A Few More Questions...

Okay, here we are again, at the LAST of the questions in our "Ask Us Anything" series, where Zyra and I answer questions from our awesome readers. Remember, we continue to answer them as long as you continue to ask them.

Today, our question is from Elivagar, who asked: Do you relate more with Han or Leia? When did you "discover" your talent for writing? Least favorite Star Wars movie? What sort of music are you into? Favorite season?


And here are our answers:

We'll start with Zyra: Do you relate more with Han or Leia? This is a funny question because very early on when Push and I started conversing she decided that I was the Leia in our relationship and she was the Han. She had talked about how she tended to prefer to write from Han’s point of view and I think that often I prefer to write from Leia’s. For me personally, that’s not to say I find it difficult to write from Han’s point of view, just that I have an easier time with Leia. And if you notice with me, I think Leia tends to be the more level headed one. Not that Han is all crazy, and this might be a bit unrealistic based on all of the horrible things she’s gone through. But maybe I just feel like if she has Han then it doesn’t matter ;) But yeah, I'm the kind of person you have to pry feelings out of, the one who tries to do the right thing, hides emotions and what not. Unfortunately we do not share the same affinity for attracting men who look like Han Solo.

When did you "discover" your talent for writing? Writing has been a love of mine since I learned how to do it. Somewhere my mom has a “book” I wrote when I was five. I wrote stories for fun growing up and took lots of classes in it. I don’t know when I really first discovered my “talent” for writing but I always liked writing assignments in school (as long as they weren’t research papers) and my teachers seemed happy with what I’d written. In third grade my best friend and I spent every recess writing a book just for the heck of it that we later shared with the class. If we were given unlimited pages to work with I could go on for quite a while. I had a great writing teacher in high school who liked my stuff and I wrote a couple of essays for that class that I can remember showing to my parents and hearing them laugh hysterically. Also took a bunch of writing classes in college and also did well in those. So I don't know that I ever discovered a "talent" for writing, more just that it has always been something I've loved to do.

Least favorite Star Wars movie? Of all six? Too easy, Phantom Menace.

What sort of music are you into? I am very unhip on the music scene and honestly I have mix tapes I made when I was fourteen and my taste hasn't really changed. Not into rap, country (sorry Push) or heavy metal or, like, Beyonce or whatever. I like a lot of 80's stuff. Not that I never hear a new song I like, but I'd be almost clueless watching the Grammys.


Favorite season? Summer! I could wear shorts, t-shirts and flip flops forever and be happy. Except not here because then I'd freeze half the year.

And now for Push: Do you relate more with Han or Leia? I thought for a long time that my answer here would be easy and that it would be Han.  I think I'm more like Han than Leia.  However, all of my stories seem to revolve around Leia.  Even my epic 'From a Certain Point of View', which was written entirely in Han's POV is really alll about Leia.  I find it easier to write in Han's POV, no doubt.  And thinking more about the question, I guess - yes, it is Han that I relate most to but it's Leia that fascinates me (just like Han).  Maybe that's it!  Thanks for letting me work that out in my head.  Whew!  That's a load off.

When did you "discover" your talent for writing? I have always loved to write.  Stationary and pen, pencil sets were always a favorite gift of mine.  I can't say that I wrote anything spectacular, like stories or anything.  I remember writing a lot of poetry with a friend of mine (in high school) and making a binded copy of it.  I wish I still had it.  I enjoyed writing papers in high school and college but hadn't really done any writing for at least 15 years when I discovered fanfic in late 2009.  It felt very natural, once I had exhausted all the reading material I could, to just start writing my own stories.  I'm very glad that I have 're-awoken' this passion that I guess had been slumbering for 2 decades or so.  

Least favorite Star Wars movie? I don't even know the names, but the first one.  The pod racing one.  And then the second one.  The third one is the most tolerable of the prequels for me and only because, I think, I like the battle on Mustafar at the end and Anakin becoming Vader.  I still remember when I heard that first breath, I thought that was pretty cool.  And then he started yelling...and well...now he yells in ROTJ, too - so we've come full circle on that. 

What sort of music are you into? I like all sorts of music.  If I am listening to my satellite radio in the car I am mostly on the '80's station or Classic Vinyl.   As for genre's and bands, let's see.  I do love country music (as Zyra alluded to) but only from the early 1990's when country music was on an upswing and I was young and single and hitting the bars (Travis Tritt, Brooks n Dunn, Garth Brooks, Clint Black, George Strait, Alan Jackson, etc.). 

I do like some rap but nothing too graphic.  I like RunDMC and Snoop Dogg and Kid Rock and Will Smith (if you consider him a real rapper - forgive me if he's not). 

And then I like a lot of rock and Alternative and everything.  REO Speedwagon, Journey, RUSH, Ozzy, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam and Van Halen.  I like Paul Simon and the Beatles.  James Taylor, Van Morrison and Cat Stevens.  Michael Jackson and Madonna.  Love, love, love Stevie Wonder and old Chicago with the horns.  U2, Creedence, The Cure, The Doors.  Fats Domino and Harry Connick, Jr.  Jimmy Buffet, Jimi Hendrix and Johnny Cash.  KC & The Sunshine Band and Kool & the Gang.  OMD.  R.E.M. and Rage Against the Machine.  The Rolling Stones and the Steve Miller Band.  Oh, and The Who.

See?  I told you I liked most everything.  Like Zyra, though - I don't know a lot of new stuff.  Maybe like the Black eyed Peas is new to me, you know?

Favorite season? Weather wise I don't really get seasons where I live.   Winter lasts for about 2 days and we have no Spring and Fall to speak of.  I've worn shorts and flip flops for one too many Christmas's.  If I had to choose, I'd choose Spring, though.  Mainly because it's like a new beginning.  Blooming flowers, spring cleaning, etc.



And once again...That's it. We have no more questions....so get on over to the Ask Us Anything post and ask 'em if you got 'em!

All Out of Questions?

Okay, as of now, this is the LAST of the questions in our "Ask Us Anything" series, where Zyra and I answer questions from our awesome readers. Remember, we continue to answer them as long as you continue to ask them.

Today, our question is from Amara Z who asked: How do you get your ideas? Do have anything you do if you want to get the creativity flowing? Do you ever look at an idea or a scene and think it sounds too much like what someone else wrote?

And here are our answers:

We'll start with Zyra: How do you get your ideas?  My ideas usually come out of nowhere and almost never when I think I actually want to write a story. Sometimes I'll want to be writing a story but nothing is coming to me. It often just pops into my head when I don't expect it. Usually the stories stem from either a set-up or I'll visualize just one scene I want to write and build a story around it. I guess it doesn't usually happen the same way. I don't tend to come up with any "epic" story lines though.

Do have anything you do if you want to get the creativity flowing?   I don't necessarily do anything specific to get the creativity flowing. Sometimes I'm inexplicably inspired to write and I just don't want to stop. If I really want to get in Star Wars writing mode sometimes I'll listen to the soundtracks while I write. Nothing really special.

Do you ever look at an idea or a scene and think it sounds too much like what someone else wrote?  Oh, this is definitely a tough thing that probably all of us run into, I think. It's probably inevitable with hundreds of fanfics being written about these characters over the span of 30+ years. It becomes incredibly difficult to come up with something different that nobody has thought of before. And I think it can be a bad idea to go out of your way to be too unique because then you may just get so far out there that people aren't going to be interested or the situation is just too strange of the characterizations are off. Yes, I've definitely written stuff and then thought I'd seen it before. Or I've even written something I thought was unique and then later saw a story that had been around for a while that did some of the same stuff.

I'll say obviously don't plagiarize, but don't get too hung up on trying not to write something that has been done before. I think that we can all offer our own unique perspectives on things and even if a situation has been done before there is always room for your own interpretation of it. I'll say that when I started writing "After the Rescue" I was reluctant to put it out there since I know I've read close to a dozen versions of what happened after Han was rescued in that same situation. But I decided to write it anyway and it might be my favorite thing I've written. So yes, it might make me hesitate if it has been done before, but if I'm inspired to write it, I'll usually go ahead and do it anyway.

And now for Push: How do you get your ideas? In the beginning, mostly pieces of dialogue and scenes would come to me and I would write them and fit them together.  I guess you can see that from 'Shifting Impressions', which was just a series of conversations/scenes that I pieced together that don't really tell a story other than the progression of Han and Leia's relationship. 

For things that are 'missing moments', where knowledge of the movies would fill in gaps for the readers, those ideas come mostly as scenes or dialogue.  If it's more of a stand-alone story, it'll come to me as an idea and then I'll try to get scenes and dialogue to come to me that feed into that idea.  Like "What if this happened?" and then visualize scenes where Han/Leia would react in that situation/story. 

Do have anything you do if you want to get the creativity flowing? Good Question!  Sometimes this is frustrating!  First, I've learned never to force it and I've learned to pounce on it when it comes to you.  I've woken up in the middle of the night and recorded a scene or typed it up just so I wouldn't lose it.  But when things aren't coming to me, I like to read or watch a movie.  Sometimes it'll be a SW book or the SW movies, but sometimes it'll just be something I consider similar and feel might give me inspiration or ideas. 

I also find just quiet time to myself is great to get those ideas to bubble to the surface.  I'm a mom with a full-time job so quiet time is a treasure.  My main access to that type of uninterrupted peacefulness is in the car.  I'll turn off the radio and just enjoy the silence.  I've gotten plenty of ideas while driving! 

Do you ever look at an idea or a scene and think it sounds too much like what someone else wrote? Definitely this has happened to me.  After reading so many stories and then trying to write the same characters in the same time frame, it just seems a recipe for repetition.  I certainly would NEVER intentionally plagiarize and would encourage anyone else NOT to.  I'll go out of my way to make sure that I'm not repeating something already done, but not to the point where I give up writing because I feel that it's all been done before. 

There was this one exchange of lines between Han & Leia that I wrote and I asked Zyra if she had seen it before because I just felt like I had read something similar.  Zyra said she hadn't and I went back and reread a bunch of my fav fics (which isn't a bad thing to do sometimes) and couldn't find it.  I almost considered pulling it, but I really liked it and I couldn't really be certain if I had 'gleaned' it from someone else.   In the end, I kept it in there and I haven't heard anyone gunning to sue me.

As Zyra said, I'll write something and think that I've invented the wheel and then find it somewhere else similarly done in a fanfic that is over a decade old.  Did I steal it?  No, I had never read it before and I did express it differently, it's just the nature of the beast.  I'll say just be cognizant of it but don't let it stymie your creative process.

That's it.  And I mean literally, THAT'S IT.  We have no more questions....so get on over to the Ask Us Anything post and ask if you got 'em!

More "Ask Us Anything"!

Hello again! Here's another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series where Zyra and I answer questions from our awesome readers. Remember, we continue to answer them as long as you continue to ask them.

Today, our question is from Emma, who asked: How, and when did you (Push and Zyra) "meet?" Obviously you don't live anywhere near each other. (I just read the post about you guys meeting in person, which I think is really great.) What inspired you to start this blog together?

And here are our answers:

We'll start with me (Push): How, and when did you (Push and Zyra) "meet?" Obviously you don't live anywhere near each other. (I just read the post about you guys meeting in person, which I think is really great.) I guess it wouldn't be too revealing to admit that I live about 40 minutes from I-10.  Since that interstate travels from California to Florida it really doesn't narrow things down that much if anyone would want to try and stalk me.  So, Zyra was plotting out a cross-country trip and near the end of her planning she realized that she would be traveling I-10 through my neck of the woods.  She shot me a tentative date (Spring of this year) and we agreed to try and make it happen.  

I wouldn't say that I was nervous, even though I had never met anyone off the internet before and would call most people crazy for ever doing that.  I mean, 'Zyra' and I had been e-mailing each other for over a year at that point and we had both 'revealed' our true identities and were Facebook friends so the chances that either one of us was not who we said we were, were pretty slim.

We had a good time at dinner and we seemed to pick up right where our keyboards had left off.  We may be meeting again next Spring and I would think we would be even more relaxed now that the whole 'is she an axe murderer?' question has been laid to rest.  :-)

What inspired you to start this blog together? I read Zyra's answer below here to refresh my memory!  I thought it had been my idea and I really can't pinpoint any one thing that inspired me.  As she said, I really didn't know much about blogging.  I had never read a blog or followed a blog before.  It seemed like the 'it' thing right now and I guess I thought we could fumigate some fans from out of the closet if we started posting some of the things that we naturally talked about in e-mails. 

I know we've asked before, and I know it's been a little while, but I was hoping (and still do) that some of you guys would start posting some topics yourselves.  I guess that's where the "Ask Us Anything" came from.  In the not-so-distant future Zyra and I will probably run out of interesting things to say.  And in order to keep this blog going, I envision(ed) that maybe some of you, one of you, any of you, would maybe send us a guest post some day....   

And now for Zyra: How, and when did you (Push and Zyra) "meet?" Obviously you don't live anywhere near each other. (I just read the post about you guys meeting in person, which I think is really great.) This was due to some odd situations in my life, actually. I spent a lot of the winter driving all over the country. Going near where Push lives was not on the agenda at first but eventually my plans changed a bit and I was going to be driving somewhere else and passing within an hour of where she lived. We had joked earlier based on my driving all over the US that I could just swing by and visit but when I had my final plans in place it became a reality and I mentioned it to her and she said she could make it work. At the time I was on a three-day trip across and was just finding random hotels for the night and that time I stopped at one about an hour from where she lived. So she came up and met me and we had dinner. We had dinner literally like a quarter-mile from my hotel and she asked how we wanted to get there and if she should just drive us. Then said that she wasn't sure I'd feel safe getting in the car with her :) I was a little hesitant to actually make this happen - and this has NOTHING to do with Push personally, I just think that sometimes it's risky meeting someone from the internet you like so much there and don't want to sort of wreck things, but I'm glad that it worked out like it did and we are actually probably going to see each other again in 2012 due to another traveling schedule of mine that puts me near her.

What inspired you to start this blog together? Back in February or March or whenever it was Push just out of the blue asked me if I thought it might be fun if we started a blog. She didn't know anything about starting a blog and I had a personal one so she asked some questions and we talked about some of the things we might be able to post. It all happened pretty quick, from what I remember. "Let's do a blog!" "Okay, set up a new account on blogger!" "All right, now we can both contribute!" And then we just started posting, really without any idea of how many people might show up. Push will have to tell you if there was any particular inspiration. For me it was just hearing her suggestion and going with it and both of us plugging it in stories we were writing at the time.

If you would like a question answered, please visit the post and Ask Us Anything. (We do reserve the right to not answer, if necessary! So, don't get crazy...)

Once again, don't worry if your question didn't get answered (yet), we will continue to post answers as long as you guys continue to ask questions.

Another Question and Another Answer

Here we are with another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series where Zyra solicited questions from our awesome readers and we continue to answer them.

Today, our first question is from Emma who asked... If you could meet Harrison Ford in person, what is the first thing you would say to him? Let's just say you only get two minutes with him. What questions would you ask? Ex. "What was it like to be Han Solo?" pretty basic question but you get the idea. :- )

And here are our answers:

We'll start with me (Push): If you could meet Harrison Ford in person, what is the first thing you would say to him? Let's just say you only get two minutes with him. What questions would you ask?  This is a really hard question for me.  I am not a big celebrity person.  If I could meet Han Solo I would have a million things to say to him, but Harrison Ford is not Han Solo, you know what I mean?  And I don't know what I would ask Harrison Ford, especially today's Harrison Ford who is so far removed from when he played Han that I doubt he remembers much about it.  And, I definitely don't bother celebrities when I see them (and I have seen a few). 

I think, honestly at this point in time, I'd rather meet Carrie Fisher in person rather than Harrison Ford.  She seems like somebody I could talk to and I'm afraid seeing Harrison up close would dispel the hotness that I still like to think that he has that he most probably does not anymore. 

BUT, if I were given two minutes and Harrison Ford was expecting me to talk to him, I guess....I still don't know what I'd say.  Maybe I'd offer to buy him a drink and talk about mundane things, like the weather or the Saints!  Or I'd ask him his zodiac sign.  I don't know.    

And now for Zyra: If you could meet Harrison Ford in person, what is the first thing you would say to him? Let's just say you only get two minutes with him. What questions would you ask? Hmmm... interesting question. In reality, it is unlikely that I'd be able to muster up the courage to say anything. I've run into a few celebrities and worked on set with some as a production assistant, and I always felt that it would be weird to bother them. Although I've had a few conversations with a few lesser-known celebrities usually about stuff totally unrelated to the movie business. A relative of mine actually saw him in a coffee shop once. I was of course insanely jealous but at the same time, kind of happy for her, because she is the kind of person who would appreciate running into him almost as much as me. But, she didn't say anything. Although I guess Harrison did smile at her daughter when her husband was near the counter with her.

Ok, so let's pretend for a minute I actually could muster up the courage to say something. First I'd probably just tell him that I have always loved his movies. Then I'd actually probably ask him questions about being a pilot because I feel like he'd actually be happy to talk about that rather than about being an actor since it seems that is not so exciting for him anymore. Oh, then I'd ask him if he'd like to work with me while I write him an Oscar-winning role in an Oscar-winning screenplay so he can finally earn people's respect again ;)

Alright, so there went another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series. If you would like a question answered, please visit that post and Ask Us Anything. (We do reserve the right to not answer, if necessary! So, don't get crazy...)

Once again, don't worry if your question didn't get answered (yet), we will continue to post answers as long as you guys continue to ask questions.

Is That Your Final Answer?

Here's another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series where Zyra solicited questions from our awesome readers and we continue to answer them. This is the last question we have but it's not too late to add one. As long as you keep asking, we'll keep answering. Remember it can be anything....

Today, our question is from Digs and she asked: Where do you start when writing a story? Do you think up a specific line or scene and work around that or do you think out the plot from start to finish before typing a word? Or does it change from story to story?

And here are our answers:

We'll start with me (Push): Where do you start when writing a story? Do you think up a specific line or scene and work around that or do you think out the plot from start to finish before typing a word? Or does it change from story to story? I was tempted to say that I start with a scene, but I guess upon thinking about it, that isn't entirely true. I think I start with a thought surrounding a plot. Like, "What if Han left after the awards ceremony?" And then if I get inspired and a few scenes come to mind, I'll type them up in no particular order. But, I have had instances where one line of dialogue will inspire me to try and build an entire scene or story around it.

I have to say that the longer I do this the more organized I become. For instance, "Why Not Now" had no plot outline or anything, I just sort of wrote it as it went, but for "Restoration", I actually jotted down a plot line and tried to build the story that way.

I definitely don't write it all out in order, and I may start with just a few lines of dialogue scattered about and then just try to fill in from there. Scenes and dialogue may move around as I write the story. I have even had dialogue that I cut from one story and I was able to plug it into another one. I guess you could say that it definitely does change from day to day and story to story.

I don't know if that helps you at all and I don't know which way is better. "Why Not Now?" probably has a better plot than "Restoration" and I didn't even pay attention to plot when writing it, so, what does that tell you? I guess I always just try and take it as it comes and make the best out of it. After all, there are no rules here, I mean my editor/publisher is pretty lenient on that sort of thing. Right, Zyra? ;-)

And now for Zyra: Where do you start when writing a story? Do you think up a specific line or scene and work around that or do you think out the plot from start to finish before typing a word? Or does it change from story to story? I think for me it really depends. I'd say more often than not I guess I think of a scenario and build from there. What happened when Han found out about Xizor? What if Han didn't remember who Leia was? What if Han decided to bet Leia that he could give up sex for a week and she spent the entire time taunting him? What if things weren't so perfect between them, even after marriage? Then several other stories of mine obviously are just filling in gaps from ROTJ. I am probably pretty bad at thinking up "plot," I just think of an idea and start writing and see where it goes.

I definitely do not think of it from start to finish before I start writing and usually that gets me into trouble when it's time for the story to end and I don't know how to end it well. I've got more than one story that I still can't stand the end of, but I just wanted it to be done. I actually don't think I've ever written a story where I knew how it was going to end before I got there. I mean, in general they pretty much all end up "happily ever after" but as for a specific ending, definitely not.

A lot of times I do come up with little scenes or scenarios that I'd like to write but I can't seem to come up with a good story to fit around it, so nothing ever happens to them. I should really just start writing those down and worrying about them later, but it seems so frustrating to just have one scene and while I may like it by itself, I have no idea how to construct an entire story around it and it doesn't seem worth it.

Alright, so there went another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series. If you would like a question answered, please visit that post and Ask Us Anything. (We do reserve the right to not answer, if necessary! So, don't get crazy...)

Once again, don't worry if your question didn't get answered (yet), we will continue to post answers as long as you guys continue to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask more questions, really! We are a wealth of useless information :)

Inquiring Minds Wanted to Know...

Here we are with another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series where Zyra solicited questions from our awesome readers and we continue to answer them.

Today, our first question is from amara z, who asked: Is there any scene you feel is missing or would add to the Original Trilogy? Do you have advice for fanfic writers just starting out? And where do you find all the pictures?

And here are our answers:

We'll start with me (Push): Is there any scene you feel is missing or would add to the Original Trilogy? Wow, this is a tough one. On one hand, I think I could stand six more hours of scenes, right? But on the other hand, realistically, you just can't show everything in the movies, right? So, if I was trying to be realistic and I could only add one scene, let's say to each movie. Wow, still very tough.

First, ANH. I understand why this wasn't done, in light of what kind of movie ANH is, but I would've like to see something regarding Leia's reaction to Alderaan blowing up. I mean, Luke got a hug and some encouraging words from Leia, but Leia got no screen time for her sorrows. What could it have been exactly? IDK, maybe that's why it wasn't done.

Second, ESB. On one hand I absolutely love this movie so how could it get any better? If I were forced to name something, of course it would be something between Han and Leia. One more scene to 'develop' their relationship, another kiss, perhaps? A fade to black scene as Han is leading Leia into his quarters on the way to Bespin? HAHA. Who knows?

ROTJ? Maybe how Han is offered and accepts his General's position. I would say something between he and Leia after the rescue but anything I would want to see would negate Han's confusion later on in the movie with him stepping aside for Luke and I guess we can't change the whole movie, so...


Do you have advice for fanfic writers just starting out? Write what interests you and makes you happy. Try to get someone you trust who can read it and give you feedback. Don't be in a hurry, don't force what doesn't want to come naturally. Trust your instincts and don't think that just because you've never seen it done or written like that before doesn't mean that it isn't worth pursuing. Don't compare your writing to someone else's or don't let other people's writing intimidate you. And after all that, sometimes you have to be like Nike and 'Just Do It." Publish your story, put yourself out there, take your feedback (or lack of it) and keep on truckin'. And remember, this is supposed to be FUN.

And where do you find all the pictures? Most of my pictures came from a Google search for 'Pics of Han and Leia'. I also continue to add to them by visiting a few tumblr sites.

And now for Zyra: Is there any scene you feel is missing or would add to the Original Trilogy? I really would’ve loved to have seen something more of Han and Leia between when he was rescued from carbonite and the rendezvous. Of course, this is why I wrote a story to cover that. But their “romance” was completely ignored in that movie. They were really not much more than accessories to the mission. Seriously, it could’ve been almost anyone who snuck in and blew up the shield generator. I think that would’ve been a very meaningful time in their relationship and I would’ve loved to have seen it. Also, I would’ve liked something between Han and Leia when Han and Luke came back from being gone all night on Hoth. It wouldn’t have to be much, but I think it might have even helped bridge the gap from being at each other’s throats to showing that they really cared about each other. Oh, and some sex at the end of ROTJ would’ve been nice, too, but let’s not get greedy ;)

Do you have advice for fanfic writers just starting out? My advice to fanfic writers just starting out is first of all to just write uninhibited. Write anything that comes to mind that you want to write without the internal commentary of thinking it’s dumb or nobody will want to read it. There is no law that says if you write something you must share it with someone. Sometimes it’s just good to write and even in a scene or a story you don’t wind up doing much with you might write a line or a paragraph that fits somewhere else. With this in mind, I told Push a long time ago that you should also not erase anything. Seriously. I mean, hide it somewhere if you have to on some password protected folder or in an e-mail address nobody knows about, but never delete any of your writing from existence forever. I’ve done this a few times and I really wish I could retrieve these things, but it’s impossible now. Not so much because looking back on them now I think they were probably awesome, but just to read what I had written, maybe use some ideas from things in stuff I might write in the future, and just to see how far I’ve come. Again, just because you don’t delete it doesn’t mean you have to show it to anyone. But you might be surprised if you write something, lose it forever thinking you hate it, and then a couple of months or even years later you might wish you could still read it. And a lot of times something you write and then think was terrible you might go back later and actually think is a lot better than you originally thought.

Write as much as you can but only as much as you want. Don’t force things. Just write whenever the mood strikes. Don’t get discouraged if what you write doesn’t seem all that great at first. I had a great writing teacher once who told us that everything we wrote in the beginning of the class was going to suck – and she did, in fact, use the word suck. But if you keep practicing and working at it, you suck a little less every time. That said, share your work and get a beta reader if possible. This is someone who can help you with stuff as simple as grammar and punctuation but can also be someone who can help out with story ideas and will let you know if your characters aren’t acting quite like we might expect them to act. I think just having a trusted friend, even if it’s just an internet friend, to share things with can be helpful from a motivational standpoint, especially when you feel like you’re writing to nobody and/or too nervous to actually post something for the masses to read. Having someone to encourage you is always helpful and they can maybe even help take care of typos or other things that might detract from a story that is otherwise good. Even if I am enjoying the plot I am going to be annoyed if you are often talking about Liea or using they’re when you should be using their.

Lastly, do not compare your work to others! This can completely destroy any creative efforts. We are all different. And usually we are our own worst critics. If you go around reading some of your favorite stories before you go to write yours, you’re likely to get discouraged thinking about how you could never possibly write a story as good as what you just read. Well, why not? Seriously. This is not a contest. Different stories are good for different reasons. I think my stuff sucks compared to a lot of other people’s. Push will sometimes tell me that she just read something else and then decided what she was currently writing wasn’t good enough. We all feel that way. Don’t let your feelings on someone else’s work make you give up. For some reason we are all designed to automatically think we aren’t good enough compared to others, but you might be surprised. So don’t be so afraid and just go ahead and write and post. It’s only fanfic. It does not define your entire sense of self worth. If it does, you have bigger problems!

And where do you find all the pictures? Various places on the internet. I'd say lately a lot of them come from tumblr sites, though I know I've also found good ones on Harrison Ford web sites. Sometimes a good old fashioned google image search will also turn up some good stuff.

Alright, so there went another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series. If you would like a question answered, please visit that post and Ask Us Anything. (We do reserve the right to not answer, if necessary! So, don't get crazy...)

Once again, don't worry if your question didn't get answered (yet), we will continue to post answers as long as you guys continue to ask questions.

Ladies & Gentlemen...Welcome to Yet Another Installment of 'Ask Us Anything'!

Woo Hoo! Another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series where Zyra solicited questions from our awesome readers and we continue to answer them.

Today, our first question is from nataliees: Would you ever write a story in the wrong order? As in, would you write the last half of the story first? For both of you.

AND, from MajorTrouble: What's your life like outside of all the Star Wars reading and writing and movie-watching? Do you ever post pictures of just Leia?

And here are our answers:

We'll start with me (Push): Would you ever write a story in the wrong order? As in, would you write the last half of the story first? When I first started writing Han/Leia, I found that I started at the beginning (with the ending in mind) and worked my way through a story.

Lately, however, I find that a scene or two will come to me and I find myself then trying to build a story around it. For some reason, I have always been intrigued with the idea of starting a story somewhere near the end and having flashbacks that would take the reader to the beginning. I have never quite pulled that idea off, though. There were several times that I tried to start it that way and then just gave up and went for the straight narrative. I guess the closest I came was the flashbacks I had during 'Restoration'.

For my post-ROTJ story stuff, where Han and Leia get married and everything. I actually had one scene that I really, really liked where Leia begins to come to terms on whether or not she wants to have children and then I tried to fill in the blanks leading up to that scene. Unfortunately, that 'filling in the blanks' has gotten to be so overwhelming that I have since abandoned the entire story arc including the one scene that started the whole thing. Eh.

Looking back, I can say that I always have a vague inkling of what the ending is going to be in my stories, but it can/does change as I write my way to it.  Since ending my stories seems to be a tremendous pitfall of mine, you would think that it would be easier to have the ending done first.  But, as in the case I stated above, that wasn't fool proof, either.  Oh, well. 

What's your life like outside of all the Star Wars reading and writing and movie-watching? I'm a married, working mother of two boys. I am committed to very few TV shows, but I am totally addicted to The Closer with Kyra Sedwick and I am bummed that the series is ending this winter. I'm also a huge (late comer) 30 Rock fan. 

I've already admitted to rereading books, which I do all of the time and I also like to rewatch movies and I am often years behind the new release discussions. (I have still not seen Cowboys and Aliens). 

We are a big football household. My husband is an LSU fanatic and I am a gigantic Saints fan. We like to entertain at our house and have frequent crawfish and crab boils and I like to drink lots of beer and drunk e-mail Zyra.  My boys aren't into a bunch of organized sports and mostly we like to just hang out together.  We swim and play video games and we have enough legos in my house to cover the entire state of Texas.  I guess that's it.

Do you ever post pictures of just Leia? I had not been. But since you posted this question, I have been. Have you noticed? :-)

And now for Zyra: Would you ever write a story in the wrong order? As in, would you write the last half of the story first? I actually don’t think I’ve written any of my stories out of order. Even though often times the entire reason I want to write the story at all is because of a scene I thought of that would come later on. But I always fear that if I write the middle first I’ll get too annoyed and frustrated to bother going back to the beginning to fill all of that in, so I force myself to get through it in order, and it's like my reward for getting through the real work to finally write what I'd been looking forward to. I know a few times I might be having trouble with a certain scene, while knowing exactly what I want to do with the next one. And Push might advise me to write what I want to write first and then go back, but I don’t know why, I just can’t do it. Or maybe won’t really rather than can’t. Force of habit, maybe.

What's your life like outside of all the Star Wars reading and writing and movie-watching? There is more to life than Star Wars? Wait, I guess there is. Oh, the rest of my life is all champagne, limos, extravagant parties, men throwing themselves at me…. Or not. I’m a grown adult (at least according to my driver’s license) and I am able to work from home on a flexible schedule so I work here and there in between e-mailing with Push and reading and writing. Aside from that I’m actually really an athlete at heart. I like to spend a good amount of time outside doing almost anything active, played sports all through school and all of that. I was the one who was so adamant that Push watch 30 Rock so at times we quote Liz Lemmon almost as much as Star Wars. And actually a lot of things about Liz Lemmon are scarily like me! I'm not married, and Push keeps assuring me that Han Solo-esque men do not really exist, so that may take some time there. But I have a very close-knit family and get to play Star Wars with my nephew sometimes without the added hassle of having to pay to feed and clothe him ;)

Do you ever post pictures of just Leia? Push is usually in charge of changing the background pictures, and I believe almost right after this question was posed she put up a just Leia pic, or one in one of her posts. Of course, eventually we have to run out of Han and Leia pics, right? So although those are preferred, I’m sure there will be a few single shots of one or the other. And then we will go back to the old favorites :)

Alright, so there went another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series. If you would like a question answered, please visit that post and Ask Us Anything. (We do reserve the right to not answer, if necessary! So, don't get crazy...)

Once again, don't worry if your question didn't get answered (yet), we will continue to post answers as long as you guys continue to ask questions.

More Q&A

Yet another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series where Zyra solicited questions from our awesome readers and we will continue to answer as long as you continue to ask questions. It can be about anything, and you can ask both of us the same question or direct a question to one of us specifically.

We will be answering some questions submitted by by Major Trouble: Will you please write a story with someone using the word "oinkier" in regular conversation? Aside from each other (and yourselves, of course) who is your favorite Han/Leia fanfic author? Favorite Han/Leia story? What's the *weirdest* Star wars fanfic you've ever read? (any characters) Have you seen Cowboys & Aliens?

And here are our answers:

We'll start with me (Push): Will you please write a story with someone using the word 'oinkier' in regular conversation? Okay. How's this:

"That Gamorrean said something demeaning about me," Han whined.
"What? Did he criticize your wardrobe choices?" Leia asked, amused.
Han scowled. "No, he was a little more oinkier than that."

Who is your favorite fanfic author? Favorite Han and Leia story? Well, as I think I explained in another post - I really hate choosing favorites. In fact, I find it somewhat impossible. So, I'm just going to throw some of my favorites out there in no particular order: Limelight: The Not Quite Love Letters; Martha Wilson: Resolutions; Cindy Olsen: The Wager; Sue Zahn: Diary of a Wandering Princess; SRellet: I'll take it by your Side (and its sequel); Ivylore: The Return to the Corporate Sector and Green Branches: Conversations (and I wish she would finish Something Left Undone). I feel really uncomfortable with writing this list because I know I'm forgetting a slew of stories that I love and it's not fair that I can't name any of Zyra's stories! (Like Careless Wager, Forget Me Not and Sexiest Man Alive!) But, that's what I came up with today.

What's the *weirdest* Star wars fanfic you've ever read? (any characters) This is hard since I can't go look at my favorites and jog my memory! And usually when I start reading a 'weird' fic I'll just stop and walk away. But, I remember one fanfic that had Leia sleep with Vader and Luke and Han and have a baby from all three of them (I think Vader's was a result of her rape on the Death Star). It's on ff.net and it's actually written pretty well (I looked it up: Shadows Suit Me by Luke1), it's more of a Luke-centric fanfic as he battles with drugs and his inappropriate love for his sister. I guess it qualifies as weird since Leia has a baby from her father and her brother and Han. But I read the whole thing, which I usually wouldn't do if it was just weird for weird's sake.

Have you seen Cowboys & Aliens? I have not, but have heard good things and plan to see it, if not at the theater than when it comes out on DVD or Netflix.

And now for Zyra: Will you please write a story with someone using the word 'oinkier' in regular conversation? We gave this some thought and this is about all I could come up with:
“Han, which one of these Gamorreans should we ask first?”

“I don’t know, the one on the left – the oinkier one.”

You're welcome.

Who is your favorite fanfic author? Favorite Han and Leia Story? This question is next to impossible to answer because there have just been so many over the years and I'm sure I'll be forgetting some that I love. I’ll at least try to name a few. I’ve always enjoyed GreatOne’s stories. She has written a lot of unique stories that you don’t see from anyone else, and a lot of funny ones as well. If you want to read something that is just funny but still holds true to the characters, read “Perfect Pairs.” But she has a lot of other ones that I really, really enjoy. Everyone should also read limelight’s “The Not Quite Love Letters.” Technically, it isn’t finished. But the thing is, because of when it takes places, we do all know how it would have to end, so it’s only mildly annoying that it’s not finished as opposed to the intense rage I felt when coming to the end of “While You Were Gone” to find out it hasn’t been updated in eight years. Back when I first started reading this stuff I always enjoyed Carolyn Golledge’s stories, even bought her fanzines, but I haven’t read much of it in years. I should go back. Fun fact: I’m pretty sure neither Carolyn nor GreatOne have written any sex scenes in all of their dozens of stories. You don’t need them to be enjoyable. Although it doesn’t hurt ;) Please do not consider this list all inclusive. If I wrote it tomorrow or the day after that I might say something else! Oh, and thanks, Push, for mentioning some of mine even though it was against the rules :)

What's the *weirdest* Star wars fanfic you've ever read? (any characters) Jeez, I don’t even know where to begin here. As you know from my “PSA: The Possible Dangers of Internet Searching” post, I have come across a lot of stories that I really, really wish I’d never laid eyes on. I think if it’s really that weird now I tend to stop reading long before it gets painfully, grossly weird. Apparently a surprising amount of people enjoy reading about Leia and… Chewie. And not in a way I think anyone reading this blog would want to read about them. Or another is one where for some reason there are two Hans and Leia is kind of evil and, well, she's having fun with them. You know, in trying to think of a specific story, one that has stuck in my mind for over ten years was called, “I’m Dreaming of a Coruscant Christmas.” It was an over-the-top farce about our Star Wars heroes at Christmas. Han and Leia were married and the kids were older and, well, I’m not even sure I can adequately describe it. But if anyone is really that interested, I can see if I can find a wayback link because it was on the old fanfix site.

Have you seen Cowboys & Aliens? Yes, I saw it. I enjoyed it for what it was, but I am a fairly forgiving movie fan. I am willing to accept certain movies for what they are and don’t go in thinking everything is supposed to be amazing. It was essentially what I expected it to be and yes, I still love Harrison and I feel bad that so many of his recent movies have done so badly. Some of it is certainly his fault, although I can’t think of a lot of movies over the past ten years that I’ve thought to myself, “Oh, that role would’ve been awesome if Harrison did it.” See, I just don’t know that he has a lot of choices anymore. Carrie is skinny again though, now, Episode VII?

Alright, so there went another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series. If you would like a question answered, please visit that post and Ask Us Anything. (We do reserve the right to not answer, if necessary! So, don't get crazy...)

Once again, don't worry if your question didn't get answered (yet), we will continue to post answers as long as you guys continue to ask questions.

You Asked... and We Still Won't Shut Up!

Yet another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series where I solicited questions from our awesome readers and we will continue to answer as long as you continue to ask questions. It can be about anything, and you can ask both of us the same question or direct a question to one of us specifically.

I'll be going first this time around, answering first a question asked by hikari no tsubasa: Okay, for both of you... we all know who your favorite characters are! ;) So, who are your LEAST favorite characters...in canon?...to read in fanfic?...to write in fanfic? And the next questions asked by jenny2412: How long does it take to write a chapter? Do you have a set time to write? If so, when is it?
And here are our answers:

We'll start with me (Zyra): Least favorite character in canon? Tough one. Oh, who among us likes Prince Isolder? And how can we possibly believe that Leia was into that guy? While we're at it, his mother, too, who seemed to start the whole mess. Oh, and Prince Xizor, because he tried to seduce Leia while Han was in carbonite. Everyone is always trying to steal Leia away from Han but nobody is ever trying to steal Han away from Leia.

Least favorite to read in fanfic? Wow, another tough one. I guess I’m not a fan of Mon Mothma in fanfic only because everyone usually makes her out to be such a bitch. And Bria! I don’t like when people bring her back. Are we discovering a pattern of who I hate and why? Nobody else really springs to mind, though.

Least favorite to write in fanfic, that would have to be Luke. It’s not his fault, really. I just don’t feel like I can get inside his head quite the same way as Han’s and Leia’s. Especially after ROTJ when it’s like he’s this all-knowing being. I mean, it’s just tough to write someone who it appears never makes the wrong choice and it feels like trying to write a monk or something. I just find it boring. I know he doesn’t have to be boring and certainly at least at times he isn’t in the movies. But the Luke we get at the end of ROTJ just doesn’t seem interesting to me to write. I wish I felt comfortable using him more, I just don’t.

How long does it take to write a chapter? Well, that definitely depends. Sometimes they can flow out and be done in like fifteen minutes. A lot of times for me there may be one scene or chapter I’d been looking forward to in a story and it’s been in my head for a while so it’s easy to get down. Then there are others that I’m not looking forward to for whatever reason and I just keep putting them off or it takes me a long time just to type them up. Then of course there is editing. Sometimes we might agonize over getting some particular chapter just right so we go back and forth on them for a while before putting them out there. And sometimes we’re fairly happy with it right away and it doesn’t take much. Start to finish I could be happy with a chapter in like an hour, but there are others that take days or even weeks! I personally do not have a set time to write. I write whenever I’m feeling inspired. I have a flexible work schedule so usually I can put that stuff off if I’m having some inspiration. I’d say that most often that inspiration comes later in the day, but I can’t say why. It’s just not often that I feel like writing first thing in the morning.

And now for Push: Least favorite character in canon?  Oh.  That’s hard!  I’m assuming you are only talking about the movies and the only movies I count are the Original Trilogy so I’m going to answer this question as, “Who are your least favorite characters in the Original Trilogy?”  And that is tough!  I despise Tarkin, I really hate him for destroying Alderaan, I mean that was really, really cruel.  But I don’t think that is what you mean.  I don’t much care for Uncle Owen, either.  He didn’t seem like he was all that nice to Luke and that he harbored some kind of resentment toward him that Luke had no control over.  But that's probably not right, either.  Oh, I know but I don’t know if a lot of people will hate me for this, but…the Ewoks?  I mean…well, I kinda would like a takesie-over on most of ROTJ to begin with but the Ewoks were a little over the top.  And that Madine guy, the General who speaks after Mon Mothma during the Death Star II debrief, never had gotten a good vibe from him…

And now I cheated and looked at Zyra's answer and she included the EU.  If that's the case, I hate, hate, hate the Yuuzhan Vong.  The entire lot of them for reasons outlined below in the next question.  When I read the books that they were in I used to skip entire chapters if they were only 'Vong' chapters without any other character interactions.  I'm glad they are gone.  The end.  Fade to black.

...to read in fanfic?  Here I’m going to have to go with Original Characters.  This is probably wrong of me to say and it is just my personal opinion, but I would rather read about most any Canon or EU character rather than learn the life story of some new person.  Now, this is a fine line to walk as a writer and I have had to walk it myself.  I mean, there has to be other people in the universe, right?  I have had to create OC’s and I have struggled with them on the writer’s side.  But, when I read and/or write an OC, I personally think that less is more.  Now, as with everything else, there are exceptions and I have read some stories and enjoyed ‘meeting’ an OC, but even that usually fell into the category that the OC was more of a supporting character than a main one.  Again, just my opinion. 

...to write in fanfic?  Now, this is no reflection on the characters themselves and there is an entire thread over on NHP about how difficult these guys are to write for most people, but I’m going to say Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca.  Again, it’s not that I don’t like these guys, I just don’t like to WRITE them.  I’m always afraid that I’m making Luke to Force/Jedi focused and Chewbacca to wise and sage-y.  I think I’m getting a better handle on Luke and in my most recent stories I have decided NOT to give Chewbacca lines but just have the characters respond to him like in the movies.  I still have to kinda, sorta have an idea of what Chewie is saying, but it seems worlds easier (for me) to write him that way.

How long does it take to write a chapter?  Oooooh, this is really, really impossible to answer.  I have written entire stories in one sitting where it sounds like my keyboard might internally combust.  And then there have been paragraphs, or sentences even, that have eluded me for weeks and weeks and sometimes months.  My last chapter of “Shifting Impressions” is a great example of that.  I wrote most of those chapters for that story pretty quickly but it took me 8 months to publish the last chapter and I’m still not happy with it.  My lesson there?  You just can’t force it.  If it isn’t coming to you, step away and come back later.  I also promised myself I would never, ever start publishing a story that I wasn’t finished ever, ever again.  That’s just my own personal thing.  I HATED having an unfinished story hanging out there.  It was stress I didn’t need. J

Do you have a set time to write? If so, when is it?  I’ll sit just about anywhere at home with my laptop on my lap.  I hardly ever sit at my desk or table at home to write.  It’ll usually be later in the evening after my kids are in bed.  Sometimes I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and have to write something down.  Oh, and when we go on trips and my husband is driving, I’ll alternate reading and writing.  So, I guess my answer really is, “No.”  I write when it strikes me and when I can find the time! 

Alright, so there went another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series. If you would like a question answered, please visit that post and Ask Us Anything. (We do reserve the right to not answer, if necessary! So, don't get crazy...)

Once again, don't worry if your question didn't get answered (yet), we will continue to post answers as long as you guys continue to ask questions.

You Asked...We're Still Answering.

Okay, here is another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series where Zyra solicited questions from all of our wonderful followers. Please feel free to visit that post and continue to ask questions of us. Questions can be about anything at all. Our stories, general writing questions, previous posts...anything!


This second post will answer a few questions. First, submitted by Elivagar: "Favorite H/L scene from the movies?...and why." Second, submitted by Emma: "What is your favorite color? Favorite animal? Favorite holiday? How about favorite dessert? What is your favorite EU book? Which ones would you recommend to a fellow Han/Leia fan?"

And here are our answers:

We'll start with me (Push): Starting with my favorite scene, I guess my name and avatar should make this no surprise and that my favorite scene is from The Empire Strikes back should be no surprise either.

It starts off with the Millennium Falcon trying to start in the icy hangar of Hoth. That all-too-familiar sound (for those of us who have ever had an old car or boat engine not start on you) of an engine refusing to cooperate at the worst possible time. Just that scene alone makes me smile every time! I just think it's the funniest thing, go figure.

And then of course my favorite line: "Would it help if I got out and pushed?" and Han's reply: "It might!". All the way through to Han's "Fonzie" move when he hits the Falcon to get her going. Leia's "bucket of bolts" comment and then her "Someday you're going to be wrong and I just want to be there to see it" (that's nearly a term of endearment for those two!) Until Han finally gets his beloved ship moving and outta there.

I even like Luke waving goodbye to them as they fly out of the hangar. I just love that entire scene. The lines, the facial expressions between the characters, IDK, it's just my favorite. Threepio trying to tell Han that the hyperdrive motivator is broken, Chewie growling passed Leia as the smoke billows everywhere. Just everything.

Okay. Favorite Color: This is actually tough for me, in fact, picking favorites is tough for me because my choices may change with my mood or just over time. But right now, a deep dark blue or purple.

Favorite animal? I've always like giraffes. Even used to collect giraffe stuff. As far as dogs and cats go. I'm a dog person, but I don't hate cats.

Favorite holiday? Mardi Gras. I bet you can guess where I'm from. After that, Halloween and then New Year's.

Favorite Dessert? Bananas Foster, it's an entire experience.

Favorite EU book? Tatooine Ghost. It is the closest to Han and Leia goodness that the EU offers.

EU recommendations for an Han/Leia fan? This is tough and I'm definitely not as well-versed as Zyra on this, so you may want to defer to her recommendations. But, for sure, Tatooine Ghost. I liked Recovery, which is a small e-book by Denning, it's all Han and Leia and it's when they are making up after Han kinda went awol following Chewie's death.

I think after all that horrible stuff happens, all the authors (when they write about them) started to treat Han and Leia better. The thing is, you might not understand everything if you didn't suffer through all the bad stuff. But if you're game, start with the Swarm War trilogy and go from there.

I actually read the Swarm Wars early on before I even knew Han and Leia's kids' names and I wasn't too lost. From there the next series is The Legacy of the Force. Some books are hit and miss on whether or not they even mention Han and Leia. But when they are in them, they are usually together and happily married. If you want the Han and Leia factor on a particular book, let me know - I actually mark mine so I can go directly back to Han/Leia parts or look at a book at one glance and know if it has alot of Han/Leia. See, I'm not even embarrassed to admit that!

I'll be the first to admit that I do not like what they did to Han and Leia in the EU, but I've read nearly every book and I don't necessarily regret it. It's just another person's take on their lives and it's Han and Leia so....well, I feel like I'm missing something if I don't read it!


And here is Zyra's answers: Favorite scene? That’s a tough one. Of course the first kiss is amazing and is such a huge turning point. But Leia is obviously still reluctant there. I really do love when she gets him out of carbonite, the look on Han’s face when he finds out it’s her and the way she just grabs his face and kisses him. Him going into carbonite of course is amazing, too. So much with just the way they are looking at each other as he descends.

But let's go with something less obvious. I really love when they are hiding out attached to the Star Destroyer and trying to decide where to go from there. It is a scene I often point to in the did they/didn't they debate when people talk about how different they are with each other by the time they get to Bespin, so something had to have happened. Well, in this scene, they're already acting completely comfortable with one another. They are already communicating wordlessly, with Han's gesture and Leia's deactivation of Threepio. It's probably the first time they ever just sit and talk like normal people instead of arguing. Han is finally able to tease her without her getting mad. She kisses him on the cheek like it's something she does all the time and even voluntarily complements him. See, there's no way they could've had sex already by then, since all they've done since the kiss is lots of escaping, and they're already acting completely comfortable with each other.

Favorite color: Green

Favorite animal: On rare occasions I've been to the zoo, I always like tigers. Of course dogs are better than cats. I like some cats if they are actually nice and friendly, but so many people seem to have psycho cats that you have to be careful around. What's the deal with that? Nobody would put up with that behavior from a dog.

Favorite holiday: I'll go with Fourth of July because Christmas and Thanksgiving seem to involve a lot of stress for a lot of people, and 4th of July is just fun and awesome summer weather.

Favorite dessert: Brownie sundae. With a really good, fudgy, warm brownie, lots of french vanilla ice cream hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry. And now I'm hungry.

Favorite EU book: Tatooine Ghost is where it's at for a Han and Leia fan.

EU recommendations: If you’re looking for an EU book literally just as a Han and Leia fan, Tatooine Ghost is definitely what you want to go with. It is entirely focused on Han and Leia and takes place almost right after they get married. While they are dealing with some other stuff, too, it is Han and Leia as a newlywed couple and I personally have always enjoyed the way Troy Denning writes them. Aside from their usual issues, they also deal with issues that normal married couples deal with. They actually act like a committed, loving couple, which is more than can be said for a lot of other books. Also, if you aren't sure you want to get into the EU, another plus of this book is that it works as a stand-alone, no other reading required.

Another one I love is Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor. Don’t be fooled by the title, because there is still a lot of Han and Leia here, and good Han and Leia at that. And overall, this is probably the most fun Star Wars book I’ve ever read. The mission is dark, but the characters and such just all really feel like the characters from the movies. And Han and Leia have some really great moments in it, pre-marriage, that just really solidify their relationship. Like Tatooine Ghost, it also works as a stand-alone without having to read anything else.

As far as just a really intense book, Star by Star was amazing and heartbreaking and intense. It involves some very, very sad elements and I think might be the longest single Star Wars novel, but the entire book was just really, really good. I’m going to have to read it again to give further detail, but it’s just a really good book in general in spite of the fact that Han and Leia, among others, suffer greatly in it. You do kind of have to read the rest of the New Jedi Order series though to fully grasp it, so that is a big commitment.

Alright, so there went another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series. If you would like a question answered, please visit that post and Ask Us Anything. (We do reserve the right to not answer, if necessary! So, don't get crazy...)

Once again, don't worry if your question didn't get answered (yet), we will continue to post answers as long as you guys continue to ask questions.

Everything You NEVER wanted to know about two Star Wars Geeks and more...

Okay, so in a recent post (titled "Ask Us Anything"), Zyra solicited questions from all of our wonderful followers. Well, this is the first of a series of posts to answer those questions. Please feel free to visit that post and continue to ask questions of us. Questions can be about anything at all. Our stories, general writing questions, previous posts...anything!


The first question we are going to answer was the first question submitted.  It was submitted by Emma and she asked: "How long have you been Han & Leia fans?" We thought this was an excellent question to kick this entire idea off. So, thanks, Emma! And here are our answers:

We'll start with me (Push): Well, I was 6 years old when the first movie came out and I saw all three in the theaters as they were released. I have an older brother (two years older) and he and I and the neighborhood kids would play Star Wars. I was the only girl and of course I was Princess Leia. I never looked at it as a romance back then, but I do remember being very upset when we left the theater from watching The Empire Strikes Back because Han Solo was in carbonite and my mother had to explain to me on the entire ride home that they were going to make another movie and we would find out what happened to him then. I had never heard of such a thing. Movies were supposed to tell the whole story, not make you wait three years to find out the end! My brother and I had tons of SW action figures. We had a Millennium Falcon and a bust of C-3PO that housed the figures inside of them. I remember that I really liked the Jawas and thought they were really cute and probably Artoo was one of my favorites.  I definitely played with Leia but don't really remember paying too much attention to Han or Luke.

After that, Star Wars fell off of my radar for a long time. I didn't go see any of the prequels in the theater and ended up watching them on DVD's later. I didn't go see the re-releases in the theater, either - whatever year that was. I think it was around the time I was getting married and I had other things on my mind. Then I started having kids in 2000. I had two boys - one in 2000 and one in 2002. After years of Barney and Elmo and the like, I was excited that they started to like Star Wars and began watching the movies with them. So, now I'm in my thirties and seeing these movies again for the first time in practically two decades - these movies that I used to absolutely love and I distinctly remember watching ESB and saying to myself right after the kiss scene on the Falcon, "Wait a minute. This is a love story!" And really, I was totally floored. I was a real tomboy when I was little. I kept up with my brother and his friends climbing trees and playing Star Wars, but I saw it through their eyes - all lightsaber duels and good vs. bad. The boys never dwelled on the love story aspect of the movies and neither had I. It was quite a revelation! And I guess another thing is back then, at least for me, we saw a movie once and that was it. My mom had four kids and we didn't go see SW in the theater 4 and 5 times. And it seemed like it took a whole lot longer for us to ever own a movie after it was in the theaters - I don't think they released them on VHS just 6 months later...you know what I mean? We never memorized movies like you can do now.

So anyway, nothing else happened immediately - other than the fact that a Star Wars movie was almost always on my television and my house was full of Lego Star Wars and toy lightsabers and Halloween costumes were Star Wars themed and the like. And then around Summer of 2009 - I am now thirty-eight years old and I can't really remember how it all started but I think it was the Clone Wars cartoon or some other cartoon my kids were watching with all of these new characters and I did see that George Lucas interview where he says something about Han cooking burgers in the backyard after he and Leia get married and I Googled Princess Leia and I distinctly remember when I found her page on Wookieepedia and her name was Leia Organa Solo - I was FLOORED (again). I couldn't believe that they actually acknowledged that she got married on the interent somewhere - I was totally clueless of the EU or AU or fanfic or anything. I read her Wookieepedia story and it was surreal. Well, sometime after the initial shock wore off I ordered my first EU book. After a few EU books, the first fanfic story I found was Sue Zahn's "Into the Fire". I still think that was a very fortunate stroke of luck. After I finished reading 'Into the Fire' I actually e-mailed Sue to find out if she had any more stories because all I had found was the one somehow. She promptly returned my e-mail with a link to her website and I guess the rest is history...

And here is Zyra's story: Well, thanks, Push. I wasn't born when Star Wars came out, though I was when Empire came out, but not old enough to be going to the movies. That said, I've been a Star Wars fan probably since whenever it was that I first watched the movies, as far back as I can remember. I don't recall which one I saw first, although I actually do remember going to see ROTJ in the theater... when I was in pre-school. I went with a friend and his mom and I still remember thinking it was awesome that Leia was under that mask, and moving to the back of the theater during the Rancor scene because it was a little too loud. I'm sure I had seen at least one of the other movies before then, but that is my first memory of watching the movies.


I know I watched Empire more than the others not because I had selected it as my favorite, but because we had recorded it off TV so that was the only one we had. Back in the early 80's it wasn't nearly as common to just go out and buy movies and have this vast library. I think back then official VHS copies of movies for sale were like $30, and that was when $30 was a lot of money. So we made do with what we could record on TV. I'll go ahead and say that I was a tomboy as well, and I used to play Star Wars with my brother and the neighbor boys and sometimes my cousins. Oddly, at that point in my life, I didn't want to be Leia. Leia didn't get to use a lightsaber, and it was really fun to pretend to have lightsaber fights with wiffle ball bats, so more often than not, I'd want to be Luke. I know, I know. Please forgive me, I didn't know any better. But at like six and seven years old you are far more impressed by ships and robots, lightsabers and yes, even Ewoks, and about the last thing on my mind was that Han Solo was the hottest man alive and that he and Leia had the greatest screen romance of all time.


I wasn't obsessed with Star Wars, but like any child of the 80's, it was a common part of the repertoire. I had no Star Wars bed sheets or tooth brushes or glasses. In fact, sadly, the only action figures I remember having were an Artoo and a Threepio. I'm still kind of mad at myself for not having asked for tons of action figures when I was little, but I didn't. I do remember one of my cousins having an awesome Millennium Falcon, though. While I don't feel like I was obsessed, Star Wars was always a big part of my interests. When I was eight or nine I did my own illustrated version of ESB that I'm still mad at my mom for throwing away. I can still picture a few of the illustrations, Luke on his Tauntaun, later upside-down with Yoda balancing on his foot, Leia flailing her arms in the air when Han flies into the asteroid field and the dialogue bubble above him that says, "They'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't they?" And the long-distance shot of Bespin. Man, I'd love to have that back. I think more than anything it proves that I really haven't changed much from my childhood.


I can't pinpoint exactly when I made the switch from general Star Wars lover to Han and Leia lover, but the closest I can figure is when I was in some random store and saw the paperback version of COPL by the checkout and decided to buy it. At that point in my life I don't think I'd ever read a book because I wanted to, only because I had to for school. I had no idea it could be an enjoyable thing. I was in high school at the time and it was summer and I found myself really excited about the idea that not only did Han and Leia get married, but there was a whole book dedicated to how that happened. Keep in mind that I did not know yet that the book was utter crap, so give me a break. And because I didn't know any better, and even though I knew that Han and Leia would never act like that, it made me interested in reading more of these books that took place after the movies, so I became an avid EU reader, mostly getting the books almost as soon as they came out. And of course frustrated like most Han and Leia fans as they seemed to always be separated and rarely acted like I thought a married couple, especially them, would act. But I took what I could get. And I definitely went to see the re-releases of the movies when the special editions came out. Even then I knew it was crap that Han no longer shot first.


The internet was around at the time and I e-mailed occasionally, but it hadn't yet become such an integral part of our lives. So it was a couple of years later when I was in college that I stumbled upon the wonders of fan fiction. I had actually been searching for what might be happening on upcoming episodes of The X-Files when one of the links took me to a fanfic site for that. I read one Mulder and Scully story and then thought to myself, wait, if there are these kinds of stories, there must be Star Wars stories, right? Oh, boy, was I right!

I am pretty sure the first site I went to was the now-defunct fanfix.com. That was pretty much the go-to site for almost all Star Wars stories of any kind. Unfortunately, I also remember that the first story I clicked on was a Luke and Leia story... in the way that you really don't want to be reading about Luke and Leia. In my defense, it was the first story alphabetically on the page, and it didn't take me long to get out of there and pay more attention to the story descriptions. I don't know what the first story I read was, I just know I was thrilled that there were people writing these really cool stories about Han and Leia and giving their relationship what it deserved and spent quite a few nights staying up until 3am reading. And I'll also admit that I thought it was pretty cool that many authors gave them some sexy time as well ;) I even bought a few fanzines.


After that I kept up with the fanfic and joined a couple of Han and Leia message boards, all of which now I think are gone, and eventually discovering Nerfherder's Playground, which I posted on a lot. It was so nice to see that other people thought about those two the way that I did! So that pretty much explains that, aside from the writing part, but that's another story.

I don't read romance novels. I don't seek out romantic comedy movies. I don't really think about any other movie or television couples at all. But for some reason I am obsessed with these two. But you could probably already tell that :)

Thanks, Zyra!  And don't be too mad at your mom because my mom literally kept EVERYTHING but then lost it all in a hurricane. So, some things just aren't meant to be.  :-(

Okay, so there you have it.  Our first "You asked...We answered" post.  Hope you guys enjoyed it.  If you would like a question answered, remember you can visit this post:   "Ask Us Anything" and literally...ask us anything.  (We do reserve the right to not answer, if necessary!  So, don't get crazy...)

Don't worry if your question didn't get answered (yet), we will continue to post answers as long as you guys continue to ask questions.