Thursday, June 12, 2014

June Crusade: Samantha

And this officially starts my third plot bunny for Anne's June Crusade. Click HERE to learn more about this challenge.


I'm sure many (if not all) of you are familiar with the classic American Girl books. We've read their stories, we have some of the dolls (I have Kirsten Larson; how 'bout you? comment!), and we've loved the history behind them. But did you never wonder about what happened to them after their last story? Each girl (of the original set) is introduced, goes to school, has Christmas, turns 10 years old, saves the day, and encounters change. But where does their story go after that? What happens to them? What do they do when they're older?


Now, I told myself I was never EVER writing fanfiction. Imagine -- taking someone else's characters and making them do stuff! But, I don't s'pose most of us can help it. I can't help it. As soon as I read or watch a good story, my mind instantly goes to "What's next?" And then I spend the next week figuring out their future. I've got sequels to Peter Pan, The Borrowers, Epic (2013 film), some of the American Girls, and so many other stories all running amuck up in my brain! Sure, since I have Kirsten, I already have a story planned for her, but for some odd reason, I can't get everything to match up. So, I'm still chewing on that. 

Samantha's was easier to plot, especially of the BIG historic moment that falls right around her eighteenth birthday. What? Can you not know of what I speak? Let's see... Samantha turned 10 in 1904... and then she would have been 18 in 1912, right? The infamous 1912... yes. You know. 

The sinking of the Titanic.

Would Samantha have been aboard that fateful ship? Almost eighteen years old (the Titanic's maiden voyage was in April and Samantha's birthday is in May) and part of a very wealthy family makes me think that... yes, she would have been. That would have been just right around the time that Grandmary would have decided that a European tour was in line for Samantha's education, and April of 1912 would have been the month they returned to New York.

Intriguing, eh? I can't deny that I'm intrigued. 

So, here's what I got for a blurb so far:

For Samantha Parkington, life has always been easy. She's rich, she's beautiful, she's young, she's smart, and even though she's technically an orphan, she couldn't find more happiness than with her aunt, uncle, and adopted sisters, Nellie, Bridget, and Jenny. Life couldn't get better – but she soon discovers it can. Grandmary suggests a trip to Europe to complete her formal education, and Samantha is thrilled at the chance.

In a way, Samantha has always known that she was meant for important things. She's determined to make a difference in the world. Sooner or later, Grandmary will insist that she take a husband, but Samantha's willing to seek out the richest and handsomest man. And while she's at it, why not select one from the glittering and velvet company of the first class passengers of the Titanic? Grandmary could hardly do better.

But who is this Christ people keep talking about? And why do their stories of birth and death affect Nellie so? Samantha thought she had the world figured out, but one cold night throws everything she knew into the deep. It will take tragedy of the greatest kind to show her what's really important in life and what the true meaning of love really is.

Let me know what you think! I don't have a title yet, so I'm just referring to this as the Samantha sequel.

God bless!

17 comments:

  1. OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This sounds amazing! Please do this!

    I also have Kirsten Larson. I always liked her the best because she was closest to German of all the American Girls, and I have always loved reading about American pioneers.

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    1. Kirsten is amazing. ..... and yes, I'm talking about the doll. Who else could I be referencing? ;) I know, pioneers are soooo much fun!

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  2. This sounds really good! Please write! Please!
    I've never thought of doing AG fanfiction. My favorite American Girl is Kirsten. I daydreamed about playing Miss Winston in a movie, if they ever did one.

    ~Robyn

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    1. Oh, I wish they'd do a movie! My mom always said I looked exactly like Kirsten Larson when I was little, but now I suppose I'd fit more in an adult role. ;) Ooh, yes! I love Miss Winston!

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  3. OH. MY. FLIPPIN'. WORD. I just can't. YES I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED THAT!!!!! (And the references to Peter Pan and Epic…dying. Totally dying with fangirlish glee.)

    I have Josefina and Julie:D And three/four (I can't remember if my sister actually gave the fourth one to me or not!) of American Girl's offshoot, Girls of the World, or whatever it was called. Anywho of those dolls I have Neela, Spring Pearl, Minuk (and maybe Cecile;) ). If you haven't read those books you should, particularly Neela's and Spring Pearl's. They're much longer than the regular AG books, and more interesting, IMHO:)

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    1. Are they Girls of Many Lands? I've read some of those books - Isabelle, Spring Pearl, Minuk, & Neela. Cecile was always my favorite of the set, but I never could get my hands on her story. I absolutely love her blue dress, and the fact that she's French only made me love her more. :)

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  4. Oooooooooh myyyyy!!! o___o American Girl was my LIFE when I was little! I read every single one of their series up to Kaya, then I got old and boring. It was tragic. But the American Girls will always hold a dear, dear place in my heart. So THIS, this is amazing!!! What happens when they grow up? GENIUS. And Samantha is one of my favorites. Hers was the first of the series I read. But, I have to say, the idea of my dear Samantha being on the Titanic... D': That hurts my heart! But then you turn around and make it a Christian story and just lakdjfijser. THIS IS AMAZING.

    I am so glad to know I'm not the only one that makes after-story stories in their head. I'm not so good with things ending, so to comfort myself I'm constantly coming up with fanfiction in my head on what happens afterwards.

    I HAVE THE KIRSTEN DOLL TOO. She was always my favorite, followed by Samantha and Felicity.

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    1. YOU HAVE KIRSTEN, TOO? I think she's the favorite. I loved her stories! Kit and Kaya were probably next on my list, but I have a feeling my like for them bore out of "oh-look-we-share-the-same-letter-in-our-first-name" glee. Kirsten was always the best, because she had my name. So, no contest there. ;)

      "... then I got old and boring." -- Haha! You could never be boring, m'dear, but I know what you mean. I still pick them up from time to time, but they're over sooo fast! And then there's so much that could be added to them... and then I drive myself insane going, "WHAT COMES NEXT?"

      BTW, the Caroline books are really good, so if you need a half-hour read anytime, check those out! My younger sisters go nuts over her books!

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  5. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHH.
    This sounds interesting. :D

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  6. That sound really good/neat!
    I'm not a fan of fanfic. but that sounds awesome!
    I remember being frustrated that all the American girls were always ten, it would be neat to see one 'grow' up.
    I have Samantha :-) and my mom has Kirsten.
    I'm enjoying your plot bunnies posts! Keep up the good work!

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    1. Thank you for your kind comment, Tabitha!

      I know -- I'm not a huge fan of the fanfiction, either, especially when I see one that totally destroys the characters I've already grown to love.

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  7. I actually enjoy fanfiction on its level, and have even written it for Narnia (a story about Susan's Great-granddaughter finding her way into Narnia), LotR (*cough*my Elving stories*cough*) and Barbie Movies (I may actually talk about the Swan Lake one on Trilogy of Secret's day on my blog party). But despite my love for American Girl, I've never thought to sequelize them.

    Although some friends and I were going to perform a version of the Samantha movie at one point. One of us had the playbook (not certain where she got it). I was Nellie. I still have most of Nellie's scenes memorized ... (This attempt was ended by the fact that we didn't have a concrete plan for how and where we would perform it, and then Narnia came out and we started in on the Rizkaland plays). I personally wanted to play Molly for the real movie, but it didn't happen ...

    So while I'm not usually one for Titanic stories (I just can't understand the hype over one ship crashing. The Mayflower, I can kinda understand that, but ehh .... I don't like boat stories period, I guess), but if you mix it with Samantha, I think I'd read it.

    As for dolls, I have Jess, one of the girls of the year, who was a birthday present from the girl who owned the playbook, and Spring Pearl (one of the girls of many lands), who I found at goodwill. Haven't read SP's book, but I own her. My sister has a six-inch Elizabeth.

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    1. Whoa, whoa, whoa! Kendra, you're doing a Swan Lake one?? THIS MUST BE IN YOUR PARTY! Please??? I love Swan Lake -- music, and even Barbie movie. I think Swan Lake may top even Princess and the Pauper.

      What fun! :D I began writing a Kirsten Larson play when I was younger, but I abandoned it when I didn't know where it was going after the second scene. It took place right after the books, so she'd have been 11 (or almost 11) at the time. I know! It'd be so much fun to play in an AG movie! A real one, I mean. Not one of those Girl of the Year flimsy spout-outs.

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    2. I have a friend who was obsessed with Swan Lake, we were doing a Story one day (a game in our family where we assign names and personalities to ourselves and just make things up as we go along - it has inspired many of my WIP's) and she declared herself Odette, and I was ... I forget what my original name was ... it changed a few times on that retelling ... and she had just come from the fairy queen with orders to find me because Rothbart had gotten out of his clock prison and I was the only one who could save things. It wasn't long before I had changed everything in the story except for the fact that Odette married the prince, and yet never openly contradict anything. I just dug deeper and tied all the ties together. Once we had finished the story, we decided that we needed to turn it into a play and perform. I have a notebook with one and a half drafts of it, while the friend has half a draft somewhere.

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  8. Well, apparently I'm late seeing this, but...

    YOU ARE BRILLIANT. Yeah, I'd never ever think I'd write fanfic either...but I've got an idea for one now so maybe that'll change. But this is seriously one of the best fanfic ideas ever. Thank you thank you thank you. I always wanted to know what happened to the American Girls after they grew up. It was one of my disappointments in life that the series only went to the time they were ten. :) And Samantha was always one of my favorites, though I didn't have her doll. I have Kit and Felicity and one of the look-like-you modern American Girl dolls, though. :)

    *eeep* pkay, now that I've caught up, I need to go read your next post... ;)

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  9. I went through an American Girl phase, too, though it only lasted about a year, if that. My younger sisters were into them for much longer. My favorites were Felicity and Josefina.

    Some friends and my family performed a Kirsten play for our mothers one time while we were visiting them. If I remember correctly, I doubled as Miss Winston and Lisbeth.

    I've always been someone who wants to know what happens after a story, so this looks interesting! And mixing it with the Titanic... OOOOH, COOL!!!!

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