Anabeth: New Beginnings

Special Q&A

Questions for me

How/ Why did you decide to start writing on Wattpad?
I enjoyed writing in my free time ever since I was super young, like ten or something. Back then, I used to have trouble finishing stories because I got bored of them and since, I only wrote for myself, no one was going to care if I stopped.
Eventually, one of my friends introduced me to Wattpad and I decided to start writing a story there because firstly, my readers would actually be holding me accountable for updates, meaning I was finally going to actually finish a story. And secondly, I always wanted to know what other people thought of my writing, but I felt too shy about it to give any of it to my friends. With Wattpad, I could stay anonymous, but still get feedback.

How did you come up with Ana's name (And other names in the series that aren't in the canon Star Wars Universe)?
With any of my OCs, I always created the character first before I give them a name. I don't know if that make sense, but basically, I would always develop the character, at least to some extend, before coming up with a name for them.
Some of my first drafts would have literally looked like "Ahsoka followed closely behind xy". Then after a while when I felt like I was familiar wit their characters, I'd find them a name that best fits them.

For example for Ana, I really felt like she was someone who has a longer, slightly posh first name, but usually only goes by the nickname version of it. my gut told me to make the nickname something short and catchy yet a little unusual, so I came up with Ana, and added the Beth at the end of it it make it sound posher

I don't know if it's just me, but I think having the name fit the character brings them to life and rounds them off more. I've literally read stories where I couldn't take certain characters seriously, because their names were so unfit for them.

And then for the last names, I honestly just go with one that fits with the first one. I sometimes just google a list of them, or use a scifi name generator if I want a more exotic one.

Do you have any tips for writing a good series of books?
I think I could literally go on forever with tips that I have found helpful throughout the years, but that would probably be an overwhelming amount of information and that would not be helpful in the slightest. Instead I'll focus on some "unpopular writing opinions" to shorten the list and hopefully ensure that you can actually gain some new tips out of this.

Little disclaimer before I start though. I'm not a professional, this is just things that worked for me, so I can't guarantee that this will work for you too. I hope they do though.

1. Don't go too exotic with your idea. I know it's important to to set yourself apart from what everyone is doing, but when you do something too abstract the storyline will be too confusing and hard to follow. Reading your story should be enjoyable for the audience, it shouldn't feel like a task where they have to strain their brains to keep up with the story's plot.

2. Make the story uniquely yours. Ask yourself: Why can only I write this story? What can I bring to it that no one else can?

3. A character's present needs to be a reflection of their past. Keep this in mind for both character building before the writing process and character development during it. A character acting out of character is one of the worst things to see in a story.

4. Don't neglect world building if you're writing an original story. The devil is in the detail. Similarly, do your research if you're writing about an already established world.

5. Avoid "Plot dumping". Yes, there needs to be progression in your story, but don't rush through the material. If you advance the plot too fast, the story feels hectic and becomes hard to keep up with. Plus you'll run out of ideas very fast and writing sequels will be much harder.

6. A chapter/ scene needs to serve a purpose. No one wants to read three pages about a character conducting their daily tasks, only to realize it was a complete waste of time.

7. Take it one storyline at a time. Don't work on multiple stories at once, as you yourself will forget what was happening in them if you switching between them. Do two stories at once if you feel you must, but I'd say that is the maximum. Trust me, you're not doing yourself a favor if you work on more than that.

8. Be patient with yourself, things don't need to be perfect on the first try. Take your time and revise as much as you need to to be happy. Don't settle for something you're not happy with just because you feel like you need to produce something. Take your time, because the person you are writing for first and foremost is yourself. If you're not satisfied, it's likely no one else will be either.

9. Don't hesitate to ask for advice. There is no shame in getting some help if you feel stuck or need a second opinion. This doesn't even necessarily need to be another writer sometimes, although I have found that fellow writers most often have more instightful advice. On that note, in case any of you ever need some help, a second opinion or even a Beta reader, don't hesitate to ask me, I'd be happy to help out any time.

Will you write another book?
Definitely. I'll be getting into more detail about this in the author's note tomorrow, but I pan to make my next project another Anabeth story. It'll be set in an alternative universe where she was unable to stop Sidious, so it'll be something we haven't seen in this trilogy before. But most importantly, this means we won't be saying goodbye to Ana yet which I am really happy about. (Do I have attachment issues? Perhaps)

Who are Ana's parents?
I honestly never thought of her parents as being anyone special. I know a lot of people were suspecting/ asking for Qui.Gon to be her dad, but I personally never felt like option would make sense in the bigger context of the story. I do feel like Qui-Gon might know something on the matter though. Maybe I'll explore that option in the AU, but if I don't I guess it is up to all of you to decide who you want her parents to be.

Questions for the characters

What would you be if you couldn't be a Jedi?
Ana: A doctor. Helping others is the most satisfying work one can do in my opinion. And since I'm smart, it'd be easy for me get a medical degree.
Windu: Probably working for the government on some sort of humanitarian aid project. Maybe I'd even manage it.
Anakin: Podracer, no question about that.
Obi-Wan: Anything but a pilot. But unfortunately Senator seems most fitting.
Ahsoka: A teacher. Children are fun as long as you can hand them off to their parents at the end of the day.
Talin: A historian perhaps. Ancient things are really fascinating.

What are your plans for the future?
Ana: Train Petro, revise some texts about the Sith, help Mace out when he gets himself into trouble again. The usual.
Windu: Keep the Jedi running seems like a good answer. But seriously, one day where nothing goes wrong would be something nice to aim for.
Anakin: Teach the twins how to get into trouble. I have to ensure my legacy is passed on. And teach them everything else there is to know about ships, droids and the force.
Obi-Wan: Raise Gracie to be responsible. And of course teach her all the Jedi tricks along the way.
Ahsoka: Train Katooni, keep Anakin out of trouble and be the coolest aunt ever.

A/n:
A big thank you to mieniemaus  and StarrySky7588 for asking so many amazing questions. I hope my answers are satisfying enough to you.