Patty Hammond runs the interview-focused website Everyday Fangirl and writes about Star Wars for a variety of websites. She answered a few questions via email for this interview.
What was your introduction to Star Wars?
My Mom won four tickets from a local TV station in Detroit to see Star Wars; the theater was over 20 miles away from where we lived. Back then, the freeway system was not what it is today, and a trip to the theater took over an hour. Normally, we would not drive that long just for a movie. However, with Dad being a big science fiction fan, we decided to do it. Dad was not only excited to see the film, but when we came out of the theater he said, “Mark my words! This movie WILL become a classic.” Boy, did he predict that one.
Do you have a favorite character from any of the Star Wars films or TV series? If so have your favorites changed over time?
My favorite character has always been Leia right from the beginning. It was so cool seeing a princess carrying a blaster and holding her own against the most evil men in the Galaxy.
Why do you think Star Wars has remained popular with so many age groups for so long?
I believe Star Wars has remained popular for so long because at its core it is a story about hope. No matter how bad things are, there I always hope that everything will work out and GOOD will triumph over EVIL!
When did you start writing about Star Wars and other geek-related subjects online?
I started writing about Star Wars and other geek-related subjects online in 2013. I was inspired to do so by a romance author friend, Cathie Linz and bloggers like Dunc from Club Jade and Tricia Barr from Fangirlblog.com.
How did you connect with sites where you wanted to have your work published? What sites are you currently writing for?
I connected with various bloggers on social media and showed them my writing. Through this, I was invited to join the blogs and contribute my own articles.
I currently write for TheFutureofTheForce.com, Fanthatracks.com, TheBeardedTrio.com, and my own blog EverydayFangirl.com.
What are some of your favorite Star Wars-related articles from these sites?
My favorite articles are actually part of a series I did for the different blogs about one of my favorite characters, Ahsoka Tano!
This series of articles talked about her character design and growth throughout each of the series and what this character meant to me. These are very special to me because I believe they illustrate how my writing grew as I progressed through each one. In addition, I hope to add to this series once I see the Ahsoka centric episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
These articles are:
Ahsoka Design Changes Through The Years at The Future of the Force, Ashoka’s Development for The Bearded Trio, Ahsoka’s Development Continued for The Bearded Trio, What Did Ahsoka Learn From Anakin for EverydayFangirl, and Why Ahsoka Tano Inspires Me for The Future of the Force.
You wrote an article for StarWars.com about the 40th anniversary of A New Hope? How did that article come to be?
I am still amazed that I was asked to participate in the 40th Anniversary Celebration.
This came about by me sending pitches and articles through to various contacts at Lucasfilm. At one point, I received some feedback from Dan Brooks. During one of these conversations with him I mentioned an article about my story of first seeing Star Wars in 1977. He liked the suggestion but wanted to see more than my story. Therefore, I approached my friends in the community and asked for their stories. The response was overwhelming and not only did I get some great material for the article, but I supplemented this with an additional article on my blog EverydayFangirl.com. You can read the article from StarWars.com here.
Tell me about your Everyday Fangirl Project and why you created this project?
When I first started out in the online community I noticed that all the best bloggers and podcasters had one thing that they were good at or known for. I realized that if I wanted to stand out I had to find that one thing that I was good at or could be known for as. After much thought, I realized that I carried my fandom with me every day either in the items around me, like collectibles, music, artwork, or by watching the things I love like Star Wars. I branded my blog as The Adventures of The Everyday Fangirl and eventually, it morphed into the EverydayFangirl project, which not only represented myself but represented all those that I interview and interact with every day.
Do you have a favorite interview from this series?
I had the honor of interviewing one of my favorite authors, Lois McMaster Bujold not as an author, but as a Fangirl. She was one of the original pioneers in the Fangirl community and her story was a real inspiration to me!
I know you’ve been to a lot of Star Wars Celebrations. What do you enjoy about those events and will you be in Anaheim later this year?
I love going to Star Wars Celebration, especially when I meet up with all my online friends and can experience Star Wars with them! Yes! My husband and I have our tickets and hotel and cannot wait to go to Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim and enjoy so many days of Star Wars goodness!
Do you have a dream Star Wars writing project?
I always dreamed of working in the Lucasfilm archives and helping to document and preserve all that awesome Star Wars history!
If you could choose the subject (character or times period) for the next Star Wars film or TV series what would it be?
This is a really hard one for me. I love many characters and many of the time periods. If I had to choose one, I would say that I would love to know more about Leia and what she was doing as a little girl. We got her as a teenager, but I would love to see what she was like as a smart preteen!
What have been some of your favorite Star Wars books and comics over the last few years?
I really love the following novels…
Lost Stars, Leia: Princess of Alderaan, Bloodline, and Last Shot!
What series are you the most excited to see – The Mandalorian Season 2, the Kenobi series, or the Cassian Andor series?
I am excited to see all of these series, but of course I cannot wait to see more Baby Yoda in The Mandalorian Season 2!
Can you talk about any projects you have coming up?
I am constantly looking for authors, creators and fangirls to interview and I have a few ideas for some upcoming blog articles, but nothing specific at this time.
You can find Patty on Twitter @PattyBones2.
