An Interview With Mark Oshiro
Star Wars Hunters: Battle for the Arena author Mark Oshiro always dreamed of writing for Star Wars. Their dream came true.
When it’s your job to reach out to people asking if they want to talk to you, you get used to—and come to expect—the two most common responses: “Thanks but no” and crickets.
So I was thrilled when Mark Oshiro responded to my message using exclamation points and words like “I would love to” and “thank you for asking.”
Even before we jumped onto a call to talk about Star Wars Hunters: Battle for the Arena, Mark’s enthusiasm was monumental. I enter interviews with nerves, it’s just how I’m wired. As soon as Mark started pointing out the collectibles behind me, most of the tension evaporated.
We start off with much-deserved congratulations—after all, Mark has now written for Star Wars twice and that’s quite a feat. In the same breath, I ask how they’re feeling. Authors are people, after all, and a quick check-in never hurt anyone.
“It still kind of doesn't feel real,” they admit. “This is, you know, exactly what I've always wanted. It happened. I wrote a Star War!”
They’ve written a lot of things over the past few years, in fact. Mark has three books coming out over the span of the same number of months this year. That’s what happens sometimes when you’re a storyteller a pandemic prevents you from leaving the house. You write. A lot.
One of those upcoming books happens to be a Percy Jackson story co-written with Rick Riordan, but whether or not that’s more exciting than writing for Star Wars is beside the point.
From touching on their experience writing middle-grade books to how they make sure their target audience relates to stories made for them, it’s clear Mark’s passion for storytelling extends far beyond their love of Star Wars. In everything they write, they want their characters and those experiences to mean something.
“One thing I love, particularly about my middle-grade editors, is that they don't want to shy away from things that are difficult. It's all about the balance of figuring out … how do you talk about someone who's trying to ignore their past, who maybe doesn't like who they are? How do you be honest without being cruel?”
Middle-grade books may be suitable for all ages, but they do have a younger target audience the authors’ characters and stories speak to directly. Mark and their team approached Battle for the Arena with so much love and care, and it shows not just in the book itself but in the way they speak about it.
Most of my author interviews end with something to the effect of “if you could write any Star Wars character next …” and I’m continuously surprised at how quick everyone is with their response. Mark was no exception.
“I am obsessed with Ewoks,” they say unapologetically before outlining their dream middle-grade book told from the point of view of murder bears. I have no say in whether or not this will happen, but I hope our combined enthusiasm is enough to convince those who do.
I tell Mark we’ll have to talk again if they write another Star Wars book, but they’re banking on turning that “if” into a “when.” Shoot your shot, as the kids say.
“I'm ready. I'm here to write another one. They know.”
Whether or not Ewoks will prominently feature in Mark’s next Star Wars project, I’m sure, will one day be revealed.
Read my full interview with Mark on Dork Side of the Force, or listen to our conversation on Episode 21 of Now This Is Lit (the podcast).