dear yuletide santa.
Dear yuletide Santa,
I've done Yuletide since ..2005? 2006? and I always write these letters and I always keep linking to my letters from previous years and I always end up repeating myself. So - bullet points!
1. Do your thing - instead of going out of your way to write in a style that doesn't come natural to you, I'd rather you use your own strengths as a writer.
2. My only real requirement is that you keep it canon & in-character - canon in terms of feel if the pairing/scenario is not something that could be instantly associated with canon happenings (though most things I requested are canon). With small fandoms like these where hardly anybody writes fic for the fandom on a regular basis, I feel this is challenge in itself. Maybe rewatch canon, get inspired, have fun with it. :)
3. My fandoms of choice (News Radio, Press Gang, Capital Scandal..) probably say enough about my preferences in general: I like things that are funny, shippy (/romantic/sweet/cute), sometimes vulgar (Peep Show ;D), but heart-wrenching stuff is good, too.
4. Only one of my requests (Peep Show!) was slash and even with that one I said "slash optional" - just want to specify I am very, very slash-friendly and do not mind it at all and if you were to write it - on this request, I would be very happy to read it. But only implied/hints of slash works fine as well, as I think that's kind of what the canon has going on (Johnson!). :)
5. Ratingswise.. well, I myself can't write pr0nz so my fic is usually G - PG-13 but if you're NOT like me and capable in that respect of writing, feel free to.
6. Oh, in terms of canon, I am familiar with all the available canon for all the fandoms I requested. So no worries about spoiling me.
7.a) The post by yuletidefairy encouraged me to list my squicks which I often assume people won't write (as I tend to assume we at yuletide are not the type of writers who write the type of clichéd, OOC crap fanfiction you sometimes run into); character death (unless could be canon like in PG), noncon, girlification of male characters, weepy sex.. Uhh I'm bad at listing squicks.
7.b) Also the yuletidefairy & santa letters from my flist made me decide to ramble about my choice fandoms at length since my posts about them are locked and the chances of you being on my flist are very very slim.
News Radio - I used to looove this sitcom as a kid (10-13 yrs old I guess?) and recently revived my love for it thanks to encouragement from some online friends who worship it. I love all the characters (so much so it's difficult to single anybody out) and my memories of all seasons are fond, though I guess considering it now 1-4 were the best. Regarding the characters I requested, I love Dave/Lisa for being snarky and cute and how the highly inappropriate office relationship actually works and doesn't feel as inappropriate as it would be in real life. Would love fic of how they initially hooked up because I just rewatched those episodes and was amused how quickly it happened.
Press Gang - I discovered this fandom this year and it took me by storm, I watched it so quickly and bought the DVD's and rewatched my fave episodes.. What can I say? Brilliant TV show. I love everything about Lynda/Spike, I think there's maybe one or two things about one or two episodes which I disliked regarding the pairing. How both of them occasionally have very hard exteriors but also show their vulnerability from time to time, their occasional teenage awkwardness, the banter, the tension.. Like I said in my details, one of biggest OTP's, just don't break them up permanently and I'll be happy. (Considering the different interpretations to "There Are Crocodiles", you can go for angst, too, of course!)
Capital Scandal - I don't think you'll be writing this since I'm the only one who offered and requested it. Too bad! It's a Korean drama TV series of 16 episodes about Japanese occupied Korea in early 20th century where a conservative teacher who also involves herself in fighting for Korea's freedom crosses roads with a handsome playboy/tabloid journalist who couldn't care less about the independence movement. I love everything about this drama. It's just so funny, the OTP is so cute (and the secondary OTP is amazing as well), all characters are just so ..I can't even describe it. I know historically a happy ending isn't really in the cards but let me have my faith that it might be.
Peep Show - A friend of mine said watching this show makes her feel dirty. I love it but I can also see her point. It's just so inappropriate and vulgar and gross and not afraid to joke about taboos or do something unbelievably horrible to a character and make the audience laugh at it. It's sick. But funny. I love Jeremy and Mark more than any other vile TV characters.. I wouldn't want to be friends with either but they're all the same weirdly sympathetic somehow. And if not downright slashy then at least hopeless enough to always end up on each other's side as nobody else will have them! I once had this idea about Jeremy trying to register their relationship so that Mark couldn't kick him out. I feel like that kind of sums it up -- there's care there but you have to dig deep beyond selfishness and honest-to-god exploitation of each other to find it. :D
8. Good luck, have fun. In case I didn't make it clear enough, I reeeeeally very much appreciate you writing any of these fandoms for me. They are largely fandoms I don't feel capable enough to write on my own. So yes ♥ ♥ & thank youuu!
PS. If you want to know what the other fandoms are, I suggest going to Wikipedia and YouTube, which should have clips of all of the fandoms I requested. You'll either be tempted to watch those as well or then you'll just think my tastes are nuts. I know nearly all of News Radio is on Youtube, so are select Peep Show clips, Capital Scandal in form of MV's (the drama can be watched on mysoju.com), and if nothing else, you can watch my Press Gang fanvid (shameless plug? shameless plug!).
PPS. In my part of the world we celebrate Xmas on the Eve so on 25th I'll probably be eating chocolates and reading fic as the archive goes online. However, my internet at home has had some kinks the last couple of months so if for whatever I don't comment on the fic around 25th/26th, that'll be why & I'll try to get to it ASAP.
PPPS. God I've edited this post a million times. >_< This is the final edit I promise.
I've done Yuletide since ..2005? 2006? and I always write these letters and I always keep linking to my letters from previous years and I always end up repeating myself. So - bullet points!
1. Do your thing - instead of going out of your way to write in a style that doesn't come natural to you, I'd rather you use your own strengths as a writer.
2. My only real requirement is that you keep it canon & in-character - canon in terms of feel if the pairing/scenario is not something that could be instantly associated with canon happenings (though most things I requested are canon). With small fandoms like these where hardly anybody writes fic for the fandom on a regular basis, I feel this is challenge in itself. Maybe rewatch canon, get inspired, have fun with it. :)
3. My fandoms of choice (News Radio, Press Gang, Capital Scandal..) probably say enough about my preferences in general: I like things that are funny, shippy (/romantic/sweet/cute), sometimes vulgar (Peep Show ;D), but heart-wrenching stuff is good, too.
4. Only one of my requests (Peep Show!) was slash and even with that one I said "slash optional" - just want to specify I am very, very slash-friendly and do not mind it at all and if you were to write it - on this request, I would be very happy to read it. But only implied/hints of slash works fine as well, as I think that's kind of what the canon has going on (Johnson!). :)
5. Ratingswise.. well, I myself can't write pr0nz so my fic is usually G - PG-13 but if you're NOT like me and capable in that respect of writing, feel free to.
6. Oh, in terms of canon, I am familiar with all the available canon for all the fandoms I requested. So no worries about spoiling me.
7.a) The post by yuletidefairy encouraged me to list my squicks which I often assume people won't write (as I tend to assume we at yuletide are not the type of writers who write the type of clichéd, OOC crap fanfiction you sometimes run into); character death (unless could be canon like in PG), noncon, girlification of male characters, weepy sex.. Uhh I'm bad at listing squicks.
7.b) Also the yuletidefairy & santa letters from my flist made me decide to ramble about my choice fandoms at length since my posts about them are locked and the chances of you being on my flist are very very slim.
News Radio - I used to looove this sitcom as a kid (10-13 yrs old I guess?) and recently revived my love for it thanks to encouragement from some online friends who worship it. I love all the characters (so much so it's difficult to single anybody out) and my memories of all seasons are fond, though I guess considering it now 1-4 were the best. Regarding the characters I requested, I love Dave/Lisa for being snarky and cute and how the highly inappropriate office relationship actually works and doesn't feel as inappropriate as it would be in real life. Would love fic of how they initially hooked up because I just rewatched those episodes and was amused how quickly it happened.
Press Gang - I discovered this fandom this year and it took me by storm, I watched it so quickly and bought the DVD's and rewatched my fave episodes.. What can I say? Brilliant TV show. I love everything about Lynda/Spike, I think there's maybe one or two things about one or two episodes which I disliked regarding the pairing. How both of them occasionally have very hard exteriors but also show their vulnerability from time to time, their occasional teenage awkwardness, the banter, the tension.. Like I said in my details, one of biggest OTP's, just don't break them up permanently and I'll be happy. (Considering the different interpretations to "There Are Crocodiles", you can go for angst, too, of course!)
Capital Scandal - I don't think you'll be writing this since I'm the only one who offered and requested it. Too bad! It's a Korean drama TV series of 16 episodes about Japanese occupied Korea in early 20th century where a conservative teacher who also involves herself in fighting for Korea's freedom crosses roads with a handsome playboy/tabloid journalist who couldn't care less about the independence movement. I love everything about this drama. It's just so funny, the OTP is so cute (and the secondary OTP is amazing as well), all characters are just so ..I can't even describe it. I know historically a happy ending isn't really in the cards but let me have my faith that it might be.
Peep Show - A friend of mine said watching this show makes her feel dirty. I love it but I can also see her point. It's just so inappropriate and vulgar and gross and not afraid to joke about taboos or do something unbelievably horrible to a character and make the audience laugh at it. It's sick. But funny. I love Jeremy and Mark more than any other vile TV characters.. I wouldn't want to be friends with either but they're all the same weirdly sympathetic somehow. And if not downright slashy then at least hopeless enough to always end up on each other's side as nobody else will have them! I once had this idea about Jeremy trying to register their relationship so that Mark couldn't kick him out. I feel like that kind of sums it up -- there's care there but you have to dig deep beyond selfishness and honest-to-god exploitation of each other to find it. :D
8. Good luck, have fun. In case I didn't make it clear enough, I reeeeeally very much appreciate you writing any of these fandoms for me. They are largely fandoms I don't feel capable enough to write on my own. So yes ♥ ♥ & thank youuu!
PS. If you want to know what the other fandoms are, I suggest going to Wikipedia and YouTube, which should have clips of all of the fandoms I requested. You'll either be tempted to watch those as well or then you'll just think my tastes are nuts. I know nearly all of News Radio is on Youtube, so are select Peep Show clips, Capital Scandal in form of MV's (the drama can be watched on mysoju.com), and if nothing else, you can watch my Press Gang fanvid (shameless plug? shameless plug!).
PPS. In my part of the world we celebrate Xmas on the Eve so on 25th I'll probably be eating chocolates and reading fic as the archive goes online. However, my internet at home has had some kinks the last couple of months so if for whatever I don't comment on the fic around 25th/26th, that'll be why & I'll try to get to it ASAP.
PPPS. God I've edited this post a million times. >_< This is the final edit I promise.