all i want for yuletide is you
Holy bananas, it's that time again.
To my dearest, beloved Yuletide writer,
So I’m going to borrow from my past Yuletide letters here, and start by saying that if you're as excited about any of these fandoms as I am, I'll love what you write me no matter what. That said, I'm a fan of giving more information in the hopes that it will give you greater freedom in your writing, and because I know I'm going to want to know as much about the person I'm writing for as possible and figure I should give what I hope to get. :D So here are some paragraphs of perhaps tl;dr-level specificity, and please feel free to ignore all of it if there's a story in any of these fandoms that you really, really want to write. I trust you.
I like slash or het or gen as long as the ship is relevant to the story and the world it's set in. Characterization is my weak spot; show me the nuances of a character I love, show me a secret side of them I've never seen before, and I'm sold. I love worldbuilding, expanding on the setting and the world as it’s described in canon. If you write sex, awesome; it’s definitely not a requirement by any means, but I certainly wouldn't say no to it. And to borrow a clarification phrase straight from someone else's letter, When I say "explicit" I mean "I have a good idea who's doing what to whom," and not so much paragraph-long descriptions of penises. I'm all about the emotions; as you'll see if you explore my pinboard, any fic that packs an emotional punch is guaranteed to win me over.
As far as genre goes, it's kind of up to you. I love action and mystery, I like ship-centered fic as much as fic where the ship is a sidebar to the plot, I like happy or serious or funny or sad. I would definitely prefer a hopeful ending to whatever you write, if an actual happy ending isn't appropriate or fitting; however if your story is leading you toward a waterfall of angst that'll end with an emotional sucker punch, go for it! Wow me with UST, show me just how evil the bad guy really is, scare the crap out of me if you want. Some of my all-time favorite fics are pieces that I would never have guessed I'd enjoy, so please surprise me!
stuff i love in fic / kinks :
slash, femmeslash, interesting het, worldbuilding / strong sense of the world, strong friendships/partnerships, snarky partnerships with lots of ust, angst with a happy ending, angst with sex and a we-don't-ever-talk-about-it ending, hurt/comfort, stories where they've been sleeping together and not talking about their feelings but they secretly love each other (♥), snarky banter, collective / ensemble badassery, women being awesome, friendships between awesome women, friendships with ust between awesome women, fight scenes, people bandaging each other up after a battle, surprising each other with badassery, forbidden attraction, old friends and inside jokes, past history, magic, illusion spells, misunderstandings / misdirection through magic, travel, spy/undercover deception, crossovers, cross-genre AUs, pastiche AUs, college or bookstore or coffee shop AUs, basically any AUs, long plotty stories where the ship is a slow build (though definitely not expecting a long fic, just saying I do enjoy them), plot twists, long-suffering irritation (especially as a mask for growing fondness or attraction), stories where person a can't have person b so they start something up with person c to distract themselves (and either make person a jealous or actually end up falling for person c), physical altercations that highlight attraction, origin stories, flashbacks, first times, emotional first times, power play / bdsm fun, wit and snark and people being smart, flirting, drawn-out seduction, happy endings.
squicks : mpreg, hardcore fetishes and heavy bdsm, humiliation, rape/noncon, extreme gore.
and now onto the specific requests!
fandom : kushiel's legacy
This is one of my favorite book series of all time, and one of my favorite parts about it is Hyacinthe, who I feel is drastically underutilized. I love him with Phedre alone just fine, but I OT3 him with her and Joscelin so hard, and I'd love to see that explored. Maybe an AU where Phedre didn't go alone to Hyacinthe's room on their last night in the Master of the Straits' house, or an AU where, after Phedre breaks the curse, Hyacinthe comes to live with her and Joscelin and they help him learn how to be a part of the world again. Anything with lots of feelings dealing with the complicated relationship between the three of them would make my day.
If you haven't read this series yet, oh my goodness, you are missing out. Imagine an alternate universe pre-Renaissance Europe where France is a country of people descended from angels, and a story narrated by a heroine who is a genius masochist courtesan spy. This does nothing to prepare you for the gorgeous language and incredible storytelling, but I don't want to spoil it by waxing poetic. :) It's brilliant, and while long, once you start you won't be able to put them down. The trilogy is zipped in epub format here.
fandom : curseworkers
There are few words to properly describe my love of Desi. I love his relationship with Cassel, with his wacky daughter, with Cassel's friends, and I love the whole aging hitman trope. So basically anything that focuses around him would be awesome, but what I'd love most is backstory fic. What did Desi get up to in the fifties and especially the sixties? I am basically desperate for fic about him in a three-piece and fedora doing shifty magic for the Zacharovs. I'm also interested in what the magical mob culture was like back in that time. How did it dovetail with mainstream/pop culture and history? One of my favorite parts of this series is how it still mostly feels like our world; the way the magical parts blend into recognizable facets of our universe. So basically anything to do with Desi's past (and even how it affects his relationships with his family in the series) would be awesome.
If you haven't read these books, and you like the sound of a world where using magic is outlawed so magical families have become the mafia, then this series is for you! They are a ton of fun, with Holly Black's usual dry humor and excellent worldbuilding, and they are definitely a shorter read than the Kushiel trilogy. *g* You can DL them in epub form here: White Cat, Red Glove, Black Heart.
fandom : kraken
Any, literally any fic from this book will make me a happy woman, but my preference is strongly for Dane/Billy or something about Collingswood. There's something about Dane and Billy that just tugs at my feels, and I would love a fic exploring their relationship while they were on the run; was there more there that the book didn't tell us about, or not? After the end of the book, how does Billy deal with Dane being gone? And being a sap, I would love a fix-it fic reinterpreting Dane’s demise, or Billy using the more unconventional means now available to him to try and get Dane back. A+ for Collingswood and Wati in any aspect. I'd also love a story about Collingswood after the kraken incident; what does she get up to? Anything crossing her over into Neverwhere, Un Lun Dun or any other alt-London universe would be awesome.
This book, like most of Mieville's, is really dense and heavy, but stunningly worth it. If you weren't matched with me on this but think you might like to give it a shot, you can DL it in epub form here.
fandom : brooklyn nine nine
There are plenty of episodes that deal with the team-as-family dynamic, but I'm a sucker for that trope and would love to see more of it. Whether it's a fic about the team around the holidays, backstory about Jake and Gina as kids, friendship fic for Amy and Rosa, I'll love any of it. The wacky humor in the show is so perfectly blended with heartwarming feels, I'm addicted. For ships, I'm into Jake/Amy, Jake/Gina, Amy/Rosa, or Jake/Rosa, but ships are not necessary for my enjoyment at all.
If you haven't watched, I can't recommend it enough. I mainlined the entirety of season 1 (22 eps) in a weekend; literally every episode is comedy gold. Not sure if it's available streaming anywhere, but I torrented it pretty easily if you'd like to take a stab at it.
fandom : three times lucky series
I'm dying to know what happens to Mo, Dale, and Harm as they get older. What mysteries will they solve, how will Tupelo Landing grow and change, and how will passing into their teenage years change them-- or not change them? My secret heart wants Dale and Harm to end up together, and I admit I ship the heck out of Mo and Anna Celeste, but genfic would be great too. There are so many amazing supporting characters, it's hard not to want to see them all. A fic about the holidays in Tupelo Landing would be amazing. Basically I'm just in love with Mo's voice and would love to read her POV as an older teenager or college student, however that strikes you.
Unfortunately I don't have this one to link you either, but it's definitely the fastest to pick up of any of my fandoms-- I finished both of the books in about a day each. Normally middle-grade is really not my genre, but these books are so hilariously funny (like, embarrass yourself reading in public funny) and they don't feel dumbed down at all-- the mysteries genuinely stumped me, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. *g* You can probably pick up both (Three Times Lucky and the sequel Ghosts of Tupelo Landing) at a library; since they're award winners they're widely carried.
For the record, I also love, love, love AUs and crossovers, so if you want to tie any of these into any of my other fandoms (which you can find a list of here) that would rule. Put them in space, put them in a noir, put them in college, put them in a jaeger, I'll read it all.
Despite the verbosity of this, I will (again!) paraphrase my past yuletide letters and say that if we got matched on any of these fandoms, and you love any of them as much as I do, whatever you write will make my yuletide. I'm already so excited to read whatever you come up with. XD
<3 emily
This post crossposted from Dreamwidth (
comments)
To my dearest, beloved Yuletide writer,
So I’m going to borrow from my past Yuletide letters here, and start by saying that if you're as excited about any of these fandoms as I am, I'll love what you write me no matter what. That said, I'm a fan of giving more information in the hopes that it will give you greater freedom in your writing, and because I know I'm going to want to know as much about the person I'm writing for as possible and figure I should give what I hope to get. :D So here are some paragraphs of perhaps tl;dr-level specificity, and please feel free to ignore all of it if there's a story in any of these fandoms that you really, really want to write. I trust you.
I like slash or het or gen as long as the ship is relevant to the story and the world it's set in. Characterization is my weak spot; show me the nuances of a character I love, show me a secret side of them I've never seen before, and I'm sold. I love worldbuilding, expanding on the setting and the world as it’s described in canon. If you write sex, awesome; it’s definitely not a requirement by any means, but I certainly wouldn't say no to it. And to borrow a clarification phrase straight from someone else's letter, When I say "explicit" I mean "I have a good idea who's doing what to whom," and not so much paragraph-long descriptions of penises. I'm all about the emotions; as you'll see if you explore my pinboard, any fic that packs an emotional punch is guaranteed to win me over.
As far as genre goes, it's kind of up to you. I love action and mystery, I like ship-centered fic as much as fic where the ship is a sidebar to the plot, I like happy or serious or funny or sad. I would definitely prefer a hopeful ending to whatever you write, if an actual happy ending isn't appropriate or fitting; however if your story is leading you toward a waterfall of angst that'll end with an emotional sucker punch, go for it! Wow me with UST, show me just how evil the bad guy really is, scare the crap out of me if you want. Some of my all-time favorite fics are pieces that I would never have guessed I'd enjoy, so please surprise me!
stuff i love in fic / kinks :
slash, femmeslash, interesting het, worldbuilding / strong sense of the world, strong friendships/partnerships, snarky partnerships with lots of ust, angst with a happy ending, angst with sex and a we-don't-ever-talk-about-it ending, hurt/comfort, stories where they've been sleeping together and not talking about their feelings but they secretly love each other (♥), snarky banter, collective / ensemble badassery, women being awesome, friendships between awesome women, friendships with ust between awesome women, fight scenes, people bandaging each other up after a battle, surprising each other with badassery, forbidden attraction, old friends and inside jokes, past history, magic, illusion spells, misunderstandings / misdirection through magic, travel, spy/undercover deception, crossovers, cross-genre AUs, pastiche AUs, college or bookstore or coffee shop AUs, basically any AUs, long plotty stories where the ship is a slow build (though definitely not expecting a long fic, just saying I do enjoy them), plot twists, long-suffering irritation (especially as a mask for growing fondness or attraction), stories where person a can't have person b so they start something up with person c to distract themselves (and either make person a jealous or actually end up falling for person c), physical altercations that highlight attraction, origin stories, flashbacks, first times, emotional first times, power play / bdsm fun, wit and snark and people being smart, flirting, drawn-out seduction, happy endings.
squicks : mpreg, hardcore fetishes and heavy bdsm, humiliation, rape/noncon, extreme gore.
and now onto the specific requests!
fandom : kushiel's legacy
This is one of my favorite book series of all time, and one of my favorite parts about it is Hyacinthe, who I feel is drastically underutilized. I love him with Phedre alone just fine, but I OT3 him with her and Joscelin so hard, and I'd love to see that explored. Maybe an AU where Phedre didn't go alone to Hyacinthe's room on their last night in the Master of the Straits' house, or an AU where, after Phedre breaks the curse, Hyacinthe comes to live with her and Joscelin and they help him learn how to be a part of the world again. Anything with lots of feelings dealing with the complicated relationship between the three of them would make my day.
If you haven't read this series yet, oh my goodness, you are missing out. Imagine an alternate universe pre-Renaissance Europe where France is a country of people descended from angels, and a story narrated by a heroine who is a genius masochist courtesan spy. This does nothing to prepare you for the gorgeous language and incredible storytelling, but I don't want to spoil it by waxing poetic. :) It's brilliant, and while long, once you start you won't be able to put them down. The trilogy is zipped in epub format here.
fandom : curseworkers
There are few words to properly describe my love of Desi. I love his relationship with Cassel, with his wacky daughter, with Cassel's friends, and I love the whole aging hitman trope. So basically anything that focuses around him would be awesome, but what I'd love most is backstory fic. What did Desi get up to in the fifties and especially the sixties? I am basically desperate for fic about him in a three-piece and fedora doing shifty magic for the Zacharovs. I'm also interested in what the magical mob culture was like back in that time. How did it dovetail with mainstream/pop culture and history? One of my favorite parts of this series is how it still mostly feels like our world; the way the magical parts blend into recognizable facets of our universe. So basically anything to do with Desi's past (and even how it affects his relationships with his family in the series) would be awesome.
If you haven't read these books, and you like the sound of a world where using magic is outlawed so magical families have become the mafia, then this series is for you! They are a ton of fun, with Holly Black's usual dry humor and excellent worldbuilding, and they are definitely a shorter read than the Kushiel trilogy. *g* You can DL them in epub form here: White Cat, Red Glove, Black Heart.
fandom : kraken
Any, literally any fic from this book will make me a happy woman, but my preference is strongly for Dane/Billy or something about Collingswood. There's something about Dane and Billy that just tugs at my feels, and I would love a fic exploring their relationship while they were on the run; was there more there that the book didn't tell us about, or not? After the end of the book, how does Billy deal with Dane being gone? And being a sap, I would love a fix-it fic reinterpreting Dane’s demise, or Billy using the more unconventional means now available to him to try and get Dane back. A+ for Collingswood and Wati in any aspect. I'd also love a story about Collingswood after the kraken incident; what does she get up to? Anything crossing her over into Neverwhere, Un Lun Dun or any other alt-London universe would be awesome.
This book, like most of Mieville's, is really dense and heavy, but stunningly worth it. If you weren't matched with me on this but think you might like to give it a shot, you can DL it in epub form here.
fandom : brooklyn nine nine
There are plenty of episodes that deal with the team-as-family dynamic, but I'm a sucker for that trope and would love to see more of it. Whether it's a fic about the team around the holidays, backstory about Jake and Gina as kids, friendship fic for Amy and Rosa, I'll love any of it. The wacky humor in the show is so perfectly blended with heartwarming feels, I'm addicted. For ships, I'm into Jake/Amy, Jake/Gina, Amy/Rosa, or Jake/Rosa, but ships are not necessary for my enjoyment at all.
If you haven't watched, I can't recommend it enough. I mainlined the entirety of season 1 (22 eps) in a weekend; literally every episode is comedy gold. Not sure if it's available streaming anywhere, but I torrented it pretty easily if you'd like to take a stab at it.
fandom : three times lucky series
I'm dying to know what happens to Mo, Dale, and Harm as they get older. What mysteries will they solve, how will Tupelo Landing grow and change, and how will passing into their teenage years change them-- or not change them? My secret heart wants Dale and Harm to end up together, and I admit I ship the heck out of Mo and Anna Celeste, but genfic would be great too. There are so many amazing supporting characters, it's hard not to want to see them all. A fic about the holidays in Tupelo Landing would be amazing. Basically I'm just in love with Mo's voice and would love to read her POV as an older teenager or college student, however that strikes you.
Unfortunately I don't have this one to link you either, but it's definitely the fastest to pick up of any of my fandoms-- I finished both of the books in about a day each. Normally middle-grade is really not my genre, but these books are so hilariously funny (like, embarrass yourself reading in public funny) and they don't feel dumbed down at all-- the mysteries genuinely stumped me, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. *g* You can probably pick up both (Three Times Lucky and the sequel Ghosts of Tupelo Landing) at a library; since they're award winners they're widely carried.
For the record, I also love, love, love AUs and crossovers, so if you want to tie any of these into any of my other fandoms (which you can find a list of here) that would rule. Put them in space, put them in a noir, put them in college, put them in a jaeger, I'll read it all.
Despite the verbosity of this, I will (again!) paraphrase my past yuletide letters and say that if we got matched on any of these fandoms, and you love any of them as much as I do, whatever you write will make my yuletide. I'm already so excited to read whatever you come up with. XD
<3 emily
This post crossposted from Dreamwidth (
comments)