So, the point isn't really to pretend it is Mother's Day in the galaxy far, far away. Although if you want to do that, you of course can. But just something that kind of showcases Leia as a mom. You can use the Legends kids, you can use kids you made up for them on your own, and I guess if you are prepared for the potential backlash you can use Ben. I'm sure there is even a way to write a story for this challenge without even naming the kids or telling us how many of them there are. Get creative!
If you want to give it a shot, just keep the length fairly reasonable for what would fit in a blog post and submit to me through email. I post these stories in the order in which I receive them.
Sounds fun! Your fic kind of qualifies, you know. You could give us a chapter.
ReplyDeleteTrue, a chapter of my story might qualify.
ReplyDeleteIs this too many fluffy challenges close together? I can understand if there isn't going to be a lot of interest in this one.
Are you kidding?!?! This challenge makes me really excited!
DeleteAnd I second knitzkampf; I would love to see a snippet of your story with this challenge.
I object - no, I STRENUOUSLY object -- to the idea that it is possible for there to be too many fluffy challenges at any time.
DeleteLOL! Knitzkampf has made an excellent point! That'll get you writing again, eh? Maybe Jaina has a (slightly terrifying?) conversation with Leia about whether the latter ever wants to be (or imagines herself as) a mother. Or Leia talks to Jaina about her own mother? Interesting possibilities abound!
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I'm not sure I've got Leia-as-mom firmly in my headcanon yet, although I'm still working on a gargantuan multi-chapter wildly AU fic with CorellianAngel and Justine Graham that features Leia as mother to five girls.... As implausible as that scenario is, it's fun to imagine. :)
I'm looking forward to what others may contribute!
Hmmm... definitely some interesting ideas!
DeleteErin- I don't think that's implausible! (5 girls does happen sometimes. It's quite a number of kids, but why not? :P)
ReplyDeleteEveryone else- I don't have enough time to do any real writing right now, but I would like to "plug" fics that use a kid named Ben. I've read many good ones, including from writers who don't go by TFA canon but just need to borrow a kid real fast, and if I know the author doesn't intend for Ben to become Kylo and the writing is really good it doesn't bother me personally. (Also good with EU and invented kids, but wanted to soothe any potential authors...) :)
One of my BFFs is one of five girls and she is also a twin, so I'm definitely thinking of her household when I'm writing this stuff and I know it's *possible*. I just think it stretches credibility a bit to think of Leia Organa agreeing to a fourth pregnancy, especially after the third pregnancy resulted in twins! But, hey, who knows. Maybe they were all easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy babies! And obviously she used the Force to manage her pregnancy discomfort and delivery pain, right? :D
DeleteI also toyed with the idea that some sort of "Force sense" (a kind of premonition) impelled her to seek a fifth child, even though she knew she would be bringing an infant home to a household already consisting of a 6-year-old, a 4-year-old, and a pair of 2-year-old twins. (!!!) The only way I can imagine Leia signing on for that is if she had a "feeling" that the 5th child needed to be born. Or that their family wasn't quite complete yet, you know?
This is how I'm rationalizing the whole silly fic to myself. Clearly, I think about these things too much! lol
There is a valid point that people might want to use Ben Solo, but imply that his story turns out differently. I mean, come on, I use the original Solo kids and I just pretend that Anakin and Jacen get to grow old and stay away from the Dark Side just like their sister.
DeleteAnd Erin, sure you can come up with reasons. I can think of two families off the top of my head, one that had 3 boys, one that had 3 girls, where they decided to go for one more to see if they might finally get one of the gender they didn't already have. Although I don't love the idea of that for Han and Leia in your situation because it might imply some disappointment that the last one wasn't a boy. I mean, I think just about anyone would get over that disappointment VERY quickly and just be happy to have their new baby, but still. (and in case you were wondering, in the case of the families I was describing, the family with 3 boys got their girl, and the family with 3 girls got their boy... but that boy also came with a twin sister!)
@Zyra, we actually addressed this in the fic because we didn't want any readers assuming that they'd only had the 5 girls because they were trying for a boy and finally gave up on it.
DeleteSneak peek:
Sure, as he’d said to Rellius, they drove him insane on a regular basis but, even allowing for his own heavy bias, he thought they were all truly extraordinary and wonderful people and he was sometimes still amazed that he’d had anything to do with creating them. Each girl possessed her own distinct personality, talents and predilections, but each was also the living embodiment of his love for Leia, and hers for him.
When the girls were small, he’d been asked many times if they were going to keep trying until they had a son by the natural means or—failing that—if they planned to arrange to have one gender-selected for them. But Han had never felt the slightest yearning for anything other than the kids he and Leia had created naturally between them. From debating the subtleties of the Force with his eldest, to tinkering on the inner workings of the Falcon with the youngest—and everything in between—his daughters were perfect and utterly precious, and everything he would ever need.
It would make better sense, perhaps, to have the twins born last (as with your acquaintances above), because, seriously, what woman with children at ages 5, 3, 1 and 1 is going to say "Hey, honey, let's make another baby"?? Well, I'm sure there are some who would but... not I!
lol Anyway, we've got about 50% of this very long story finished now so I guess we're stuck with the current configuration of Solo Sisters. Good thing we ditched the idea of seven!
I should've known you would all be smart enough to address everything :)
DeleteVery sweet. I do kind of feel like I'll feel a little bad for Han surrounded by women, but I'm sure you'll do it justice.
Haha, well, um- I wrote an AU a while ago where Han and Leia had a bigger family (I'm not going to specify too much on this for my own embarrassment), but the second to youngest was adopted and they weren't planning on having another one. The story with the youngest one is basically what Erin mentioned with this feeling like the family wasn't completed.
DeleteI had a girl, then a boy, then 4 more girls. It's so much fun having all these girls, and the boy has a rather exalted place since he's the only one.
DeleteErin, I love that idea of Leia having a sense of something that compelled her to have another baby. That gives much for the imagination.
Ooh! I'm excited for this!
ReplyDeleteOoh! Also excited! Also, third-ing knitzkampf!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, what's the source of the comic image? (Wondering who the "he" is?)
ReplyDeleteThe image is from Empire's End. Not the new one, the old comic book series that came after Dark Empire. The baby she's holding is Anakin.
DeleteAnyone else who has stories on ff.net suddenly get a bunch of review alerts for reviews that are like a month or two old? I woke up to several emails for reviews, and went to check them and some were from March! That site is weird sometimes.
ReplyDeleteYep. Got a handful. All of them from the same reviewer!
DeleteI have like two specific people that ff.net doesn't like updating me when they review, so I check my reivews to see if they left some. I woke this morning to about fifteen "new" reviews! What disappointment ...
DeleteGlad it wasn't just me. And yes it seemed to be a few specific people. What tipped me off was one of them mentioned being excited for an update alert in their inbox. So since I haven't updated in like a month I figured something was up! I briefly thought I suddenly randomly became popular, haha.
ReplyDeleteLaughing in the saddest way because I had that moment too. :'(
DeleteStory Alerts were messed up, too. I posted a chapter, and never got an email letting me know it was up.
DeleteEver wonder what will happen if (when?) FFNet goes up in smoke? I mean, why does the owner even keep it going? I only see ads on mobile (not on desktop) and that seems to be the only source of revenue. I just wonder if one day we'll wake up and find it has been shut down without warning, you know? All those stories... all those reviews....
ReplyDeleteSorry, that came out a bit doom-and-gloomy.
Next year is its 20th anniversary, though. Maybe they will celebrate by fixing all the weird bugs! :)
I'm sorry, but that sounds so sad. 'Hey, next year's our 20th anniversary. So, in celebration, we're going to fix all this site's problems!' Happy anniversary, ff.net!
DeleteQuestion. Is it required that these are completely happy?
ReplyDeleteNo, not required. Just somehow having something to do with Leia being a mom.
Delete*sniff* If you don't WANT my Ben Solo fics, then you won't get it!
ReplyDeleteHaha, just kidding; I love the idea of the challenge and I'm excited to read what everyone else comes up with, but unfortunately, I already have a fic deadline and too many other things in my plate right now :/ And once all that is done, I'll have to finish a certain other fic... about beaches and stuff.
Guess I'll have to try and finish the story tonight! I've had a plot running through my head for the past three or so weeks now and I just realized today that it can be submitted for this challenge if I manage to overcome writer's block. Here we go!
ReplyDeleteGood luck, infamousnalani! Hope you're writing up a storm.
DeleteThanks! I just sent it to Zyra!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSince I may actually have something (I know!) how do we submit? What email? Thanks
ReplyDeleteI have to echo cv73 here, I can't seem to find how to email Zyra. Am I missing the "contact me" button somewhere?
ReplyDeleteNo, sorry. You can email me at zrm "at" yahoo "dot" com
DeleteHey Zyra, I'm having trouble, too. z r m ? I just tried emailing, but it bounced. (Sending from erma dot swfan at gmail dot com)
DeleteAdd '17' after 'zrm'
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