May our days be merry and bright
I signed up for yuletide, not quite knowing what to expect, to be honest. I offered heaps of possibilities for what I'm able to write, and today I got my assignment. Much gleefulness abounds! There's two that I REALLY want to write (one of which I've already started) and one that I could have done. I'm so curious as to who my recipient is because I'm pretty sure I will like them: they've got quite a curious range of options and I find that so intriguing. I'm a mixture of anxious to write something wicked, but also delighted at the stimulus to do so. *rubs hands, cracks fingers*
And here is my special yuletide letter which I'm going to cut but you can peek even if you're not Santa EVEN THOUGH I think this list says a lot about me in some kind of deep psychological way that I'm not entirely sure that I've fully come to terms with.
The four fandoms I selected:
1. Casablanca - No matter how many times I see this film, it delights me more and more. I LOVE THIS FILM. I recently wrote a (not-posted) episode tag for Supernatural based on the idea that Dean's wish-movie-life is not "Porkies 2" but Casablanca. Inspector Louis Renault (played by Claude Rains) is my favourite character. He's so gallant and reprehensible and ultimately heroic. I remain convinced that he's in love with Rick... he even says so: "If I were a woman, and I were not around, I think I would fall in love with Rick." - and then they end the film with "This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship" - and I have never desired a sequel to a film more. Rick and Louis' adventures in North Africa. The beautiful friendship. I'd be so delighted to read this. In my imagination (which may be not yours and that is also okay, because to be honest, I'm so stoked at having a story written for me that I will be so happy with anything you choose to write) this is a story with much secret yearning. I was trying to think about what I like in stories (for any of these prompts) and I love secret yearning. I love emotion, and I love ambience. I don't need a lot of plot (although I like plot). But I love things that make me feel what the character is feeling, and I love internal dilemmas. I suppose I like angst - hurt/comfort, perhaps but not leg-slice-offingly hurt - but I also like at least a hint of possible redemption or a happy ending, even if it's just the character coming to terms with him or herself. In the absence of redemption, I want heroic tragedy or beautiful malaise.
2. Watership Down - It's hard for me to express how much I love this book, and how much I love the gammy animated film version. As a child it was my favourite story, and I cried at the film EVERY TIME. Hazel is my favourite fictional character ever. I aspire to BE LIKE HAZEL IN MY LIFE. Only, obviously, not a rabbit. Hazel is the quiet thoughtful guy who ends up a leader against his intentions. His relationship with Fiver is just what a brotherly relationship should be like. When the mods posted me my choices in an email, I noticed that Hazel and Fiver had become Hazel/Fiver- while incestuous bro-mance is something I'm more than happy with, even in rabbit terms, I would be equally happy with gen-fic in this instance. I think in a weird way, the relationship is a bit like the Winchesters - protective older brother, psychic younger brother - and I like that about it. Their love (and the responsibility implied in that) is really moving to me. I think Hazel becomes something that he was not expecting - he is a good leader because he has no ambitions towards leadership. He's a quiet achiever, and loyal to his brother, even when everyone thinks that Fiver is just some nutty kid.
3. Zenna Henderson The People series. I think what I like most about this series is that no-one ends up alone, and that no matter how self-hating or troubled they are, when they find their People, they are welcomed with such love. I like the idea of being telepathic - I like the world that is created that these people have to deal with. So many of these stories are about self-acceptance (and coming to terms with a God that I must say that I really like). I think I mentioned that I'd love to read slash in this world, and I think it's because of the sense of outsiders coming into the fold is often characterised by feeling alone in an unaccepting world and finally finding your one true belonging person. I'm really sorry if you hate slash-writing: please know that gen would be just as acceptable to me, again. But I just think... there's something to be explored there. I don't particularly care for the stories on the Home World - I like the difficulty of living on Earth, but again... I'm very easily pleased.
4. Ben Hur - I just watched this again the other day. Messala is in love with Judah Ben Hur, and I believe that's canon (the actor who played him confided in an interview once that he deliberately played it that way, even though Charlton Heston would probably have been appalled to know that). I'm fascinated by Messala. He's so confident and at the same time, so insecure. He looks at JBH as if he wants to drink in every word and gesture. He reacts TERRIBLY to what he perceives as Judah's betrayal. I'd like to see pre-film, the relationship between them. Again, it's possibly one-sided (yearning, unrequited) or it's possibly not (a relationship that means everything to Messala, but that JBH sees as some youthful folly).
I hope this list isn't too specific or demanding. I was trying to think through why I like these things, and I remembered that I like them A LOT. I guess the following is true: love/emotion is more important to me than sex/fucking (although I like that too). I like internally conflicted, emotionally scarred characters, but I also think that love can conquer all, even the idea of love. I'm quite romantic, I suppose.
Finally, I am sure to love whatever you write for me. Thank you so much for offering to do it, and I will see you on the other side!
And here is my special yuletide letter which I'm going to cut but you can peek even if you're not Santa EVEN THOUGH I think this list says a lot about me in some kind of deep psychological way that I'm not entirely sure that I've fully come to terms with.
The four fandoms I selected:
1. Casablanca - No matter how many times I see this film, it delights me more and more. I LOVE THIS FILM. I recently wrote a (not-posted) episode tag for Supernatural based on the idea that Dean's wish-movie-life is not "Porkies 2" but Casablanca. Inspector Louis Renault (played by Claude Rains) is my favourite character. He's so gallant and reprehensible and ultimately heroic. I remain convinced that he's in love with Rick... he even says so: "If I were a woman, and I were not around, I think I would fall in love with Rick." - and then they end the film with "This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship" - and I have never desired a sequel to a film more. Rick and Louis' adventures in North Africa. The beautiful friendship. I'd be so delighted to read this. In my imagination (which may be not yours and that is also okay, because to be honest, I'm so stoked at having a story written for me that I will be so happy with anything you choose to write) this is a story with much secret yearning. I was trying to think about what I like in stories (for any of these prompts) and I love secret yearning. I love emotion, and I love ambience. I don't need a lot of plot (although I like plot). But I love things that make me feel what the character is feeling, and I love internal dilemmas. I suppose I like angst - hurt/comfort, perhaps but not leg-slice-offingly hurt - but I also like at least a hint of possible redemption or a happy ending, even if it's just the character coming to terms with him or herself. In the absence of redemption, I want heroic tragedy or beautiful malaise.
2. Watership Down - It's hard for me to express how much I love this book, and how much I love the gammy animated film version. As a child it was my favourite story, and I cried at the film EVERY TIME. Hazel is my favourite fictional character ever. I aspire to BE LIKE HAZEL IN MY LIFE. Only, obviously, not a rabbit. Hazel is the quiet thoughtful guy who ends up a leader against his intentions. His relationship with Fiver is just what a brotherly relationship should be like. When the mods posted me my choices in an email, I noticed that Hazel and Fiver had become Hazel/Fiver- while incestuous bro-mance is something I'm more than happy with, even in rabbit terms, I would be equally happy with gen-fic in this instance. I think in a weird way, the relationship is a bit like the Winchesters - protective older brother, psychic younger brother - and I like that about it. Their love (and the responsibility implied in that) is really moving to me. I think Hazel becomes something that he was not expecting - he is a good leader because he has no ambitions towards leadership. He's a quiet achiever, and loyal to his brother, even when everyone thinks that Fiver is just some nutty kid.
3. Zenna Henderson The People series. I think what I like most about this series is that no-one ends up alone, and that no matter how self-hating or troubled they are, when they find their People, they are welcomed with such love. I like the idea of being telepathic - I like the world that is created that these people have to deal with. So many of these stories are about self-acceptance (and coming to terms with a God that I must say that I really like). I think I mentioned that I'd love to read slash in this world, and I think it's because of the sense of outsiders coming into the fold is often characterised by feeling alone in an unaccepting world and finally finding your one true belonging person. I'm really sorry if you hate slash-writing: please know that gen would be just as acceptable to me, again. But I just think... there's something to be explored there. I don't particularly care for the stories on the Home World - I like the difficulty of living on Earth, but again... I'm very easily pleased.
4. Ben Hur - I just watched this again the other day. Messala is in love with Judah Ben Hur, and I believe that's canon (the actor who played him confided in an interview once that he deliberately played it that way, even though Charlton Heston would probably have been appalled to know that). I'm fascinated by Messala. He's so confident and at the same time, so insecure. He looks at JBH as if he wants to drink in every word and gesture. He reacts TERRIBLY to what he perceives as Judah's betrayal. I'd like to see pre-film, the relationship between them. Again, it's possibly one-sided (yearning, unrequited) or it's possibly not (a relationship that means everything to Messala, but that JBH sees as some youthful folly).
I hope this list isn't too specific or demanding. I was trying to think through why I like these things, and I remembered that I like them A LOT. I guess the following is true: love/emotion is more important to me than sex/fucking (although I like that too). I like internally conflicted, emotionally scarred characters, but I also think that love can conquer all, even the idea of love. I'm quite romantic, I suppose.
Finally, I am sure to love whatever you write for me. Thank you so much for offering to do it, and I will see you on the other side!