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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Index The DownTime Pilot Index 3.0 - Feb/Mar Featured Fics (2/2), Rookie Challenge (2/21)

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction and Writing Resource' started by Pilot_Fic_Index, Sep 11, 2010.

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  1. Darth McClain

    Darth McClain Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 5, 2000
    [face_laugh] Maybe I'll have time to work on it before then. :) Thanks again!
     
  2. Jade_Pilot

    Jade_Pilot Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 10, 2005
    I think the extention is a great idea! Hope I can get something done by then, but I'm looking forward to reading everyone else's. [face_pumpkin]
     
  3. Lane_Winree

    Lane_Winree Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 30, 2006
    Happy to provide the extension!

    Just a heads up everyone. If you've ever got a stray plot bunny that you don't have time to write for, please feel free to post it here. Someone might be happy to adopt it :)
     
  4. Katana_Sundancer

    Katana_Sundancer Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 13, 2009
    Like... What if Iella and Wedge became 'involved' before Diric was returned? What would that do to them?

    Like that?

     
  5. Lane_Winree

    Lane_Winree Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 30, 2006
    Absolutely!

    They can be canon bunnies, AU bunnies. Any kind of pilot-themed plot bunny that you don't have time for.

    REMINDER!

    You've still got a few days to check out October's featured fics, InyriForge's "Detour" and frodogenic's "We Happy Few." On November 1st we're going to highlight another shortfic and longfic!
     
  6. Lane_Winree

    Lane_Winree Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 30, 2006
    I've been thinking up the discussion topics for a while. I can keep doing that, or we could change the pace for a bit.

    Someone suggest a discussion topic!
     
  7. DarthIshtar

    DarthIshtar Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    How do your pilots handle major holidays and birthdays in the squadron?

    Old Friends--I finally came up with a response to the challenge!
     
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  8. Lane_Winree

    Lane_Winree Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 30, 2006
    Thanks for the link to the fic, Ish! I've gone ahead and put that in the index and the challenge response post on the first page :)

    Oooh, you've actually given me a really good idea. I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to alter this question (unfortunately making it a fair amount more depressing) because it will be a great lead-in for the next DT Challenge.

    (Don't worry though, right after this discussion I'll come back to your original question :) )

    Discussion Topic #7: Dealing with Death

    The loss of friends and colleagues comes with the job. In order to survive, though, pilots have to learn to cope. Let's take a look at a few guiding questions:

  9. How do your pilots (be they your preferred canon characters or original characters) handle the loss of their comrades?

  10. Looking specifically at certain canon pilots, how do you think Wedge, Wes, Hobbie, and/or Tycho cope? (Feel free to answer for one or more of them or discuss other canon pilots)

  11. What profic pilot death from the EU novels or films touched you the most?

  12. When writing death in your own fics, do you handle it on or off page?

  13. Can you offer any tips for others in regards writing fics and scenes about loss?


  14. As always, these are just guiding questions. Feel free to answer all, some, or none of them. If you want to tackle this topic and venture outside of those questions, please do so!

    Tissues are on the bartop for those who need them :D
     
  15. DarthIshtar

    DarthIshtar Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    # How do your pilots (be they your preferred canon characters or original characters) handle the loss of their comrades?

    It's different for each loss, by and large. There are so many versions of grief. I know that, personally, I dealt very differently with each of my grandparents' deaths and a couple of friends' deaths. I remember going out to sing very bitter karaoke after my friend Adam was killed in a car accident because we had been in musicals together. When my grandfather died, I didn't cry at all because I'd spent a lot of time dealing with his cancer and had cried then. And when my grandmother died, I got into a screaming and crying fight with my older sister. I imagine that my characters are similar. There's no one tried-and-true way of dealing with grief. You have to adapt to each one. I think, in canon, that Wes' hilarity is a partial compensation for everything that he's been through. Ina shuts everything off except for once a year, which is a lot like Jack Shephard's "You have five seconds to be frightened" rule in LOST. Mas deals with it in a group setting. Dewon takes his mind off of it.

    # Looking specifically at certain canon pilots, how do you think Wedge, Wes, Hobbie, and/or Tycho cope? (Feel free to answer for one or more of them or discuss other canon pilots)

    Tycho reminds me a lot of Leia. When he loses someone or something, he goes to work. He fixes things. He makes things right. It reminds me of Anakin's way of dealing with his mother's death, only more effective. Wedge deals with it after he's done all of his work. Hobbie is just dour and loss makes that more pronouned. Wes, see my theory above.

    # What profic pilot death from the EU novels or films touched you the most?

    Corran, when he was captured and imprisoned on Lusankya. The circumstances and reactions were very real. I remember being very moved by the description of Mirax wandering around as if her heart had been torn out.

    # When writing death in your own fics, do you handle it on or off page?

    For pilotfics, mostly on. Well, for anything, mostly on. I think there is something profoundly poetic in any death, even if it's a horrific one because even the grisly can be poetic.

    # Can you offer any tips for others in regards writing fics and scenes about loss?

    I say what I say to people writing about injuries. Use what you've felt and adapt it to the situation.
     
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  16. Pilot_Fic_Index

    Pilot_Fic_Index Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Feb 21, 2005
    New challenge response fics by Ish and Lane added to the index!

    Please refer to the first page for more information.
     
  17. Lane_Winree

    Lane_Winree Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 30, 2006
    Ish - I like your take on Tycho and can definitely see that. I think that fits well into Michael Stackpole's portrayal of him in The Krytos Trap. He goes back to work and strives to fix things, never out of vengence but always out of vigilance.

    Alrighty all, I've got my own submission for the October challenge, The Haunting of Rogue Squadron. This ghost story features Wedge, Tycho, Luke, Wes, Inyri, Gavin, Asyr, Rhysati, and Nawara. Set during Wraith Squadron, just after the Rogues return to Coruscant from Thyferra.

    And, a couple reminders.

    REMINDER #1

    Tomorrow at 11:59 PST (What the heck, one more minor extension for funsies) is the deadline for submitting your fic for the October Ghost Stories challenge. Voting will take place on the following Monday-Saturday with the winner announced Sunday 11/7. I'll post voting instructions on Monday morning.

    REMINDER #2

    Tomorrow is also the last day for October's featured fics! If you haven't read Detour or We Happy Few yet, please feel free to do so and leave your comments here. Monday evening we'll post our next pair of featured stories :)

    ANNOUNCEMENT

    Keep an eye out for the next DT challenge that will be posted sometime this week! The deadline this time preliminarily will be December 20th. If you're interested in participating, you may want to take part in the Discussion Topic #7, which you can find on the first page.
     
  18. -thor-

    -thor- Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2002
    I'm still here but was totally overrun by work and had a cold that wouldn't go away. And I finally have my new PC ... :D
     
  19. Darth McClain

    Darth McClain Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 5, 2000
    I'm not going to get my October challenge finished today, but hopefully I will be able to complete it. I've been pretty busy fighting DRL over the past few weeks.
     
  20. Katana_Sundancer

    Katana_Sundancer Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 13, 2009
    Okay, I have a plot bunny that I absolutely unequivocally have to drop off. Because there is no way, no WAY, NO WAY that it is one of mine. Really. I have no idea where it came from! :confused:

    See, over there, that lovely tan & brown bunny, that's my Wedge-is-related-to-Obi-Wan... He's a darling. [face_love] And the rich red ones with the pretty blue eyes are Luke and Mara bunnies. And the red bunny with the pink and purple highlights is Ben and Myri! :* And then there's that huge group of brindled brown & blonde bunnies that are the beautiful meant-to-be-ness of Wedge and Iella... [:D]

    Then there's this thing... It's blonde, with hints of blond, and brown with hints of ... blue feathers...? It's crying and angsty and oh so miserable... and happy at the same time, sometimes. But if one part is happy, the other part is angst-ing (yes, that's a word... because I say it is!) But maybe, in the right home, it might not seem quite so freakish...

    Here goes...

    When Wedge hooks up with Dr Blue-Feathered-Bimbo (Qwi Xux, in case anyone was wondering), we know Iella is heartbroken and wounded and kicking herself for not 'claiming' him sooner. She probably took on as much field work as she could, just to keep herself busy (and away from possible meetings with Wedge). What if, on one of these missions, she meets a certain Jedi Master (who, of course, needs rescuing... it's not Luke if he doesn't need rescuing :p ). What if those two hit it off? How would Wedge react, on finding out that one of his best friends was with the woman he'd always had feelings for? Would he regret being with Qwi? How would the two of them handle the whole situation? What about Mara? Plus the reactions of Mirax, Corran and all their friends. Not to mention Luke's family.

    I have NO IDEA how this would be resolved. Would Luke and Iella live happily ever after? Or would this trigger Wedge and Iella's reunion? What would that be like for Luke?

    So, I hope someone can give this little guy a home. Or just some attention. As long as he's out of MY HEAD!8-}

     
  21. DarthIshtar

    DarthIshtar Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    Luke and Iella. Now there's an interesting combination. They could bond over family betrayals that weren't really the person's fault...
     
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  22. Katana_Sundancer

    Katana_Sundancer Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 13, 2009
    Yeah. Luke's compassion and Iella's strength of will. Even without the Force, she'd be totally capable of kicking his butt into gear.
    Oh dear. New ship. 'Luella', anyone?
     
  23. -thor-

    -thor- Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2002
    Luella ... sounds like a GFFA kind of hazelnut spread. [face_laugh]
     
  24. Lane_Winree

    Lane_Winree Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 30, 2006
    Luke and Iella? Now THAT is an incredibly interesting crackship bunny! I'd love to see what someone can do with that one :D

    Voting Rules!

    So the responses for the October challenge are in. On the first page, you can find links to the three entries. Read through them and PM your vote to the Pilot_Fic_Index account by Saturday, November 6th at 11:59 PST.

    Myra and I will tally up the votes and post the winner on Sunday :)

    Also as an FYI, the November featured fics will be posted later today. Hope you're all ready to read them!

    ~*~

    And now, answers to the discussion question. As a reminder, if you're interested in taking part in the next DT Challenge (which is going to have a longer deadline this time) you might want to take a look at these questions :)

    How do your pilots (be they your preferred canon characters or original characters) handle the loss of their comrades?

    To answer this one I'm going to work through the eyes of one of my original characters, Darvix "Dap" Zorvan.

    There are many ways a pilot can cope with loss and death, some methods and reactions more extreme than others. Dap was the kind of character who reacted very poorly to death, often shouldering too much of the blame or misdirecting excessive anger at others. He's lost close friends in combat twice and both times it threw him into deep depression. The first loss put him into such an emotional tailspin he wound up turning to illegal spice as a means of escapism. By the second time, he had learned to avoid a self-destructive path but still could not rip himself away from emotional numbness.

    For him, death magnifies his own insecurities. Would they still be alive if he had been a better pilot? Why hadn't it been him?

    Looking specifically at certain canon pilots, how do you think Wedge, Wes, Hobbie, and/or Tycho cope? (Feel free to answer for one or more of them or discuss other canon pilots)

    For some of these pilots, I have a different take than most others.

    I see Wes going into a sort of denial mentality. He'll hide behind his sense of humor in an attempt to avoid dealing with the stark reality that a close comrade is gone and never coming back.

    Tycho, like Ish pointed out, is probably a character that may mourn for a short amount of time but immediately goes back to work. He feels that the loss of a wingman or friend reinforces the need for vigilance.

    Perhaps the most surprising of my characterizations would be Hobbie. To me, he would be the one most grounded in reality. I see him being the one that holds other people together after a traumatic event.

    Wedge is the consummate professional as shown in "Wraith Squadron" as he writes to Admiral Ackbar after Jesmin's death. It never gets easier for him, it always hurts, but he finds a certain reassurance in the fact that he still feels pain after loss. I do think, however, Wedge is capable of having a meltdown if everything goes wrong. That was something I examined in a fic a few months ago.

    What profic pilot death from the EU novels or films touched you the most?

    I've read Iron Fist five or six times now. I have -yet- to get through the death of Ton Phanan without crying. To me, that was the single most masterfully written death in all of the EU.

    When writing death in your own fics, do you handle it on or off page?

    It's always been on-page, but usually it's quick. Say, a starfighter exploding into a thousand pieces.

    Only once have I written a scene where someone watches as a character slowly dies in front of them. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'll ever write something like that again. It far and away was the most upsetting and difficult scenes I've put into a fic.

    Can you offer any tips for others in regards writing fics and scenes about loss?

    Stay within yourself. Over-the-top melodrama can take away from the message you're trying to send.

    Death, perhaps more than anything else you may write in fanfic, benefits from a "show, don't tell" mentality.
     
  25. Katana_Sundancer

    Katana_Sundancer Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 13, 2009
    Well, -thor-, it's a nutty kind of pairing, so maybe it's kind of appropriate. And I hope someone knows what to do with it, Lane.
     
  26. DarthIshtar

    DarthIshtar Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    I agree completely on Phanan. Other than Solo Command, Iron Fist has my favorite adventures of Wraith Squadron.
     
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  27. Katana_Sundancer

    Katana_Sundancer Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 13, 2009
    I have to agree, Phanan's death was a blow, coming as it did from Face's POV. I also found Jesmin Ackbar's death to be painful, especially in light of Kell's efforts to save her.
    I think the salient point is that it's not the death per se that gets you, although that's certainly part of it. It's the reactions of those left behind that really tear your heart to bits.
    I know Wedge's reaction best, so I'll just talk about him. Each death is a failure to him; each leaves a scar on his soul. So he works harder in the wake of a death, trying to ensure that it won't happen again.
     
  28. Lane_Winree

    Lane_Winree Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 30, 2006
    Hey everyone! New featured fics! :D

    November Featured Fics

    Featured Longfic

    Doppelganger (A Hobbie Klivian Story) by CarrKicksDoor
    Summary: There have been two Hobbie Klivians in the universe. Most people have only known one. One woman knew another. And now, the universe is going to know the consequences of angering the other.
    Timeframe: Two and a half years before the Hand of Thrawn Duology (directly before the Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy)
    Characters: Hobbie Klivian, Wes Janson
    Genre: Drama
    Notes: If you?ve read my Wes Janson story, Unfit for a Normal Life, you may remember one slight incidental about the party at Fey?lya?s?Hobbie never mentioned having a date. There was a reason. This is, however, a stand alone story. Also, most of the italics in this story indicate flashbacks to an earlier time. Most of them should be self-explanatory.

    Featured Shortfic

    How? by talkingbanana
    Summary: Myn and Lara get their shuttle back.
    Timeframe: During Betrayal, part of the LotF era
    Characters: Myn, Lara, Kell, Tyria, Doran, Syal
    Genre: Drama
    Notes: Takes place sometime around Betrayal. I've only read about half of Betrayal and I'm not really that interested in the LOTF storyline, but I liked this part. Anyway, here you go. For the fanfic100 prompt #81, How?
     
  29. DarthIshtar

    DarthIshtar Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    Yay for new featured fics. Looking forward to challenge results and a new challenge.
     
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  30. alhana_antilles

    alhana_antilles Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 2002
    HA! [face_laugh] Indeed.

    Iella and Luke, huh? That's an interesting combo. [face_thinking]
     
  31. Pilot_Fic_Index

    Pilot_Fic_Index Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Feb 21, 2005
    19 new fics by Abeja added to the index!
     
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