Tricia Barr

Tricia Barr
Spec Ops



Bio

Tricia Barr is a writer and professional fan of science fiction and fantasy. Her novel Wynde is an epic space opera tale and superhero origin story centering on a young woman’s personal struggle to stay true to her family and fulfill her destiny amid the political conflicts and visceral dangers of an interplanetary war. Wynde won the Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Ebook in the 2014 Independent Publisher Awards.

Tricia’s FANgirl Blog is a prominent genre-focused website with an emphasis on analyzing strong female characters and the heroine’s journey. She has conducted interviews and written articles for the print magazine Star Wars Insider, including two cover stories on Padmé Amidala (Issue #142) and Princess Leia (Issue #144) and a feature article on the longstanding importance of fangirls in the Star Wars franchise (Issue #151). She provided editorial services on Del Rey’s Star Wars: The Essential Reader’s Companion and contributes to numerous geek websites, including Lucasfilm’s Star Wars Blog and Random House’s science fiction and fantasy blog Suvudu. Tricia co-hosts the podcast Fangirls Going Rogue for RebelForce Radio and frequently makes guest appearances on other podcasts.

A Duke University graduate and a licensed professional engineer, Tricia has worked for over twenty years as an engineer specializing in transportation infrastructure design, including critical timeline projects with high visibility and multi-million dollar budgets. She also is a competitive amateur equestrian with three top ten finishes at national finals and has been a winner of the Winter Equestrian Festival Championship, an international event.

How I Use Star Wars in the Classroom of Life

I founded FANgirl Blog as a platform to ensure the high visibility of the perspectives of female fans as supporters and customers of the entertainment industry. Stories and our reaction to them are better understood by evaluating the social and historical context in which they are told. Because so many people are familiar with Star Wars, it is the perfect lens for effectively explaining important points about storytelling, characterization, franchise brand management, and fandom relations. I highlight these variables through my writing and also public speaking engagements like podcasts, convention panels, and library events.

In 1977, Star Wars was a truly transformative work that broke boundaries, most notably by its encapsulation of Campbell’s monomyth and with the groundbreaking character of Princess Leia. Since then, the art of storytelling remains an evolving process. Storytellers today, for example, cannot avoid confronting issues like the agency of female protagonists and the objectification of female characters; at the same time, the Hero’s Journey is adapting to a shift from ancient myths to modern values and archetypes as the driving core of character arcs. The relationship between a franchise, the creators who work for it, and the fans who financially support its existence as patron-customers is changing, as well. I truly believe enlightened fans are better fans and that education is a never-ending process. Using Star Wars as an educational tool makes learning all the more enjoyable.

Similarly, I have used situations within Star Wars fandom to address topics of special significance to female fans. Bullying is countered by uplifting responses from across fandom. Campaigns for more representation of female characters in toys and merchandise have gained support from a wide range of fans, too. Just as it is important to highlight successful women in STEAM careers to encourage girls and young women to pursue their dreams to the fullest, emphasizing the longstanding presence of female Star Wars fans throughout the franchise’s history also can inspire girls to dream of becoming storytellers or creators, actors or animators, and directors and producers. Several years ago, I spoke to a group of middle-school aged girls at a public library about my path from professional engineer to novelist. In addition to my own education and background, I was able to point to many Star Wars fans and VIPs who followed their dreams into amazing careers in film, television, fiction writing, and science.

Additional Resources
From the FanGirlBlog.com:

From Star Wars Insider (selected highlights):

From the Fangirls Going Rogue podcast:

For a complete list of writing credits and podcasts, visit my Appearances page at FANgirl Blog.


Additional Photos

Tricia Barr with Ashley Eckstein.
Cosplay
Tricia Barr with Chopper.

Tricia Barr and family at LucasFilm.
Tricia Barr with Dave Filoni.
Tricia Barr interviews Tim Zahn.

**All information shared with permission.