Star Wars Writing Tips and Tricks.

Frequent Fandom Terms/Tropes.

As I know I have a tendency to be lazy because we all are in some way, I thought it would be appropriate to include a list of common fandom terms and tropes used across Wattpad and more specifically in the broad Star Wars fandom here as well.

These include, but are not limited to:

- OC = Original Character/s:
An original character created by the author as a/the focal point to tell the story from. Oftentimes, they come across as flawless empty husks that a reader cannot relate to, which goes against how a character should be viewed by the intended audience.

- AU = Alternate Universe/s:
An AU is when a Star Wars story is told in a different setting, such as a modern day AU, usually included with a high school AU though rarely a College/University AU, detective/cop AU, historical AU, and many more. There is really no limit to what you can do with Star Wars characters in AU's, though accurate character portrayal is key to making these kinds of stories enjoyable. The most common plot lines that I have seen are modern day Rebels fics where Hera and Kanan are childless parents that adopt Zeb, Sabine and Ezra, and are usually joined by members of the main Clone Wars gang (eg. Obi-wan, Anakin, Ahsoka, etc.) or something like that.

- Lightsabers:
Never – under any circumstances – spell this word as lightsavers. Even my device went to correct this as lightsabers. It is simply wrong and will turn many Star Wars fans away from your work without even giving it a go. I could let it slip once or twice but not if it's the entire book. Forget it.
Also, laser sword is a big no-no as well.
Authors also need to be aware that a lightsaber hilt, for a human and other humanoid like species, is approximately 28.5-30cm in length. Double-bladed lightsabers are around 49.5cm in length. For characters like Master Yoda, the length of the hilt is much shorter at around 14.5-18.5cm. The blade lengths also vary in accordance to the lengths of the hilts. Most, including double-bladed ones, are around 1-1.5m in length. This will be further discussed later in this book.

- The Force:
Like with Lightsabers, authors need to be wary of describing the Force and how it is used by the Jedi. Some of these uses include telekinisis, Force movements like Push, Pull, Jump, Run, etc., and the ability to manipulate a lightsaber without slicing themselves into pieces. Non-Force Sensitives can use lightsabers, but the fact that the only weight of the entire weapon is in the hilt alone, throws them off and increases the likelihood that they will injury themselves before injuring anyone else.

- Padawans:
Padawans are an overused trope that are not used properly or effectively by many potential Star Wars authors. A Masterless Padawan does not happen, contrary to the apparent popular belief. The only exception to this is in cases like Kanan Jarrus/Caleb Dume after the fall of the Jedi Order and the rise of the Empire. In the middle of the Clone Wars and especially prior to that, a Masterless Padawan was just not seen by the Order or the galaxy. If you wish to set a story at around the beginning of the Republic, it was not uncommon for Jedi Masters to have 5 or 6 Padawans at one time, though these could lead to other problems like favouritism which would often subsequently lead some of the seemingly less-favoured apprentices to join the dark side instead as they'd feed on their negative emotions.

- De-aging:
This is a highly popular trope with Star Wars Rebels (SWR) fics on here. Typically involving Ezra and/or Sabine being made children, the older Ghost members have to then divide their time between looking after child Sabine and/or Ezra as well as support the Rebellion and not get caught by the Empire. Highly popular but also highly predictable and overused, beginning to verge on cliché, though I do still enjoy them from time to time. Can also be done with the Clone Wars gang, usually with a child Ahsoka.