The Dark Side and the Write Side

I mentioned back in May that my family was interested in joining the 501st Legion, a Star Wars costuming organization that makes appearances for charity. (Their motto is "bad guys doing good.") Last week, my husband and I were officially accepted into the Legion. (Alex can't join until he's 18, so for now he has to enroll in the Galactic Academy--if he ever agrees to let me submit pictures.) Here I am as a Jawa:

And here I am with Alex. My husband is an Imperial Gunner.

I made the Jawa robes and hoods myself; I even bought a simple sewing machine and taught myself how to use it. I also prepared the mask and glowing eyes. BB-8 is not officially approved as an accessory for Jawas, but I hope to take him trooping someday.

Of course, the last thing I need is another activity to take away from my limited writing time. It will be a family activity, though, and depending on where we troop, I may be able to write en route.

As an indie, I'm not worried about whether trooping will conflict with a "professional author" image. It may give me a chance to meet more SF fans, but while I will talk about my books if asked, I don't think it's right to use the 501st to promote my own work. It might be interesting, however, if we decide to attend C2E2 next year with the 501st. Do I troop the entire time, or do I set aside some author time? Even if I can't bring balance to the Force, I hope I can do that with my multiple identities as writer and fan.

Have you ever done costuming, or would you like to? What character(s) would you play?