Work Text:
Why I'm afraid of writing about Star Wars :
(This is not a story. This is a statement. This is something that has been on my heart for a very, very, very long time)
For a while now, I've been wanting to write an occasional Star Wars fanfiction. About the KOTOR universe, films, or something else. I had this desire for a while, Star Wars is a universe that I really like, with which I grew up and of which I am a fan.
I would have liked to write about Darth Nihilus, Darth Malgus, Satele Shan, Darth Krayt, Cade Skywalker, in short, I already had ideas for stories and characters, from the universe or totally original ones.
So why didn't I do it ? What stopped me ?
The answer is simple : fandom.
I'm not telling anyone anything, but the SW fandom is one of the most toxic in pop culture. It has been denounced several times, there were the affairs with Jake Loyd and Kelly Marie Tran. And more recently, with the release of The Acolyte on Disney on which all the hateful fans gathered to spew their hatred and their remarks, each more racist, homophobic and xenophobic than the last. It was precisely the latter that convinced me that it would be better if I never wrote about Star Wars.
I don't like to make generalizations, but it's unfortunately a fact: SW fandom can be extremely toxic, especially towards minorities as mentioned above. So doing a fanfiction about a Jedi and a woman fighting the Sith together, I'm quite afraid of the reaction I would get. I don't want to deal with this, I don't want to get into this quagmire, I already have enough personal problems without having to deal with some hateful trolls who are going to attack me because that my work exists.
So, some will tell me that I should fight, that my work should still exist, that I don't have to be afraid of these trolls, but it's unfortunately a truth: this universe that I once loved, I I'm more sure I've been such a fan of it for a while. Being a Star Wars fan has become quite complicated, especially when you belong to a minority or try to defend Disney films or series, you can be sure to get a wave of hate on social media if you try to defend the character of Rey. For me, Star Wars has become a hornet's nest, something I shouldn't approach without getting stung, because precisely, I don't want to have to confront its problematic fandom. So I think I will never publish anything about this universe. It's sad, but that's how it is.
So, that’s why I probably won’t write anything about Star Wars. My stories about this universe will probably never be born, at least not as long as its fandom is what it is. And what happens with The Acolyte I think gives me even more reason to never try the experiment.