I started working
on my book about a year before A New Hope special edition was released. Once
I saw previews of the ronto, I knew it would have to be included. The process
for writing my book is as follows. Agonize over inventing a figure and then
make it look right. Take it apart and figure out how I made it. Refold it.
Write and illustrate the chapter for the figure while folding a new copy of
the figure (so I have a better idea what It looks like on paper). And, finally,
celebrate by triumphantly sending the original and the new copy to my mom.
(As payment for so much inspiration and support at those times when I wanted
to toss the whole project, she got to keep all of the original figures). It
wasn't hard to create the ronto figure, the beak and distinctive ears being
the most difficult part to design. During this time, I made the trip to New
York to see the opening of the special edition with my mom. I brought the
newly created ronto and started writing the chapter for it but had to return
to California before I could finish. To save myself a stamp I left the original
with Mom and brought the half finished copy back. After all, there were only
a few steps left to go and I had created it. It should be easy to remember
how to make the last few folds and diagram them, right? After a week of frustration
and a ream of mutilated paper, I had to call my mom and ask her to mail the
original back to me so I could figure out how I did it.
