I know I can't be the only one out there. There have to be other people who love AU, and particularly extreme AU- as extreme as the Infinities or more so.

So...

Anyone else?

Locking and redirecting.

Edit 2: I jumped the gun. The Index is unfinished and there is no discussion there.

 

Welcome!!!

Here's [link=http://boards.theforce.net/Fan_Fiction_Resource/b10304/16889006/?27]AU Readers[/link], a thread sharing and discussing AU that others might like to read, and here's [link=http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=11331117&replies=0]What If...an AU[/link] story index.

Give those a try.

 

I love AU, too--in fact, about three of the stories I'm thinking about are AU, as is the main one I'm working on right now. It's an interesting challenge to keep the characters realistic and in character even as events change.

So, are we going to be discussing the challenges and pitfalls of writing AU?

 

Thanks rhonderoo. And yeah, I do mean this to be more of a discussion thread, not just of specific storis but of, as Sakura said, the challenges involved in writting AU, something I myself am new at (I've only written humor and character studies before).

Also: what's "Tsukikage"? My translator is drawing a blank.

 

Since I am UTTERLY unfamilar with most post Jedi EU, I tend to follow my own version of events...that means Luke isn't attached to Mara at all...

*ducks tomatos!!*

 

I like writing really AU stuff, mostly involving NJO characters in which the NJO doesn't happen . . .

 

Oh, I'm a BIG AU fan!

 

Yeah, I know what you mean. I grew up reading the YJK books so I'm sort of attached to the younger characters.


Okay, this thread needs to get focused before it gets locked or moved or something, so here are a couple questions to start people thinking/talking.

What is the most "AU" thing you've ever written?
What do you consider "extreme" AU?
How far from the cannon is too far?


Also, I'd like this to be a thread where people can disscuss how to resolve any paradoxs that might come up while writting AU, and ask general questions related to writting it.

... Man do I sound arrogant. Oh well- in my experiance arrogance tends to result in good oral grades.

 

Hmm, probably the last two fics, moreso the current one as even "Vega" could have been squeezed into canon - pre "Mara".

Anything that deviates from what is 'accepted' as canon... Characters living vs dying, darkside what not.

and finally -

Absolutley nothing... if that is where the road takes you. Who's to dictate what is the 'right' way to write a character?

 

Interesting response. I've always felt there were gradations of AU-ness. For me, how extreme an AU is sort of depends on where it starts, or at least where it is mainly set: Is this the cannon universe, but with a twist thrown in just before or at the begining of the story? Or does the story start long enough after the twist/change that the characters are playing completely different roles?

 

Yeah, though I prefer Jag, Danni, etc. to Zekk and TK.

The most AU? HARD . . . but probably my WIP where Jaina was capptured by a Sith, ended up getting married to Jag, they had a baby, he was killed, and know she's entering a relattionship with Zekk.

Extreme AU to me is when the story is really different from canon, as opposed to something like an alternate ending to the NJO.

As long as the characters are well written and don't stray too far from their canon personalities, then I figure it's fine.

 

Just picking one 'cause I'm lazy.

In general, nothing is too far from canon for me. I've killed people before the New Republic took Coruscant from the Empire who live through the NJO in canon. Anything is believable, if you back in up right. I mean, there are things that I don't see - for instance, I don't ship Sabewan. But that's pretty rare. Canon is canon and that's cool, but it's great fun to play around with.

 

I can go either way with Jacen's ships, but I agree with you on Jaina: Jag just makes for a much more interesting contrast. Not that I'm anti-Zekk: he's a great character, and his background gives him so much potential. Here's a a pairing I've been contemplating: Zekk/Malinza Thanas. I think it has a lot of potential. How about you guys?

 

What is the most "AU" thing you've ever written?

I've written everything from canon to AU where my readers argued with me that it wasn't AU all the way up to where I've had Obi-Wan be a Sith Lord or Qui-Gon be a Force-vampire. My most AU thing would probably be where the Jedi were being laid off from the Order and no, it's not a comedy and yes, there's a valid reason for it.

What do you consider "extreme" AU?
Where the events are so distorted that you could almost translate them into any other fictional universe and they'd be comfortable there.

How far from the cannon is too far?
Canon for me isn't the events so much as the characters. They have to have the core personality traits or else it's too far - for me. Probably putting the Jedi on Earth would be too much - again for me (unless it's a comedy).

 

Heh. Tsukikage means "moonshadow" but you probably won't find it in any dictionaries, it's more of a name than a word.

Saber_Girl_Jaina posted:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is the most "AU" thing you've ever written?
What do you consider "extreme" AU?
How far from the cannon is too far?

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For me, the most AU thing I've ever written is my current main fic, A Resolution Between Shadows and Light, an AU of the end of RotS, in which Obi-Wan saves Anakin from the lava instead of leaving him there to burn. That was the only thing I changed, and I'm having fun with the different character development that it requires.

Extreme AU for me is when something really major is changed that changes the entire timeline or changes an entire character. Like: Obi-Wan was never a Jedi, or: the NJO never happened. I don't care for AU that takes place in an entirely different universe with the same characters, I think it makes the characters completely unrecognizable because their entire frame of reference is different, if that makes any sense. So that is too far away from canon. When a character is completely different and there is no reason they should resemble the original, and they have a completely different frame of reference, then it's too far. Anything short of that--I'm game.

 

...Pirates, huh? Space pirates or sea pirates?

 

Well, that's certainly extreme.

 

Yeah, you win in the extreme AUs department. At least so far.

 

What is the most "AU" thing you've ever written?
Currently, I'm working on an AU that throws the entire prequel trilogy out the window. All you can count on is the fact that, in the end, you'll end up where Episode IV begins. Many happy fun times, man.

What do you consider "extreme" AU?
I don't know, but I'll let you know when I find it.

How far from the cannon is too far?
Well, as long as it's recognizably Star Wars, I think you're good to go. I mean, like I said, I'm tossing the entire PT down the drain, so it's pretty far from canon (even though I'm a stickler for details, and there are so many OT/EU connections it's ridiculous).

Pirate Qui and Obi? I'd read that.

 

Only one of my fics might qualify for canon. The rest? All AUs. Not a one could be considred canon.

I shall answer the questions later, when I have time.

 

I've written (and am still writing) 2 AUs, so far. The long ones, I mean. I've written other AUs which are vignettes.

What is the most "AU" thing you've ever written?

Out of the all those, certainly the one in which Obi-Wan is the senior, and Qui-Gon is an initiate. Roles reversed. Oh boy, that makes the PT non-existent. And there's one in which Xanatos is a suave knight who takes 6 year old Obi on a mission. And Qui-Gon is on the Council.

What do you consider "extreme" AU?

Throwing canon characters into completely different, near-impossible scenarios. Like Diane re-writing the fate of the Jedi. Or Noi making Obi a senator. Now that's extreme AU which actually works.

How far from the cannon is too far?

As far as I'm concerned, that depends on the author. It's the author who's got to carry the story - and if he or she can do it, then even non-canon sounds a lot like canon. I used to hate AUs, once - but now I understand the possibilities, and enjoy them.

 

What is the most "AU" thing you've ever written?

Hmm..I'd say a current WIP of mine that isn't posted...Western Wars...Star Wars if it was a western: lawmen, outlaws, mayors, gunfighting, and horse riding. The whole bit.

Including Yoda as a Senior Ranger lawman.....a frenchman as well.

What do you consider "extreme" AU?

Something that completely rewrites everything in at least one movie or at least a couple of books.

How far from the cannon is too far?

No such thing, my friend. Only goes as far as one's imagination does.

 

What is the most "AU" thing you've ever written?

Other than my Oidhche et Fairedan series (which is pretty much dead), I have an extreme AU where Kyp never came back from the dark side, Han and Luke both died when the twins were two, Leia's leader of the Jedi . . .


What do you consider "extreme" AU?

Probably something with little to no similarity to "canon" events.


How far from the cannon is too far?

Where the universe is completely unrecognisable as that which defines "Star Wars".


Dana