Dear Yuletide,
General:
The Goblin Emperor
My favorite character in this novel is Maia. He is kind, empathetic, and very clever. I loved reading the original story from his perspective, and that is why I would love to see more from his point of view. I want to see Maia achieve the greatness that he touched on in the novel. I would love to see more of him maneuvering the politics of the Court and surviving despite all odds. I also love the fact of his mixed heritage and would be very interested in a look at how the prejudices surrounding his goblin ethnicity influence his rule. I also love his selflessness (which can get him into a lot of trouble). I want to see how he interacts with other members of the Court and the troubles he battles and deals with next to become a better and stronger "bridgebuilder".
I am not interested in focus on a major romantic relationship (though romance on the side is fine), but would love to see Maia's platonic relationships with any (or all) of the amazing female characters expanded and deepened. I also adore the language of the book, and the interplay between the formal and the personal. It captivated me and was beautiful to read, so it's definitely something that I can't go without.
~
Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre is one of my favorite novels, and I've reread it multiple times. I would really love a retelling of the novel with an AU twist. It could be a remix with a fairytale or a genderswap or a modern AU. I am a feminist at heart, so seeing a reversal of the power-play between Jane and Rochester would be brilliant. Incorporating characters of color in empowering roles would make me extremely happy. Unconventional heroines and adventures are another love of mine. The one thing that I must have is a strong and nuanced female lead.
~
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is one of my absolutely favorite novels when it comes to characters and worldbuilding. I love the rich atmosphere of the novel, the footnotes that make every moment multi-layered, and the brilliant characters. One of the things I adore about this book is how Clarke wove together history and fantasy to create a very real and convincing narrative. There is a kind of fatalism in her work that is beautiful - no matter the idealism of magic as a concept, everything in the world is just as twisted and unfair as always. The only thing that lifts the characters from the morass is the fact of the "story", which makes even the most terrible characters sacred.
I am not particularly looking for a romantic story, but one that delves into the world that Clarke has built and draws upon her characters to dip me back into the world. My favorite character is John Uskglass (the Raven King). That said, I love every other character as well, and would welcome a brilliant story about any of them. I would take an alternate universe/modern retelling. I just want that rich world and characters back.
~
Neverwhere
Neverwhere stands out to me because of the rich details of its worldbuilding as well as its setting in London, one of my favorite cities ever. I think what stands out to me about Neverwhere is that it takes some of the most marginalized and discredited parts of society and makes them into a living, breathing universe of their own. I would love more exploration of the London underworld and how that is a mirror for the visible world.
I also love London adventuring, especially involving the Marquis and Richard, the greatest and most dangerous "odd couple" I can think of. The Marquis is mysterious and deadly, as his 'wisdom' is mostly all bluff and calculated statements. I love Richard's innocence in this world, and would love more about how he learns the ways of the Under London. A story focusing on any female character would be more than fine as well.
~
Sunshine
This book has so much spunk and joy in it. For me, it's the only vampire novel I truly enjoy. I would love to see more of the story, picking up from where it left off. It always tore me apart that it ended to soon and so finally, and any extension of the story would make me very happy indeed.
My favorite character is Rae, of course, quickly followed by Constantine. I love Rae's sharp disregard for manners - how she's a good person, but not always a nice person. She has a lot of personality that I love. I love Constantine's concern for her despite her ability to handle almost anything (it's endearing, as he's often in trouble). I love the connection between them and the world that McKinley built in this - subtly dystopian. If you want to explore the dystopian world more as well as building the main relationship, I would be head over heels.
~
UK Railway Stations
I would like something existential, possibly slashy, and definitely snarky. I didn't see them included, but I have a deep love for Islington and Blackfriars, so to have them included/featured would make my day. Lots of description and building of the City of London would be brilliant. My big loves here are British culture, rich description, and unconventional characters.
Thank you so much for your work! I can't wait to read what you're writing!
- Likes. Rich characterizations and worldbuilding. Believably flawed characters. Backstories that effect a current plot. Characters struggling with themselves and other characters as the main plot device. Murder mysteries, Time Travel (Time Loops!). Modern day AUs (they crack me up). Sexual tension. Delayed gratification. Characters fighting for what they believe in. Characters getting it wrong. Cities. Descriptions of cities. Historical AUs (they make me happy to dive into the drama). Mythology. More worldbuilding. Long fics.
- Dislikes. Stories based on conversation. Tropes that are barely explained/used gratuitously. Characters who have a happy ending without fighting for it. Torture/kink porn (on its own). Poor grammar and formatting. Quick romances. Characters who are flat or wimpy. Shmoop. Whump. Hurt/comfort. Daddy kink. AUs that take themselves too seriously. Crossovers. Flat original characters (they have a name, but no personality, or they're a stereotype). Un-betaed fics.
The Goblin Emperor
My favorite character in this novel is Maia. He is kind, empathetic, and very clever. I loved reading the original story from his perspective, and that is why I would love to see more from his point of view. I want to see Maia achieve the greatness that he touched on in the novel. I would love to see more of him maneuvering the politics of the Court and surviving despite all odds. I also love the fact of his mixed heritage and would be very interested in a look at how the prejudices surrounding his goblin ethnicity influence his rule. I also love his selflessness (which can get him into a lot of trouble). I want to see how he interacts with other members of the Court and the troubles he battles and deals with next to become a better and stronger "bridgebuilder".
I am not interested in focus on a major romantic relationship (though romance on the side is fine), but would love to see Maia's platonic relationships with any (or all) of the amazing female characters expanded and deepened. I also adore the language of the book, and the interplay between the formal and the personal. It captivated me and was beautiful to read, so it's definitely something that I can't go without.
~
Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre is one of my favorite novels, and I've reread it multiple times. I would really love a retelling of the novel with an AU twist. It could be a remix with a fairytale or a genderswap or a modern AU. I am a feminist at heart, so seeing a reversal of the power-play between Jane and Rochester would be brilliant. Incorporating characters of color in empowering roles would make me extremely happy. Unconventional heroines and adventures are another love of mine. The one thing that I must have is a strong and nuanced female lead.
~
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is one of my absolutely favorite novels when it comes to characters and worldbuilding. I love the rich atmosphere of the novel, the footnotes that make every moment multi-layered, and the brilliant characters. One of the things I adore about this book is how Clarke wove together history and fantasy to create a very real and convincing narrative. There is a kind of fatalism in her work that is beautiful - no matter the idealism of magic as a concept, everything in the world is just as twisted and unfair as always. The only thing that lifts the characters from the morass is the fact of the "story", which makes even the most terrible characters sacred.
I am not particularly looking for a romantic story, but one that delves into the world that Clarke has built and draws upon her characters to dip me back into the world. My favorite character is John Uskglass (the Raven King). That said, I love every other character as well, and would welcome a brilliant story about any of them. I would take an alternate universe/modern retelling. I just want that rich world and characters back.
~
Neverwhere
Neverwhere stands out to me because of the rich details of its worldbuilding as well as its setting in London, one of my favorite cities ever. I think what stands out to me about Neverwhere is that it takes some of the most marginalized and discredited parts of society and makes them into a living, breathing universe of their own. I would love more exploration of the London underworld and how that is a mirror for the visible world.
I also love London adventuring, especially involving the Marquis and Richard, the greatest and most dangerous "odd couple" I can think of. The Marquis is mysterious and deadly, as his 'wisdom' is mostly all bluff and calculated statements. I love Richard's innocence in this world, and would love more about how he learns the ways of the Under London. A story focusing on any female character would be more than fine as well.
~
Sunshine
This book has so much spunk and joy in it. For me, it's the only vampire novel I truly enjoy. I would love to see more of the story, picking up from where it left off. It always tore me apart that it ended to soon and so finally, and any extension of the story would make me very happy indeed.
My favorite character is Rae, of course, quickly followed by Constantine. I love Rae's sharp disregard for manners - how she's a good person, but not always a nice person. She has a lot of personality that I love. I love Constantine's concern for her despite her ability to handle almost anything (it's endearing, as he's often in trouble). I love the connection between them and the world that McKinley built in this - subtly dystopian. If you want to explore the dystopian world more as well as building the main relationship, I would be head over heels.
~
UK Railway Stations
I would like something existential, possibly slashy, and definitely snarky. I didn't see them included, but I have a deep love for Islington and Blackfriars, so to have them included/featured would make my day. Lots of description and building of the City of London would be brilliant. My big loves here are British culture, rich description, and unconventional characters.
Thank you so much for your work! I can't wait to read what you're writing!