Writing exchanges and challenges for our favorite scoundress, Han/Leia!
Please read the rules before joining an event - our inbox is also always open for questions, comments, or suggestions!
Tag (# or @) hanleiacelebration to get our attention.
Hello lovely folks! Next month we're celebrating our favourite couple as is our yearly tradition, and we're here to tell you all about it so you can get started on your fanworks đ
đ How does Han/Leia Appreciation Week work?
This year, the event will run from August 17th to August 23rd, and there are two prompts each day that creators can fulfill with: fanfic, fanart, gifsets, graphics, fanvids, headcanons, crafts, playlists, rec lists. Youâre encouraged to tag your posts with #hanleiaweek2026 so we can reblog them! After the week is over, weâll share a masterlist with links to the works.
You can show your appreciation in many ways; however, please keep in mind that it has to be a creation of yours of some sort (e.g. donât repost other peopleâs fanart, gifs, or unedited pictures; don't use AI). Rec lists should include a link to the original source both for fanfic and fanart (more on this after the cut).
đĽ The prompts
Monday 8/17: Names / Dates
Tuesday 8/18: Snow / Stars
Wednesday 8/19: Favorite scene / Favorite quote
Thursday 8/20: Afraid / Amazed
Friday 8/21: AU / Canon divergence
Saturday 8/22: Now / Forever
Sunday 8/23: Free day!
You can use only one of the daily prompts, combine both, reinterpret them, or skip the day if you canât think of anything. If youâre not able to post on the same day for a prompt, youâre still encouraged to share it through the weekâjust donât post works for a certain prompt before the day corresponding to that prompt.
đ đ đ
FAQs and Rules under the cut - please read!
đ Can I post my work to another site and share the link on Tumblr?
Yes! This is a good option for people who might want to create explicit art that could be taken down on Tumblr, write a long fic or multichapter, or make videos or playlists.
đ Does it have to be a new creation? Can I finish and post a WIP?
It has to be something that has never been posted anywhere else before, so finishing and sharing a WIP is okay! If it doesnât fit any of the prompts, you can share it on Free Day.
đ Is this event open to all ratings?
Yes! Just remember to add a note at the top if your work is rated Mature or Explicit, as well as if it has any major trigger warnings, and use a âRead moreâ cut if youâre posting the whole work on Tumblr so everyone can safely browse through the entries.
đ Are there any length or quality requirements?
Thereâs no min. or max. length for fanfic or quality level for art, but please note that AI-generated works wonât be accepted. For gifsets, thereâs a minimum of two gifs (that must be made by you!). For playlists, thereâs a minimum of five songs. For rec lists of fic or fanart, thereâs also a minimum of five recs. Some more questions you might have about rec lists:
- How do I share someone elseâs art without posting a picture? You might post a thumbnail that crops a preview of the piece; if the piece has a title, you might use that; you might describe it; or you might say something like âthis piece by [artist]â, and link to the source.
- What if I found a fanart on Google? Try to find the original source using reverse search image.
- What if I canât still find it, can I just say âcredit to the artistâ? In that case, please just donât share the piece.
- What if I know the artist but donât have a link to the original source? Naming the artist and linking back to where you found it is okay, in that case.
đ Can I write for canon/Legends and include other pairings?
All canons, time periods, headcanons and AUs are welcome, and youâre allowed to include side pairings, except for R*eylo. However, keep in mind that this is a Han/Leia appreciation week - at the risk of sounding repetitive, works should focus on appreciating Han and Leiaâs relationship!
đ Whatâs the time zone for the event?
Please donât worry too much about time zones: when we say âdayâ, we always mean âwhenever that day is for you in your part of the worldâ - i.e.: if itâs Monday for you, you can post your work for the Monday prompt.
đ đ đ
Do you have any other questions? Donât hesitate to send us an ask or to message one of the mods: @lajulie24 @hanorganaas and @otterandterrier
Hello lovely folks! Next month we're celebrating our favourite couple as is our yearly tradition, and we're here to tell you all about it so you can get started on your fanworks đ
đ How does Han/Leia Appreciation Week work?
This year, the event will run from August 17th to August 23rd, and there are two prompts each day that creators can fulfill with: fanfic, fanart, gifsets, graphics, fanvids, headcanons, crafts, playlists, rec lists. Youâre encouraged to tag your posts with #hanleiaweek2026 so we can reblog them! After the week is over, weâll share a masterlist with links to the works.
You can show your appreciation in many ways; however, please keep in mind that it has to be a creation of yours of some sort (e.g. donât repost other peopleâs fanart, gifs, or unedited pictures; don't use AI). Rec lists should include a link to the original source both for fanfic and fanart (more on this after the cut).
đĽ The prompts
Monday 8/17: Names / Dates
Tuesday 8/18: Snow / Stars
Wednesday 8/19: Favorite scene / Favorite quote
Thursday 8/20: Afraid / Amazed
Friday 8/21: AU / Canon divergence
Saturday 8/22: Now / Forever
Sunday 8/23: Free day!
You can use only one of the daily prompts, combine both, reinterpret them, or skip the day if you canât think of anything. If youâre not able to post on the same day for a prompt, youâre still encouraged to share it through the weekâjust donât post works for a certain prompt before the day corresponding to that prompt.
đ đ đ
FAQs and Rules under the cut - please read!
đ Can I post my work to another site and share the link on Tumblr?
Yes! This is a good option for people who might want to create explicit art that could be taken down on Tumblr, write a long fic or multichapter, or make videos or playlists.
đ Does it have to be a new creation? Can I finish and post a WIP?
It has to be something that has never been posted anywhere else before, so finishing and sharing a WIP is okay! If it doesnât fit any of the prompts, you can share it on Free Day.
đ Is this event open to all ratings?
Yes! Just remember to add a note at the top if your work is rated Mature or Explicit, as well as if it has any major trigger warnings, and use a âRead moreâ cut if youâre posting the whole work on Tumblr so everyone can safely browse through the entries.
đ Are there any length or quality requirements?
Thereâs no min. or max. length for fanfic or quality level for art, but please note that AI-generated works wonât be accepted. For gifsets, thereâs a minimum of two gifs (that must be made by you!). For playlists, thereâs a minimum of five songs. For rec lists of fic or fanart, thereâs also a minimum of five recs. Some more questions you might have about rec lists:
- How do I share someone elseâs art without posting a picture? You might post a thumbnail that crops a preview of the piece; if the piece has a title, you might use that; you might describe it; or you might say something like âthis piece by [artist]â, and link to the source.
- What if I found a fanart on Google? Try to find the original source using reverse search image.
- What if I canât still find it, can I just say âcredit to the artistâ? In that case, please just donât share the piece.
- What if I know the artist but donât have a link to the original source? Naming the artist and linking back to where you found it is okay, in that case.
đ Can I write for canon/Legends and include other pairings?
All canons, time periods, headcanons and AUs are welcome, and youâre allowed to include side pairings, except for R*eylo. However, keep in mind that this is a Han/Leia appreciation week - at the risk of sounding repetitive, works should focus on appreciating Han and Leiaâs relationship!
đ Whatâs the time zone for the event?
Please donât worry too much about time zones: when we say âdayâ, we always mean âwhenever that day is for you in your part of the worldâ - i.e.: if itâs Monday for you, you can post your work for the Monday prompt.
đ đ đ
Do you have any other questions? Donât hesitate to send us an ask or to message one of the mods: @lajulie24 @hanorganaas and @otterandterrier
2025 Han x Leia Holiday Exchange: The Reveal (part 2)
That's a wrap!! ⨠As of today, everyone has received their gifts and has hopefully had a chance to read them and thank their mystery writers... so it's time for the big author reveal!
đ Check out the 2025 Han x Leia Holiday Exchange Collection HERE
We continue to run this challenge every year to offer a creative outlet and a fun, safe distraction to our fellow Han/Leia shippers no matter what else might be going on. So we hope everyone had fun coming up with ideas, getting to know others in the fandom and seeing your stories come to life. Thank you to everyone who participated: our writers, betas, cheerleaders, readers and our generous pinch hitters!
Everyone, please check out the wonderful stories we got this year if you haven't done so yet, and remember to leave kudos and a comment if you liked them!
Writers, youâre welcome to promote your fics and repost them anywhere you want now!
If you havenât done so yet, please remember to read your gift and leave a comment thanking your writer!
Without further ado...
The masterlist
a glass poured written by @ahsokatanoss for @diplomaticprincess
All mixed up written by @walkawaytall for @barelydaisy
A mission to remember written by @nocturnalgremlingiant for @phoenix-downer
And you're a disaster written by @joybirdsworks for @cowboylikesolo
At rest written by @bookishbrigitta for @nocturnalgremlingiant
at the edge of my consciousness is where the grass grows written by @soloorganaas for @swappingsongswithswallows
By anonymous written by @diplomaticprincess for @dreaming-of-epiphanies
don't go (i'm holding onto you) written by @snipsnipsnippy for @joybirdsworks
every day I add another stone to the walls I built around you written by @otterandterrierwrites for @walkawaytall
Eyes shut, hair unbound written by @kintsu-tai for @snipsnipsnippy
Future Days written by @maggzblair for @kintsu-tai
Gambler's Fallacy written by @dreaming-of-epiphanies for @ahsokatanoss
More like resting than running written by @lajulie24 for @otterandterrierwrites
Rebel intelligence written by @lajulie24 for @soloorganaas
Showing our hands written by @phoenix-downer for @lajulie24
to face unafraid the plans that we've made written by @bb8mangoes for @bookishbrigitta
Value of the heart written by @cowboylikesolo for @bb8mangoes
2025 Han x Leia Holiday Exchange: The Reveal (part 1)
The collection for the 2025 Han x Leia Holiday Exchange has now been revealed! đ
Check out all the fics that have been submitted so far at the AO3 collection HERE.
Participants, you should have received an email from AO3 with a direct link to your gift when the collection was revealed. If you havenât, itâs because weâre still waiting on a couple of submissions from writers who needed a bit more time. Once your gift is submitted and approved for the collection, youâll get an email with a link to your gift. Thank you for understanding!
Please make sure to leave a nice comment thanking your mystery author! And if you read and enjoy the rest of the fics, please also remember to show our authors some love with kudos and comments.
Authors will remain anonymous until January 31, so remember to please keep your identity a secret and do not share your fic anywhere else just yet! We will reveal the authors and share a masterlist of all the fics for this yearâs exchange later this month.
Now, go enjoy these wonderful gifts, and have fun trying to guess who wrote what!
2025 Han x Leia Holiday Exchange: The Reveal (part 1)
The collection for the 2025 Han x Leia Holiday Exchange has now been revealed! đ
Check out all the fics that have been submitted so far at the AO3 collection HERE.
Participants, you should have received an email from AO3 with a direct link to your gift when the collection was revealed. If you havenât, itâs because weâre still waiting on a couple of submissions from writers who needed a bit more time. Once your gift is submitted and approved for the collection, youâll get an email with a link to your gift. Thank you for understanding!
Please make sure to leave a nice comment thanking your mystery author! And if you read and enjoy the rest of the fics, please also remember to show our authors some love with kudos and comments.
Authors will remain anonymous until January 31, so remember to please keep your identity a secret and do not share your fic anywhere else just yet! We will reveal the authors and share a masterlist of all the fics for this yearâs exchange later this month.
Now, go enjoy these wonderful gifts, and have fun trying to guess who wrote what!
As we head into the weekend, reminder that we revealed the collection this week so there's lots of great stuff to read! Just one week until authors reveals! đ
And please join me in wishing mod @lajulie24 the happiest of birthdays! 𼳠We couldn't run this exchange without her!
Fellow Han/Leia enthusiasts, please keep in mind that AO3 will be down for about 15 hours starting at 08:00 UTC on January 21 (check what time that is for you).
Unfortunately, this is right as we begin to enjoy all the wonderful gifts from this year's exchange, which we revealed yesterday. What you can do is download all the fics you were looking forward to reading, so make sure to do that today!
Fellow Han/Leia enthusiasts, please keep in mind that AO3 will be down for about 15 hours starting at 08:00 UTC on January 21 (check what time that is for you).
Unfortunately, this is right as we begin to enjoy all the wonderful gifts from this year's exchange, which we revealed yesterday. What you can do is download all the fics you were looking forward to reading, so make sure to do that today!
2025 Han x Leia Holiday Exchange: The Reveal (part 1)
The collection for the 2025 Han x Leia Holiday Exchange has now been revealed! đ
Check out all the fics that have been submitted so far at the AO3 collection HERE.
Participants, you should have received an email from AO3 with a direct link to your gift when the collection was revealed. If you havenât, itâs because weâre still waiting on a couple of submissions from writers who needed a bit more time. Once your gift is submitted and approved for the collection, youâll get an email with a link to your gift. Thank you for understanding!
Please make sure to leave a nice comment thanking your mystery author! And if you read and enjoy the rest of the fics, please also remember to show our authors some love with kudos and comments.
Authors will remain anonymous until January 31, so remember to please keep your identity a secret and do not share your fic anywhere else just yet! We will reveal the authors and share a masterlist of all the fics for this yearâs exchange later this month.
Now, go enjoy these wonderful gifts, and have fun trying to guess who wrote what!
Today, Sunday, January 18, is the deadline to submit your fics for the 2025 HanLeia Holiday Exchange! Some of you have already done so these past couple of days, while others might still be toiling away with final edits and title decisions. Either way, you're all rockstars and we're excited for the reveal!!
A few things to keep in mind today:
If itâs still January 18 somewhere in the world, youâre not late. Fics may be submitted at any time today.
If you anticipate having trouble making todayâs deadline, please get in touch with one of the mods ASAP. We are often able to arrange a short (i.e. a couple of days) extension or find another way to help you out. And if for some reason you need more than that, letâs talk so we can come up with a solution and make sure you and your giftee are taken care of.
Remember to use âMy Assignmentsâ to submit your fic. Once you click âFulfillâ on your assignment for the Exchange, it will work very similarly to how regular posting on AO3 works, but make sure you submit by going to your assignment and not through the regular posting mechanism on AO3. That will ensure that you and your fic stay anonymous until we reveal the collection, and that your fic is correctly connected to your giftee. Make sure to hit Post rather than leave it as a Draft.
Need help? Get in touch. If youâre having challenges with posting, have a question, are desperately in search of a last-minute beta reader, or need something else, get in touch with mods @lajulie24 or @otterandterrier and we will do our best to help you out. Thatâs what weâre here for!
Sending you some Carrie Fisher glitter to cheer you on! â¨
Hello, writers! This post is to remind you that fics for the Han/Leia Holiday Exchange 2025 are due next Sunday, January 18, and to announce that the Ao3 collection to submit your fics is now open!
A few things to keep in mind as we approach the deadline:
How to submit your fic: Please make sure to submit it by going to the âMy Assignmentsâ tab in your AO3 account and clicking âFulfill.â Once you click âFulfill,â the process will be similar to the regular posting process on AO3, but itâs important that you do it through the Assignments tab (not the regular Post function on AO3). This way, your fic gets connected to your giftee AND both the author (you) and the fic will stay hidden until itâs time to reveal the collection.
Make sure your fic is tagged with the appropriate ratings and warnings, if applicable, and remember not to include anything in your summary or notes for the fic that gives away who you are (e.g. your Tumblr handle, references to other fic titles you've written). We love the surprise!
The posting date your fic will show up as will be the date you posted it on, not the date it will be made visible on. This means that your fic could potentially get buried under newer works in the Search by the time itâs visible. If this is something that worries you, you should be able to fix this by choosing a different posting date set in the future, or change it later on.
The mods will be checking over the fics as theyâre submitted to make sure theyâve been properly tagged and that writers havenât accidentally given themselves away. Assuming everythingâs in order, they'll get approved for the collection; if not, weâll reach out to the author to sort it out. Make sure to login to Tumblr periodically after posting in case we need to get in touch!
Still need a beta? The sooner you let us know, the easier it will be to match you with someone who still has time to help you out, so get in touch with a mod ASAP if youâre not already connected with a beta and would like one.
Fics are due ANYTIME Sunday, January 18. As long as itâs still 18 January 2026 somewhere in the world, youâre good.
Worried about making the deadline? Please get in touch with one of the mods ASAP. If itâs a matter of a day or two, we can likely work with you on an extension. If you need to drop out, the sooner we know, the sooner we can get a pinch hitter to make sure your giftee gets a fic.
Thatâs about it! If you have any questions or need anything else, please get in touch with the mods, or send an ask to the blog â weâre here to help.
Hello, writers! This post is to remind you that fics for the Han/Leia Holiday Exchange 2025 are due next Sunday, January 18, and to announce that the Ao3 collection to submit your fics is now open!
A few things to keep in mind as we approach the deadline:
How to submit your fic: Please make sure to submit it by going to the âMy Assignmentsâ tab in your AO3 account and clicking âFulfill.â Once you click âFulfill,â the process will be similar to the regular posting process on AO3, but itâs important that you do it through the Assignments tab (not the regular Post function on AO3). This way, your fic gets connected to your giftee AND both the author (you) and the fic will stay hidden until itâs time to reveal the collection.
Make sure your fic is tagged with the appropriate ratings and warnings, if applicable, and remember not to include anything in your summary or notes for the fic that gives away who you are (e.g. your Tumblr handle, references to other fic titles you've written). We love the surprise!
The posting date your fic will show up as will be the date you posted it on, not the date it will be made visible on. This means that your fic could potentially get buried under newer works in the Search by the time itâs visible. If this is something that worries you, you should be able to fix this by choosing a different posting date set in the future, or change it later on.
The mods will be checking over the fics as theyâre submitted to make sure theyâve been properly tagged and that writers havenât accidentally given themselves away. Assuming everythingâs in order, they'll get approved for the collection; if not, weâll reach out to the author to sort it out. Make sure to login to Tumblr periodically after posting in case we need to get in touch!
Still need a beta? The sooner you let us know, the easier it will be to match you with someone who still has time to help you out, so get in touch with a mod ASAP if youâre not already connected with a beta and would like one.
Fics are due ANYTIME Sunday, January 18. As long as itâs still 18 January 2026 somewhere in the world, youâre good.
Worried about making the deadline? Please get in touch with one of the mods ASAP. If itâs a matter of a day or two, we can likely work with you on an extension. If you need to drop out, the sooner we know, the sooner we can get a pinch hitter to make sure your giftee gets a fic.
Thatâs about it! If you have any questions or need anything else, please get in touch with the mods, or send an ask to the blog â weâre here to help.
Hi! Sorry, I'm the one who asked if this is running again in 2026, as I missed the sign-ups lol. Just curious if this whole exchange is going to come back towards the end of 2026 (if that makes sense)! Thanks!
Oh, that's too bad! While we can't make any promises (because a lot can happen in a year), we'll do our best to continue hosting it!
Weâre about halfway through our writing time for the 2025 HanLeia Holiday Exchange!
In the next few days, youâll be hearing from one of the mods to check in and see how things are going. Please be sure to keep an eye on your Tumblr messages, and respond promptly when you hear from one of the mods. Whether youâre close to done, still thinking through ideas, or somewhere in between, itâs all good! Just let us know. We still have time until fics are due (January 19, 2026).
This is also a great time to let us knowâŚ
Any questions or challenges that have come up as youâre writing for your giftee.
If youâd like help from a beta reader, a cheerleader, or just someone to help you bounce around ideas as youâre writing your fic.
If youâd be willing to help another writer out as a beta reader or cheerleader.
While we still have over a month before the deadline for the 2025 HanLeia Holiday Exchange (January 18), our writers are already hard at work on their gifts â and some of them might require a little assistance! We're looking for volunteers in the following areas:
Beta reading - proofreading: checking grammar, spelling, word usage, or typos before a fic is posted
Beta reading - characterization, plot, or flow: a little more in-depth read and questions on more structural issues with the fic (âdoes this part ring true to this character to you?â could be a question a writer might ask, for instance)
Cheerleading / sounding board: Helping a writer when theyâre having trouble getting started, when they got started but are feeling a bit stuck, or are feeling challenged to get across the finish line. This could just be encouragement and checking in regularly, or it could be offering a sounding board to think through ideas or get suggestions.
We welcome your help regardless of whether youâre writing for the exchange or not. And if youâre concerned about having enough time, please don't worry; weâll check in with you before we match you with a writer in need to make sure you still have time and capacity to do it.
To let us know youâd like to help, send a message to mods @lajulie24 , @otterandterrier or @hanorganaas, or send an ask at @hanleiacelebration. On behalf of all of us writers, thank you!
Writers, have you reached out to your giftee yet? If not, be sure to send them an anonymous ask on Tumblr as soon as possible, but definitely by the end of Saturday, December 6.
Exchange participants, be sure your Tumblr is set up to accept anonymous asks and direct messages from everyone. Please check your inbox and post your response! If your writer hasnât sent you an ask by Sunday morning, please reach out to one of the mods and weâll remind them.
Anonymous asks are a great way to find out more about your gifteeâs likes and preferences, bounce story ideas off of them, or just say hi! And theyâre an especially fun part of the exchange.
If youâd like a common tag to use when posting things about the exchange, you can use #hanleiaholidayexchange2025âthatâs the tag weâre using for the blog, and itâs a great way to find other HanLeia fans who are posting about the exchange.
Having trouble reaching out to your giftee? Have another problem, or a question? Looking for a beta reader, a cheerleader, or someone besides your giftee to bounce ideas around? Contact one of the mods (@lajulie24 @otterandterrier or @hanorganaas ) and weâll be happy to help.
We're moving on to the next stage of the 2025 Han/Leia Holiday Exchange! The mods have been working some deep magic, mixing and matching your requests and your offers to find the (hopefully) right gift-giver for everyone đŞ And we did it with a day to spare, so your assignment is coming a little earlier than scheduled!
đ Whatâs next?
1. Find your assignment: Assignments went out to the email address you use for your AO3 account. (Be sure to check junk or bulk mail boxes if it didnât land in your inbox.) You can also log onto AO3 and find your assignment in your dashboard under âAssignments.â If for some reason you did not receive your assignment, please contact one of the mods.
2. Make sure youâre Tumblr-ready for the exchange: Check that the Tumblr used in your sign-up is set up to receive anonymous asks, that you're able to receive direct messages from everyone (not just blogs you follow) so that a mod can contact you, and that you check that Tumblr account regularly (at least every couple of days) during the exchange to respond to messages from your writer or from the mods, as this will be the primary way folks will get in touch with you about exchange business. Plus, it can be a fun way to share the excitement with other participants!
3. Say hello (secretly!!) to your giftee: Within the next couple of days, send an anonymous message to your recipientâs Tumblr ask box to say hello. This is a great opportunity to ask your giftee questions about their preferences or prompts, to bounce story ideas off of them, or just to greet them and say that youâre excited to be working on their gift. And by no means do you have to limit yourself to one messageâa little back-and-forth with your giftee can build excitement and help you with your story. If your gifteeâs Tumblr does not allow anonymous messaging, please contact the mods and weâll remind them to turn that feature on.
4. Have fun writing! Mods will be checking in with folks the week of December 15 (halfway point, -ish) to see how things are going, but donât feel like you need to wait until then to ask questions or ask for help. Need a beta reader, a cheerleader, or someone to help you bounce around story ideas? Hit us up, and weâll work on connecting you with someone. Have a problem or a question? Let us know and weâll do our best to resolve it.
5. Submit your fic via AO3 once itâs ready: The collection will be open for submissions some time before the deadlineâweâll let you know when the collection is ready. When youâre ready to submit your fic, youâll go to your AO3 account, find âAssignments,â go to â2025 HanLeia Holiday Exchangeâ and hit âFulfillâ to start posting your fic. (It will look very similar to the regular AO3 posting process, but using âFulfill Assignmentâ will make sure itâs connected with your recipient and that it remains hidden and anonymous until itâs time to reveal the exchange collection.) Then follow the instructions and AO3 will do the rest!
As always, your exchange mods are here to help. You can send an ask to our inbox here at the blog, or contact one of us directly: @lajulie24, @otterandterrier or @hanorganaas
