Karen Traviss - Author

[T-bone]

Please welcome author Karen Traviss to the GS with a live chat on 2/26/06.

Karen is the author of Republic Commando: Hard Contact, the short stories Omega Squad: Targets, In His Image and A Two-Edged Sword and the soon to be published Republic Commando: Triple Zero and Legacy of the Force 2: Bloodlines.

Other Insider articles include Guide to the Grand Army of the Republic in Insider 84 and a feature on Mandalorian culture and the Mando'a language in the current Insider (with a dictionary and grammar guide to be available online later in the month).

Articles about Karen currently available online include:

Giving Commandos a Human Side: Author Karen Traviss (http://www.starwars.com/eu/lit/novel/f20041022/index.html)

Behind the Armor: A Clones Primer (hyperspace only) (http://www.starwars.com/hyperspace/member/insideronline/84/indexp2.html)

Traviss & Trevas: Behind the Two-Edged Sword (hyperspace only) (http://www.starwars.com/hyperspace/member/insideronline/85/indexp2.html)

Karen also has her own 6 book series - the Wess'har Wars - half way through publication with the first three books being City of Pearl, Crossing the Line and The World Before. We have to wait until the end of the year for the next installment, Matriarch, to be published.

More information is available at Karen's own website http://www.karentraviss.com and her sw.com blog http://blogs.starwars.com/karentraviss

[Luvinna]

Hello, everyone! We're just about to get started in the next few minutes. If you'd like to start sending in your questions, send them via PM to myself, JediJaina, or Tresk Im'nel. Do not send your questions directly to Karen. Thanks!

[Karen Traviss]

I'm here, folks. Don't be shy. There's no damage I can do at this range.

[Luvinna]

Welcome, Karen!

To get things started off, Tresk has a question for you, which I'll let him post.

[Tresk Im'nel]

There's no damage I can do at this range

LOL

Do you ever autograph copies of your books? I know of some authors who make it a policy not to...

[Karen Traviss]

You'd have to shoot me to stop me. I don't think I've ever met an author who won't sign, actually. Count me in with the faction that chases readers down the street trying to sign something - anything. Children, small dogs...

Why would someone not want to sign? Hell, I even send bookplates out to people because I'm in the UK and the vast majority of my readers are in the US and Canada.

[Tresk Im'nel]

While we wait for this to get underway...

Not SW related, but... Which (if either) do you use, Jane's Fighting Ships or Combat Fleets of the World?

[Karen Traviss]

Jane's. Naturally.

But it costs a bomb. The Jane's web site is a treasure trove, of course.

[JediJaina]

What is the most fascinating thing about the Star Wars universe to you?

[Luvinna]

Remember, if you have a question for Karen, send a PM to myself, Tresk Im'nel or JediJaina. :)

[Karen Traviss]

It's pleasantly murky. War, intolerance and greed have not been eliminated: the galaxy doesn't live in peace and harmony. So I can write real-life stuff.

But - and this is very much a writer's perspective - the lack of a hard SF "corset" makes me look at topics and issues that I wouldn't have ventured into in my own books. Cloning is an example I often give - done to death in hard SF, so I would never have touched it. But I had to, and it opened up a totally new world for me. Same with the Force: something I;d never have looked at in my own universe, but in SW I get to ask what it's like not to have to use the same senses as the regular folk. That's got to change the way Jedi see the world and everyone in it.

[Luvinna]

A question from Lunatic:

1- Omega Squad and Delta Squad (from the game) are in TZ. What would be the major differences between the two, taking into account that they are all clones trained by the same peoples.

[T-bone]

Hi folks - I'm here. Don't forget to PM your questions to a moderator. Thanks and let's have some fun!

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by Luvinna@Feb 27 2006, 01:24 AM
A question from Lunatic:

1- Omega Squad and Delta Squad (from the game) are in TZ. What would be the major differences between the two, taking into account that they are all clones trained by the same peoples.
Quoted post



They're all different people, so you;re talking about eight totally different personalities here. But the big differnce is that Delta are one of the few intact squads left a year after the war starts - they're still fighting alongside the same brothers they grew up with. Most other squads have taken casualties and have had to re-form, like Omega, who were from four different squads. That gives Delta a sense of separateness and - to be honest - they're a little bit cocky about it. It gets discussed in heated fashion between Boss and Niner in Triple Zero.

But Kal has raised and trained four lads using his basic technique of being a good father to them - lots of rewards and treats. he adores them. Vau is a different character altogether, and Delta are, frankly, a nastier bunch as a result. You'll find out why in TZ. Vau and Kal still fight over it: Kal doesn't approve of Vau's brutal training techniques at all.

[Luvinna]

Second question from Lunatic:

2- At the end of TZ there is a glossary of Mando'a Words and their english meaning. Will you expand on that language in the future?

I'm only 40 pages in, but the book is good so far!

[Karen Traviss]

The Mando'a dictionary that's online now is around 1,000 words. I'll be adding to it quarterly and the critical mass for a language is 2,000 words - that's the vocabulary a well-educated English speaker uses each week.

I'm putting the Mando'a-English and English-Mando'a dictionaries plus the grammar guide on my website on Wednesday. It's already on TOS in the Hyperspace section, so I'm mirroring that and adding the English to Mando'a version for ease of use.

[T-bone]

HI all - just a friendly reminder to send your questions to a moderator or myself via PM and we'll get them up for you asap! Thanks for coming!
If you see anyone interested in IM, shoot them the link. The forum is open to everyone, including guests.

question coming...

[Karen Traviss]

Re Delta and Omega - I should have added, for those naughty folk who haven't read Hard Contact, that Walon Vau trained Delta, and Kal Skirata trained Omega. They were two of the 75 Mandos that Jango recruited to the Cuy'val Dar to train the commandos.

[T-bone]

Hi Karen - thank you for coming and for participating on these forums the past few months. We enjoy your company.

I saw that recently you worked on an article with artwork by Tom Hodges in the Insider. Can you explain how this all came about and what it's like to get things together and organize a piece like that? Tell us about the process.

Thanks.

[Karen Traviss]

I fell into it by accident, really. My first contact with Insider was when I was asked to write a short story for them, and I came up with Targets. After that, they'd ask me to contribute fiction, and I mentioned that I had some other ideas as well and it went from there. basically, I came up with a list of features and stories I wanted to do.

The Mando culture and language one was something I'd pitched to the previous editor, Brett Rector, so the new editor, Frank Parisi, carried on with it. Basically, you write the stuff and then they look at who could illustrate it. Sometimes I talk to the artist and soemtimes I don't, but Insider always shows me the artwork at every stage for comment. With Tom, we were in touch from the start and talked through ideas and how we wanted stuff to appear. That's always rewarding - the important thing for a writer is to listen to the artist. They do the pics, we do the words, and it's a bad idea to think you know their job better than they do. But I'm used to working with artists because I've done it on and off in various jobs for many, many years.

It was a blast working with Tom. He's fun. I loved the images and I was especially taken with the father and son one.

[Luvinna]

From Brian:

Was it particularly challenging changing course from writing stories about clone troops during the Clone Wars and writing in the Legacy of the Force time period?

[Karen Traviss]

In terms of actually writing a feature - I hardly think about it, to be honest: I've been doing that kind of work for so long. I map out the areas I need to cover and work through them. And I automatically stop at pretty well the exact word count needed. It's one of those things you do unconsciously when you've been writing all your working life.

[Tresk Im'nel]

Which culture do you personally identify with more, and hypothetically which would you rather live in, Wess'har or Mando?

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by Luvinna@Feb 27 2006, 01:48 AM
From Brian:

Was it particularly challenging changing course from writing stories about clone troops during the Clone Wars and writing in the Legacy of the Force time period?
Quoted post


Oddly, no. It all fits together in my head. The military stuff is my natural forte, but it really wasn't that much of a shift. One or two of the characters were harder to get into, but it finally clicked and it was fine.

Continuity is always a sticky area, of course. And I turned in Bloodlines some time before the first book in the series was finished, so a certain amount of stuff has to be ironed out along the way. That happens with every multi-author series. Outlines can't cover all the bases.

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by Tresk Im'nel@Feb 27 2006, 01:52 AM
Which culture do you personally identify with more, and hypothetically which would you rather live in, Wess'har or Mando?
Quoted post


I'd probably go with the Mandos. It'd be just like living in Portsmouth. Except for the armour, of course.

[T-bone]

Abel G Pena asks: Hey Karen! So... do we get some new Mandalorian cuss words in Triple Zero? Translations?

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by T'bone@Feb 27 2006, 01:56 AM
Abel G Pena asks: Hey Karen! So... do we get some new Mandalorian cuss words in Triple Zero? Translations?
Quoted post


Good grief, loads of them...

I haven't translated all of them because - to be frank - they're very rude. Kal has a terrible mouth on him. But the context makes it clear what they are.

I also have a Special List of Mando'a profanity which only the beta testers and the LFL team got to see. Those are simply too saucy for publication. But, by golly, they're very satisfying to use!

Among those in TZ, if memory serves, are:

osik - a poodoo word

osik'la - an adjective derived from the poodoo word

shabla - jolly rude adjective which you can work out from the way Kal uses it when referring to what he thinks of public opinion

There are more. Rough, rude fellows, these Mandos!

Among the non-profane but enjoyable names are Dinlo and Skuumaa, which will amuse anyone from my neck of the woods in the UK.

[T-bone]

Nathan Butler asks: In creating an actual language for the Mandalorians, was there any kind of feeling that Star Wars was slowly moving toward "Star Trek" in the sense of being very technically nitpicky (i.e. Star Trek's several extensive Klingon language books)?

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by T'bone@Feb 27 2006, 02:02 AM
Nathan Butler asks: In creating an actual language for the Mandalorians, was there any kind of feeling that Star Wars was slowly moving toward "Star Trek" in the sense of being very technically nitpicky (i.e. Star Trek's several extensive Klingon language books)?
Quoted post


Well, depends on which end you start.

Mando'a happened because I needed to know my characters' background in Hard Contact. Once I saw the RepCom lyrics, I was off. It just happened. It turned into a full langauge in no time at all, simply because that's how I work. I'm obsessive and I have to do a full job.

But I made a point from the start of treating Mando'a as a language that could accommodate variety and error. Like english, in fact. I hated the idea of dogma wars over "correct" form, so I made sure it never got a foothold. (And I couldn't see any Mando caring over-much about grammar and spelling.)

But I see the concerns people have about orthodoxy. I don't care for orthodoxy of any kind: it destroys the spirit of the thing it claims to protect. Technical nitpicking is fine, as long as it doesn't become a source of hostility. First person to try to bring intolerance and rigidity to Mando'a gets my custom Verp up their nose - this is supposed to be fun, and it's supposed to illustrate a wider world, not serve as a cause for wars.

[T-bone]

Jediwan asks: Are you planning on writing any other Star Wars books after Legacy of the Force ends?

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by T'bone@Feb 27 2006, 02:09 AM
Jediwan asks: Are you planning on writing any other Star Wars books after Legacy of the Force ends?
Quoted post


If LFL ask me to do more, I will. I haven't been asked.

[Luvinna]

Here's a question from me:

In Star Wars Insider #85, you wrote a short story called Two-Edged Sword in which Vader has to deal with Dark Jedi clones who masquarade as stormtroopers. Did any of the inspiration for that story (or maybe just the artwork) come from Ralph McQuarrie's concept drawing of a stormtrooper holding a lightsaber?

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by Luvinna@Feb 27 2006, 02:13 AM
Here's a question from me:

In Star Wars Insider #85, you wrote a short story called [u]Two-Edged Sword[/i] in which Vader has to deal with Dark Jedi clones who masquarade as stormtroopers. Did any of the inspiration for that story (or maybe just the artwork) come from Ralph McQuarrie's concept drawing of a stormtrooper holding a lightsaber?
Quoted post


No, I've never even seen it. I didn't know it existed until after I did the story when I was talking with the editor and he mentioned it. That happens a lot. It's like evolution: the same solution crops up indpendently time and time again. But they're not masquerading as stomries - they are stormies.

It just struck me when I was outlining the story that Palps would be mad not to try cloning Dark Jedi. If you could pull that off, you;d have an amazingly effective elite force. Trouble is, they're just too dangerous.

[T-bone]

Nathan Butler asks: One intriguing thing about Triple Zero that we know so far is that it will include both Omega Squad from Hard Contact and Delta Squad from the video game. Can you fill us in on why the video game's squad wasn't used the first time around?

[T-bone]

We have room for more questions if you have them, folks. Just send a PM to me or mod on duty and we'll get them asked for ya. Thanks!

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by T'bone@Feb 27 2006, 02:18 AM
Nathan Butler asks: One intriguing thing about Triple Zero that we know so far is that it will include both Omega Squad from Hard Contact and Delta Squad from the video game. Can you fill us in on why the video game's squad wasn't used the first time around?
Quoted post


The book was always intended to be separate from the game. There was never any question of it being Delta. I never even asked why - it just made sense.

In due course I wanted to write Delta into Triple Zero, because I wanted to see how they worked together, and I had to get clearance from Lucasarts specially for that.

[T-bone]

2BQ asks:

How does working on a series with collaborators, as you will in the upcoming 9-book saga, differ from working on a book or series of books on your own for you as a writer?

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by T'bone@Feb 27 2006, 02:25 AM
2BQ asks:

How does working on a series with collaborators, as you will in the upcoming 9-book saga, differ from working on a book or series of books on your own for you as a writer?
Quoted post


Continuity, continuity, continuity.

That's the challenge - even with outlines, you have no idea of every single detail the other guys are writing, even if you stay in touch all the time, so there are always things to sort after the first draft.

But as for coming up with an overall story arc in a team - that felt perfectly normal. It's the way I've been used to working in a number of jobs. I'm not sure I could do that in a single book (although I collaborate on features - basic journalist job, in fact) but it's easy when you break a story into nine chunks and go off and do your own pieces of it.

[Luvinna]

In your Insider #86 article about the Mandalorians, how much leeway did you have for creating their culture and all the different aspects of Mandalorian life? Was there anything you wanted to put in there that was nixed, or did you pretty much have free reign?

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by Luvinna@Feb 27 2006, 02:33 AM
In your Insider #86 article about the Mandalorians, how much leeway did you have for creating their culture and all the different aspects of Mandalorian life? Was there anything you wanted to put in there that was nixed, or did you pretty much have free reign?
Quoted post


Nope, nothing was touched. The only constraint was space, so I knew a lot from my notes wouldn't make into into the final copy I submitted. It was a case of prioritising, but that's a part of writing anything.

I had free rein. It was just a matter of making sure that it fitted in with the bits of established continuity.

[Tresk Im'nel]

Your SW work has tended to focus a fair bit on the military side of things but the RC series has, naturally, been predominantly army. Will you be getting the chance to focus more on the naval and "air force" (i.e. starfighter) side of things in LOTF?

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by Tresk Im'nel@Feb 27 2006, 02:38 AM
Your SW work has tended to focus a fair bit on the military side of things but the RC series has, naturally, been predominantly army. Will you be getting the chance to focus more on the naval and "air force" (i.e. starfighter) side of things in LOTF?
Quoted post


Well, I could have included the navy and air force in anything, really. I just wanted to concentrate on land-based action in Hard Contact. I could just as easily have made it a maritime story. There's fleet air arm and air force in Triple Zero, of course. I mix it up a bit in LOTF too.

The thing about SW is that the demarcations are not there - which is part of the way the real military plans today anyway. At the political and senior command level, they'll just talk in terms of air assets, land assets and maritime assets; it's up to command further down the chain to decide which service those assets are drawn from. (And before anyone says, "But the army doesn't have ships...." - they do.)

In SW, there's very little wet navy. I'd love to do a real sea-going naval story. Submarines or something. Submarines were my speciality. :love:

[T-bone]

Brian asks: I've read Hard Contact, but haven't played Republic Commando. Will reading Triple Zero spoil parts of the game?

[Luvinna]

Remember, if you have a question for Karen, PM myself or another moderator.

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by T'bone@Feb 27 2006, 02:46 AM
Brian asks: I've read Hard Contact, but haven't played Republic Commando. Will reading Triple Zero spoil parts of the game?
Quoted post


No, not at all. No crossover with the game elements whatsoever - but you'll be able to work out from TZ exactly where Delta are and what job they've just completed.

Think of them as two separate entities in one continuity.

[T-bone]

You interact heavily with the fans and people who read your material. Do the things they say influence your writing at all and do you feel this heavy interaction is a benefit considering there are those who will hardly interact with fans at all?

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by T'bone@Feb 27 2006, 02:50 AM
You interact heavily with the fans and people who read your material. Do the things they say influence your writing at all and do you feel this heavy interaction is a benefit considering there are those who will hardly interact with fans at all?
Quoted post


Don't take this the wrong way, but from a story point of view, I can't let readers influence me at all - it's that legal thing over story ideas. It's not that I ignore folk: I just daren't look at anything they suggest. A good way of killing an idea is to ask me to do it.

I think every writer has to make their own call about interacting with readers or not. They've all got their own reasons for not doing it.

I've got two reasons - I just happen to think you should talk to your customers! What business wouldn't? And I'm a storyteller - what's the point of telling stories if you can't see the audience reaction and hear what they think?

Okay, the vast majority of readers never go online and never contact the author. They just buy the books and you know they like the stuff in some way because they buy so much of it. But it's nice to get individual reactions and know what people have enjoyed.

It's too easy to live in an ivory tower and forget who pays your wages. If I ever lost touch with readers, I'd be worried. I know too many writers (outside of SW) who only talk to other writers. Strange.

[T-bone]

Brian asks: Have you written anything else for Star Wars Insider that hasn't been published yet? They should hire you to write a piece for every issue.

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by T'bone@Feb 27 2006, 03:02 AM
Brian asks: Have you written anything else for Star Wars Insider that hasn't been published yet? They should hire you to write a piece for every issue.
Quoted post


I have a few things coming up, yes.

But I've had something in most editions this last year or so anyway.

[Tresk Im'nel]

Ripley asks:

Karen, does the recent anouncement of the comic series Legacy change the direction Legacy of the Force is going? Also, do you or the other two LOTF authors work in conjuction with the Dark Horse chaps to prevent a rather large continuity error or two?

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by Tresk Im'nel@Feb 27 2006, 03:07 AM
Ripley asks:

Karen, does the recent anouncement of the comic series Legacy change the direction Legacy of the Force is going? Also, do you or the other two LOTF authors work in conjuction with the Dark Horse chaps to prevent a rather large continuity error or two?
Quoted post


No, it doesn't change our part of it at all. That was sorted in November 2004. Yes, we all got together (in a virtual sense) and looked at what was planned to make sure the comics plans fitted - that's absolutely standard for anything LFL does. It's Leland Chee's job to oversee that and he does a fine job of it.

There's a century or so between the storylines, so it's not as risky as you might think.

[Luvinna]

Originally posted by Karen Traviss+Feb 26 2006, 05:35 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Karen Traviss @ Feb 26 2006, 05:35 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-Luvinna@Feb 27 2006, 02:33 AM
In your Insider #86 article about the Mandalorians, how much leeway did you have for creating their culture and all the different aspects of Mandalorian life? Was there anything you wanted to put in there that was nixed, or did you pretty much have free reign?
Quoted post


Nope, nothing was touched. The only constraint was space, so I knew a lot from my notes wouldn't make into into the final copy I submitted. It was a case of prioritising, but that's a part of writing anything.

I had free rein. It was just a matter of making sure that it fitted in with the bits of established continuity.
Quoted post
[/b][/quote]

Going back to this...

Was it the same type of thing with your article on the Grand Army of the Republic? Did you have free rein, or were there more constraints because you were working with something that had more exposure in the movies?

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by Luvinna@Feb 27 2006, 03:14 AM
Going back to this...

Was it the same type of thing with your article on the Grand Army of the Republic? Did you have free rein, or were there more constraints because you were working with something that had more exposure in the movies?
Quoted post


No, same thing really.

We drew up a list of the areas we planned to cover, it went through the approval process (Insider shows it to LFL) and then it was a case of seeing how much of that list we could cram into the space. Inevitably, we couldn't cover all we wanted to because it would have been twice the length and more, but we kept to in our notebooks for another time, if that happens.

[Tresk Im'nel]

Mara Jade Skywalker is one of the more controversial figures in the EU, and she's in LOTF. Do you have any thoughts to offer on writing her, and did you find her difficult in any way?

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by Tresk Im'nel@Feb 27 2006, 03:22 AM
Mara Jade Skywalker is one of the more controversial figures in the EU, and she's in LOTF. Do you have any thoughts to offer on writing her, and did you find her difficult in any way?
Quoted post


Well, not many people know this, but I reckon she dyes her hair.

Difficult? Not yet. But there's a fine line to tread between making a strong character challenging and crossing over into making them *****y. *****y never works for me. Mainly because I want to slap *****y characters around even if the reader doesn't. Where I've portrayed her, I've tried to show her as I think she is - a woman in her 50s, an ex-spook and assassin, with a kid who's a worry to her. I think the edges would be knocked off her a bit in time.

[Tresk Im'nel]

One final question from me:

Is there any chance that nonconformist Bothan diplomat turned Jedi Knight Tresk Im'nel will make a second SW novel cameo appearance in LOTF? ;)

[Karen Traviss]

Umm...no idea, to be honest!

[T-bone]

Final three folks...


What's your favorite SW book to date? (not by you)

[Karen Traviss]

Well, I haven't actually read any - started on a few, leafed through a few, but by and large, nada. Seriously. My inability to read is well known - I hate reading, and I can't absorb data from fiction. And riffling through a manuscript on scan to find continuity stuff isn't reading, because you filter out so much. (I speed read at two seconds a page, and it might work for reports but it doesn't work for fiction - not for me, anyway) Ask Troy how many times he had to remind me what was in DN.

Del Rey tried audiobooks for me, which I enjoyed as much as radio drama, but I didn't recall a damn thing. Basically, everything I get comes from the Holocron. Data. I process data. Once I see words, I start to edit.

It's impolitic to name any colleague's book, but I loved the SW tourist phrasebook. Hilarious.

[T-bone]

Brian asks: Is Triple Zero the last time we'll see Omega Squad (in novels or otherwise) in the foreseeable future?

[Karen Traviss]

Now, was that my last question? I think it was.

Thanks for all your questions, folks. It was great to be here. See you on the boards! I expect a stack of questions on the Triple Zero thread by this time next week...

[T-bone]

Sorry - I locked it early - one more answer coming!

[Karen Traviss]

Originally posted by T'bone@Feb 27 2006, 03:44 AM
Brian asks: Is Triple Zero the last time we'll see Omega Squad (in novels or otherwise) in the foreseeable future?
Quoted post


Oops - caught by the time delay!

If LFL and Del Rey want more RC books, I'll carry on writing them. I have a story arc that covers all the characters for their whole lives.

[T-bone]

Ah ok - we'll let you go, Karen. Thank you so much on behalf of everyone here and we'll see you again soon for another chat some time!

Thanks everyone and take care.

[Luvinna]

Thanks for comming everyone! If you have more questions for Karen, you can routinely find her in these and other threads here at the Galactic Senate:

Karen Traviss's thread (http://www.galacticsenate.com/index.php?showtopic=16346)

Republic Commando: Triple Zero (http://www.galacticsenate.com/index.php?showtopic=14968)

Republic Commando: Hard Contact (http://www.galacticsenate.com/index.php?showtopic=8015)

:howdy: