Dear Yuletide Writer
Oct. 19th, 2014 03:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rabidsamfanFair Warning... I'm pretty much composing this as I go along making requests, so you can expect it to get edited a few times over the course of the week. But I wanted the link for the request thingy. ETA It should be just about right now. I think...
First of all, thank you for writing for me! I ramble a lot in this letter, and propose a number of possibilities, but if you've got an idea that doesn't appear here, that's all to the good. I say "I want" a lot, but it isn't exclusive. The things I don't want will probably come clear as you go along. My earlier DYW letters are probably more coherent...
In general, for these fandoms I would like you to stay close to the canon. No AUs of the coffeeshop or high school kind, please. There just isn't enough fanfic of the ordinary sort to satisfy my cravings as it is. Taking the canon and diverging from the timeline is okay, though. I like crossovers, generally, and only request that you choose something which either blends well with what I've asked for or is completely gone over to the crackfic side of the force.
I am perfectly happy with gen stories. Humor, mystery, casefic where appropriate, slice of life, missing scene, hurt/comfort, fluff, all of these make me happy. I like backstories, even angsty ones, and happy endings, or at least hopeful ones. If you can get the flavor of the characters and the world right, you'll be able to lead me by the nose to darker themes, too. Cracky tropes amuse me whether done tongue-in-cheek or approached seriously. (What do you do when your five year old clone shows up at your door?) But mostly what these fandoms make me want is more. If you want to write ten drabbles (100 words please, that is one thing I am fussy about) which aren't connected, but each shine a light on the characters or set up some fun idea for me to play with in my head, go for it.
If you do decide to write me something sexy though, I'm okay with details, but not all that thrilled by them unless they're hooked to emotions and characterization. Awkward sex is fun if the characters think so too. Cheerful non-monagamy is great, when everyone knows what's happening and likes it. Deceitful infidelity usually sinks my boat. I'm not a fan of body fluids as kinks, either. In both those cases it takes an extraordinary story to make me not want to hit the backbutton, so you should probably play it safe and avoid them. I absolutely cannot cope with underage sex/pederasty, incest, or hatesex. Nor do I want to see non-con/dub-con, torture, or humiliation from a character who is meant to be good. And even if the bad guy does it, I'd rather see the comfort than the hurt. (I do like rescue and redemption stories.) Mpreg and A/B/O or other "destined to be sub/dom or top/bottom" type 'verses lost their charm for me long ago. I like informed consent, and everyone having fun best, but I also can like a sadder story where friends become lovers for the sake of healing/comfort, or even just a sense that this is where their friendship has been leading roundabout. When it comes to sexytime stories I really do prefer a happy ending for my chosen characters. And if you can make me laugh out loud, you've definitely done it right.
The New Avengers (TV, not comics) John Steed, Mike Gambit, and Purdey
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Avengers_(TV_series)
This is my perennial request, as you'll see if you go back a few yuletide letters. I'd love any story which focuses on Mike Gambit, and would spin mightily for a nice smutty threesome. (A Gambit sandwich!) But if you'd like to take an episode and go sideways that works. Mostly I'd like the three of them, with a bit of banter and a lot of friendship. (I like hurt/comfort, so if you're writing magical healing cuddling/sex it won't hurt my feelings.)
The series went from spy stories to robot assassins, so you can have fun writing gen too, and not worry too much about being outrageous. Kind of hard to top those Giant Rats in the Sewers. I've been indulging a lot in de-aging fics lately so that's a possibility. What would Gambit and Purdey do with a four year old Steed?
The Secret of Roan Inish - any characters
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_of_Roan_Inish
This movie has a lovely feel to it, which if you can get it into your story I'd appreciate. But it's the competence and determination of the children that always sticks with me. Fiona takes the hard work of repairing the cottages and convincing her grandparents in her stride. I'd like to think that she'll be the one to help Jamie back into the world of two legged people, too. Eamon, for all that he's been able to stay near the sea, is just as determined to go back to Roan Inish, and it might be fun to explore why. You could even explore what the story from the movie sounds like when it's being told to a Conneely child of the twenty first century. Or when it's being told among the selkies.
I'd prefer gen for this prompt, please. (Although if you have a really truly brilliant idea for a selkie and one of the other characters as a grown up, I might be persuaded. Might.)
A Civil Contract -- Georgette Heyer - Jenny Chawleigh
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/311132.A_Civil_Contract
If you've never read Heyer, you're in for a treat, for all that this is not a typical example of her Regency romances. It's landed gentry marrying upcoming merchant money out of practical necessity, not love, and Jenny Chawleigh is the one who has to make things work. That she does so is one of the charms of the book, but hers is a journey we only see the beginning of. As my sister once said, I'd like to see her looking at her husband's plans for new cottages for his workers and pointing out how impractical they are for the women who will have to cook and clean in them, or something of that ilk. Show her strengths, please, or show the ways in which her dreams really have come true some years down the line.
Again, a prompt where gen/romance is preferable. Unless you happen to be very well versed in the tropes of regency era porn, and can't resist the research, in which case, please go for for romantic sexytimes over kinkiness. Yes, I do like good research. With links, or a bibliography!
Rivers of London -- Thomas Nightingale, Frank Caffrey, Abdul Haqq Walid, Alexander Seawoll
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivers_of_London_(novel) (plus the sequels)
I may or may not have broken down and gotten my hands on Foxglove Summer by the time Yuletide hits. Feel free to use it though, as long as you warn me there are spoilers. Yes, it means I will be reading the story a mite later than usual, because I'll get my hands on the book first, but if it inspires you, it inspires you! Just be patient with me for feedback. In any case, I hope you can have fun with these four. Some past collaboration or "arrangement" perhaps? Some incident that left Seawoll sour on the idea of magic? Or something new, seen from Peter's perspective, even from Mama Thames's side of things, if you want to examine their interactions from an outside viewpoint. If it's hard to get all four in, I'm okay with one or two of them being only glanced at. Both Walid and Seawoll interest me mightily though. I feel about these four the way a friend of mine did upon reading Harry Potter. "What are the teachers up to?"
I'd definitely prefer gen for this one. I can't even wrap my head around a sexy prompt...
The Secret Garden -- Frances Hodgson Burnett Martha Sowerby and Mary Lennox
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Garden
I added this one at the last minute, having been reminded that I wanted it last year. I really want a story where Mary realizes just what Martha has done for her, because if it weren't for Martha, I don't think the garden would have made all that much difference. I don't see it as a romantic pairing at all, not even in the future -- perhaps somewhere between sisterly and the kind of relationship we see between Lord Peter Wimsey and Bunter, where the technical relationship is employer and servant and the true relationship is a kind of symbiosis. But I'd like to see more of Martha. Another 'verse where I'd definitely prefer gen. If you like character studies, this would be a good place to write.
Thank you in advance! I know I'll love what you write. (And I hope I haven't scared you off.) I've gotten great stories every yuletide and I'm looking forward to adding yours to my collection.
First of all, thank you for writing for me! I ramble a lot in this letter, and propose a number of possibilities, but if you've got an idea that doesn't appear here, that's all to the good. I say "I want" a lot, but it isn't exclusive. The things I don't want will probably come clear as you go along. My earlier DYW letters are probably more coherent...
In general, for these fandoms I would like you to stay close to the canon. No AUs of the coffeeshop or high school kind, please. There just isn't enough fanfic of the ordinary sort to satisfy my cravings as it is. Taking the canon and diverging from the timeline is okay, though. I like crossovers, generally, and only request that you choose something which either blends well with what I've asked for or is completely gone over to the crackfic side of the force.
I am perfectly happy with gen stories. Humor, mystery, casefic where appropriate, slice of life, missing scene, hurt/comfort, fluff, all of these make me happy. I like backstories, even angsty ones, and happy endings, or at least hopeful ones. If you can get the flavor of the characters and the world right, you'll be able to lead me by the nose to darker themes, too. Cracky tropes amuse me whether done tongue-in-cheek or approached seriously. (What do you do when your five year old clone shows up at your door?) But mostly what these fandoms make me want is more. If you want to write ten drabbles (100 words please, that is one thing I am fussy about) which aren't connected, but each shine a light on the characters or set up some fun idea for me to play with in my head, go for it.
If you do decide to write me something sexy though, I'm okay with details, but not all that thrilled by them unless they're hooked to emotions and characterization. Awkward sex is fun if the characters think so too. Cheerful non-monagamy is great, when everyone knows what's happening and likes it. Deceitful infidelity usually sinks my boat. I'm not a fan of body fluids as kinks, either. In both those cases it takes an extraordinary story to make me not want to hit the backbutton, so you should probably play it safe and avoid them. I absolutely cannot cope with underage sex/pederasty, incest, or hatesex. Nor do I want to see non-con/dub-con, torture, or humiliation from a character who is meant to be good. And even if the bad guy does it, I'd rather see the comfort than the hurt. (I do like rescue and redemption stories.) Mpreg and A/B/O or other "destined to be sub/dom or top/bottom" type 'verses lost their charm for me long ago. I like informed consent, and everyone having fun best, but I also can like a sadder story where friends become lovers for the sake of healing/comfort, or even just a sense that this is where their friendship has been leading roundabout. When it comes to sexytime stories I really do prefer a happy ending for my chosen characters. And if you can make me laugh out loud, you've definitely done it right.
The New Avengers (TV, not comics) John Steed, Mike Gambit, and Purdey
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Avengers_(TV_series)
This is my perennial request, as you'll see if you go back a few yuletide letters. I'd love any story which focuses on Mike Gambit, and would spin mightily for a nice smutty threesome. (A Gambit sandwich!) But if you'd like to take an episode and go sideways that works. Mostly I'd like the three of them, with a bit of banter and a lot of friendship. (I like hurt/comfort, so if you're writing magical healing cuddling/sex it won't hurt my feelings.)
The series went from spy stories to robot assassins, so you can have fun writing gen too, and not worry too much about being outrageous. Kind of hard to top those Giant Rats in the Sewers. I've been indulging a lot in de-aging fics lately so that's a possibility. What would Gambit and Purdey do with a four year old Steed?
The Secret of Roan Inish - any characters
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_of_Roan_Inish
This movie has a lovely feel to it, which if you can get it into your story I'd appreciate. But it's the competence and determination of the children that always sticks with me. Fiona takes the hard work of repairing the cottages and convincing her grandparents in her stride. I'd like to think that she'll be the one to help Jamie back into the world of two legged people, too. Eamon, for all that he's been able to stay near the sea, is just as determined to go back to Roan Inish, and it might be fun to explore why. You could even explore what the story from the movie sounds like when it's being told to a Conneely child of the twenty first century. Or when it's being told among the selkies.
I'd prefer gen for this prompt, please. (Although if you have a really truly brilliant idea for a selkie and one of the other characters as a grown up, I might be persuaded. Might.)
A Civil Contract -- Georgette Heyer - Jenny Chawleigh
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/311132.A_Civil_Contract
If you've never read Heyer, you're in for a treat, for all that this is not a typical example of her Regency romances. It's landed gentry marrying upcoming merchant money out of practical necessity, not love, and Jenny Chawleigh is the one who has to make things work. That she does so is one of the charms of the book, but hers is a journey we only see the beginning of. As my sister once said, I'd like to see her looking at her husband's plans for new cottages for his workers and pointing out how impractical they are for the women who will have to cook and clean in them, or something of that ilk. Show her strengths, please, or show the ways in which her dreams really have come true some years down the line.
Again, a prompt where gen/romance is preferable. Unless you happen to be very well versed in the tropes of regency era porn, and can't resist the research, in which case, please go for for romantic sexytimes over kinkiness. Yes, I do like good research. With links, or a bibliography!
Rivers of London -- Thomas Nightingale, Frank Caffrey, Abdul Haqq Walid, Alexander Seawoll
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivers_of_London_(novel) (plus the sequels)
I may or may not have broken down and gotten my hands on Foxglove Summer by the time Yuletide hits. Feel free to use it though, as long as you warn me there are spoilers. Yes, it means I will be reading the story a mite later than usual, because I'll get my hands on the book first, but if it inspires you, it inspires you! Just be patient with me for feedback. In any case, I hope you can have fun with these four. Some past collaboration or "arrangement" perhaps? Some incident that left Seawoll sour on the idea of magic? Or something new, seen from Peter's perspective, even from Mama Thames's side of things, if you want to examine their interactions from an outside viewpoint. If it's hard to get all four in, I'm okay with one or two of them being only glanced at. Both Walid and Seawoll interest me mightily though. I feel about these four the way a friend of mine did upon reading Harry Potter. "What are the teachers up to?"
I'd definitely prefer gen for this one. I can't even wrap my head around a sexy prompt...
The Secret Garden -- Frances Hodgson Burnett Martha Sowerby and Mary Lennox
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Garden
I added this one at the last minute, having been reminded that I wanted it last year. I really want a story where Mary realizes just what Martha has done for her, because if it weren't for Martha, I don't think the garden would have made all that much difference. I don't see it as a romantic pairing at all, not even in the future -- perhaps somewhere between sisterly and the kind of relationship we see between Lord Peter Wimsey and Bunter, where the technical relationship is employer and servant and the true relationship is a kind of symbiosis. But I'd like to see more of Martha. Another 'verse where I'd definitely prefer gen. If you like character studies, this would be a good place to write.
Thank you in advance! I know I'll love what you write. (And I hope I haven't scared you off.) I've gotten great stories every yuletide and I'm looking forward to adding yours to my collection.
