) Why has SW always been so special to you?

Like JG said, it's magic. I was going to grow up to be a Jedi and protect people from injustice. And one day I'll figure out how to lick that little problem with power packs and crystals and build my own lightsaber.

6) Fav tips or advice for writing.

No real pearls of wisdom here. Read a lot. Write a lot. Pay attention to your surroundings and listen to people talk. It's amazing how much you can pick up that way.

 

Hm, maybe we should retitle the thread "The Circle of Elders!"

1) Age- you can post range if you prefer

35, 36, or 37; I've sort of stopped counting. I just go for the cake!

2) How long have you been writing on these boards and post links to your stories.

Two years? Maybe 3? All the links are in my bio

3) Favorite genre, saga of SW to write

Prequel. I hate the NJO and it's pretty much ruined all the OT characters for me...

4) Favorite characters and why.

Too many to say! Yoda, of course, because he is a thinker. Qui-Gon Jinn, tragic figure and my all-time favorite actor. The Handmaidens, because they are aren't shrieking, swooning female idiots or mouthy b-- um, shrews with a chip on their shoulder. They're smart, they're strong, they're brave and they're well-mannered.

5) Why has SW always been so special to you?

It hasn't actually. If you read my bio, you'll see that I didn't want to see a dumb war movie with no horses. Needless to say, by the time the credits rolled, I was hooked! It was the idea I loved, of an everyday, average person in a boring life who gets swept up into something exciting and meaningful, and who is able to help a lot of other people by his/her actions. I'm a sucker for the theme that in an ordinary life there may be an adventure around the corner (I loved "the Goonies" for that reason, too!)

6) Fav tips or advice for writing.

One of the best books on writing I ever read said "Start with the action." I'm always happiest when I can start with an action scene and get the audience right away.

Otherwise, my only other advice is write the whole first draft before you start to post. That way, you can go back and plant subtle clues throughout the rest of the story that lead up to the conclusion, AND if you have an attack of Darth RL or writer's block, the readers aren't left hanging for months while you try to sort it out.

Oh, it will be fun to see who else shows up and where this goes!

 

1) Age

35

2) How long have you been writing on these boards and post links to your stories.

Since October 2001. Links to my fics are in my profile.

3) Favorite genre, saga of SW to write

JA, pre-TPM, action/adventure, drama. Family drama (if i can ever get started on the ones in my head).

4) Favorite characters and why.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan (I wish Qui-Gon had lived longer, and there's still so much we don't know about Obi-Wan. Plus they're the first Jedi we see in their prime in the PT.)

5) Why has SW always been so special to you?

I started writing when I was 8, but I didn't start writing science fiction until after SW came out. It wasn't my own stuff; I was writing fan fiction before I knew what it was called. SW fit right in with all the books on mythology and folklore I immerse myself in. Plus, I always loved how the SW universe looked live-in. Nothing looked like it came out of the box brand new.

6) Fav tips or advice for writing.

Murder Your Darlings. You tend to fall in love with what you write, but have to be brutal when editing if you want the very best to shine through. Anything that does more than what it's supposed to do, anything too cute, overly flowerly or verbose when it isn't necessary, anything that calls attention to itself...kill it.

 

Ah...lovely, a thread for geriatric writers!

1) Age- 33

2) How long have you been writing on these boards?

- Since October 2002

3) Favorite genre, saga of SW to write - OT. I just love Han/Leia/Luke adventures

4) Favorite characters and why. - As above, I love Han/Leia - I still get the shivers when I see that ESB kiss scene on the Millennium Falcon.

5) Why has SW always been so special to you? - It really always made me want to go to a galaxy far, far away.

6) Fav tips or advice for writing - Just write. (Personal peeves are that authors should run all fics through a spell check and re-read for grammatical errors before posting, but otherwise, just write, because I believe writing only gets better with practice.)

 

This is a great idea!



1) Age- you can post range if you prefer

30.


2) How long have you been writing on these boards and post links to your stories.

I've been writing here since April, 2002 and the links to my stories are in my bio.


3) Favorite genre, saga of SW to write

Post Return of the Jedi and NJO and I usually write romance but I'm getting better at writing action stuff.


4) Favorite characters and why.

That's a good question, I enjoy writing so many different characters. Currently, Jag and Jaina are favourites to write and I always enjoy working with Wedge. I'm not really big on the Prequel stuff - I like the Classics.


5) Why has SW always been so special to you?

I was 5 when my dad took me and my brothers to see Star Wars back in 1977. First movie I ever saw and I'll never forget how grossed out I was when Obi-wan chopped off Ponda Baba's arm. Also, it was the only time my brothers would let me play with the action figures, heehee.


Finally...

6) Fav tips or advice for writing.

Love what you're writing. For me, enjoying the subject I'm working on and just having fun makes it all worth while.

 

(I loved "the Goonies" for that reason, too!)

Ack, Mistress Renata... I thought my SW gang were the only real Goonies/SW folks going! Way cool.

There's a good question for we fogies... what other fandoms did we wander into during the slow years? Goonies was big with me; also Stand By Me. (Makes me sound like a Corey Feldman junky, doesn't it? Just goes to show you can't tell. It was Corey Haim I loved. ) Tolkien was a constant. And, after seeing Stand By Me, I got totally into Stephen King, for the same reason you mentioned for loving SW--people being drawn into great conflicts--be true, be brave, stand...

Oh, well. Just a tangent, I guess.

 

Blast, I'm the oldest one here!

Anyway,
1) Age- you can post range if you prefer
52, yes, I was actually an adult when Star Wars came out...and stood in all those endless lines.

2) How long have you been writing on these boards and post links to your stories.
I've been writing for about a year and a half. Started posting on TF.N about 6 months ago

3) Favorite genre, saga of SW to write
I prefer JA because I like the Jedi at the pinnacle of their power and yet they were just sliding into darkness through their own hubris.

4) Favorite characters and why.
Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Qui-Gon is the quintissential Knight - brave, reckless, a bit of a rebel, powerful without abusing it. The young Obi-Wan has humor, gentleness as well as a willingness to be the first to apologize even when he's right. I prefer young to AOTC Obi-Wan -he was too rule-bound for my taste and didn't really understand Anakin's frailties.
I also love Luke but I can't write him to save my life.

5) Why has SW always been so special to you?
Myth, legend and a glowing sword - what more could you ask for? Actually, I was very much drawn to the mythological aspects of 4-6 (esp 5). They made me believe that a puppet was real and that spaceships could really fly. Superb.
Finally...

6) Fav tips or advice for writing.
Keep writing every day, even if it is garbage and you have to erase most of it. There are gems hiding in the refuse and they will shine if you just keep writing. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to check spelling and grammar. And for all our sakes, use a thesaurus once in a while!!!

 

Great idea, PLJ!

1) Age- you can post range if you prefer: 31 (according to my husband, going on 16 )

2) How long have you been writing on these boards and post links to your stories. I've been posting here about 2 1/2 years but only been writing about a year. My first story was The Anakin Skywalker Diaries, an AU with the prequel universe as I wish it were, with a dash of humor thrown in. I've also written three AOTC-era fics, Failure, The Price, and The Forces of Love.

3) Favorite genre, saga of SW to write Prequels, before everything got shot to all hell (grrr...Palpatine... )

4) Favorite characters and why. Anakin Skywalker. Ever since ROTJ first hit the theaters I have been fascinated with him...when Luke said, "I can feel the good in you, the conflict..." I could too. Ever since I saw him at the very end finally throw the Emperor down the reactor shaft, save his son, and turn back to the Light, I have been dying to know what happened to make him want to choose the Dark Side in the first place. I feel like Anakin is misunderstood and that while he made his own choices, he was also put in an impossible situation, and I keep wanting to fix it for him...one reason I love AUs in which Anakin doesn't turn. I also share his rebelliousness and bad temper, which helps me relate to him better.

5) Why has SW always been so special to you?

As George Lucas said, "I am trying to create an old myth in a new way." I love the fundamental truths that are present in this saga more so than any other saga ever made. I once wrote a piece called "Everything I Ever Knew I Learned From Star Wars." "Use the Force for knowledge and defense, never for aggression. You must unlearn what you have learned. A Jedi's strength flows through the Force. Fear, anger, and aggression--the Dark Side are they. Your focus determines your reality. Be brave, and don't look back. Dreams pass in time."

My second favorite part of Star Wars is the family saga of the Skywalkers, but I like the spirituality the best, the lessons Lucas is trying to teach us through his saga about what happens if we let our darker emotions control us.

Finally...

6) Fav tips or advice for writing.

Several people have already said this: Read a lot, and write a lot. Read a variety. Also, edit a lot. Have other people edit your work, and then wait on it and go back and edit it yourself.

 

What other fandoms did we wander into during the slow years?

Actually I'd never written fanfic before I came here- but I will openly admit that I'm a X-phile. Even though the show's now over- I will shout to the heavens that it was HANDS DOWN the BEST TV show- ever! (Course the hundreds of SW references Cough*Small Potatos*Cough didn't hurt )

 

1) Age- you can post range if you prefer

33

2) How long have you been writing on these boards and post links to your stories. I've only recently posted my first story...unfortunately I don't have the time to write as much, but I enjoy reading the fics around here. (My fic is in my signature)

3) Favorite genre, saga of SW to write

Speculation on the events between EP2 and Ep3...and occasional spoofs.

4) Favorite characters and why.
Padme, Leia, Mara...they manage to stay feminine while kicking serious butt! There weren't many female heroes around back when SW was released. I think it made it ok for the princess to be the rescuer instead of the rescuee. (is that a word?)

5) Why has SW always been so special to you?
It's a timeless, mythological story. I'm excited about Star Wars now as I was when I was 7 at my first screening of ANH.

Finally...

6) Fav tips or advice for writing.
Keep writing even if you don't feel up to it...I find after a short while I'm more motivated by just starting something.


Good idea for a thread, PLJ!!!!

 

(Makes me sound like a Corey Feldman junky, doesn't it? Just goes to show you can't tell. It was Corey Haim I loved. )

LOL, JediGaladriel, it was Corey Hart that I loved. Ten points for anyone else who remembers what he did! (Hint: not a movie star!)

 

"I wear my sunglasses at night..."

Holy ...that was the first concert I ever went to. Geez...is he still around?

 

I'm going to have that song in my head for hours now.

Interesting thing to observe here. The media have it in their heads that the "original SW generation"--that would be, ya know, us--has rejected the prequels. But everyone in this thread (and most SW fans I know our age in real life) seems to have been enthused by them, had fandom reinvigorated. My friend's husband went to see TPM on opening night (she waited, so she could see it with another friend and me, since we'd promised each other in 1984 or so that we'd get together for "the next SW"), and she said that the only thing she asked him when he got back was, "Was it worth the wait?" And he most definitely thought it was. He was totally jazzed about it.

Anyway, just an observation.

 

* thunk! *



LP picks dazed self off floor.

Wow, am totally blown away, Wook! Great job! And you saw him in concert? I've been waiting since I was 14 and STILL haven't seen him in concert.

Is he still around? He's alive last I heard. Last album of his I got about 3 years ago (special order from Canada).

* LP wanders off to reminisce about '80s pop, Corey Hart, Duran Duran, Wham!, Rick Springfield...

 

how about if I have an emotional maturity of an age above 30, acording to people who are older than 30?
or if I can regularly pass myself off as 30?

 

Ahh....Duran Duran...

Now I have that song in my head...

"Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand..."

Oy. Must take Nyquil (sniffle) and go to bed as images of Simon LeBon prance in my head....(ooh I rhymed!)

 

Kyp-Side you just live to mix it up don't you? If you want to hang with the elders- we won't stop you girl!

(Raises hand) Was a Duran Duran and MAJOR Wham fanatic. Ahhhhh the 80's. The time of Madonna-wanna-bes, hair higher than airplanes, and acid washed jeans.


JG- the other thing that I find interesting is that people bash the PT like mad and are CONVINCED that the films will go down as failures compared to the OT. Nope. Sorry. Not going to happen. Why? Kids who saw TPM LOVED IT. They LOVED Jar-Jar- the film imprinted itself on their brains and lives the way ANH did for us in the 70s. Just wait until they are having kids of their own- 15-20 years or so from now all of the publications will go on and on how the entire SW saga was pure genius. Mark my words.

 

Now do you mean 'sexy' Wild Boys Era Simon or scary View to a Kill Pasty Nasty Simon?


And if you don't know the differance.. What are you doing here????




*sniff*

Siouxsie and the Banshees, Robert Smith and the Cure.. Echo and the Bunnymen... where did Darth Breezy's taste/dress lay?