The Blame Game

All relationships have their ups and downs and Han and Leia's should be no exception, right?  We all love to think about their 'happily ever after' but without a few bumps along the way, it would probably get a little boring.  But why is it that in the EU and most fanfic, I believe, that Leia is the one to cause the most trouble?  She is the one with old suitors crawling out of the woodwork, or Princes wanting to form 'unions', or random men just generally falling in love with her out of the sky. 

Hello?  Wouldn't Han Solo garner some of his own attention/trouble?  Sure, maybe no Princess would be looking to 'combine assets' with him in the monetary sense, but - uh, there are other reasons for attraction and Han has most of them.  And he is older and has more of a past.  Wouldn't he have some girl friends crawling out of the woodwork?  He also has looks and personality, wouldn't he have women falling out of the sky in love with him?  (Author raises her hands and volunteers for this role wholeheartedly.)

So, why do we (most of us) feel compelled to put the blame on poor old Leia?  I mean, Han nearly becomes eligible to be canonized by the time he becomes interested in her.  He swears off sex for three years while he waits patiently for her to come to her senses.  He sticks around her Rebellion just because he is worried about her and likes her.  He gives up his career later on so she can become the New Republic what-have-you and doesn't say a thing in protest.  Really?  (These are all just generalizations and I realize that there are differing stories out there - don't shoot me)

I wondered if it was because we are all writing our perfect man via Han Solo.  I mean what else is fanfic if it is not fantasy?  Who wants to write about a husband/boy friend who is a complete jerk?  I find it much more relaxing to write about a man who somehow understands and listens to Leia than a man who treats her like dirt and doesn't appreciate her.   

But then I thought of something else.  I think most of us are women (as far as we know) and it is always easier to see the faults in ourselves than in someone else, so is it easier to write about 'misguided' Leia than it is to write about a 'cheating' Han?  IDK. 

I really don't try to write Han as some perfect guy.  But, really, even when I make him make mistakes, they really aren't all that bad and the man is damn near a saint compared to my real life husband!  (Not that I fantasize that Han is my pretend husband or that my real life husband isn't wonderful in his own way).

Or is it all perfectly justified?  Leia is that Type A personality.  Strong-willed.  Stubborn.  Ambitious.  Tightly-wound.  Workaholic.  Those are recipes for relationship trouble.  And Han is the Type B.  Relaxed.  Easy going.  Patient.  And he is older and more mature.  I'm sure he understands a whole lot more about Leia's feelings before she herself realizes them.  I guess the answer is somewhere in the middle, huh?

Again, I know this is all just generalization and I'm sure most of you could find a story that shows a different side of this.  But OVERALL, I do think Leia is written as the one who:  First, resists the relationship (of course that comes straight out of the movies) and Second: who then causes more problems for the relationship down the line, whether it be her job, or another suitor or whatever.  Anyway...  Does anyone else have any thoughts about this?? 

To Train or Not to Train...

When I first began to consider whether or not Leia would train as a Jedi, I thought that she most probably would not.  But then, like most everything else - other than the fact that Han and Leia end up together - I changed my mind. 

Now, I don't exactly align with the pro-fic/EU timing of her training (go figure, I don't agree with the EU!), who don't have her training until her kids are full-grown, I think she would have trained much earlier.  In fact, I think her decision to have children would've gone hand-in-hand with her decision to train.  I think that if she decided to raise little Jedi than she would want to know how to utilize and educate them on the Force.  

In thinking about it further, I think that Leia would be apprehensive to remain ignorant of the powers that she possessed through her heritage.  The fear that someone could manipulate her, knowing that she was Vader's untrained offspring, would weigh heavily on her decision as well.  It would be dangerous for her not to learn how to control her powers.

So with all of that being said, I think Leia would make a kick-ass Jedi.  I certainly don't think that it would become her "thing", her entire life or anything - like it is for Luke.  But I think she would be a quick study and, IMO, would be more powerful than Luke in many ways.  And I actually really enjoyed reading about Leia's Jedi training in the EU when it finally happened (don't ask me what book it was in - but I'm sure Zyra can tell you.  I think it was in the bug trilogy.).

Unfortunately, in the EU after she is knighted some books seem to completely forget that she even has a lightsaber, but it's the EU - so my expectations aren't really high anyway for any kind of sense or continuity.  But when they do talk about her being a Jedi and there are some decisions she has to make whether or not to go and do what she wants or listen to the Order, usually her and Han go off and do what they want.  I can believe that.

Now what her and Han want to do is usually in alignment with what is best for the Jedi Order and the New Republic, it's just that they want to handle things on their own terms and have their own ideas.  I think that would definitely be the case. And of course, their ideas are way cooler than what everybody else wants to do. :-)


So, I guess that's it.  Like the title of the post says:  To train or not to train?  Does anyone else have an opinion on this?

Wait, There Are OTHER Characters in Star Wars?

I should probably start out by saying that I am just as guilty if not the worst offender of what I'm about to write about. I think a lot of us tend to forget that there is more to Star Wars than just Han and Leia. While in certain stories of course it only makes sense to ignore all other characters because no other characters are needed. But I think a lot of us (definitely me) can sometimes write them like they are in this bubble where nobody else exists. They've got friends, Wookiees, siblings, and yet sometimes we forget that maybe they might actually spend time with people other than each other.

Utilizing other characters I think can even help us as writers. We spend so much time fixated on these two characters that if you do it enough, writing them becomes a lot easier. You start to understand their characterizations, or at least your interpretations of them, and you just sort of 'get' what they would say or do in a certain situation. I know that I've had times where I decided I did have to include another character and yet I found myself having a difficult time making it "sound" like them.

Let's take Luke. To me, Luke is incredibly boring to write. I suppose I could have more fun with him if I were using him in a more light-hearted situation where he could play along with teasing Han or Leia or laughing at their situation, but I haven't really used him that way yet. Mostly so far he's just been that nice brother who is there to comfort or help in some capacity. I don't think his personality really comes through here. I have also rarely done much with Chewie or Threepio aside from acknowledging that they are maybe in the room. I think at some point I need to branch out more!

Then there's Chewie. I think a lot of people have trouble with him. We never really know what he's 'saying' in the movies. We can only infer and sort of wonder what he actually might say in a given situation. The most common ways to write him are as the wise old sage or as the older brother who likes to tease his younger one. I think a combination of these two can work well, depending on the situation. I really need to start using these guys more.

I suppose I did once use Xizor and a couple of original characters here and there, but most of the time I have remained within the Han and Leia bubble.

Using more characters just gives you more opportunity to write a more complete story. It gives the opportunity to see Han and Leia interact with others and see different sides of their characters aside from how they act with each other. It can allow us to see their relationship from someone else's eyes which can also sometimes be a nice change of pace. And it can just make it more of an actual story rather than just a little snippet of their lives.

Obviously sometimes there's no reason at all to add in other characters. But try not to ignore the fact that there are others in their lives (you know, like I tend to do). Don't go out of your way to include other characters, but don't go out of your way not to.

Again, I am probably one of the worst offenders of this, but it is something I intend to work on and I think it's a good thing to be aware of.

What Are We So Afraid Of?

Afraid? (Said in Leia's totally unconvincing, "No, I'm not afraid, you jerk, I'm fine!" tone)

Yes, afraid. What are we so afraid of when it comes to posting our stories? We go to an awful lot of trouble to protect our anonymity and hide our stories from people we know in real life, as evidenced by many prior posts. And yet if you're anything like me, and I suspect you are on some level, you can actually feel the tension in your body as you await response on something you've published. I'm feeling it right now as I just published a little story I wrote months ago but didn't do anything with and finally decided to just go ahead and put it up there.

It makes no rational sense that we should be so nervous about what total strangers think of our stories, and yet we are anyway. We let random people on the internet judge us and we allow that judgment to affect us personally. I think it is fear of this judgment that makes so many people afraid to post in the first place.

Why should we care? It's funny, because honestly, in real life I don't really care what people think. I mean, I try to be a generally good person and be nice to everyone and all of that, but I don't really care if people don't think my clothing choices are any good or if they think I should put more effort into having an actual hair style. This is from people who can actually see me and know me. And yet, somehow, if I find out someone didn't like what I wrote, it hurts. Or if nobody says anything good at all, that tends to hurt, too. I can't even begin to describe how the level of tension goes up when you post a scene of an intimate nature and sit back and await the possible feedback.

If I were to publish an actual book under my actual name, then it would make sense to me to be afraid and nervous as I sat back and awaited the criticism. Especially since in that case it seems like it is people's jobs to point out what is wrong with anything written rather than what is right. That's why they call them critics. But here on the internet, where you people simply know me as Zyra and I'd probably never run into you in real life, it still seems almost just as scary.

Here's the thing: It shouldn't! Stop feeling that way! Go ahead and put your stuff out there and don't take things so personally. All of this should be considered a learning experience, and in the end, it's really all just supposed to be for fun so there shouldn't be this anxiety involved. You're always going to have people who like your stuff and people who maybe don't. But in this case, the ones who do tend to be the more vocal ones, so there's really nothing to be afraid of.

Please note that I am a hypocrite when it comes to a lot of the above statements. Logically, I know that I shouldn't worry so much about what people think. But I just think as a writer, if you actually care about what you're writing and want it to be good, then that sort of feeling is pretty much inevitable. You just have to understand it's going to happen and put yourself out there, anyway.

And just because I found this picture today and I almost could not stop staring at it, here's a bonus:

Reviews...the Crack Cocaine of FanFiction

When I first started writing fanfiction just over a year ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  But only days into publishing my first story did I get my initiation into the addictiveness of those little, tiny e-mail notifications that let you know that someone has left you a review.

Now, I'll be honest, my first story got very little reviews and those e-mails were few and far between, but they were like gold when I did get them.  A few months into my journey, I started conversing with Zyra.  Of course, we discussed reviews (or the lack of them).  In fact, my very first correspondence with Zyra was to thank her for her nice reviews and apologize to her for not leaving her any (she still likes to rub that in occasionally).

Yes, I had been a horrible lurker for at least five or six months, reading and enjoying but never reviewing.  Zyra's stories having been some of the ones I had read and loved.  I had 'favorited' her stories, which I reasoned was just the same, but no.  No it isn't.  It wasn't until I began publishing that I realized the importance of a review.

I can still remember my hesitation over reviewing when I was just lurking back then.  I looked at all the writers out there as people who were secure enough to publish a story so they obviously had to know that it was good without some unknown reader out there letting them know that, right?  Well, that may be true for some but I really don't think I'm in the minority when I say as a writer those reviews are just a very treasured commodity.  I guess the little traffic counters of fanfiction.net could be maybe just the equivalent of nicotine or alcohol.  They are nice and slightly addictive, but just don't have the same effect as a written review.  (Please don't think I'm a crack head - I'm really not - it's just a metaphor.  Not that there's anything wrong with being a crack head.  But I digress.)


As writers, I think we of all people should appreciate the importance of a review.  I know since I joined your ranks, I've made it a must-do when I read a story that I like.  So what if I don't like it?  I thought of that just as I was typing it.  I won't say that if I don't review it means I don't like it, because there is a lot out there that I just have not had the time to read and review.  Especially all the stories I read back as a lurker and should still probably go back and review.  But I will say that if I don't have anything good to say, I usually just refrain.  Is that right?  I think it is.

There was a profile page of a writer that I can't remember who it was now, but she basically said that if you want to provide constructive criticism on her story because you liked it but had found some small flaws or had suggestions to make it better than that was fine.  But if you read it and you didn't like her story line, didn't agree with her characterizations and basically disagreed with the premise of her story, then just walk away and let it be.  She asked not to give a review that would basically cause her to rewrite her story to please you.  If you wanted to see a different story line, then go and write your own story.

I remember when I first read this person's profile page, I was a little taken aback.  But, you know what?  I actually agree with her and that's what I do with my reviews, and I'm fine if people do the same with my stories.


I guess that was all I had to say.  Here's a bonus pic.  Um, yeah.  Leia's one lucky Princess... 

Best Han and Leia Moments in the EU

As Han and Leia fans, it is really our duty to constantly bash the EU. They are written out of character a lot. It doesn't make sense that they'd wait so long to get married. The Leia we know from the movies never would've just dropped Han immediately at the first prince who offers to marry her, they never would've sent their kids off, they would've actually been there to raise their kids and wouldn't have worked so much, they would've actually spent some time TOGETHER in any of the books that covered the first twenty years of their marriage, Han wouldn't have run off on Leia like that after Chewie died, or at least Leia wouldn't have let him, Luke and Mara are always touted as being this amazing couple and blah, blah, blah. I could go on.

With all of the bashing that goes on you'd think I despised the EU. But then if you saw my shelf that is stacked to the gills with Star Wars books I've been reading since 1995 you'd have to think differently. Sure, I was a young teenager when I first discovered these books and maybe too naive to really stop and say, wait, why are they writing my favorite characters like this? But at the time it was all I had to continue their story, so I greedily soaked up every word of it. Even if I was cringing at times.

So, what keeps me coming back for more? I don't know. But in most books there is at least one good moment in there between them that makes me hope that there will be something equally if not more satisfying in the next one. It doesn't always happen that way and of course there were even some books in the New Jedi Order series that they didn't even appear in, but I always seem to keep going. Side note: Why is that called the New Jedi Order series? I mean, I guess forming the NJO was part of it, but shouldn't it have really been called the Vong Invasion series or something like that? Wasn't that the main point of the story arc? Anyway...

So I'm going to go through and mention a few of my favorite EU moments that have stuck out for me over the years strictly as a Han and Leia fan. Some of this stuff has been memorable for quite a few years to me and I am definitely a sucker for these little things. Let's go chronologically:

The Truce at Bakura. Overall when reading this book sometimes you wonder if these are the same two people we saw at the end of ROTJ when they are arguing more like they were acting in ANH. But I'm sure we all remember a very cute scene at the beginning where Han has some self-inflating pillows that he and Leia spend some time on. Remember, we don't get much from these books so you have to take the small victories. Also, it has been hypothesized by some that this is when Han and Leia first sleep together as their is a distinct shift in how they're acting towards one another from the time Luke tells Leia to go to Han to when they wake up the next morning. But who knows?

Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor. You wouldn't think that a book with Luke in the title would have so many good Han and Leia moments, but it does. Oh, yes it does. This was such a refreshing read when it came out during all of the other dark stuff that had been going on. The only down side to it is that once you get to the end you suddenly wonder how it could be possible considering the great place Han and Leia are in at the end did it take another four years for them to get married??! They share some great banter, they save each other's lives, Leia tells Han that the light that kept her going and away from the darkness was him, and they sit together and basically think that they are awaiting their deaths and Leia tells Han to kiss her for all of the kisses they'll never get to share. Of course, they lived, anyway. But this is a great Han and Leia book and a fun read in general.

The Courtship of Princess Leia. Say what you will about the ridiculousness that is this novel and how out of character they are and Leia is horrible to Han and he acts like a baby in it. But there are at least a couple of good moments in it. When he kisses her before he goes to turn himself in, well, that's probably the most intense kiss they've shared in all of the EU. And then he won't let her say out loud that she loves him. Then of course when she later saves him and tells him that she won't release him from the bet and they have to get married. Yeah, it shouldn't have come to that, but it's still a sweet little moment. Now can we please have a do-over and let a woman write it this time? Love stories should not be written by men!

Tatooine Ghost. This one is the mother load, kids. It's really as good as it's going to get. First, they're basically on their honeymoon and the book is all about them. We don't have to waste time reading about Luke or space battles and wondering when we're going to get back to Han and Leia. They're newly married, genuinely affectionate, and it involves Han kissing Leia "very long, and very deep" before running his hands under her robe and... well, we know the rest.

The Thrawn Trilogy. Honestly, I have not read this book in like 15 years although I did recently buy the graphic novel and am reading that. The babies are born. I mean, that's at least something, right there. Just don't think too much about what happens after...

Dark Empire: Radio Drama. If you have never listened to this, as a Han and Leia fan, I'd encourage you to try and get your hands on a copy. It takes a bit to get used to listening to other people do Han and Leia's voices, but once you accept it, it's very enjoyable. And it also includes, unlike the comic, a scene that is easily inferred as the lead-up to the conception of Anakin Solo.

The Jedi Academy Trilogy. Not particularly great for Han and Leia, but I do remember a sweet little reunion after Han comes back from being in the spice mines of Kessel and he tells Leia that there wasn't a minute he wasn't thinking about her (after first teasing her that he didn't think of her at all)

Children of the Jedi. I remember reading this and noticing that it was the first book I'd read that made it incredibly clear that there was to be some lovin' goin' on between them at one point. Of course after writing that I just went back and checked and it's a lot more subtle than I remembered, but I took what I could get. It's a very simple scene when they basically just eye each other over the candles and walk hand in hand to bed.

Planet of the Twilight. I honestly remember almost nothing that happens in this book other than the fact that Leia is captured, although her "prison" if I remember correctly seems more like a five-star hotel suite. And when Han finds out that she's missing and, "remembered with a sudden pang making love to Leia on the rug of milk-white stohl fur, the night before her departure." Jeez, finally some proof that they actually spend some time together. And now I'm going to do you all a favor by linking you to a story that as far as I'm aware can currently only be found using the wayback machine which fills in this "missing moment": http://web.archive.org/web/20080215210701/http://www.swtats.com/han/toosoon.htm

Let's skip The Crystal Star because in the fifteen years since I read it I'm still trying to block it from memory...

Black Fleet Crisis. Hmmm... well, I suppose not a great series for them. In stark contrast to Leia being captured and treated like royalty, Han is captured and kept in a dank cell and then beaten within an inch of his life. I guess the good news is that at least before this they were spending lots of time together, although Leia does abandon Han in the midst of a little makeout session (or so we are led to believe) when she gets a sense that Luke is coming soon. Seriously, Leia? Wait, wasn't this supposed to be about good moments? Um, at least they sleep in the same bed a lot. And I guess Leia is horrified when she sees Han getting beaten, though not quite horrified enough to give into the demands so she gets him back... I know I liked these books. It's just at the moment now writing this I can't remember why.

The New Rebellion. For some reason, I remember really liking this book. I remember it having some good Han and Leia moments (another great kiss goodbye) but also keeping me on the edge of my seat. And Han rushes in and carries Leia out of the senate hall after a bomb explodes. That was nice of him, wasn't it?

The Corellian Trilogy. Um, I read these once in 1995 (the third book was the first one I ever had to wait to read since it hadn't come out yet) and I don't remember much of anything. If you do, please let me know.

Hand of Thrawn Duology. Um, again, I honestly don't remember. I should probably re-read those. So if you remember, let me know!

Union. This was a comic book that depicted the wedding of Luke and Mara and the circumstances surrounding it. I read on some message board that it is probably as close to fanfic as any profic ever got. I'd have to agree. There's not much substance here. And of course it makes me jealous that there was not a similar comic about Han and Leia's wedding. At least a picture or something? No? It's kind of cute, nonetheless. Leia, Mara and 'the girls' go to a spa and talk marriage stuff. Something else goes on I can't remember, I believe Han gives Luke some marriage advice. But at the very end there is just a very cute picture of Han and Leia dancing and smiling and Han asks her, "Do you remember?" And she replies, "Always and often." Aw.... maybe they do actually still like each other.

New Jedi Order. All right. We all know that the first five books of this series were pure hell for a Han and Leia fan. Han runs off, Leia lets him go and doesn't seem to even try to get him back and he doesn't seem to care in the slightest. Let's forget the fact that I think that if Chewie died Han would be more likely to hold even tighter to what he has left rather than running away from them. And I at least can choose to ignore that apparently one of the authors wanted Han to cheat on Leia during this time period (true or not, it's not in there, anyway, thankfully!) But there is some good that came of this. Once they had reconciled, I think they've hardly spent a moment apart in any book since. Seriously, they never leave each other's side. The e-book Recovery has some cute moments when Han is helping her walk again. Han tells Leia she can be his new copilot. They figure out a better way to pass the time besides watching the sunset in The Final Prophecy. I know they share good banter all over the place. Let's ignore the death of their son, shall we? I want to talk about good stuff. Oh, and in the last book I know Han gets bit by an amphistaff (or however you spell it) and they share a nice moment when he wakes up. And I just love the end when they get the painting back from Tatooine Ghost. So sweet.

Dark Nest Trilogy. Forgive me for not having any specifics, but I don't really remember. I know that these were good books as far as Han and Leia were concerned, but no specific moments stick out for me.

This is probably where I should stop because, well, Han and Leia are like 80 now, most of their kids are dead and while they are at least spending lots of time together and still able to banter with the best of them, well, there just aren't a whole lot of the kinds of moments I was talking about from the earlier books.

Now, you see how little we have to work with? Do you see why we need the fanfic? And can anyone please explain to me why I am still spending money on these books?

Now, if any of you recall a moment not posted here, please feel free to remind me. I did this all from memory, so surely there must be something I'm forgetting!