2011 Yuletide Letter
Dear Yuletide Author,
First of all, come to me and let me love you. Because you are writing fic I have longed to be written and no matter whether you write it to exactly my favourite things or write what you feel would be better I am going to love it beyond words, and by extension will also love you beyond words. So that is point the first - I love you, I will always love you, please don't be afraid to (metaphorically) tear this letter up and do your own thing because I am going to love you no matter what you write. It is up to you!
But if you want some guidance, I shall give you a (hopefully brief) run-down of general likes/dislikes, loves/loathings and the few things I try and avoid in fic (although I will of course ALWAYS LOVE YOU even if they end up being in the fic). And then I shall follow it with fandom-specific thoughts and hopefully we can all be home by teatime because I think this may get long.
I love plot and long, lengthy fic. By which I do not mean 'raaah write me a long plotty fic YOU HAD BETTER', but really that I love them and therefore if you want to write a plotty fic or a really ridiculously long one then I shall welcome it with my arms open widest! I also love character development and continuity and references to the source material and banter and plot twists. I don't care about absolute adherence to canon (in fact most of my very favourite fics are AUs!) and love new perspectives on things. If general fandom consensus is one thing, I like things to approach it from a different perspective quite often so if you wanted to put a different spin on something then please do.
I love angst. I love fic to break my heart into a million pieces and stamp on those pieces. And then set fire to them. If you wish to mercilessly slaughter characters or put them through the wringer in ALL OF THE WAYS I have no issue with that at all. (Apart from some of the ways which are below in the not-so-loved-things place. These are things which I prefer not to read.) I welcome it, in fact! But equally fluff is adorable and wonderful and a fic of two characters being schmoopy and in love is glorious and delicious and I will cling to it.
I love female characters, so if it does turn out to be a remotely long/plotty fic with multiple characters in many scenes, I'd really love it to be able to pass the Bechdel Test (http://bechdeltest.com/) but seriously do not get hung up on it because a lot of my favourite things don't pass it. Hell, at least two of the fandoms I've picked I don't think pass the Bechdel Test so it's really just a desperate dream.
In terms of my not-so-loved things, I am really not into incest or bestiality or rape. They have their place in fandom, but in the fics of my heart things tend to be slightly more vanilla ;) Sex is never a problem, but out of preference I'd prefer not just PWP but other stuff to be going on too.
These are of course only suggestions and thoughts - if your story is going to follow none of these things then that's okay, I am just happy for there to be a little more fic for the fandom in the world!
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Okay I loved this film, because I am a pretentious loser who would love to go to swanky parties and chat up famous authors. I'm sorry, I'm going to be unhelpful, but all I really wish for from this fic is lots of glorious wandering around in 20s Paris meeting all the amazing people. I am full of pretension and will sacrifice all my dreams of plot and character development for someone wandering around in the past meeting famous dead authors and poets and musicians and composers and artists and making literary references. It does not even have to be 20s Paris, or even Gil. If you want to write self-insert fic of yourself walking around in, I don't know, 30s Berlin meeting Isherwood and Auden, please go ahead! But if you do have an idea for a plot then please indulge all of my deepest desires and throw it in there.
I'm not fussed about the modern world really - it can be there or it can not. There can be conflict with family and friends or everyone can be cool with it and keep going back through the magic portal to meet famous people in a fabulous party. It could be epically meta and someone named after Fitzgerald could go back and accidentally become him, living in the past forever. I just crave lots of pretentious artsy references, really!
OUTCASTS
Outcasts cancellation broke my heart partly because it was awesome and did not get a chance to get off its feet. But mostly because I ship Cass/Fleur like its my job and that NEVER HAPPENED. So basically a fic involving them getting together would be awesome. You could follow the plot of Fleur going off because she's an AC and Cass trying to find her or her sneaking back to see him. Or a fic ignoring that plot aspect totally and just have them going out on duties as usual would be fabulous too. Or if you don't ship them as I do then any fic at all would rock, though some flirty banter between them would be great. I JUST WANT MORE OF THIS WORLD AND THESE PEOPLE. I didn't nominate him as a character but I love Tipper like crazy, so if he wants to be pop up and be awesome that would rock.
SARAH JANE ADVENTURES
This is a fandom in which I ship all of the people. Clyde/Luke are my OTP but I also ship Clyde/Rani, Luke/Maria and one disturbing day found myself shipping Clyde/Sarah Jane. So. I am cool with all of the ships! I am also cool with all of the gen stories of alien fighting! But I suppose the fic of my heart would involve Clyde and Luke getting together and being adorable, especially if it's long and plotty. Maybe if Clyde visits Luke at university and finds out he has a boyfriend and gets jealous? Or Luke comes home and realises he feels differently about Clyde? Or aliens make them fall in love or ANYTHING. In fact anything you write will be glorious, because I love this fandom and basically want to read fic and cry about it being over. If you want to write about Sarah Jane dying and everything being tragic that is awesomely heartbreaking, or Rani getting a boyfriend and Clyde being jealous, or Maria coming over for a visit and meeting Rani or honestly ANY OF THE IDEAS I WILL LOVE THEM. I just want Sarah Jane fic.
HORRIBLE HISTORIES RPF
I love this cast and their twitter feeds and their show and I just want fic of them. I ship Mat/Ben a teensy tiny bit but prefer UST to actual relationship-ness, and am very happy with them all just arseing about on set, dressing up and doing scenes. Or if you wanted to write something plotty then Things In Their Lives can all go to crap, or maybe something insane happens and every time they dress up as Shakespeare they actually turn into Shakespeare, or actually are suddenly in Elizabethan England. IDK, whatever moves you is awesome with me.
Thank you again you amazing and brilliant person. I cannot wait to see what you write, I'm so excited I can't even so I shall just shut up now and hope I haven't made you hate me with my requests! If the sight of this letter has filled you with fear and trepidation please don't be alarmed, pretend you never read it and write the fic you wish someone had requested instead because that will make me happy too.
First of all, come to me and let me love you. Because you are writing fic I have longed to be written and no matter whether you write it to exactly my favourite things or write what you feel would be better I am going to love it beyond words, and by extension will also love you beyond words. So that is point the first - I love you, I will always love you, please don't be afraid to (metaphorically) tear this letter up and do your own thing because I am going to love you no matter what you write. It is up to you!
But if you want some guidance, I shall give you a (hopefully brief) run-down of general likes/dislikes, loves/loathings and the few things I try and avoid in fic (although I will of course ALWAYS LOVE YOU even if they end up being in the fic). And then I shall follow it with fandom-specific thoughts and hopefully we can all be home by teatime because I think this may get long.
I love plot and long, lengthy fic. By which I do not mean 'raaah write me a long plotty fic YOU HAD BETTER', but really that I love them and therefore if you want to write a plotty fic or a really ridiculously long one then I shall welcome it with my arms open widest! I also love character development and continuity and references to the source material and banter and plot twists. I don't care about absolute adherence to canon (in fact most of my very favourite fics are AUs!) and love new perspectives on things. If general fandom consensus is one thing, I like things to approach it from a different perspective quite often so if you wanted to put a different spin on something then please do.
I love angst. I love fic to break my heart into a million pieces and stamp on those pieces. And then set fire to them. If you wish to mercilessly slaughter characters or put them through the wringer in ALL OF THE WAYS I have no issue with that at all. (Apart from some of the ways which are below in the not-so-loved-things place. These are things which I prefer not to read.) I welcome it, in fact! But equally fluff is adorable and wonderful and a fic of two characters being schmoopy and in love is glorious and delicious and I will cling to it.
I love female characters, so if it does turn out to be a remotely long/plotty fic with multiple characters in many scenes, I'd really love it to be able to pass the Bechdel Test (http://bechdeltest.com/) but seriously do not get hung up on it because a lot of my favourite things don't pass it. Hell, at least two of the fandoms I've picked I don't think pass the Bechdel Test so it's really just a desperate dream.
In terms of my not-so-loved things, I am really not into incest or bestiality or rape. They have their place in fandom, but in the fics of my heart things tend to be slightly more vanilla ;) Sex is never a problem, but out of preference I'd prefer not just PWP but other stuff to be going on too.
These are of course only suggestions and thoughts - if your story is going to follow none of these things then that's okay, I am just happy for there to be a little more fic for the fandom in the world!
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Okay I loved this film, because I am a pretentious loser who would love to go to swanky parties and chat up famous authors. I'm sorry, I'm going to be unhelpful, but all I really wish for from this fic is lots of glorious wandering around in 20s Paris meeting all the amazing people. I am full of pretension and will sacrifice all my dreams of plot and character development for someone wandering around in the past meeting famous dead authors and poets and musicians and composers and artists and making literary references. It does not even have to be 20s Paris, or even Gil. If you want to write self-insert fic of yourself walking around in, I don't know, 30s Berlin meeting Isherwood and Auden, please go ahead! But if you do have an idea for a plot then please indulge all of my deepest desires and throw it in there.
I'm not fussed about the modern world really - it can be there or it can not. There can be conflict with family and friends or everyone can be cool with it and keep going back through the magic portal to meet famous people in a fabulous party. It could be epically meta and someone named after Fitzgerald could go back and accidentally become him, living in the past forever. I just crave lots of pretentious artsy references, really!
OUTCASTS
Outcasts cancellation broke my heart partly because it was awesome and did not get a chance to get off its feet. But mostly because I ship Cass/Fleur like its my job and that NEVER HAPPENED. So basically a fic involving them getting together would be awesome. You could follow the plot of Fleur going off because she's an AC and Cass trying to find her or her sneaking back to see him. Or a fic ignoring that plot aspect totally and just have them going out on duties as usual would be fabulous too. Or if you don't ship them as I do then any fic at all would rock, though some flirty banter between them would be great. I JUST WANT MORE OF THIS WORLD AND THESE PEOPLE. I didn't nominate him as a character but I love Tipper like crazy, so if he wants to be pop up and be awesome that would rock.
SARAH JANE ADVENTURES
This is a fandom in which I ship all of the people. Clyde/Luke are my OTP but I also ship Clyde/Rani, Luke/Maria and one disturbing day found myself shipping Clyde/Sarah Jane. So. I am cool with all of the ships! I am also cool with all of the gen stories of alien fighting! But I suppose the fic of my heart would involve Clyde and Luke getting together and being adorable, especially if it's long and plotty. Maybe if Clyde visits Luke at university and finds out he has a boyfriend and gets jealous? Or Luke comes home and realises he feels differently about Clyde? Or aliens make them fall in love or ANYTHING. In fact anything you write will be glorious, because I love this fandom and basically want to read fic and cry about it being over. If you want to write about Sarah Jane dying and everything being tragic that is awesomely heartbreaking, or Rani getting a boyfriend and Clyde being jealous, or Maria coming over for a visit and meeting Rani or honestly ANY OF THE IDEAS I WILL LOVE THEM. I just want Sarah Jane fic.
HORRIBLE HISTORIES RPF
I love this cast and their twitter feeds and their show and I just want fic of them. I ship Mat/Ben a teensy tiny bit but prefer UST to actual relationship-ness, and am very happy with them all just arseing about on set, dressing up and doing scenes. Or if you wanted to write something plotty then Things In Their Lives can all go to crap, or maybe something insane happens and every time they dress up as Shakespeare they actually turn into Shakespeare, or actually are suddenly in Elizabethan England. IDK, whatever moves you is awesome with me.
Thank you again you amazing and brilliant person. I cannot wait to see what you write, I'm so excited I can't even so I shall just shut up now and hope I haven't made you hate me with my requests! If the sight of this letter has filled you with fear and trepidation please don't be alarmed, pretend you never read it and write the fic you wish someone had requested instead because that will make me happy too.