i already love you a lot, i promise
Dear Yuletide Writer,
Thank you so, so much for offering one of my wacky little fandoms -- clearly, you are wonderful and can be trusted to do whatever you like. Truly, if you already have ideas of what you'd like to write based on my embarrassingly long-winded prompts, please don't even worry about reading this (admittedly ridiculously long) missive and just write what you'd enjoy writing, and I'm sure I'll love it.
But if you want more to think about here's me talking a little bit about what I think I like and don't like in fic. (Oh, and my recs are here, if that helps.)
The very most important thing to me in fic is character interaction. I often like world building and plot and atmosphere, but in the end, the key is almost always how the characters relate to each other. And what I really like to see is how relationships (romantic, platonic, antagonistic, something else entirely, it's all good, though my requests this year are much heavier on the positive side) develop. Established relationship fics can be wonderful, but in general the thing that really moves me is the getting there. I like it when things change, and the characters have to deal with that change, to interact with it, to drive it, to adjust to it.
Here, have one key paragraph of my likes from last year's letter:
The fact is, I like a wide range of story types, characters, character interactions, plot points, narrative moods, settings, and kinks. I have a special fondness for UST, steadfast attachment, desperate sex, sincere sweetness and charm, affectionate snark with an edge, absurd and/or clever humor, comfortable banter, dysfunctional-but-hot co-dependency, complex motives, possibly reformed bad boys, power games and bdsm, fighting as foreplay, morally grey characters, and unexpected discovery (among others -- these are just the ones springing to mind at the moment). Obviously these don't usually all fit in the same fic, though I have to admit that I'm a sucker for any fic that somehow manages a good combination of hot and adorable. I do like angst and conflict, but usually I'm happiest when it eventually resolves in some satisfying way. I am generally more of a hopeful ending sort of person -- not the kind wrapped all tight with a bow, necessarily, but also not completely bleak. On the other hand, I have been known to appreciate wistfulness and sadness, there are some stories that really just need tragic endings, or at least less-than-optimistic ones. I can be a big fan of ambiguity if it's done well, and often like matter-of-fact realism... though I also like dreamy surrealism and sharp stylization and really a lot of different moods and styles. A wonderfully foreshadowed first kiss can make me just as happy as scorching hot explicit porn, as can any sort of well-drawn and vivid character interaction. I think interesting and believable character interaction is for me the most important aspect of fic.
I am relatively hard to squick, I believe, but I admit to not being particularly fond of mpreg or some of the more extreme kinks. But well, it doesn't seem that likely that any of those things would go with these fandoms/characters, really. One thing I will say is that though I'm usually a fan of AUs, part of what I love about all of these requests is the setting, so I'd rather have something more related to canon than not, though it also doesn't have to be super closely tied -- AUs that are more of the "what if this one thing were different" type would probably be fine, and creative, speculative future fic is totally encouraged, as is probably obvious from the prompts.
Although, now that I think about it, I could see potential AUs for everything but A Tale of Time City that would work for me. And knowing me, there's probably even something that would convince me for that one, too. So hey, if you have an AU idea that you think is really awesome and that preserves and develops the canon interactions, go for it. But I do love the settings, so canon-based (at least loosely) is probably safer.
Sorry about all the mixed signals. I'm fond of paradoxes and contradictions in part because they're so inherent to my personality and way of thinking about things. Also, I have a huge thing for variety -- so whatever you do, make it really something. I like intensity, emotion, atmosphere. I like it when things are compelling, for the characters, and for me. I also like it when characters are smart and complex, and best of all changing or developing in some way.
And I feel like I should stop before this gets even more insanely long. Here's some fandom specific stuff:
Diana Wynne Jones - A Tale of Time City
Jonathan Lee/Vivian Smith
I would adore a post-book story, particularly one that features Jonathan and Vivian's relationship as they adjust, or one even further into the future. Romance (particularly the subtle kind that Diana Wynne Jones does so well) preferred, but friendship gen could also be just as fun and enjoyable. I like Sam, too, and so many of the other characters from the book. Setting could be in Time City itself or out in history (or both!), I'm easy that way. It's really the character interaction that I care about most.
I've shipped these two so hard for basically forever and ever. Their interaction in the book is classic Diana Wynne Jones pre-slash (er, for the widest definition of slash), all two real people, messy edges and flaws and all, growing together in a way that seems both complicated and natural, with all this affection that doesn't preclude the full range of human interaction and emotion. I just want to watch their relationship develop in some way, or failing that, I'd also be interested in seeing how they both develop as individuals, even if their relationship stays mostly the same.
Emma Bull - War for the Oaks
Eddi McCandry/Hedge/Phouka
I have this enormous soft spot for threesomes and triads, and there's something about these three that really makes me think a triad could work. It seems like post-book would be most likely, but I could also see pre-book elements and some development that occurs during the book working well, depending. The sap in me would love lots of pining and angst and then lots of wonderfulness in the working it out, with or without porn. But this is just one idea! I'd love anything that featured any of these characters, alone or in whatever combination, gen or het or slash. Bonus points for getting in some band interaction and/or Hairy Meg and/or music and/or Minnesota. :)
So, I'm from the Twin Cities, and reading this book (and her book Bone Dance) always makes me incredibly homesick. It also makes me want to play music. These are both good things. :) Now, it is impossible to textually render just how much I love Eddi and the Phouka together. When they finally kiss in the book, it makes me cry with how intense and exactly right it is. But I think Hedge is my favorite character in the whole book, and I really love how he interacts with both Eddi and the Phouka. Fitting them into a triad (equilateral triangle would be ideal, but I'll take what I can get) would be incredible, but is totally not required. I just love them. I actually love pretty much everyone in the book and their interactions with each other, come to think of it. So really, anything at all War for the Oaks would utterly delight me. Het, slash, femmeslash, gen, really, I love it all.
Brick (movie)
Brendan Frye/The Brain [Or at least that was the intention; looking at my signup I realize that it seems to only list the Brain, oops. But that's okay, because he's really the key.]
I love the stylized noir feel of this movie, all stifled and intense. And I _really_ love the relationship Brendan and The Brain have, all that trust and devotion and true respect in a setting where those things are few and far between. Slash would be completely wonderful (Teenage boys! Awkward and intense and stoic and probably not very experienced!), but gen featuring their unique friendship would also be fantastic. Some element of casefile might also be really nifty, at least a hint, given that so much of their relationship in the movie seems to involve The Brain's logistical support of Brendan.
I'm not sure I have anything to add here. Just, the Brain was so far and away my favorite character in this movie, it's not even funny. And thinking about his relationship with Brendan kind of makes my heart seize up in my chest, I just love them so much. Though really, I'd love to see any kind of fic featuring the Brain, with or without Brendan. A character study of him could be seriously awesome.
Initial D (movie)
Takumi/Ryousuke
I really liked their interaction in the movie, the rivalry turned friendship, and both of them seeming like the types where usually they might not so easily make friends, but something about the other just appeals to them. Plus, their personalities are quite different in a very complementary way that I think I'd like to see explored more. Despite Takumi being more skilled at racing, it seems like Ryousuke might act as sort of a mentor to him as he enters the wider drift racing world, which is a potentially interesting interaction. Slash would be lovely, but gen could also be fantastic, as long as their relationship is featured -- particularly if it develops in some way, even if not in the direction of slash.
I have never seen the anime or read the manga, and I don't know that I'll ever get around to it, though in an ideal world I would. And I know the movie has flaws (the elongated soft-focus romance scenes that halt all the action are not exactly my favorite directorial choice ever), and is not what you could really call deep. And yet, I kind of love it. It's just so darn enjoyable, with is pretty, pretty racing scenes, and the pretty, pretty actors to go with them. And, well, Ryousuke's my favorite, most likely because he's kind of the most sensible person in the whole movie. (*glances up at the Brain* Yes, it is possible that "sensible" is one of my types.) And every time I watch it, or even think of it at all, the thing I can't stop thinking about is how much I'd like to see more of Takumi and Ryousuke interacting, probably post-movie.
If you've gotten this far, well, thanks for reading, and for bearing with me. I've blathered on so much, but the bottom line is: I like a huge variety of stuff (and am all in favor of experiments, creativity, and unusual things), I'm harder than usual to squick, and I'm willing to try almost anything. Please just have fun with the writing, and I know I'll have fun reading it. :)
much love,
athenejen
Thank you so, so much for offering one of my wacky little fandoms -- clearly, you are wonderful and can be trusted to do whatever you like. Truly, if you already have ideas of what you'd like to write based on my embarrassingly long-winded prompts, please don't even worry about reading this (admittedly ridiculously long) missive and just write what you'd enjoy writing, and I'm sure I'll love it.
But if you want more to think about here's me talking a little bit about what I think I like and don't like in fic. (Oh, and my recs are here, if that helps.)
The very most important thing to me in fic is character interaction. I often like world building and plot and atmosphere, but in the end, the key is almost always how the characters relate to each other. And what I really like to see is how relationships (romantic, platonic, antagonistic, something else entirely, it's all good, though my requests this year are much heavier on the positive side) develop. Established relationship fics can be wonderful, but in general the thing that really moves me is the getting there. I like it when things change, and the characters have to deal with that change, to interact with it, to drive it, to adjust to it.
Here, have one key paragraph of my likes from last year's letter:
The fact is, I like a wide range of story types, characters, character interactions, plot points, narrative moods, settings, and kinks. I have a special fondness for UST, steadfast attachment, desperate sex, sincere sweetness and charm, affectionate snark with an edge, absurd and/or clever humor, comfortable banter, dysfunctional-but-hot co-dependency, complex motives, possibly reformed bad boys, power games and bdsm, fighting as foreplay, morally grey characters, and unexpected discovery (among others -- these are just the ones springing to mind at the moment). Obviously these don't usually all fit in the same fic, though I have to admit that I'm a sucker for any fic that somehow manages a good combination of hot and adorable. I do like angst and conflict, but usually I'm happiest when it eventually resolves in some satisfying way. I am generally more of a hopeful ending sort of person -- not the kind wrapped all tight with a bow, necessarily, but also not completely bleak. On the other hand, I have been known to appreciate wistfulness and sadness, there are some stories that really just need tragic endings, or at least less-than-optimistic ones. I can be a big fan of ambiguity if it's done well, and often like matter-of-fact realism... though I also like dreamy surrealism and sharp stylization and really a lot of different moods and styles. A wonderfully foreshadowed first kiss can make me just as happy as scorching hot explicit porn, as can any sort of well-drawn and vivid character interaction. I think interesting and believable character interaction is for me the most important aspect of fic.
I am relatively hard to squick, I believe, but I admit to not being particularly fond of mpreg or some of the more extreme kinks. But well, it doesn't seem that likely that any of those things would go with these fandoms/characters, really. One thing I will say is that though I'm usually a fan of AUs, part of what I love about all of these requests is the setting, so I'd rather have something more related to canon than not, though it also doesn't have to be super closely tied -- AUs that are more of the "what if this one thing were different" type would probably be fine, and creative, speculative future fic is totally encouraged, as is probably obvious from the prompts.
Although, now that I think about it, I could see potential AUs for everything but A Tale of Time City that would work for me. And knowing me, there's probably even something that would convince me for that one, too. So hey, if you have an AU idea that you think is really awesome and that preserves and develops the canon interactions, go for it. But I do love the settings, so canon-based (at least loosely) is probably safer.
Sorry about all the mixed signals. I'm fond of paradoxes and contradictions in part because they're so inherent to my personality and way of thinking about things. Also, I have a huge thing for variety -- so whatever you do, make it really something. I like intensity, emotion, atmosphere. I like it when things are compelling, for the characters, and for me. I also like it when characters are smart and complex, and best of all changing or developing in some way.
And I feel like I should stop before this gets even more insanely long. Here's some fandom specific stuff:
Diana Wynne Jones - A Tale of Time City
Jonathan Lee/Vivian Smith
I would adore a post-book story, particularly one that features Jonathan and Vivian's relationship as they adjust, or one even further into the future. Romance (particularly the subtle kind that Diana Wynne Jones does so well) preferred, but friendship gen could also be just as fun and enjoyable. I like Sam, too, and so many of the other characters from the book. Setting could be in Time City itself or out in history (or both!), I'm easy that way. It's really the character interaction that I care about most.
I've shipped these two so hard for basically forever and ever. Their interaction in the book is classic Diana Wynne Jones pre-slash (er, for the widest definition of slash), all two real people, messy edges and flaws and all, growing together in a way that seems both complicated and natural, with all this affection that doesn't preclude the full range of human interaction and emotion. I just want to watch their relationship develop in some way, or failing that, I'd also be interested in seeing how they both develop as individuals, even if their relationship stays mostly the same.
Emma Bull - War for the Oaks
Eddi McCandry/Hedge/Phouka
I have this enormous soft spot for threesomes and triads, and there's something about these three that really makes me think a triad could work. It seems like post-book would be most likely, but I could also see pre-book elements and some development that occurs during the book working well, depending. The sap in me would love lots of pining and angst and then lots of wonderfulness in the working it out, with or without porn. But this is just one idea! I'd love anything that featured any of these characters, alone or in whatever combination, gen or het or slash. Bonus points for getting in some band interaction and/or Hairy Meg and/or music and/or Minnesota. :)
So, I'm from the Twin Cities, and reading this book (and her book Bone Dance) always makes me incredibly homesick. It also makes me want to play music. These are both good things. :) Now, it is impossible to textually render just how much I love Eddi and the Phouka together. When they finally kiss in the book, it makes me cry with how intense and exactly right it is. But I think Hedge is my favorite character in the whole book, and I really love how he interacts with both Eddi and the Phouka. Fitting them into a triad (equilateral triangle would be ideal, but I'll take what I can get) would be incredible, but is totally not required. I just love them. I actually love pretty much everyone in the book and their interactions with each other, come to think of it. So really, anything at all War for the Oaks would utterly delight me. Het, slash, femmeslash, gen, really, I love it all.
Brick (movie)
Brendan Frye/The Brain [Or at least that was the intention; looking at my signup I realize that it seems to only list the Brain, oops. But that's okay, because he's really the key.]
I love the stylized noir feel of this movie, all stifled and intense. And I _really_ love the relationship Brendan and The Brain have, all that trust and devotion and true respect in a setting where those things are few and far between. Slash would be completely wonderful (Teenage boys! Awkward and intense and stoic and probably not very experienced!), but gen featuring their unique friendship would also be fantastic. Some element of casefile might also be really nifty, at least a hint, given that so much of their relationship in the movie seems to involve The Brain's logistical support of Brendan.
I'm not sure I have anything to add here. Just, the Brain was so far and away my favorite character in this movie, it's not even funny. And thinking about his relationship with Brendan kind of makes my heart seize up in my chest, I just love them so much. Though really, I'd love to see any kind of fic featuring the Brain, with or without Brendan. A character study of him could be seriously awesome.
Initial D (movie)
Takumi/Ryousuke
I really liked their interaction in the movie, the rivalry turned friendship, and both of them seeming like the types where usually they might not so easily make friends, but something about the other just appeals to them. Plus, their personalities are quite different in a very complementary way that I think I'd like to see explored more. Despite Takumi being more skilled at racing, it seems like Ryousuke might act as sort of a mentor to him as he enters the wider drift racing world, which is a potentially interesting interaction. Slash would be lovely, but gen could also be fantastic, as long as their relationship is featured -- particularly if it develops in some way, even if not in the direction of slash.
I have never seen the anime or read the manga, and I don't know that I'll ever get around to it, though in an ideal world I would. And I know the movie has flaws (the elongated soft-focus romance scenes that halt all the action are not exactly my favorite directorial choice ever), and is not what you could really call deep. And yet, I kind of love it. It's just so darn enjoyable, with is pretty, pretty racing scenes, and the pretty, pretty actors to go with them. And, well, Ryousuke's my favorite, most likely because he's kind of the most sensible person in the whole movie. (*glances up at the Brain* Yes, it is possible that "sensible" is one of my types.) And every time I watch it, or even think of it at all, the thing I can't stop thinking about is how much I'd like to see more of Takumi and Ryousuke interacting, probably post-movie.
If you've gotten this far, well, thanks for reading, and for bearing with me. I've blathered on so much, but the bottom line is: I like a huge variety of stuff (and am all in favor of experiments, creativity, and unusual things), I'm harder than usual to squick, and I'm willing to try almost anything. Please just have fun with the writing, and I know I'll have fun reading it. :)
much love,
athenejen