Churo the Hutt is almost here!
Or, answering the Star Wars question I get asked the most.
It’s time for Churo the Hutt to make his debut! My next novel is Star Wars: The High Republic: Beware the Nameless. It’s the companion novel, and next up in the middle grade novels of Phase III of our High Reblic series. I’m smack in the middle, which means we’re getting close to the end of the incredible story that began with Light of the Jedi. Fear not…the galaxy is a big place.
Right now, if you need a High Republic primer, check out this post from StarWars.com
One of the questions I get asked asked most often is “What does it feel like to write for Star Wars?”
The honest answer? It still feels surreal in a way I can’t always articulate. When I’m nervous during an interview, the first thing that comes to mind is always “oh my gosh I’m so lucky” or “It feels amazing what else can I say?” These are a little canned, but honest. I feel lucky. It feels amazing. But I also know that luck is a sprinkling factor, because I also work really hard and think deeply about the characters that I write. I agonize over sentences and decisions in the story and the limits of what makes it “feel” Star Wars or not. So I know it’s not just luck, but it still feels amazing.
My job is describing feelings and putting them on the page, so why is this one any different? I understand and know that this galaxy isn’t just home to me and my formative memories from childhood. I see the endless possibilities and stories that are actively being discovered and told. I think we all feel so much about Star Wars, which is why everyone has their own hot take. I can only focus on mine, which goes:
Writing for Star Wars feels like holding your breath when that yellow text starts scrolling against the pinpricks of stars. Writing for Star Wars feels like reaching back into a version of myself that will be forever young. *Queue the song*. Writing for Star Wars feels like having some pretty damn good writers around me to keep me sharp because I want to be just as good. Writing for Star Wars feels like chaos and hope and sleepless nights at my desk, and thirteen empty coffee cups fueling months of deadlining. Writing for Star Wars feels like coming home.
This has been the opportunity of a lifetime, and I am so deeply excited for this next book.
Beware the Nameless is about a group of kids surviving against a threat much bigger than themselves. There are hard lessons, big emotions, laughs, lots of lightsaber action, new planets to explore. But above all, this book is about friendship. It’s about finding people who understand you and are there by your side when things get rough. While I was writing this for 11-year-old I once was, I think kids and adults alike will find something for them.
Art: Petur Antonsson
Here’s a little bit more about Beware the Nameless coming August 27th, 2024 in ebook and print.
The High Republic continues in this fast-paced adventure that picks up from Escape from Valo, perfect for fans of sci-fi action. Think Sailor Moon meets Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting by way of Star Wars . . . with a dash of Last Kids on Earth!
The fearsome Nihil continue to spread chaos inside the Occlusion Zone, aided by the mysterious creatures called the Nameless that feed on the Force itself. When the people of an embattled world plead for help with the Nihil threat, a team of both Republic Defense Coalition members and Jedi—including Ram Jomaram—is sent to their aid.
The team soon discovers that their ship contains four stowaways—Jedi younglings Kildo, TepTep, and Jamil, and Zenny Greylark, a senator’s daughter determined to find her sister. When a distress call comes in from a nearby planet, Jedi Master Adi-Li Carro agrees to take the stowaways to investigate. There, they will encounter a young Hutt on a mission, a stranger with mysterious motives, and the creatures they fear the most. . . .
This next installment in the New York Times best-selling series is written by award-winning author Zoraida Córdova and features six full-color pages of art!
Pre-order from one of my favorite bookstores in Queens, NY. If you’re in New York City, we’re having my launch at World’s Borough Book Store on August 31st, 2024 at 3PM, where i’ll also be personalizing online orders! There will be a raffle for a Hasbro lightsaber! There will be free High Repulic posters for all attendees (while supplies last). I hope to see you then!
For the aspiring writers, I’m teaching a course in a couple of weeks at THE WRITER’S CONSEVATORY. It’s all virtual, and feels like a masterclass on writing. My class is going to focus on world-building and everything that goes into creating a fantasy that is unique to the story in your mind. Read more and sign up here.
That is such a lovely description of writing for Star Wars!
So excited for CHURO!!!