Page 69 - Star Wars Insider (Special Edition 2020)

they’re opposites—combine and become
Mon Mothma’s encounter with
Thane brought a lovely touch of
humanity to a larger-than-life
character. Why did you want to use
her in Thane’s evolution as a rebel?
I always loved Mon Mothma. She is
the only other woman we ever get to
know in the Rebellion besides Princess Leia,
so I always wanted to know what she was
like and see more of her. So it was exciting
to have a chance to write her! Also, at that
point, I needed a mentor figure for Thane
while he’s struggling with fighting against
Ciena, but I wanted the scene to have humor
instead of being purely sad. Giving Thane a
retroactively embarrassing moment with the
head of the entire Rebellion seemed to fit
the bill.
Darth Vader’s ominous presence is
something that Ciena feels physically
whenever he is near. What inspired your
portrayal of her interactions with Vader?
Wouldn’t we all be freaked out in Darth
Vader’s presence? He’s a seven-foot-tall
guy with black armor, heavy breathing,
and a tendency to strangle people who
displease him. That’s as ominous as
it gets.
YA and romance have become
synonymous, and for many it is one
of the key ingredients of Star Wars.
Why do you think romantic stories
captivate audiences?
At its best, romance is fundamentally a
story about synthesis. Two forces—even if
stronger together. That’s true from
Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, who
teach each other to be more cautious
and more humble, respectively —all the
way to Han and Leia, where he helps her
down from her pedestal to have fun and
she helps him discover the less cynical,
more noble side to his character. (To
some extent, Thane and Ciena’s love story
is star-crossed because they can’t reach
that point of synthesis, even though they
have made each other better in so many
ways.) In my opinion, human beings are
almost hard-wired to respond to that
kind of a story. We love fiction precisely
because it can offer the kind of satisfying
resolution reality is so stingy with.
What are your thoughts on the relationship
between fandom and creators in this
evolving age of social media?
I’ve been really lucky so far; my
interactions with fans have been
overwhelmingly positive. But I think
you have to keep listening to your
internal creative impulses, making
stuff out of your own imagination, and
have faith that somebody out there is
going to get what you’re going for. I’m
also a huge fangirl, but I keep my fannish
identity separate from my professional
one. Sometimes I just want to play like
any other kid in the sandbox. If I didn’t
have the joy of being a fan, it would take
a lot of the fun out of being a creator. a
MORE TO SAY
Connect with Claudia Gray and Tricia Barr on
Twitter: @claudiagray and @fangirlcantina.
HAVE YOU?
INSIDER 69