Ailionora

Guest blog post: Aaron Allston, the importance of peer review

Back in 1998 I first read a book titled Star Wars, X-Wing: Wraith Squadron by a – new to me – author named Aaron Allston. Not only did I devour the book (figuratively), but I absolutely loved it & read it multiple times over my life. Little did I know that 6 years later I would meet the author himself at a convention (Stellarcon – and yes, that is a picture of us out our first meeting, and yes I am dressed as a Jedi) and that, over time we would become friends, and that he would eventually become a mentor to me as well (though I still am, and forever will be, one of his many many fangirls).

So imagine my delight when he agreed to write a guest blogpost for my website. If only I could go back and tell teenage Janine now… she’d never believe me.

Janine is the co-host of, and Bryan Young is a regular participant in, an annual writers’ workshop I attend. This is the sort of workshop where participants perform peer review on one another’s manuscripts — the literary equivalent of each person handing his or her young child to the person to the left and saying, “Please tell me how ugly my baby is. Don’t hold back.”

Both Janine and Bryan have blogged in recent months (Janine here and Bryan here) about the benefits of such workshops.

I’m sometimes asked if such workshops are a necessary tool of the writer, either of new writerss or of veterans. I always give some variation of the same answer:

“Nope.”

(Janine and Bryan are now looking at me and sharpening their knives. But, hey, I often have that effect on people.)

To be more specific, workshops aren’t necessary — but the benefits they bring are. There are other ways to obtain those benefits. So I’m not arguing in favor of or against worishops, I’m here to talk about the benefits themselves.

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So I saw Ironman 3…

I LOVED IT.

I NEED TO SEE IT AGAIN LIKE NOW!

So, the best review I’ve seen about it is here (no spoilers, (unless you consider knowing ANYTHING about a film spoilery)): http://www.bigshinyrobot.com/reviews/archives/51475

I pretty much agree with everything Bryan said in that review.

Now for my thoughts, in no particular order. DEFINITELY spoilery:

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Richard LeParmentier, in memoriam

Last Tuesday one of my dearest friends, Richard LeParmentier, passed away. He is best known for his role as Admiral Motti in Star Wars: A New Hope.

About an hour after I was informed of his passing, I sent my thoughts and feelings, such as they were to be posted on the BigShinyRobot memorial post Bryan Young was posting for him.

You can see it here: http://www.bigshinyrobot.com/reviews/archives/50980

Then later that week, I commiserated with Bryan Young and Consetta Parker about our Richard memories on the podcast Full of Sith. You can listen to it here: http://fullofsith.com/archives/693

I meant to post my own blog entry about Richard and my memories of him much sooner, but I found that it was difficult for me. I couldn’t really think of what else to say. I feel like it’s been said so much better by everyone else at this point.

So I will say that when I met Richard 10 years ago (and yes, I was dressed as a Jedi), I had no idea I was making such a good friend, and that I would be blessed to have such a wonderful person as a part of my life.

He was the very first Star Wars actor I’d ever met. And he was gracious, gentlemanly, and oh so genuine.

When I first saw him at IQM2, I actually hovered away from his table for several minutes. Possibly as many as 30 trying to gather the courage to go introduce myself. Finally, as if sensing my shyness (which, anyone who knows me, knows I’m not shy normally), he called out “Hello, Gorgeous! I must say, you are the best looking Jedi I’ve ever seen.”

After that, Will and I introduced ourselves, we hung out with most of the guests that weekend (Nalini Krishan (Barriss Offee) was also there, as was Kenneth Colley (Admiral Piett), and had a wonderful time.

Below are some of the pictures from that day, and I love them so much because that entire weekend is such a precious memory to me of Will, and now Richard. I would see Richard many times over the next 10 years, and we would talk often, but that first weekend, that will always be special to me.

Getting ready to head out to IQM2 with Podcasting’s Rich Sigfrit.

Will & I meeting our first Stormtroopers

Richard looooooved the 501st.

Richard choking Will.

The Usual Suspects: Austin, Will, Richard, me (a picture Richard posed & wanted)

Will lightsaber dueling with Richard’s son.

Motti, me, Piett.

People asked Richard if they could choke him all weekend (thanks to Vader), and he said no to all of them… until me. I have no idea why this made me so happy (maybe because I love Vader so much & he let me pretend to be Vader)… or maybe it’s because at that point I realized that he’d decided I was a friend. And so here you go, a super silly picture of me & Richard choking each other. SEE WHAT YOU STARTED, VADER?

And I’ll close with a picture of Will from when he was that age – 13, because he loved Star Wars so much, and his meeting with Richard was one of the highlights of his too-short life.

And for those of you wondering who Will was to me, and why these memories are so important to me, here you go: http://www.ailionora.com/2012/03/26/why-i-wrote-war-of-the-seasons-happy-birthday-will-tk8432/