A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. An iconic prompt that gave way to a whole universe spanning multiple movies, games, books, and TV shows. It seems so simple. And yet the stories that followed in its wake inspired thousands of people all over the world. Such is the power of a prompt. All it does is help writers make that first step, but the effect of such a humble contribution is immense.
There are plenty of fan fiction writers that work in the confines of the Star Wars universe. And even though the first movie is almost half a century old, many of them are students. Creative writing is a whole different story than academic assignments. To manage the latter, you are tempted to use the help of Essay Hub and similar services. Yet, the former encourages you to let your talent shine.
Still, even for the most seasoned writers, typing out the first sentence remains the hardest part of their creative process. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available to you while staring at a blank page. College essays rarely teach us to deal with this obstacle, thus confining us to predetermined topics. So, a good writing prompt can help you out, focusing your imagination. Let’s look at a couple of fairly interesting prompts that can become the beginning of your very own Star Wars story.
The Unsung Heroes
“Just another day in the life of a Death Star maintenance team”
When we think of Star Wars, we think about epic battles, high-stakes conflicts, and drama. But what about those who find themselves behind the scenes of the main events of the trilogy? Those who wasted days putting the biggest space station in the galaxy together surely deserve some spotlight.
This prompt is a great setup for some satirical takes on concepts that we take for granted. How often do people get lost on a space station the size of a moon? Why are there so many bottomless pits everywhere? How many stormtroopers does it take to change a lightbulb? And you can easily sneak in some serious undertones using a rebel assault as a backdrop.
The Other Side of the Force
“Write about a force-sensitive person that is neither a jedi nor a sith”
Most force users we saw throughout the movies were carrying lightsabers. But what about those who didn’t receive formal training? Rogue One features a very interesting set of characters, one of which is a blind monk that represents the archetype we are talking about. Outside of that movie, this topic is largely unexplored. That means you have a card blanche for your creativity to tackle this part of the universe.
This will likely become a dramatic story of self-discovery. How does one come to terms with their powers? How does one use them if not to influence the conflicts between the two sides of the Force? These are interesting questions you will have an opportunity to answer.
The New Frontier
“A jedi explorer lands on a planet to investigate unusual life signs readings”
Unlike other space operas, Star Wars deals very little with the marvels and mysteries of the infinite universe. There are so many bizarre alien races everywhere but there’s nothing about how humanity came into contact with them. And who can deal with the dangers of the unknown better than a trained jedi knight?
You can make it an upbeat adventure, perhaps even throw in a companion (a faithful droid, an ambitious apprentice, a witty mercenary?) for some occasional banter. Or you could go dark with a stranded situation and a thriller/horror genre. Some things are better left unknown in the uncaring cold of deep space.
And what if order 66 comes around while the jedi is away exploring? This would work best closer to the finale once you get to know the main character better. The closer you grow with the protagonist the harder this iconic event will hit. You can do a great lot of things with this setup.
Final Words
Writing is a pretty relaxing and rewarding hobby. It doesn’t matter if you are not particularly good at it as you can always become better. The Star Wars universe is just as good of a place to start with your creative endeavors as any. Its span covers lifetimes of both fictional and real time. Adding your take on it to the stream of fan fiction will be a great exercise and a fun experience.
Read the stories of fellow authors to get inspiration for your own pieces. And don’t be shy to share your work. Positive feedback will boost your confidence and negative feedback will allow you to learn from your mistakes and perfect your craft. So, try your best and may the Force be with you.