Star Wars: Message Boards: Troy answers Twelve Invincible questions--SPOILERS herein!!


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starwars.com > Community > Message Boards > Beyond The Films > Books, Comics and Television > Troy answers Twelve Invincible questions--SPOILERS herein!!

Troy answers Twelve Invincible questions--SPOILERS herein!! - 232 replies | 16 pages

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Troy Denning
Total Posts: 60
Member Since: 01/06

Date Posted: May 21, 2008 03:12 PM

"Why did Jacen accept the use of the Nano Virus? Even Verege thought it was wrong to use biotechnology (Alpha Red) to kill beings which was who Jacen was trying to follow. Or was that supposed to be a sign Jacen was becoming darker than Verege had been? Thanks."

Again, this is actually asking me to comment on the meaning of the text itself, but bear in mind that Alpha Red was indiscriminate, while the nano-killer was very precisely targeted.

raimo.kangasniemi@kolumbus.fi
Total Posts: 1
Member Since: 03/05

Date Posted: May 21, 2008 03:23 PM

I have been more a fan of the Solos than persons with the last name of Skywalker so I ask this: Why the second most famous last name in Star Wars is being extinguished - is there a reason, some official decision, why the future belongs only to Skywalkers?

MyriAntilles
Total Posts: 668
Member Since: 07/07

Date Posted: May 21, 2008 03:28 PM

I'll add my voice to the choir, Troy, and thank you for opening the floor to a town-hall style discussion.

I admit I had mixed feelings on book ... many of the element you put in place I felt were spot-on. It truly needed to be a Jaina/Jacen book. I'm pleased that this is the focus you chose to take.

However, I felt the depth to which you explored many of the concepts were .... hmmm. Lacking. You have a tremendous capacity to reach into the soul of a character and have them connect with the reader. Yet in many places the prose seemed hurried. Sparse. Not fleshed out. This seems to be reflected in the overall length of the novel, which surprised many of us.

Were there time constrains upon you that we are not aware of that affected this? Or were there other factors?

YodaKenobi21
Total Posts: 4
Member Since: 10/06

Date Posted: May 21, 2008 03:29 PM

This message was edited by YodaKenobi21 on May 21, 2008 03:33 PM

Great book, Troy. Such a great turnaround after the disappointment of Revelation

My question is, why are you so awesome?

Darth-Mandalore
Total Posts: 4195
Member Since: 08/04

Date Posted: May 21, 2008 03:32 PM

A couple more questions came up

Why don't we see into Jacen's head in the seconds before he dies? Its like we see in his head for every part of his fall this series, but we don't see his final thoughts?

And, what made Jacen more "unable to be redeemed" more then say, Vader?

Troy Denning
Total Posts: 60
Member Since: 01/06

Date Posted: May 21, 2008 03:36 PM

"Could you perhaps go through the reasons you decided to make Daala the Chief of State? It seems very strange to me since - even if she has mellowed and repaired her reptuation in the interim - as readers we never see this. I'll be honest - my first thought was that "thunderous applause" was a reference to Palpatine's decree regarding the formation of the Empire.

Am I offbase there? "

I've read several of your posts in different places, Becca, and they seem mostly on-target to me. Hindsight being 20/20, I do think that Daala's selection as CoS could have used some heavier foreshadowing, and perhaps even a scene or chapter showing exactly how/why she was chosen for the post (remember--she wasn't elected). At the time, I didn't want to take the camera away from the central conflict, but in retrospect, I think a little detour into Daala-land would have probably have served the central story just fine. Live and learn!

As for the thunderous applause--I guess whether it was a reference to Palpatine or an echo will depend on what kind of ruler Daala becomes in future books. I'm looking forward to finding out!

beccatoria
Total Posts: 6
Member Since: 04/05

Date Posted: May 21, 2008 03:56 PM

THANK YOU so much for replying. You totally just made my day! I'm...all embarassed yet pleased that you've read my posts in various places and think I make vague amounts of sense.

Also your explanation is awesome and I'm very grateful to have it. I think, as you note, I would have understood the Daala decision a lot better had there been a chance to explore her history and how people see her. But it's never too late and like you, I'm looking forward to seeing what sort of ruler she turns out to be. Though as a democracy fangirl and with Daala's history and her unelectedness, I have to admit, I may be hoping just a teeensy bit that she turns out to be scaaarrry. Not necessarily evil, but...I'm fascinated by the idea she's pretty much exactly the sort of ruler that Jacen wanted to be but without the Force...

Anyway, thank you so much for such a thoughtful reply. Your novels always make me *think*, which is the best thing a novel can do.

Darth Beef 86
Total Posts: 220
Member Since: 01/08

Date Posted: May 21, 2008 04:16 PM

This message was edited by Darth Beef 86 on May 21, 2008 04:18 PM

Hi troy, loved the book.
What I want to know is, though the three of you set out plot point's; certain events that had to happen, but in your opinion...who would've won in a straight up fight with no distraction's?

Loved Star by star and the DN trilogy...and Tarfang!!!

Thanks for taking time to answer my question, If you do.

jagslady
Total Posts: 44
Member Since: 05/03

Date Posted: May 21, 2008 04:19 PM

Troy, thank you for this opportunity. I loved the book. I agree with Beccatoria, your novels always make me think.

I loved the way you portrayed Boba Fett and the Mandos, although I've never been a big fan of them before. I just wish you'd been the one to write about them throughout the series.

I also really liked how you applied shatterpoint to objects. Jacen using it to shatter beskar was perfect. How did the idea come about?

		Master Ki-Aaron-Mundi Member Profile Total Posts: 3311 Member Since: 01/03

Date Posted: May 21, 2008 04:21 PM

Thanks, Mr. Denning, for the response! It's really great of you to take the time to answer our questions like this. It's certainly going above and beyond the call of duty of an author. Over the next couple days, I look forward to seeing what questions my fellow fans ask, and how you respond!

echuta138
Total Posts: 240
Member Since: 07/00

Date Posted: May 21, 2008 04:31 PM

This message was edited by echuta138 on May 21, 2008 04:34 PM

first off I’d like to say I was originally offended a great deal by what I’d heard within the spoilers. but after finishing the book. I must say you've done a great job, sir. personally I feel INVINCIBLE is less of a lotf book and more of a return to the old EU, so it's awesome if I may say so. anyways onto the question which I’ll have you know is an extreme joy to be asking of you as an aspiring writer/director and quote unquote star wars zealot.

“Was it a deliberate choice to use a small amount of environments? Or was it a purposeful homage to the original trilogy?”

Thank you for your time and I hope to see star wars minis and or action figures of your work someday.

http://swfanon.wikia.com/wiki/User

arth_Depressis

http://swfanon.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_VII:_A_Dark_Facade

http://swfanon.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_VIII:_The_Volatile_Vision

Troy Denning
Total Posts: 60
Member Since: 01/06

Date Posted: May 21, 2008 04:37 PM

"Why so little emotion between Jaina and Jacen during their battles? . . . as I was reading the first and second battles, all I could ask myself was why was Jaina not more heartbroken about this? . . . why didn't we see Jaina more broken up about having to fight him?"

Jaina, I'm glad that answering these questions may help you, well, accept the events in INVINCIBLE. I know what a fan you are of the character, so I was really very sad to see such a negative reaction in your posts.

And, I must say, puzzled. I'm an fifty-year-old guy who's seldom accused of being sentimental, and I've got to tell you I cried buckets when I was writing the flashbacks and the battle scenes--and every time I read them afterwards. So it's been mystifying me that you felt the book was unemotional.

But your question here is shedding some light. Basically, I think you're wondering why Jaina wasn't broken up and crying during and before the fight, right? The answer is simple: because that would have gotten her killed. Worse, she would have failed. Quite simply, she couldn't let herself be too emotional until the job was done, because being emotional might make her hesitate, and if she hesitated, she was dead.

I thought that was made pretty clear in the chapters where she was thinking about what it was going to take to defeat her brother, and that's the reason she was so emotionally restrained before and during the battle. But afterwards, when Jag found her holding Jacen's head in her lap, she was crushed--at least for me--and she was still mourning even in the epilogue.

I don't want to say much more, except to add that, generally, I try to show character emotions through their actions, rather than tell readers what a character is feeling through narrative summary or internal monologue (which I suspect you may prefer). You might want to take another look at the flashbacks with that in mind--that's where I tried to show the reader what was going on deep in Jaina's mind as she prepared to go after Jacen.

Hope that helps!

Troy Denning
Total Posts: 60
Member Since: 01/06

Date Posted: May 21, 2008 04:50 PM

"My question is why you or someone involved in LOTF felt it necessary to make Zekk go missing? I am not criticizing it, I just don't understand how it fit into the storyline or if it will in the future."

Basically, every quest requires a great sacrifice, and Zekk was what Jaina had to sacrifice to get to Caedus. (In non-mythic terms, he wasn't going to let her attack the Solo alone, and she wasn't going to turn back. Not being nearly the pilot she was, he just couldn't make it inside.)

As for why Zekk went missing--I just couldn't bear to kill one of my favorite characters. Or maybe Shelly and Sue couldn't bear to let me kill him . . . it all gets so blurry in the rearview mirror.

Troy Denning
Total Posts: 60
Member Since: 01/06

Date Posted: May 21, 2008 05:02 PM

"simple question, why was it so short?"

It didn't seem short to me--the ms. was 105,000 words, which makes it about the same length as a lot of my other SW novels (not SBS!). But, to tell the truth, lengthening a book is the last thing I think about when I write a story. I'm actually trying to tell the story in as few words possible, because that almost always makes a book more engaging and compelling. So I'm constantly looking for ways to do more with less--trying to accomplish two or three things in a single scene, trying to trim lazy language and cut out scenes that don't advance the plot. If I'd included all the stuff I cut out of INVINCIBLE, it would have been a LOT longer--I'm just not sure anyone would have thanked me for it.

Another reason that it seems short, I think, is the tight focus. It's about ONE thing--Jaina hunting down Jacen--and it turns out that I only needed 105,000 words to tell that story.

That's all for now--I've already spent more time than I should on this first session, but I enjoyed answering your questions. More later--though maybe not so many at one sitting!

s65horsey
Total Posts: 4
Member Since: 04/02

Date Posted: May 21, 2008 05:05 PM

Thank you for responding! I apologize for asking a question from a different thread. I honestly haven't been keeping up with Sue's thread which I've heard is pretty cluttered by now with other things. Sorry!

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