Are you starved for fanfiction from your favorite galaxy far, far away? Do you want some tips and tricks for writing within the framework of the most iconic and beloved saga in the universe?
From the rank and file of the Wattpad galaxy, the Star Wa...
Spacers, you are in for a treat! SoelleKhiss has been zipping around the Star Wars universe and filling it with cool creations for us to enjoy for years. She is the published author of Black Sands of Socorro, a Star Wars RPG, and has won many of our contest over the years. SoelleKhiss' newest creation, Forging a Nightmare (not Star Wars, but still exciting and keeps you turning the page) will be Traditionally Published and out in November 2021. Check out what tricks this Author has up her sleeves!
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1. StarWarsFans: What prompted you to become a writer?
In 1977, my mom took me to see a movie called Star Wars. I was 8 years old. I was hooked from the opening scrawl! When I got home, I wrote my very first novel. It was about a little girl (my idea of a Jedi) and her magical horses. (Did I mention I'm THAT horse-crazy grew that never outgrew the love?) Each horse was a different color of the rainbow, which gave them a different power to help her save the universe. I vowed then that I would one day write for the Star Wars universe.
2. StarWarsFans: What is the appeal of the Star Wars universe?
The camaraderie of adventure. I could relate to Luke living in a place where nothing happens, where people become shallow imitations of their parents, and where there was no escape from the hometown curse. However, the call of the hero changes all of that! I still live in that small town (by choice); I did not become my parents (who really are lovely people), and I escaped the curse through a great education, a good job, and my writing.
3. StarWarsFans: Where do you find inspiration for your stories?
Ordinary people living ordinary lives. When the Death Star blew up, someone in the galaxy was having a baby. Someone was burying their spouse of 50 years. I wanted to tell the stories of ordinary, hard-working people who get caught up in dangerous circumstances, which exposes their flaws and forces them to blossom into the heroes they were meant to be. Thus, the teenager who wants to grow up to be a hotshot pilot and pirate like his dad. The tragic actor who loses his soul to the dark side as the audience watches on, unaware. The seemingly insignificant Imperial base buster who becomes the darling of the Sith Enclave.
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?
Spend a lot of time daydreaming. If you're like me, operating a motor vehicle might become a hazard, especially in a snowstorm. I love to see my scenes through in my head and hear the dialogue before I write it all down.
Write a little bit every day, even if it's just organizing research notes. If you're not writing, THINK about writing. That counts!
Write each chapter like it's a short story with a beginning, middle, and end, then connect it to the next chapters to keep the reader fully engaged and turning pages.
5. StarWarsFans: Tell our fans about your experiences in Wattpad. What do you enjoy most about the platform?
I LOVE THE CONTESTS! Especially the Online Novella Contest. I cannot think of a better way to exercise your craft. My debut novel FORGING A NIGHTMARE got its start here on Wattpad in the very first ONC, where it placed second. It will be traditionally published this November 2021 by Angry Robot Books.
The Kessel Run: A Star Wars Smackdown is another fantastic contest to put writers to the test. After WestEnd Games folded and Lucasfilm took back their licenses, I never thought I'd pick up the reins to ride in the Star Wars Universe again. The Smackdown gave me that chance, revealing that I still had the magic and had truly honed my skills from those early days. I won the Smackdown twice in a row before retiring to help judge.
6. StarWarsFans: What are some common themes that appear in your Star Wars fiction?
Being caught between two worlds and the loneliness of it. As a BIPOC woman, I was raised in a predominantly White world. My family was the first Black family to move into my neighborhood where I grew up (my mother still lives there). I was one of three Black kids in a class of 169 kids. And of all the sports I could have fallen in love with, I chose equestrian sports. Still it was evident that I was not the same, and because I acted too White, the Black kids in other classes ostracized me.
Being an only child came in handy, and even today, my preference is to be alone. Which fits right in to the lifestyle of being a writer. Don't get me wrong. I'm far from an introvert, but if there's a choice to make between a social function or my living room, I will choose my living room every time. So I have a few friends who will insist that I join them in the daylight.
7. StarWarsFans: What bit of advice would you like to share with aspiring writers?
1. Make peace with your inner muse and listen carefully. She, he, or they are your greatest ally. Writing is a playground, and you cannot do anything on it without them, your muse, or your other imaginary friends (aka your characters).
2. Find a writers group where you will receive authentic feedback, not people stroking your ego because you happen to be their friend or follower.
3. Know your habits. A first draft has one purpose: to exist. Leave the critic on the bench. They should not even be allowed on the playground during the creative process. Silence them! NO heckling from the sidelines either.
4. Edit. Edit. Edit again. Edit some more. Read your work aloud or through an app. Get an online editor. Use beta readers. Edit again and make these steps important stages in your process.
5. Set a realistic goal for your writing career and follow it. Do you want to be a Wattpad Star or do you want to traditionally publish? Do you want to publish independently or be a hybrid? The expectations can be vastly different.
8. StarWarsFans: Light side or Dark side? Which of the films is your favorite? Who is you favorite character?
I used to sign my Star Wars short stories for fans, with: Embrace the Dark Side! My allegiance is clear. My favorite of the films is The Empire Strikes Back. And while I love Luke and his babyface, Gorgu cuteness, I'm a sucker for rogue. Captain Han Solo today, tomorrow, and forever!
9. Your new book, Forging a Nightmare, will be out November 2021. What did it take to get that from story idea to a publisher?
It took almost a year to turn my ONC novella entry FEAST OR FAMINE into the novel FORGING A NIGHTMARE. I jumped into the query trenches and was rejected 88 times! Including by my current agent Sara Megibow of KT Literary. So I walked away from the novel for six months to write something else. I had not come up for air for nearly two years and needed time and a different perspective. I participated in Pitch Wars but got spun because the novel was too good. <<rolls eyes>> Regardless, I persisted because I knew the novel was special.
When I started the next round of edits, I decided to put in a little work on my query letter. I took a course with Sara Megibow at a virtual conference. She worked with the class on 're-imaging' our queries and asked us to actually query her via email with our manuscripts. I only sent my query letter. Within 24 hours, she replied back and asked about the manuscript. I reminded her she had rejected it nearly a year ago, and that I had not wanted to waste her time. She insisted on seeing it again. In the meanwhile, a very small press reached out to me with contract in hand. They loved the novel and wanted to make an offer. When I told Sara this, she bumped the manuscript to the top of her list to read and came back with some revisions in the first two chapters.
It was a lot of work! But I did it, thinking maybe the next agent might accept the manuscript. To this day, I think this was a 'temperament' test to see if I could handle criticism and to see if I could work well under direction. Two days after I sent the changes, Sara called to discuss the revisions and offered representation as my agent. It was a dream come true!! So you see, a Jedi must be willing to train hard, with little or no reward, accept feedback, and then train even harder to reach the next level. All things are one!
Thank you for taking the time and chatting with us Spacers, Soellekhiss. And good luck in all your writing adventures.
