Dear Yuletide Writer 2015
Dear Yuletide Writer,
I apologise for whatever hell you might have just signed up for thanks to me, from now till eternity. Hopefully you have more experience with this than I do as this will be my first year taking part. I stared at the sign up sheet a few years ago and just shut the browser in daunted defeat. This year went a bit better.
Feel free to snoop if it helps you in any way:
Tumblr : here
AO3 : here
Livejournal : here
Likes and Dislikes
I am a sucker for dysfunctional/co-dependent/unhealthy relationships, even more so when they're OT3s. Don't be afraid to wallow in character pieces that have no massive driving plot. To me, the build up, the UST and the subtlties of a relationship are much more entertaining so try to steer clear of established relationships. I like things set in canon or the vicinity of canon. Please no A/B/O, werewolf fic, genderswaps, or the like. Be comfortable exploring 'what if's' and divergents but I'm not too keen on complete AUs with only the characters tying them to the fandom they are from. All ratings are good, from gen to porn, but I would be happiest with something in-between. I like dark stories, bittersweet stories, dim light at the end of the tunnel stories. Tooth rotting fluff should only be used if it immediately gets taken away. Not a fan of 1st person fics. If you think you can pull off 2nd person, go for it, it can be done really well, if not, just stick with 3rd.
Anything I might suggest is only a guideline. If an idea really grabs you, run with it, just try to avoid the dislikes.
The Departed (2006) - spoilers for the film below
*Billy Costigan *Sean Dignam
Okay, this is one of my favourites films ever. The main reason being Dignam. He's an unrepenting arsehole and I like that. Billy Costigan's tragic life is a close runner-up but my heart truely lies with Dignam. I have written a couple of Departed fics myself, centred around Costigan/Dignam. feel free to read them on AO3 if you think it might help you, but in all honesty, I would be happy with anything involving them both. Slash is preferred or whatever you are comfortable with. Due to the nature of the film, I am perfectly comfortable with violence and the screwed up relationship they are bound to have.
Just like everyone who has ever watched the film, I wish Billy had lived. I'm interested in how that would change the whole Dignam shooting Sullivan thing. (TBH I've always struggled to understand the leap in the film here. How did Dignam know for sure it was him? Or was it just revenge for Sullivan being responsible for Queenan's death? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Whatever.)
I kind of like the idea of them being reluctantly responsible for each other still, kind of stuck together after Dignam has handed in his badge for punching Sullivan, and Billy is recovering from his headshot (no matter how unlikely) and they're trapped in the film's recursive loop of trying to take down the bad guy that keeps getting replaced like the head of a hydra.
Slow West (2015) - spoilers for the film below
*Jay Cavendish *Rose Ross *Silas Selleck
As I might have mentioned before, I am a sucker for OT3s that are unusual (read borderline dysfunctional). I watched this on a plane, on an eight hour flight, on a tiny screen, and I was enraptured. I was very interested in the relationships between Jay & Silas and Jay & Rose throughout and was intrigued by the ending with Rose & Silas.
I can deal with how the film ended, I love bittersweet endings, but I would really like to explore what would have happened had Jay lived. Would they all still live together in that house? Would they still take in those children? Would they still become a family? The age differences do not bother me, hell, use it if you like. If you're willing to write them as a fully fledged OT3 any variation of het/slash is good.
An idea might be a completely one-sided love triangle. Jay is clearly in love with Rose but she sees him as more of a brother. Going by the film's ending she could fall for Silas. And the feeling I got from the scene with Silas and Payne, the two of them could easily have had a previous relationship that Silas abandoned when he left the gang so I could see Silas' interest in Jay being more than platonic.
Maybe they make it work?
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
*Don Lockwood *Cosmo Brown *Kathy Selden
OT3s again. I am easy to please with them. In the film they are already pretty co-dependent. They seem to exist in their own little world and I love that. Anything exploring how they all fit together would be wonderful. I'd even settle for gen with them. Try to make it time-period-appropriate. During or post-film. How do they juggle their careers and their personal lives in that kind of world? Maybe the weight of privacy is too much?
Uncharted
*Nathan Drake *Victor Sullivan
It's been a while since I've played these games to be honest. As I am writing this, I am playing the collection and am half way through the first game again. I remember the third game explores how the two of them meet but I can't remember the details beyond the main parts. Either way, I've always enjoyed their relationship and would love to see how it develops and how it reaches the point they're at by the first game.
Sully strikes me as a terrible role model and Nate a difficult person to be responsible for at that age. I don't know how comfortable you would be writing slash but the age gap does not bother me. The mentor/mentee relationship, the suedo father/son thing or just the inexperienced guardian/rebellious ward set up makes for an interesting obsticle if you're willing. If you don't want to write slash then focus on them testing each other limits, feeling each other out, trying to make things work as two very different people while still treasure hunting.
A casefic of sorts might work well for this, while having the focus still be on the character's developing relationship. Maybe try to take a page out of the game's book where it heavily draws from Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider. Have a MacGuffin, a curse, hints of something monstrous/supernatural, religious mysticism, etc. Don't be afraid to take it somewhere weird if you like.
Mushishi
*Ginko *Adashino
I fell in love with this show immediately. It has so many things I adore, folklore in supernatural settings being one of them. Morally grey protagonists being another. I immediately attached myself to Adashino because he is exactly how I would be in a world like that. I would horde everything on Mushi I could get my hands on and spend my life studying them. Their relationship interests me because Ginko never strikes me as someone who would have friends. Yes, he is always polite and willing to help but, being who he is, he is forced to roam and not make lasting connections. Yet Adashino is clearly a friend. Plus, having a guy who attracts mushi attaching himself to a guy who is fascinated by them but can't see them seems like a perfect combination.
Maybe try for a little self-contained episode involving them both. Pick a mushi, pick an affect, throw them in the middle and go wild.
Would be happy with slash but gen is okay.
Lastly, thank you and I'm sorry.
I apologise for whatever hell you might have just signed up for thanks to me, from now till eternity. Hopefully you have more experience with this than I do as this will be my first year taking part. I stared at the sign up sheet a few years ago and just shut the browser in daunted defeat. This year went a bit better.
Feel free to snoop if it helps you in any way:
Tumblr : here
AO3 : here
Livejournal : here
Likes and Dislikes
I am a sucker for dysfunctional/co-dependent/unhealthy relationships, even more so when they're OT3s. Don't be afraid to wallow in character pieces that have no massive driving plot. To me, the build up, the UST and the subtlties of a relationship are much more entertaining so try to steer clear of established relationships. I like things set in canon or the vicinity of canon. Please no A/B/O, werewolf fic, genderswaps, or the like. Be comfortable exploring 'what if's' and divergents but I'm not too keen on complete AUs with only the characters tying them to the fandom they are from. All ratings are good, from gen to porn, but I would be happiest with something in-between. I like dark stories, bittersweet stories, dim light at the end of the tunnel stories. Tooth rotting fluff should only be used if it immediately gets taken away. Not a fan of 1st person fics. If you think you can pull off 2nd person, go for it, it can be done really well, if not, just stick with 3rd.
Anything I might suggest is only a guideline. If an idea really grabs you, run with it, just try to avoid the dislikes.
The Departed (2006) - spoilers for the film below
*Billy Costigan *Sean Dignam
Okay, this is one of my favourites films ever. The main reason being Dignam. He's an unrepenting arsehole and I like that. Billy Costigan's tragic life is a close runner-up but my heart truely lies with Dignam. I have written a couple of Departed fics myself, centred around Costigan/Dignam. feel free to read them on AO3 if you think it might help you, but in all honesty, I would be happy with anything involving them both. Slash is preferred or whatever you are comfortable with. Due to the nature of the film, I am perfectly comfortable with violence and the screwed up relationship they are bound to have.
Just like everyone who has ever watched the film, I wish Billy had lived. I'm interested in how that would change the whole Dignam shooting Sullivan thing. (TBH I've always struggled to understand the leap in the film here. How did Dignam know for sure it was him? Or was it just revenge for Sullivan being responsible for Queenan's death? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Whatever.)
I kind of like the idea of them being reluctantly responsible for each other still, kind of stuck together after Dignam has handed in his badge for punching Sullivan, and Billy is recovering from his headshot (no matter how unlikely) and they're trapped in the film's recursive loop of trying to take down the bad guy that keeps getting replaced like the head of a hydra.
Slow West (2015) - spoilers for the film below
*Jay Cavendish *Rose Ross *Silas Selleck
As I might have mentioned before, I am a sucker for OT3s that are unusual (read borderline dysfunctional). I watched this on a plane, on an eight hour flight, on a tiny screen, and I was enraptured. I was very interested in the relationships between Jay & Silas and Jay & Rose throughout and was intrigued by the ending with Rose & Silas.
I can deal with how the film ended, I love bittersweet endings, but I would really like to explore what would have happened had Jay lived. Would they all still live together in that house? Would they still take in those children? Would they still become a family? The age differences do not bother me, hell, use it if you like. If you're willing to write them as a fully fledged OT3 any variation of het/slash is good.
An idea might be a completely one-sided love triangle. Jay is clearly in love with Rose but she sees him as more of a brother. Going by the film's ending she could fall for Silas. And the feeling I got from the scene with Silas and Payne, the two of them could easily have had a previous relationship that Silas abandoned when he left the gang so I could see Silas' interest in Jay being more than platonic.
Maybe they make it work?
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
*Don Lockwood *Cosmo Brown *Kathy Selden
OT3s again. I am easy to please with them. In the film they are already pretty co-dependent. They seem to exist in their own little world and I love that. Anything exploring how they all fit together would be wonderful. I'd even settle for gen with them. Try to make it time-period-appropriate. During or post-film. How do they juggle their careers and their personal lives in that kind of world? Maybe the weight of privacy is too much?
Uncharted
*Nathan Drake *Victor Sullivan
It's been a while since I've played these games to be honest. As I am writing this, I am playing the collection and am half way through the first game again. I remember the third game explores how the two of them meet but I can't remember the details beyond the main parts. Either way, I've always enjoyed their relationship and would love to see how it develops and how it reaches the point they're at by the first game.
Sully strikes me as a terrible role model and Nate a difficult person to be responsible for at that age. I don't know how comfortable you would be writing slash but the age gap does not bother me. The mentor/mentee relationship, the suedo father/son thing or just the inexperienced guardian/rebellious ward set up makes for an interesting obsticle if you're willing. If you don't want to write slash then focus on them testing each other limits, feeling each other out, trying to make things work as two very different people while still treasure hunting.
A casefic of sorts might work well for this, while having the focus still be on the character's developing relationship. Maybe try to take a page out of the game's book where it heavily draws from Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider. Have a MacGuffin, a curse, hints of something monstrous/supernatural, religious mysticism, etc. Don't be afraid to take it somewhere weird if you like.
Mushishi
*Ginko *Adashino
I fell in love with this show immediately. It has so many things I adore, folklore in supernatural settings being one of them. Morally grey protagonists being another. I immediately attached myself to Adashino because he is exactly how I would be in a world like that. I would horde everything on Mushi I could get my hands on and spend my life studying them. Their relationship interests me because Ginko never strikes me as someone who would have friends. Yes, he is always polite and willing to help but, being who he is, he is forced to roam and not make lasting connections. Yet Adashino is clearly a friend. Plus, having a guy who attracts mushi attaching himself to a guy who is fascinated by them but can't see them seems like a perfect combination.
Maybe try for a little self-contained episode involving them both. Pick a mushi, pick an affect, throw them in the middle and go wild.
Would be happy with slash but gen is okay.
Lastly, thank you and I'm sorry.