How Close to Canon?

[LisaDawn75]

Hi everyone!

I am currently brainstorming some ideas for a sequel to a story I just finished and I would like to pick some other writers' and readers' brains. My story is an AU story where Edward and the rest of the Cullens are vampires and Bella is human when they meet. They are older, around 24-25 years old, and Bella and Edward are planning to get married.

My question is about the honeymoon.

I know we have all read the honeymoon on Isle Esme a million times and to create sometihng original would take powers I don't know that I have. So, my question is, how close to canon does everyone feel a canon story would need to be on the honeymoon part? Do Edward and Bella have to go to Isle Esme for their honeymoon or can they go someplace esle? Every story I've read has them going to the island, and I want to stay as close to canon as I can while still writing an AU story.

I am just jotting ideas on paper right now and would love to get some opinions on this from other writers and readers. Please help!

~Lisa~

[Justine Lark]

My story is an AU story where Edward and the rest of the Cullens are vampires and Bella is human when they meet. They are older, around 24-25 years old, and Bella and Edward are planning to get married.

My question is about the honeymoon.

I know we have all read the honeymoon on Isle Esme a million times and to create sometihng original would take powers I don't know that I have. So, my question is, how close to canon does everyone feel a canon story would need to be on the honeymoon part? Do Edward and Bella have to go to Isle Esme for their honeymoon or can they go someplace esle?

They can totally go somewhere else! Your story starts in a different place than Twilight. Bella is older. Probably she and Edward do not meet in high school. She might have had boyfriends before. Their relationship will be different so clearly their choice of honeymoon destination can be different. Maybe it won't be arranged by Edward as a surprise to Bella. Maybe it'll be something they plan together or a place that she chooses. That's what I like about AU, to see the same characters I like so much in a fresh new scenario.

[LisaDawn75]

Thank you, Elise and Justine, for your replies. My story is AU, but I've also tried to stay as close to canon as possible. However, I do have some major differences, such as adding a child into the mix, making the characters adults, etc. I would not mind sending them to Isle Esme for their honeymoon, however, I feel that scene has been done to death and unless I can find something fresh to add to it, I'd rather use my originality to completely redoing the scene, but maybe keeping a bit of the original in the story, such as a beach area or something. But I was curious as to what others thought first. Of course, I just started the first chapter, so I'm nowhere close to writing that scene yet!

I'd appreciate any other thoughts that anyone has, especially if you've been in the same situation about changing something from canon. I can already tell that writing a sequel is going to be a much bigger challenge than the original story was. I am going to have to search for a good beta that can help me, I believe, for this one.

Thanks again, for sharing your thoughts with me! Always appreciated!

~Lisa~

[angel_gidget]

Since you're doing an AU, you don't need to stick to Isle Esme, you need only to remain in-character and follow some cannon rules. If they go to some place more public than Isle Esme, it can't be too sunny. Edward and Bella's interaction will pretty much depend on how you've been writing them in the story so far. It doesn't have to be Edward-tries-sees-the-bruises-freaks-out-Bella-seduces-him, so long as it feels like another possibility of how their interaction could go.

I, for one, always thought that a good honeymoon alternative to Isle Esme would be London or England in general. It's very rainy/cloudy, and it has a lot of meaning for both Edward and Bella. It's the place where many of Bella's favorite books are set, and for Edward, it's the place where Carlisle is from and part of a family legacy.

[LisaDawn75]

Since you're doing an AU, you don't need to stick to Isle Esme, you need only to remain in-character and follow some cannon rules. If they go to some place more public than Isle Esme, it can't be too sunny. Edward and Bella's interaction will pretty much depend on how you've been writing them in the story so far. It doesn't have to be Edward-tries-sees-the-bruises-freaks-out-Bella-seduces-him, so long as it feels like another possibility of how their interaction could go.

I, for one, always thought that a good honeymoon alternative to Isle Esme would be London or England in general. It's very rainy/cloudy, and it has a lot of meaning for both Edward and Bella. It's the place where many of Bella's favorite books are set, and for Edward, it's the place where Carlisle is from and part of a family legacy.

Those are some really good suggestions. I actually beta for a girl who lives in England and she could give me some great inside information, plus I could see Edward and Bella honeymooning there, as well.

Thanks for sharing! I really think I am going to pass on Isle Esme, just because it's been done to death and go in a slightly different direction when I get to this story. I'm afraid it would bore me (I've read so many great stories about Isle Esme already), so I know it would bore my readers. Plus, I do like to always try to write things a bit differently from the norms.