star wars day – Author James Schannep

A Star Wars Manifesto

As today is Star Wars day (May the Fourth Be With You!), I’m releasing part one of a passion project that’s been consuming me these past few months.

Many of you may have heard me mention my Reboot the Prequels project, but I wanted to take a minute to declare my intent. For those unfamiliar, I decided to rewrite The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith into a story-focused narrative that unfolds Anakin’s descent to the Dark Side in a compelling way.

Why would I do such a thing?

star-wars-characters-take-over-as-world-leaders__880 — Allow me to explain. Photo credit: Jo Sabin.

Undoubtedly, some of you reading this think I’m wasting my time. But I’m not. And not just in the John Lennon, “Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted,” sense.

Here’s why:

I’m certain this writing exercise has made me a better writer. It’s kind of incredible, when you step back and think about it, that we have one trilogy that is universally loved and another that is all but universally reviled set within the same franchise. But what is it that makes them so different? The wooden performances in front of a greenscreen, for sure, but it’s much more than that. It’s the story. I broke down what worked for one and what failed in the other and I’m a stronger author for doing so.
Writing is cathartic. The best way to discover how you feel about a subject (and why) is to write about it. It was truly healing to be able to put my gripes to bed, even in something as seemingly inconsequential as a movie franchise. But now I’ve said my piece. I have an answer, one which I can give emphatically, to the proverbial, “Yeah, well, could you do any better?”
I got to write a Star Wars movie! Sure, I didn’t get paid six figures and get to walk the red carpet (though, if you’re reading this Disney, let’s do lunch), but I undoubtedly wrote the movie. And I loved every minute of it. This is the most I’ve ever felt like an “artist.” Having created a thing for no other reason than for the pure joy of doing so. It’s the same aspect of self-publishing that I find so freeing. We are living in an era where the only thing stopping you from creating and distributing a story is the will to do so.
I get to share my love and my lessons.

That’s where you come in, #4. And May the Fourth Be With You.

The screenplay for A New Menace (That’s what I’ve called my Episode I. Get it?) clocks in at 103 pages, with another dozen of story lessons and explanations at the end. If you’ve never read a screenplay, that should take you 103 minutes or less to read. You can read this first script right now on my Reboot the Prequels page. Then you can tell me if I nailed it or failed it. Share it with your friends. Let these screenplays be the movies we all deserved to see.

Your author,

May 4th, 2017

Thanks for reading! What do YOU think? Waste of time or time well spent?

Leave me a comment below, and don’t forget to share and subscribe!

Happy Star Wars Day!

It’s Star Wars day! A day when fans celebrate the greatest film trilogy ever made and fanatics do so slightly more than on any other day.

For me, I wanted to say that my Reboot The Prequels project is still alive and well.

Since last year, we were introduced to a new Star Wars film that I quite enjoyed, but wasn’t without its detractors. People complained (somewhat validly) that The Force Awakens was just a soft reboot of the Original Trilogy. A Star Wars “Greatest Hits” if you will.

I can definitely see where this criticism comes from; I just don’t see it as a bad thing.

As an audience member, I was extremely skeptical of a new Star Wars movie. I’m sure many of us were. So, giving us something that “felt” like Star Wars was a big step towards regaining that audience trust. Now I’m incredibly excited for the next installments in the saga.

But for my reboot? It’s a great thing! The Prequel Trilogy was all but written off in the new film, leaving a wide berth for the Reboot Trilogy to fit within the confines of the saga overall.

I know it’s been a while since I announced my intent to rewrite these movies, but here’s a solid commitment: After I finish my next Click Your Poison book (this summer), I’m going to dive into these Star Wars scripts full time.

So…it’s coming. I just need to buckle down and remember, “Do or do not, there is no try.”

PS — I also had my fist taste of a “reboot hater” on the internet this year. I get that you might think I’m wasting my time, or hell, you might even like the prequels. But if you don’t think rebooting the prequels is a good idea, let’s just each go our own way on this issue, okay? Especially on Star Wars day, I think we can agree to disagree.