Dear Yuletide writer...
Dear Yuletide writer: I AM VERY EXCITED. The most important thing I would like you to take away from my requests/letter this year is that I will be grateful for the story you write me, no matter what, so please don't stress about it. Yuletide is about joy! And I will be very joyful about my story. :)
Details on my general story preferences, my fic likes and dislikes, etc. are under the cut, if you think they will be helpful to you.
Please note, I believe fic likes/dislikes are a YMMV kind of thing because they are very subjective. These are my personal reading preferences.
In general, I don't enjoy the following types of stories: mpreg, kidfic, knotting or alpha/omega/beta 'verse, partner betrayal, gratuitous deathfic, most hard-core kinks (aka watersports, bloodplay, etc), rape, non-con, cross-dressing/genderbending/always-a-girl!, bodyswapping, age disparity/underage fic, crossovers, unrequited love/one-sided relationships.
Stuff I love: first times, competence (I have a huge competence kink, I LOVE to see people be good at what they do/are), character studies, developing relationships, UST resolving to happy endings, hurt/comfort with an emphasis on the comfort (my favorite!), a good take on an old-fashioned cliche-or-tropefic (especially jealousy or protectiveness, which are bulletproof for me when done well), angst, happy endings, stories rich in character or period detail, power dynamics explored in subtle ways, stories that explore the inner lives of characters, stories with plot, and stories that carry out past the end of canon or that explore moments in canon we never really got to see (missing scenes, tags, etc).
In the fandoms I requested this year, I like both slash and gen, but I've tried to give some idea of my favorite things about each fandom.
Here are the original sign-up details and additional info, listed by fandom.
Hornblower (TV) - Pellew, Bush, Hornblower: I have great love for all three of these characters, but I don't really need the story to feature all three, unless you'd really like to write it that way. I love the relationship between Hornblower and Bush, once Horatio gets his own ship and chooses Bush to be his second in command. But I also love the ongoing relationship between Pellew and Horatio. Any story which explores these relationships - gen or slash, I don't care! - would make me very, very happy.
Additional details: The best thing about Hornblower, all the way around, is the immense love and loyalty these characters feel for each other. Horatio is unfailingly loyal to Pellew, who supports Horatio no matter what. Bush would die for Horatio. Meanwhile, Horatio is so very hard on himself, and thus doesn't even realize the level of loyalty others have for him, or feel he deserves it. I love all of those dynamics. Also, they are all excellent at what they do, and hello, competence kink. Side note - I am not terribly interested in Mr. Kennedy, or his relationship with Horatio.
Tombstone - Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp: I would love a Doc/Wyatt story which builds something out of that base of friendship, and explains just WTF was between them. I would also love any gen story focusing on their friendship, or on Doc in particular; I'll always be fascinated by what makes him tick, and what drew him to Wyatt. Their friendship is one of my favorite things ever.
Additional details: THE STUFF OF LEGENDS. Doc latches on to Wyatt and never lets go, and in this particular version, Wyatt hangs on to Doc just as tightly. The women in Wyatt's life are very important to him, but you sort of get the feeling from this movie that he wasn't quite ready to move on until Doc basically begged him to. What was that even like for Wyatt, who went on to live a long and prosperous life with his wife? Ugh, I want all the stories ever about both of these men, separately and together.
Fantasy Island - The Devil, Mr. Roarke: This relationship is my absolute favorite of the original Fantasy Island, and there is SO MUCH here to mine regarding who and what Mr. Roarke really is. Is he immortal? A fallen angel? What are his powers? Why is he so invested in teaching gentle but definitive lessons to his guests? And why does the Devil love to challenge him, every so often? A story featuring a new challenge, or even some version of a supernatural coffee klatch between them, would make me so happy! Gen would be best for me on this one. *g*
Additional details: In conclusion, Mr. Roarke. :D
Captive Prince, S. U. Pacat - Damen, Laurent: I'm going to be honest with you, anon writer: what I want here is some lovely and emotional porn. Porn, porn, porn. Preferably set at some future point, after their first night together in Book 2. But if you are not of the porny persuasion, or you don't like messing with open canon, I would love a fic where one saves the other, or a story that shows the changing power dynamics, or...something you feel like writing that showcases their relationship.
Spartacus (TV) - Oenomaus, Gannicus - To be honest, I love all the main characters in this show, but I love Oenomaus the most. He is a gentle soul, full of wisdom and love, caught up in extraordinary circumstances; he is an amazing warrior, who has come back from being broken more than once. So much love for him, and for his relationship with Gannicus, his platonic (maybe) soulmate. I also love Gannicus, and his journey from being a completely hedonistic wanderer to being a man who can lead others and is respected not just for his skill in battle, but for that leadership. (I don't care much for his tacked-on love story with that lovely young lady at the end of season 3, because it was superfluous. He should have stuck with Saxa, let's face it; she was awesome.) Any story about Oenomaus, or Gannicus, or the two of them together - slash or gen - would make me happy. I would greatly prefer a canon-era, canon-compliant story, as opposed to a canon-era AU or modern AU.
Thunderheart - Ray Levoi, Walter Crow Horse - I've always loved this movie, and I wanted a lot more out of this friendship/relationship. Slash or gen, I'd be happy with either - anything exploring this friendship would be excellent, or even a character study delving into the history of either man, his motivations, what makes him tick. Especially why Walter was so patient with Ray as he came to terms with who he is.
Additional details: Ray is such a complicated character, but to be honest, Walter interests me more. We know less about him, and I want to know more. I want to know ALL the things. So any story about Walter, his background, why he does what he does, his beliefs, etc - all/any of that would be excellent.
Details on my general story preferences, my fic likes and dislikes, etc. are under the cut, if you think they will be helpful to you.
Please note, I believe fic likes/dislikes are a YMMV kind of thing because they are very subjective. These are my personal reading preferences.
In general, I don't enjoy the following types of stories: mpreg, kidfic, knotting or alpha/omega/beta 'verse, partner betrayal, gratuitous deathfic, most hard-core kinks (aka watersports, bloodplay, etc), rape, non-con, cross-dressing/genderbending/always-a-girl!, bodyswapping, age disparity/underage fic, crossovers, unrequited love/one-sided relationships.
Stuff I love: first times, competence (I have a huge competence kink, I LOVE to see people be good at what they do/are), character studies, developing relationships, UST resolving to happy endings, hurt/comfort with an emphasis on the comfort (my favorite!), a good take on an old-fashioned cliche-or-tropefic (especially jealousy or protectiveness, which are bulletproof for me when done well), angst, happy endings, stories rich in character or period detail, power dynamics explored in subtle ways, stories that explore the inner lives of characters, stories with plot, and stories that carry out past the end of canon or that explore moments in canon we never really got to see (missing scenes, tags, etc).
In the fandoms I requested this year, I like both slash and gen, but I've tried to give some idea of my favorite things about each fandom.
Here are the original sign-up details and additional info, listed by fandom.
Hornblower (TV) - Pellew, Bush, Hornblower: I have great love for all three of these characters, but I don't really need the story to feature all three, unless you'd really like to write it that way. I love the relationship between Hornblower and Bush, once Horatio gets his own ship and chooses Bush to be his second in command. But I also love the ongoing relationship between Pellew and Horatio. Any story which explores these relationships - gen or slash, I don't care! - would make me very, very happy.
Additional details: The best thing about Hornblower, all the way around, is the immense love and loyalty these characters feel for each other. Horatio is unfailingly loyal to Pellew, who supports Horatio no matter what. Bush would die for Horatio. Meanwhile, Horatio is so very hard on himself, and thus doesn't even realize the level of loyalty others have for him, or feel he deserves it. I love all of those dynamics. Also, they are all excellent at what they do, and hello, competence kink. Side note - I am not terribly interested in Mr. Kennedy, or his relationship with Horatio.
Tombstone - Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp: I would love a Doc/Wyatt story which builds something out of that base of friendship, and explains just WTF was between them. I would also love any gen story focusing on their friendship, or on Doc in particular; I'll always be fascinated by what makes him tick, and what drew him to Wyatt. Their friendship is one of my favorite things ever.
Additional details: THE STUFF OF LEGENDS. Doc latches on to Wyatt and never lets go, and in this particular version, Wyatt hangs on to Doc just as tightly. The women in Wyatt's life are very important to him, but you sort of get the feeling from this movie that he wasn't quite ready to move on until Doc basically begged him to. What was that even like for Wyatt, who went on to live a long and prosperous life with his wife? Ugh, I want all the stories ever about both of these men, separately and together.
Fantasy Island - The Devil, Mr. Roarke: This relationship is my absolute favorite of the original Fantasy Island, and there is SO MUCH here to mine regarding who and what Mr. Roarke really is. Is he immortal? A fallen angel? What are his powers? Why is he so invested in teaching gentle but definitive lessons to his guests? And why does the Devil love to challenge him, every so often? A story featuring a new challenge, or even some version of a supernatural coffee klatch between them, would make me so happy! Gen would be best for me on this one. *g*
Additional details: In conclusion, Mr. Roarke. :D
Captive Prince, S. U. Pacat - Damen, Laurent: I'm going to be honest with you, anon writer: what I want here is some lovely and emotional porn. Porn, porn, porn. Preferably set at some future point, after their first night together in Book 2. But if you are not of the porny persuasion, or you don't like messing with open canon, I would love a fic where one saves the other, or a story that shows the changing power dynamics, or...something you feel like writing that showcases their relationship.
Spartacus (TV) - Oenomaus, Gannicus - To be honest, I love all the main characters in this show, but I love Oenomaus the most. He is a gentle soul, full of wisdom and love, caught up in extraordinary circumstances; he is an amazing warrior, who has come back from being broken more than once. So much love for him, and for his relationship with Gannicus, his platonic (maybe) soulmate. I also love Gannicus, and his journey from being a completely hedonistic wanderer to being a man who can lead others and is respected not just for his skill in battle, but for that leadership. (I don't care much for his tacked-on love story with that lovely young lady at the end of season 3, because it was superfluous. He should have stuck with Saxa, let's face it; she was awesome.) Any story about Oenomaus, or Gannicus, or the two of them together - slash or gen - would make me happy. I would greatly prefer a canon-era, canon-compliant story, as opposed to a canon-era AU or modern AU.
Thunderheart - Ray Levoi, Walter Crow Horse - I've always loved this movie, and I wanted a lot more out of this friendship/relationship. Slash or gen, I'd be happy with either - anything exploring this friendship would be excellent, or even a character study delving into the history of either man, his motivations, what makes him tick. Especially why Walter was so patient with Ray as he came to terms with who he is.
Additional details: Ray is such a complicated character, but to be honest, Walter interests me more. We know less about him, and I want to know more. I want to know ALL the things. So any story about Walter, his background, why he does what he does, his beliefs, etc - all/any of that would be excellent.