Dear Yuletide Writer
Dear Yuletide Writer, whoever you may be:
Hi!
And welcome! My Dear-Whatever-Fest-Writer letters tend to be a squee-fest of things I love, and I've decided to just run with it instead of trying to find other words than "love". I'm really looking forward to fic in any of these fandoms, because they just make me happy.
Generally, I love stories that fall somewhere on the spectrum between "fluff" and "angst" (how's that for vague?) and prefer a positive or happy ending. I'm a sucker for physical affection, platonic or otherwise - cuddling, bed-sharing, hand-holding, you name it. I also adore chosen and found family stories, friendship fic, and characters saving the day, or just making it through the day. I'd prefer it if the fic stayed away from rape, non-canonical character death, and graphic sex/violence, just because those aren't really my thing.
I'm tallshipandstar at Tumblr, which is probably my fannish home these days.
And now, the fandoms:
Arctic Air: Krista Ivarson, Blake Laviolette
My main reasons for adoring this show are basically, in equal parts, planes, scenery and characters. I requested Krista and Blake because I love them, but also because I find them both really interesting - if your story idea leans more towards one character than another, then by any means feel free to just include one of them.
Krista might just be one of my favourite characters of all time. I think my absolute favourite moment was in that episode with the Russian mafia and the polar bear (note I didn't include "plotlines" on my list of reasons...) in which Bobby tries to smooth things over by telling their captors that Krista is just scared, to which she responds "No, actually, I'm pissed off" and ends up holding two men at gunpoint. I love her confidence in the air, and her sense of herself as belonging to her environment. I'm interested in what might happen after the finale, especially given the crash and the loss of Lady Lou - how does she deal with that, personally and professionally? I'd also love to see more of her relationship with the people around her (Astrid, Dev, Loreen, Cece, Mel...) because she interacts with them in such different ways.
You know that meme that pops up from time to time, where one of the questions is "character I never expected to love as much as I do now"? Well, for me, the answer to that question is Blake. He grew on me in a major way, going from a character I disliked through the first season to one of my favourites by the end. I think the turning point was Stormy Weather; I think he was way out of line in what he said to Krista in that episode, but it was also as though he improved dramatically once he got over her! One of my favourite moments for Blake is in Hell Hath No Fury, when he's trying to keep the sabotaged plane in the air, and he's just so focused and competent. For Blake, something that really interests me that the show never got a chance to address, is his plan to at some point move on from Yellowknife to fly for one of the big airlines. Blake changed so much over the course of the show, and he seemed to find his place in YK - what would happen if one of those airlines did come calling? Last time he stayed in YK for Krista, but would he make the same decision now? Would he give up a dream to stay at Arctic Air/in the north, or would he move on? And if he did leave, what would he take with him from Yellowknife? I also love his relationship with Dev, but also with everyone else - again, I love friendship and buddy fic and this is such a great fandom for it, so if you'd like to explore that aspect of Blake, go for it.
Season three had a very unexpected effect on me in that it left me shipping Krista/Blake. Don't get me wrong, I love Krista/Bobby as well and if you want to write that I would love it (I also love Petra, so please be kind to her?). But I'd be interested to see what would happen if Krista and Blake were to give their relationship another go. I feel like they've both grown and changed so much, and that if they tried again they would be on a much more equal footing. They definitely understand each other a lot more, and appreciate each other's strengths - I think there's a lot of potential for story in that relationship, and would love to read it!
Figure Skating RPF: Kaitlyn Weaver, Tessa Virtue
I'm a relative newbie to figure skating fandom - thanks, Olympics! - and have spent the last few months in a glorious haze of videos, interviews, and Tumblr. Somewhere in all that, I developed a passion for Canadian ice dancers, because why not? And I love these two the very best. Skating, singing, being roommates... they're just fun.
I would adore gen friendship fic or character study, femslash or het-with-skating-partners for these two, and I'll also admit to a weird fondness for Kaitlyn/Tessa/Andrew (I have no idea where that one came from, it just happened!). You're welcome to include Andrew and Scott and equally welcome to not include them - I think I just want the intensity/depth/respect/friendship of those relationships to remain intact whether the guys are there or not. Also feel free to throw in any other skaters, especially Team Canada
Some ideas: they were roomies in Sochi, and there was room decorating - what did they get up to or talk about there? Or Stars on Ice - as well as all the potential for shenanigans on tour they were in two numbers together - I especially love Try, with that weird little partner swap moment that seems to bear no relationship to the narrative of the piece... so something with that would be fun. What about a girls' night out - or girls night in - on tour, or when Tessa was still living in Detroit? How do they balance skating and competing with trying to live normal lives? And what might their futures hold, for them individually/together/with their partners?
Airport: Tanya Livingston
I read this book a bunch of times in my teens, and when I picked it up again a few years ago I discovered exactly how much I love Tanya. She's a single mother with an incredibly demanding job, she's really good at what she does and she's respected by the people around her. I love her competence, her passion for her industry, and the fact that she pursues her suspicion about the man with the attache case, even with the likelihood that people would (as the DTM did) just write off her suspicions. Whether Guerrero's plan would have worked out as he wanted or not, it's because of Tanya that the crew of flight two even knew that there was a bomb on the aircraft and were making their way back to Lincoln when it went off - things might have ended very differently if he'd triggered the bomb when they were over the ocean.
I'd love to read anything that explores more of Tanya's life. She talks about her husband leaving when she found out she was pregnant - what was that really like for her, and how did she get from there to where she is in the book? Does she make DTM, or even vice-president as Mel suggests? Speaking of Mel, I love the hints of their relationship - there seems to be a lot of mutual respect there (aside from Mel's infuriating aside about women, including Cindy and probably Tanya, seldom being logical - because he doesn't seem to feel that way about Tanya the rest of the time - he takes her seriously when she comes to him about Guerrero, after all) as well as simply enjoying each other's company - I do ship it, so something about them set after the book would be awesome. Maybe navigating their new relationship with each other in the airport rumour mill, or the complexities of dating with children?
Marlows: Miranda West, Janice Scott
Miranda and Janice are two of my favourite characters in the series, both as individuals and in the complexities of their relationship with each other. I'd love something set during or after their time at Kingscote that explores their experiences with the school culture and their different ways of engaging with it, their interactions, their relationships with other students and staff. Miranda has such a passionate, intense way of being involved in things, like the Christmas play and the netball team, whereas Janice tends to approach things in a more reserved and disconnected way - she's not a team player in the traditional school story sense, yet we see her providing real help to Nicola at least twice in the series (with regard to scholarships for remaining at school and the indignity of being left off the netball team and then being interrogated about it by one's classmates at breakfast) in a way that someone like Val Longstreet could never hope to achieve. What is it about Janice that drew Miranda's attention so long ago, and has held it ever since? I love the way the series respects Miranda's affection for Janice - is it a commonly known thing in her form, or just something that Nicola has picked up on?
I always love that Miranda got to play Ariel to Janice's Prospero, especially as she wanted it so badly, so I'd love to read something set around then.
I'd also love anything about them separately - feel free to focus on just one. Maybe something exploring either character's background or home life more than the hints we get in the series, or Jan's relationship with her form. She sees right through Lois Sanger and has little time for Val - has she had any close friends during her time at school, and if so, what happened? How does she change once she gets out of Kingscote and gets to make her own way in the world. And Miranda - what are her later years at Kingscote like? Does she make prefect, or even Head Girl, and if so, how does she cope? How does her school experience change once Janice is gone?
Thank you, author! I love Yuletide and can't wait to read whatever you come up with.
Hi!
And welcome! My Dear-Whatever-Fest-Writer letters tend to be a squee-fest of things I love, and I've decided to just run with it instead of trying to find other words than "love". I'm really looking forward to fic in any of these fandoms, because they just make me happy.
Generally, I love stories that fall somewhere on the spectrum between "fluff" and "angst" (how's that for vague?) and prefer a positive or happy ending. I'm a sucker for physical affection, platonic or otherwise - cuddling, bed-sharing, hand-holding, you name it. I also adore chosen and found family stories, friendship fic, and characters saving the day, or just making it through the day. I'd prefer it if the fic stayed away from rape, non-canonical character death, and graphic sex/violence, just because those aren't really my thing.
I'm tallshipandstar at Tumblr, which is probably my fannish home these days.
And now, the fandoms:
Arctic Air: Krista Ivarson, Blake Laviolette
My main reasons for adoring this show are basically, in equal parts, planes, scenery and characters. I requested Krista and Blake because I love them, but also because I find them both really interesting - if your story idea leans more towards one character than another, then by any means feel free to just include one of them.
Krista might just be one of my favourite characters of all time. I think my absolute favourite moment was in that episode with the Russian mafia and the polar bear (note I didn't include "plotlines" on my list of reasons...) in which Bobby tries to smooth things over by telling their captors that Krista is just scared, to which she responds "No, actually, I'm pissed off" and ends up holding two men at gunpoint. I love her confidence in the air, and her sense of herself as belonging to her environment. I'm interested in what might happen after the finale, especially given the crash and the loss of Lady Lou - how does she deal with that, personally and professionally? I'd also love to see more of her relationship with the people around her (Astrid, Dev, Loreen, Cece, Mel...) because she interacts with them in such different ways.
You know that meme that pops up from time to time, where one of the questions is "character I never expected to love as much as I do now"? Well, for me, the answer to that question is Blake. He grew on me in a major way, going from a character I disliked through the first season to one of my favourites by the end. I think the turning point was Stormy Weather; I think he was way out of line in what he said to Krista in that episode, but it was also as though he improved dramatically once he got over her! One of my favourite moments for Blake is in Hell Hath No Fury, when he's trying to keep the sabotaged plane in the air, and he's just so focused and competent. For Blake, something that really interests me that the show never got a chance to address, is his plan to at some point move on from Yellowknife to fly for one of the big airlines. Blake changed so much over the course of the show, and he seemed to find his place in YK - what would happen if one of those airlines did come calling? Last time he stayed in YK for Krista, but would he make the same decision now? Would he give up a dream to stay at Arctic Air/in the north, or would he move on? And if he did leave, what would he take with him from Yellowknife? I also love his relationship with Dev, but also with everyone else - again, I love friendship and buddy fic and this is such a great fandom for it, so if you'd like to explore that aspect of Blake, go for it.
Season three had a very unexpected effect on me in that it left me shipping Krista/Blake. Don't get me wrong, I love Krista/Bobby as well and if you want to write that I would love it (I also love Petra, so please be kind to her?). But I'd be interested to see what would happen if Krista and Blake were to give their relationship another go. I feel like they've both grown and changed so much, and that if they tried again they would be on a much more equal footing. They definitely understand each other a lot more, and appreciate each other's strengths - I think there's a lot of potential for story in that relationship, and would love to read it!
Figure Skating RPF: Kaitlyn Weaver, Tessa Virtue
I'm a relative newbie to figure skating fandom - thanks, Olympics! - and have spent the last few months in a glorious haze of videos, interviews, and Tumblr. Somewhere in all that, I developed a passion for Canadian ice dancers, because why not? And I love these two the very best. Skating, singing, being roommates... they're just fun.
I would adore gen friendship fic or character study, femslash or het-with-skating-partners for these two, and I'll also admit to a weird fondness for Kaitlyn/Tessa/Andrew (I have no idea where that one came from, it just happened!). You're welcome to include Andrew and Scott and equally welcome to not include them - I think I just want the intensity/depth/respect/friendship of those relationships to remain intact whether the guys are there or not. Also feel free to throw in any other skaters, especially Team Canada
Some ideas: they were roomies in Sochi, and there was room decorating - what did they get up to or talk about there? Or Stars on Ice - as well as all the potential for shenanigans on tour they were in two numbers together - I especially love Try, with that weird little partner swap moment that seems to bear no relationship to the narrative of the piece... so something with that would be fun. What about a girls' night out - or girls night in - on tour, or when Tessa was still living in Detroit? How do they balance skating and competing with trying to live normal lives? And what might their futures hold, for them individually/together/with their partners?
Airport: Tanya Livingston
I read this book a bunch of times in my teens, and when I picked it up again a few years ago I discovered exactly how much I love Tanya. She's a single mother with an incredibly demanding job, she's really good at what she does and she's respected by the people around her. I love her competence, her passion for her industry, and the fact that she pursues her suspicion about the man with the attache case, even with the likelihood that people would (as the DTM did) just write off her suspicions. Whether Guerrero's plan would have worked out as he wanted or not, it's because of Tanya that the crew of flight two even knew that there was a bomb on the aircraft and were making their way back to Lincoln when it went off - things might have ended very differently if he'd triggered the bomb when they were over the ocean.
I'd love to read anything that explores more of Tanya's life. She talks about her husband leaving when she found out she was pregnant - what was that really like for her, and how did she get from there to where she is in the book? Does she make DTM, or even vice-president as Mel suggests? Speaking of Mel, I love the hints of their relationship - there seems to be a lot of mutual respect there (aside from Mel's infuriating aside about women, including Cindy and probably Tanya, seldom being logical - because he doesn't seem to feel that way about Tanya the rest of the time - he takes her seriously when she comes to him about Guerrero, after all) as well as simply enjoying each other's company - I do ship it, so something about them set after the book would be awesome. Maybe navigating their new relationship with each other in the airport rumour mill, or the complexities of dating with children?
Marlows: Miranda West, Janice Scott
Miranda and Janice are two of my favourite characters in the series, both as individuals and in the complexities of their relationship with each other. I'd love something set during or after their time at Kingscote that explores their experiences with the school culture and their different ways of engaging with it, their interactions, their relationships with other students and staff. Miranda has such a passionate, intense way of being involved in things, like the Christmas play and the netball team, whereas Janice tends to approach things in a more reserved and disconnected way - she's not a team player in the traditional school story sense, yet we see her providing real help to Nicola at least twice in the series (with regard to scholarships for remaining at school and the indignity of being left off the netball team and then being interrogated about it by one's classmates at breakfast) in a way that someone like Val Longstreet could never hope to achieve. What is it about Janice that drew Miranda's attention so long ago, and has held it ever since? I love the way the series respects Miranda's affection for Janice - is it a commonly known thing in her form, or just something that Nicola has picked up on?
I always love that Miranda got to play Ariel to Janice's Prospero, especially as she wanted it so badly, so I'd love to read something set around then.
I'd also love anything about them separately - feel free to focus on just one. Maybe something exploring either character's background or home life more than the hints we get in the series, or Jan's relationship with her form. She sees right through Lois Sanger and has little time for Val - has she had any close friends during her time at school, and if so, what happened? How does she change once she gets out of Kingscote and gets to make her own way in the world. And Miranda - what are her later years at Kingscote like? Does she make prefect, or even Head Girl, and if so, how does she cope? How does her school experience change once Janice is gone?
Thank you, author! I love Yuletide and can't wait to read whatever you come up with.