For our next interview we have DarthWitty. A long time Star Wars fan and someone who likes the light side. Read on to find out more about this fantastic writer. 

1. StarWarsFans: What prompted you to become a writer?

In a way, Star Wars did. I had always dreamed of writing before watching the movies, but it never moved very far past just dreaming. After watching Star Wars, a premise for a story struck me and after sitting on it for a while, I finally told myself that if I ever wanted to see the idea written out and completed, I would actually have to sit down and write it. So I did, and four months later, I had finished my first project, which would, many revisions later, turn into Rise of the Teenage Conquerors. My next several projects were all Star Wars fanfiction and even my original sci-fi fantasy saga, The Trials of Telassar (now published and available on Barnes and Noble!) was greatly inspired by Star Wars and four of the five main characters all originated in my SW fanfiction.


2. StarWarsFans: What is the appeal of the Star Wars universe?

Hmm, that's a good question. For me, something about the story was so powerful and immediately captured my attention when my parents had me watch A New Hope. I was instantly captivated and wanted to be a part of that universe, where there was adventure and daring and, most importantly, the Force. Unfortunately, I couldn't join that galaxy myself, but I could dream, and read all the novels I could get my hands on about it, and I could write. And boy, did I write about it.

There was something about the simple storyline and exotic sets that just drew me right in. To 12 year old me, that was the height of storytelling, the most masterful filmmaking. I loved it more than anything else and the prequels especially impacted me. I loved the Jedi and found my niche writing in the time of the Clone Wars, penning stories about vengeful bounty hunters, arrogant politicians, gutsy decoys, and stubborn Jedi. And I had many arguments with my brother over whether or not the Expanded Universe was really canon (despite Disney's changes, to me, it still is. So much better than the sequel trilogy!).

3. StarWarsFans: Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Inspiration comes from everywhere. In the middle of my college classes, listening to music, watching shows and movies, and reading. I get inspiration from scenery, people, almost anything can spark an idea. And sometimes they come from the strangest places. The inspiration for Rise of the Teenage Conquerors came from a dream I had about four teens meeting Darth Vader and Han Solo and I woke up before there was a satisfying ending. It stuck with me to the point that, to make an extremely long story short, I decided to write it and that was almost eight years ago.

4. StarWarsFans: Share some of your writing tips and tricks (i.e. routines, rituals, exercises). When do you find time to fit writing into your day?

I try to write a little every day, but that gets hard during the semester. I'll steal minutes in between classes or I'll write while watching a sitcom or movie at night. I also strive to get in time on weekends. If I'm having trouble focusing, I use writing sprints to force myself to pay attention long enough to get out a respectable word count in the allotted time. Writing is such a stress relief for me that it's important I find some way to make the time, even if it's only a little bit a day. 

5. StarWarsFans: Tell our fans about your experiences in Wattpad. What do you enjoy most about the platform?

I've been on Wattpad for almost four years now, my SW fanfiction Journal of the Jedi being the first thing I posted on here (it's not my best work, but I am strangely proud of it). Four years later, I have accumulated over 28K reads on my most popular novel (not Star Wars), I've placed well in ONC twice, become a finalist in the Kessel Run Smackdown, and written several novels, novellas, and short stories, some of them challenges in which to move outside my comfort zone. Wattpad provides a place for me to share what I'm working on, so I don't feel like I'm writing into a void, and by posting a book up here, I'm making a silent promise to myself to update it on schedule, which acts as an incentive to make the time to write.

The thing I like the best about Wattpad is the friends I've made. The people I've met through writing and reading on this app provide a sense of community, especially concerning writing, that is hard to find. The feedback and comments I have received on my stories also mean a lot to me, for I love to see how people are reacting to the story, their theories for what's to come, and what parts they find funny. The ability to form a community and get feedback are definitely my favorite parts about Wattpad.

6. StarWarsFans: What are some common themes that appear in your Star Wars fiction? 

There's one theme that appears quite often in my Star Wars fiction: An infatuation or a struggle with the dark side by Jedi or good Force-users, and the effects the dark side can cause on them and those around them.

7. StarWarsFans: What bit of advice would you like to share with aspiring writers?

I know a lot of people say the best advice is just to write, and although I do believe writing is important, I'm not going to give that as my advice. Love what you write, or rather, write what you love. If you don't love it, you can't really pour yourself into the story. I'm not saying never strive to write outside your comfort zone or to try genres you're not accustomed to; you most certainly should. But you should make sure there's something in that story that you love, something to motivate you to sit down and write it.

8. StarWarsFans: Light side or Dark side? Which of the films is your favorite? Who is you favorite character?

Definitely the light side. I'm a Jedi through and through! 

Revenge of the Sith is my favorite Star Wars movie. There's just something about the tragedy, the end of the old age, that makes it my favorite. "Part of the journey is the end," to quote Tony Stark, and the end of the Old Republic and the Jedi is tragic and yet necessary to the rest of the story.

Favorite character? That's a tough one. I'm not quite sure, I love so many. Qui-Gon Jinn is certainly a favorite, as is Obi-Wan, Mandalorians in general, Anakin, Ahsoka...I'll stop before I go any further with the movie characters. But one of my all time favorite characters is from the books: Ferus Olin from the Last of the Jedi series. He's just the best.