Forum:WT:Luke Skywalker's Big Adventure

Forums: Index > Writing Center > Writing tips >

Today, I start the first writing tip in this forum. What an honor it is.

This essay will focus on Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor, a new Star Wars novel that, quite frankly, may be the best ever written. This book should be required reading for anyone who wants to write Star Wars fanfiction. The author, Matthew Stover, has pulled off some of the best Star Wars novels out there, including Revenge of the Sith, which turns a movie with mediocre direction and poor dialogue into a poetic tragedy rivaling Macbeth, Traitor, which is definitely the most convincing turn to the dark side depicted in the entire Star Wars universe (and should be read by everyone who plans to read the much less brilliant Legacy of the Force series), and Shatterpoint, which I have not read, but plan to with high expectations.

In reviewing this work, I will hereby establish the precedent that writing tips in this forum may use canon products as a basis for their themes. Please follow me as I highlight some of the important lessons that this book gives to fanfictioneers (or whatever you want to call us).

Shadows of Mindor uses classic characters
Not only is the book marketed as an all-new adventure of the classic gang of the Original Trilogy - Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, R2-D2, C-3PO, and Lando Calrissian - but this book also connects their adventure to other works of the Expanded Universe, utilizing Nick Rostu, Cronal, and Fenn Shysa. Instead of inventing new characters, Matthew Stover writes an adventure of characters that other people invented. While I tend to encourage people who write fanfiction to invent original characters, this novel works because the classic characters are depicted faithfully. Luke Skywalker feels like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo feels like Han Solo. And don't get me started on the couple of sections written from R2-D2's point of view. The passages written from the droid's point of view were especially impressive, actually considering what the world looks like from the eyes of a droid such as Artoo.

Also keep in mind that the presence of the characters from the EU are not there just to tie as much together as possible. The role of each of the minor characters, from Lando to Fenn Shysa to Kar Vastor to Rogue Squadron, is crucial to the story. Lando and the Mandalorians serve as the equivalent to the Rebel fleet attacking the Death Star II in Return of the Jedi, fighting the critical battle while the main characters are off in a moral confrontation or forging an alliance with an indigenous race. Kar Vastor may seem like an afterthought, but since his connection to Nick Rostu, who (spoilers!) is Shadowspawn, is ubiquitous; he had to play a role somehow. And the role Stover figured out for him worked out very well: a mind slave of the ultimate bad guy; a moral challenge to Luke Skywalker, who hesitates to destroy an innocent victim.

Shadows of Mindor is funny
I'm pointing this out because part of the spirit of Star Wars is an occasional lighthearted comic relief. This doesn't mean fanfictioneers should put Jar Jar in all of their stories, it means that it's okay to make a few jokes, or depict a few ironic situations, and not be considered a wannabe comedian who belongs on Darthipedia. One subplot which was particularly enjoyable was the mention of holothrillers capitalizing on the Original Triligy heroes' adventures, including the fictitious Luke Skywalker and the Dragons of Tatooine and the highly-exaggerated Han Solo and the Cave of the Space Slugs. In addition, in-universe analogies of varying degrees of joviality are rampant in this book, usually told in the thoughts of whoever's point of view it is at the moment. These analogies are usually overstatement or understatement, and the use of both throughout the novel doesn't get old.

However, it is necessary to point out that each of these little jokes serve to move the story along. For instance, the holothriller Luke Skywalker and the Jedi's Revenge, which retcons the events on the Death Star II between Palpatine, Darth Vader, and Luke Skywalker, is part of Crona's evil plan, presenting the holothriller as truth instead of fiction to make it look like Luke was the rightful heir to the Empire. The overstatements and understatements, most commonly used by Han Solo, Nick Rostu, and Wes Janson, all help accurately portray the characters. The jokes and wisecracks aren't in there for funny's sake. They add to the story and are part of the plot; the fact that they're funny is merely a testimony to Stover's cleverness in manipulating a scene to make a good story.

Skadows of Mindor has an actual plot
No! Really? You mean a book whose cover is an obvious attempt to capitalize on the notoriety of Luke and the gang (which becomes a very sweet helping of literary significance by the end of the book, which would be too painful to spoil for you) has an original story? Well, sure. The story is really the product of the idea that the press in the Star Wars universe can't help but make as many stupid shows that have no faith in the actual characters and stories as they can. This premise is dripping with layers and layers of beautiful meaning. It's funny, it's realistic, it serves as a literary criticism of the Star Wars Expanded Universe's tendency to overdo itself, it brings up moral questions at the end of the book, and it sets up a great story. Any plot premise that can do all that HAS to be utilized. Never throw away an opportunity to use an idea with these characteristics.

And yet that's not the only plot point that is overflowing with genius. Another creative and ubiquitous subplot is the "melters," and the substance known as "meltmassif." They serve as part of the mystery and suspense, but in relation to the plot they are also significant. They serve as Cronal's tool to implement his plan to take over Luke Skywalker, the mysterious monsters that chase the protagonists, and the hubris that serves in the final downfall of the bad guy. Oh, and a moral challenge. Matthew Stover never seems to leave us without having the main character kill a few thousand people and feel really bad about it.

Anyway, Shadows of Mindor is never predictable, but the course of the story flows logically and always with enough clarity, humor, and suspense to make the reader want to keep turning those pages, yet dreading the thinning amount of paper between the reader's place and the back cover. There are only a few books that manage to keep me so entertained as to not want the book to end, and most of them are written by Orson Scott Card. Each point of view is unique and fair to the character, and the plans of each faction are cunning and impressive. I will try not to spoil too much of the plot in this review, but let me just say that there are plenty of surprises that will delight, horrify, and captivate you throughout this novel, and you would do well to read this novel and analyze how the two main premises - the meltmassif and the holothrillers - create such a beautiful book.

Shadows of Mindor is morally committed
Matthew Stover is known mostly for his ability to write dark, introspective stories. In Traitor, he masterfully uses Jacen's experiences and Vergere's machinations to explore the mysteries of morality, and come up with no conclusion. Likewise in Shadows of Mindor, Stover uses Cronal, the ultimate bad guy, to ask the ultimate question: "What is the point of anything?" And again comes up with no clear conclusion. It is actually rather brilliant that Stover could invent a worldview like Cronal's, but also a bit scary. Cronal, aka Blackhole, believes that everything in the universe is fleeting, and therefore meaningless, and that the only thing that is truly permanent, and therefore meaningful, is destruction and darkness. This villain doesn't just want to take over the Galaxy for personal gain, like Palpatine, or for the good of all, like Caedus and Revan, but for the complete annihilation of the entire universe. And his plan just might work.

The passages that discuss the capital-D Dark that Cronal worships are poetic and frightening, no matter which way they go. This subplot is used to present several different ideas, in a way that only a written story can do. Even the cliched holding-on-to-love-will-save-one-from-the-deepest-darkness idea is presented, and not just that, but presented beautifully and even a bit comically. As the characters in the book struggle to understand what is right, the reader also considers the moral significance. And the book has not resolute moral; it doesn't preach or convict. It explores. Each moral situation is a question to the audience as to what they would do, and from every point of view each character's actions are rationalized. Upon finishing the book, a reader will not have been convicted by a preachy book, but made thoughtful by considering each philosophy presented. This is something I am trying to do with Avian Hunt, and suspect I may be overdoing.

Anyway, Luke Skywalker at the end of the book sums up my point here: "Who wants to see Luke Skywalker cut down one more villain with his lightsaber?" The point is, once a hero has slain a thousand enemies or felled a thousand Battle Droids, the drama wears off. Meaningful fiction must explore more than nostalgic action-adventure, it must use the adventure to pose original thoughts and ideas.

Now, let me make this perfectly clear: I'm not saying you have to make a moral to your story. You don't want to preach at anyone. There's a difference between having a morally committed story and a story committed moral. In the latter, you force an idea upon the audience which they may or may not want, but in the former, you present an idea to an audience for the purpose of getting them to think, and therefore care, not convert. There may be a place for C.S. Lewis allegory, but Star Wars fanfiction ain't it.

Shadows of Mindor is not about the coolness of the heroes
Shadows of Mindor is very adept at not making the heroes into Mary Sues or Anti-Sues (which are just as bad in my opinion). Luke Skywalker, while powerful in the Force and ultimately the winner in the conflict, pays a price for his victory in a sad way. Although Luke completely overpowers Shadowspawn in lightsaber combat, goes The Force Unleashed on the Millennium Falcon (except in reverse; it's falling out of the sky and he pulls it to safety), Force-leaps a giant chasm and learns some extremely powerful tricks with the meltmassif, he does not resemble a Mary Sue in the story.

Luke Skywalker demonstrates amazing feats with both the Force and with his cleverness, enough for the audience to admire him but not so much that it gets old or tiresome.

Luke Skywalker makes several key mistakes, making him human, but not so many that the audience considers him incompetent.

Luke Skywalker is put in circumstances that he simply cannot control, and in circumstances that he can control. All which makes the audience more sympathetic, of course.

But what really makes it is that it is not Luke Skywalker who walks the journey alone, making all the mistakes and triumphs. Luke, Han, Leia, Lando, Fenn, Nick, and Rogue Squadron are all part of the adventure, and while Luke is the main character, whose choices are most influential, it is his friends who help him (and often burden him) along the way.

Another thing that helps avoid the Mary Sue label is the fact that both factions outwit each other, each making a comeback when all hope is lost. When Luke first confronts the Kar Vastor puppet of Kronal, it seems as though Sherlock Holmes has cornered the criminal. It's close enough to the end of the book for the reader to believe it may be the end. But Luke is outwitted, and he has to make a choice. I'm going to spare the details to avoid spoiling the story, but I assure you it works.

And just to add another quick point, the subplot with the crazy holothrillers also adds to the not-Mary Sue-oriented story. Instead of pretending that the only ones that matter to the story are the heroes, the plot is greatly affected by nameless journalists who want to make an extra few credits by capitalizing on famous names. It looks into what the public thinks of events depicted in the Star Wars universe, something I find greatly lacking in the EU in general (with the exception of Coruscant Nights, which focuses very heavily on public perception of various events).

Shadows of Mindor doesn't worship Mandalorians
Don't let the inclusion of Mandos in the story turn you off. This isn't a Karen Traviss Clone Wars (or Legacy of the Force) novel. We don't see an angsty untrue-to-the-movies Boba Fett, we don't see the Mandos portrayed in a godlike manner, and their utilization is actually quite clever. Mando lovers and haters alike won't mind this book. The secret to good use of the Mandos is using them dynamically, not making them invincible, and not spending too much time wallowing in their hard-to-understand language and culture. That's all I really have to say on the subject.

Conclusion
Read this book. Please. It will help you understand what makes a good Star Wars novel/story. And if you have time, read it again. You'll probably find that you liked the book so much that you want to anyway. C3PO the Dragon Slayer signing out. --C3PO the Dragon Slayer 6,000,000 forms of communication 20:24, 15 February 2009 (UTC)

Discussion
Feel free to discuss or comment on this writing tip. --C3PO the Dragon Slayer 6,000,000 forms of communication 20:24, 15 February 2009 (UTC)