Need some help

[Jason von Evil]

I have this urge to write a SW fanfic about a Jedi, but I was wondering if anyone had any tips on writing a Jedi story?

[Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi]

Try not to make the Jedi too powerful, as seen in some EU novels. Just because one Jedi master has to focus all his strength to get a starfighter out of a swamp, that doesn't mean that a group of Jedi can send a fleet of Star Destroyers into space.

[Coyote]

No perfect knights in shining armor, either; on the other hand not some angst-ridden whiner. Look at the examples from the movies-- each of them have their relative strengths and weaknesses, some of these are in their personalities and not related to the Force at all.

[Master of Ossus]

You want to have the Jedi as an extremely powerful character, but also a flawed one. Make sure that Jedi do not get to make difficult decisions quickly. Jedi are very powerful, but even they are not infallible. When they do make mistakes, they frequently have difficulty dealing with those mistakes. In addition, Jedi who are trying to atone for a past mistake frequently make good characters. Remember that their lifestyle is highly limiting, as well as liberating. Jedi are enormously powerful, and can use the Force to do things that normal people could never hope to do, however they are also held to enormously high standards.

Remember that Jedi thrive on complexity. The deeper and more engaging their characters are, the more they draw in an audience and make them anxious to find out more. Jedi often are dangerous characters to write about because their philosophizing and awesome powers often make them difficult for readers to identify with. It is important to remind people every so often that Jedi are human (or, alien, with human strengths, flaws, and characteristics). Though they suppress their emotions, their emotions sometimes come out in dangerous or unexpected ways. Though they are enormously powerful, they are also flawed characters. Notice how, in Attack of the Clones, it is made clear that Jedi are becoming arrogant (a human characteristic). Moreover, the Jedi are succombing to the worst of the Seven Deadly Sins (Pride--the sin of Lucifer), during the movie. Jedi are bound by their great powers to great responsibility, but they sometimes lose sight of that responsibility in doing other things.

Remember, also, that values in the book also affect the author. With great power comes great responsibility. While writing a story about Jedi, you are in a position of potentially limitless power. Jedi are not nearly so rigidly bound by physical or mental limitations as we are. They can allow your imagination, and story-telling ability to move in directions that would not be possible with more conventional characters. Readers, however, must make a leap when they accept that the Jedi can use the Force, and accept that the Force grants Jedi the powers that it does. Thus, you as a writer have a responsibility to ensure that the Force powers are consistent and believable within the universe.

One of the other dangers with superheroes (or, in this case, Jedi), is that they need worthy adversaries to fight against. There is no honor in having Spiderman beat the shit out of a guy who grabs purses from old ladies--it seems ruthless and sick. Instead we need to create the Green Goblin for him to fight. There's no honor in Jedi fighting unarmed Jawas with their lightsabers, thus we need to be more creative. There are several ways to make an enemy powerful. You can invoke a time limit, as James Bond so often does (the bomb goes off in ten minutes and he still needs to fight through Jaws, rescue the girl, and escape). It can involve making the enemy impervious to the powers of the Jedi (Yuuzhan Vong), or it can be done by giving the enemy many of the powers that the Jedi themselves have (Dark Jedi, Sith, etc.). All of these can be effective, or they can be ineffective, depending on how well they are done.

Jedi characters can be very difficult to write, but they can be worth it in the end. Right now, I am writing a novel about Jedi Knights. It involves almost no characters who are not Jedi, except for enemies and background characters. It violates many of the "established rules" of Star Wars writing, but I think I see another direction for SW writing to go in that might be sufficiently interesting to warrant a book. Best wishes with this story of yours. May the Force be with you.

PS. A note on precognition: there are two types of precognition for Jedi. Jedi can see possible futures through dreams. If they see a future through a dream, even if they wish to alter that future, they are incapable of doing so. They MUST visit that future, or a future that is represented by that dream, at some time in the future. This is a very powerful technique--regardless of what the Jedi does, destiny requires that he do something. It can be particularly poignant if his attempts to avoid that future lead directly towards bringing it about.

The other type of precognition is when a Jedi intentionally tries to divine the future through the use of the Force. These futures can take place, but they can also change. To borrow a phrase from TS Eliot (IIRC) (who was describing Merlin), Jedi "remember the future" in the same way that we remember the past. Particularly poignant moments can be "remembered," but they will be distortions of the truth. Events that are relatively recent (imminent) will be more easy to recall more exactly.

[Master of Ossus]

Forgot to mention. Generally, Jedi are also limited in what they can do in their free time. This can make them less interesting characters to the reader if you work poorly with this restriction. Jedi cannot usually date (they cannot marry, cannot have children, etc.), hang out with friends (they have no friends that they can count on seeing, other than the potentially very interesting master-padawan relationship), go shopping (they have no real funds). This can make them even more difficult to identify with. Usually, telling what characters like to be doing is an easy way to get readers to identify and bond with them. Star Wars writers have traditionally not worked well with this limitation. Note how in The Approaching Storm, the characters are impossible to identify with because they lack anything but a professional personality (if you haven't read it, then don't. Just take my word on it. They have no personalities.). The opposite end of the spectrum is when Jedi are depicted as doing unbelievably trivial things to pass the time. Jedi should not have stamp collections, count starships that fly past, or go through public libraries ensuring that every book is in exactly the right place. Some of the comics depict Jedi doing this, exacerbating the difficulties of getting people to bond with Jedi. When people see a Jedi examining the fine stitch work on socks to ensure that each thread is of the proper strength, they are going to wonder "Why is he doing this?" You want to give the Jedi a habit, or something that sets him apart. Maybe he's always telling jokes. Maybe he likes listening to music. Maybe he likes playing games with his peers in the Jedi Temple. Lightsaber practice is generally not a good thing to spend significant free time on, because most readers will not have the necessary personal experience to relate to someone training with a lightsaber.

Jedi should revert to their basic personalities, and go about their hobbies, whenever it does not immediately jeopardize the mission that they have been sent on, or produce a danger to themselves or others. Jedi take their jobs very seriously, and are highly professional while dispatched. Thus, they will not sit there dropping whoopie cushions into starfighters while a ship is readying its starfighters to scramble against an attacker. However, once a mission is accomplished, the Jedi is allowed to relax. If your character likes telling jokes and is recovering in a hospital, have him carry his IV bag around while doing a stand-up routine for the other patients. If he likes reading, make sure he's trying to find some book to pick up while he's in hyperspace back to Coruscant. Keep Jedi as human characters and elaborate on their relationships with others. Their unique social positions can make them extraordinarily interesting, but it must also be treated delicately. Many people react in unexpected ways when talking with Jedi. Some of them, even if they are allies, may be intimidated by Jedi and feel as though they must do their best and act perfectly. Others may treat Jedi with outright derision if the Jedi fails to live up to their expectations (or even if he does not). The fact is that most people in the Star Wars universe will never see a Jedi in their lives--much less get to know one. Meeting a Jedi, working with them, or having a conversation with a Jedi are extraordinary events in the life of a typical citizen, and they are not likely to act normally until they get used to having a Jedi around. At the same time, both parties recognize that they will almost certainly never see each other again. The Jedi will go off and be sent somewhere else, and both parties may be hesitant to form a deep, emotional connection with each other. This is another aspect of Jedi life that is chronically under-played in the books. Do not make their mistake.

Remember, when done properly, a Jedi is the most interesting character in all of Star Wars. He is a mover and a shaker, and affects the universe around him in a way most others can never aspire to. When done poorly, Jedi are extraordinarily disappointing characters. They have enormous potential, but it remains horribly under-developed. When choosing Jedi characters, one must be cautious to think through what it means to be a Jedi, and what it means for non-Jedi to interact with Jedi, deeply. Once you understand both, then and only then are you adequately prepared to write of one.

[Jason von Evil]

I was going to make my Jedi blind after losing a fight against a Sith (possibly Dooku). I just need a name.

[Master of Ossus]

I was going to make my Jedi blind after losing a fight against a Sith (possibly Dooku). I just need a name.

Names are the most difficult part, of my writing. I spend more time crafting names than I do in some entire chapters. You may want to highlight the fact that he can (symbollically) see, even though he is blind. Alternatively you may wish to highlight some other, deeper facet of your character.

[Jason von Evil]

I was going to make my Jedi blind after losing a fight against a Sith (possibly Dooku). I just need a name.

Names are the most difficult part, of my writing. I spend more time crafting names than I do in some entire chapters. You may want to highlight the fact that he can (symbollically) see, even though he is blind. Alternatively you may wish to highlight some other, deeper facet of your character.

His lightsabre has "Badass motherfucker" written on it.

[Coyote]

Be REAL careful with names. How many goddamn fantasy fanfics have heroes named "Talon" that wear black in them? Possibly all of them...

If you are searching for inspiration, do some web searches for things having to do with Romania, Greece, Turkey, American Indians, or Arabic names. I found lots of Arabic names by typing in just that: "Arabic Names" and I got routed to a bunch of sites, many of them for naming children.

Don't use an actual foreign name; many people will be onto you. But look at how different names sound or are spelled, then make variations of your own. For example, "Hasan" mutates into "Kesan" in one story I tried.

Get creative and don't be afraid to try something cool or even wierd/funny. A character with a funny name would have been teased as a child; did it make him mean? Give him a sense of humor? Is he now relaxed and easygoing, able to let stuff roll off his back, or has he becomne foul-tempered and sensitive to any kind of teasing? Play it out.

Good luck.

[Master of Ossus]

If you are searching for inspiration, do some web searches for things having to do with Romania, Greece, Turkey, American Indians, or Arabic names. I found lots of Arabic names by typing in just that: "Arabic Names" and I got routed to a bunch of sites, many of them for naming children.

Don't use an actual foreign name; many people will be onto you. But look at how different names sound or are spelled, then make variations of your own. For example, "Hasan" mutates into "Kesan" in one story I tried.

Get creative and don't be afraid to try something cool or even wierd/funny. A character with a funny name would have been teased as a child; did it make him mean? Give him a sense of humor? Is he now relaxed and easygoing, able to let stuff roll off his back, or has he becomne foul-tempered and sensitive to any kind of teasing? Play it out.

Or you can just do what I did and never name the main character.

[Jason von Evil]

MOO: Sounds like something a guy named Cronoss did, he is written one of the best StarCraft fanfics ever and he never described what the main character looked like, other that the sex, he wanted to let the reader come up with their own idea of what the guy looked like.

Anyway, a Jedi story just seems too hard, I might switch to maybe a bounty hunter story or something.

[Kelly Antilles]

MOO: Sounds like something a guy named Cronoss did, he is written one of the best StarCraft fanfics ever and he never described what the main character looked like, other that the sex, he wanted to let the reader come up with their own idea of what the guy looked like.

Anyway, a Jedi story just seems too hard, I might switch to maybe a bounty hunter story or something.

Don't give up so quick. I have a series written about a Jedi, a character I played in an RPG. She has her merits and flaws like any character. Jedi can be hard to write only if you make it that way. Treat the character as you would any other.

And names... here's a good suggestion for SW names. Write a word or phrase or someone elses name backwards. Put an apostrophe or hyphen in there somewhere and it will look perfect. One that some friends of mine came up with that I loved. Eugor Atner (Rent-a-Rogue, which is the website of a friend of mine).

Besides, bounty hunters are just as overdone as Jedi.

[Master of Ossus]

MOO: Sounds like something a guy named Cronoss did, he is written one of the best StarCraft fanfics ever and he never described what the main character looked like, other that the sex, he wanted to let the reader come up with their own idea of what the guy looked like.

Anyway, a Jedi story just seems too hard, I might switch to maybe a bounty hunter story or something.

When characters in stories go around without names, the reader obviously needs to fill in missing details. This is usually done in the first person, with a character who never bothers to describe himself or herself to the reader. For instance, HG Wells' most famous book, The War of the Worlds involves a main character who is never well described. However, to limit the lack of description to merely saying that a reader is supposed to fill in details is too general to fully describe the decision. Characters without names can be, depending on how the story shapes out, trying to hide their identities (perhaps because they are ashamed of something in their past, or one of the actions they undertake in the story). They may find their identities to be unimportant due to what they experience. In my case, however, (as is the most common reason why authors leave characters without names) I want to make it clear that what happens to the character could happen to anyone, were they in the same position that he is. In other words, the lessons that the narrator learns may be important in the every-day life of the reader. It can be difficult, because it is somewhat difficult to make readers attach themselves to characters who they cannot identify, but I believe it can and should be done. Moreover, the narrator's friends are (I hope) engaging and interesting enough to draw readers into the story for long enough so that they will begin to understand the narrator and his personality, as well.

[Evil Sadistic Bastard]

Jedi name: Shaidar Haran

No seriously, Elthar Hyperion.

[Jason von Evil]

I was going to write the bounty hunter story about Boba, like a few years after AoTC.

[Master of Ossus]

I was going to write the bounty hunter story about Boba, like a few years after AoTC.

That could work very well. His past is so mysterious that there's a lot to play around with. I intend to use Jango in a chapter of my book, as a cameo.

[Kuja]

I was going to write the bounty hunter story about Boba, like a few years after AoTC.

One of those is already in progress. It's called Episode III. *chuckle* Seriously, sounds good.

[Jason von Evil]

I was going to write the bounty hunter story about Boba, like a few years after AoTC.

One of those is already in progress. It's called Episode III. *chuckle* Seriously, sounds good.

I can't wait that long! Besides, I want to try and create a reason why Boba hates Han.

[Kelly Antilles]

I can't wait that long! Besides, I want to try and create a reason why Boba hates Han.

Already been done. Though for the life of me at the moment, I can't recall exactly where it was. It may have been in one of the Han trilogies. Anyway, Han helps a bounty escape, iirc, which pisses Boba off to no end.... or was it Han was the bounty and HE escaped which pissed Boba off to no end.

Eh, I'm old and forgetful. Forgive me.

[Master of Ossus]

I can't wait that long! Besides, I want to try and create a reason why Boba hates Han.

Already been done. Though for the life of me at the moment, I can't recall exactly where it was. It may have been in one of the Han trilogies. Anyway, Han helps a bounty escape, iirc, which pisses Boba off to no end.... or was it Han was the bounty and HE escaped which pissed Boba off to no end.

Eh, I'm old and forgetful. Forgive me.

It's been in the comics, too. Boba Fett was the hunter alluded to at the start of ESB who they "ran into at Ord Mantell."

[Kuja]

No, that was Skorr, wasn't it?

[Sriad]

Best site ever:
http://www.kleimo.com/random/name.cfm

(it's a random name generator, in case anyone didn't pick that up from the address.)