Dear Yuletide
Dear Yuletide Author,
Thank you! You are an amazing person for writing something for me, and I'm so excited to read whatever you create. All you need to know about me is that I love nuanced characters, outrageous and complex plots, and reversals of fate. I adore antiheroes and villains, and I always love digging into the worldbuilding of myths and legends.
I will be more specific below, but whatever you do, happy writing!
American Gods
The thing that I love most about American Gods is the stark reality of the setting and mythology, how the characters show us the best and worse parts of humanity, and how actual plotting is intricate and inevitable. The ending isn’t ‘destiny’, but neither can it be avoided. I love how the gods has taken on the guise of humans in this, but it’s as thin as tissue paper, held together by human belief only.
I would love to see a story that dives back into this mythology, with detailed plotting and the inevitability of fate, too. A story that spins off the novel would be best. Take an unfinished moment from the novel and bring it to a thoughtful conclusion, and I will be thrilled.
I suggested the characters of Loki, Odin, and Shadow because I love them (especially Loki), but you don’t have to use them. I’m not interested in a story with romance, but something that touches upon the power of myths in modern life and how we can’t escape them. I have no particular squicks except character bashing. I love my characters to be rich and nuanced, and for even the bad ones to be layered enough that I can love them.
I love ‘road trip’ stories and space operas and Westerns, bleak landscapes and isolations. Enemies to lovers is absolutely my favorite trope, and a slow building of romance and plot is the best way to my heart.
~
A Court of Thorns and Roses
I read the first two books of this series earlier this year, and the fact that they are unfinished has been driving me mad. What I love about these stories was the dark take they took on the original tales, bringing the romance of fairytales to a much darker place. But above all, I am in love with the way the first book mimicked Beauty and the Beast (complete with dubious morality and treatment of women), and how the second book turned that on its head by retelling Hades and Persephone as a romance. The first book worried me, but the second was delightful. It emphasizes strong women and self-determination of fate, and has a delicious ‘dark’ Lord that I love to ogle.
I would love to see a story the gives me a window into the upcoming third book in the series. I want to see Feyre being amazing and doing fantastic things. I wouldn’t mind a steamy sex scene with Rhys, but I’m definitely looking for more than PWP. I want to see Tamlin get what he deserves, but since that might be a novel, don’t feel pushed to include that.
I don’t have any particular squicks except character bashing. Even though I hate Tamlin, I would like to see him portrayed with nuance if you choose to include him at all. What would thrill me beyond belief would be if you included a third myth/fairytale in your story, and subverted it a bit like SJM does. While she chose myths along similar lines (Beauty and the Beast and Hades/Persephone both include unlikely romance, enemies to lovers), I would be up for you to use any kind of Greek or Norse mythology, or Russian fairytales as the pattern for your own story.
I love ‘road trip’ stories and space operas and Westerns, bleak landscapes and isolations. Enemies to lovers is absolutely my favorite trope, and a slow building of romance and plot is the best way to my heart.
~
Jane Eyre
Something about Jane Eyre has always lingered with me, from the stark imagery of the scenery to the desperation of the romance. It doesn’t hurt that it’s very much a version of Beauty and the Beast, one of my favorite tales. I’ve also read and loved Wide Sargasso Sea, for the way it sucked me in and filled with its humid and beautiful heat. I could wax rapturous for days.
What I’m looking for is a story that brings me back into that dense, hypnotic world of both stories. I would love to see something female-centric, focused on Bertha and Jane. I’m open to femme-slash, but I don’t want PWP. I mostly want something atmospheric and beautiful, with a tinge of a ghost story.
~
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
I request this every year. I love to return to the intricate and layered story of English magic and its reclamation. I love Clarke’s style and the way it is both pastiche and quite touching. I also love the characters - all of them - from the horrible ones like the Gentleman with the Thistledown Hair, to the best like Jonathan Strange. And my most favorite of all is John Uskglass, the Raven King.
I want a story that draws me back into the fairy tale that Clarke built, with magic and rich characters. I am open to you using old characters or creating new ones. You can stay within the bounds of the original stories or write a new one. I’m not terrible interested in romance or PWP, but I would love to see Clarke’s world explored further, especially with regard to the history of magic. I love ‘road trip’ stories and space operas and Westerns, bleak landscapes and isolations. Enemies to lovers/friends is absolutely my favorite trope, and a slow building of plot is the best way to my heart.
~
Norse Religion & Lore
I adore Norse lore because of its strangeness. It’s a very odd, lyrical kind of mythology. The stories are repetitive and cyclical, and very often makes little sense. And at the same time it manages to make all the sense in the world, which I’ve never managed to wrap my head around. I have very few squicks except character bashing, and I’m open to almost anything. I love ‘road trip’ stories and space operas and Westerns, bleak landscapes and isolations. Enemies to lovers is absolutely my favorite trope, and a slow building of romance and plot is the best way to my heart.
Within Norse religion, I love Loki the most of all, and the stories of Ragnarok. I want to see an exciting and nuanced portrayal of character, and maybe a reversal of fate. Feel free to surprise me. I’m excited to see what’s you’ll do!
Thank you! You are an amazing person for writing something for me, and I'm so excited to read whatever you create. All you need to know about me is that I love nuanced characters, outrageous and complex plots, and reversals of fate. I adore antiheroes and villains, and I always love digging into the worldbuilding of myths and legends.
I will be more specific below, but whatever you do, happy writing!
American Gods
The thing that I love most about American Gods is the stark reality of the setting and mythology, how the characters show us the best and worse parts of humanity, and how actual plotting is intricate and inevitable. The ending isn’t ‘destiny’, but neither can it be avoided. I love how the gods has taken on the guise of humans in this, but it’s as thin as tissue paper, held together by human belief only.
I would love to see a story that dives back into this mythology, with detailed plotting and the inevitability of fate, too. A story that spins off the novel would be best. Take an unfinished moment from the novel and bring it to a thoughtful conclusion, and I will be thrilled.
I suggested the characters of Loki, Odin, and Shadow because I love them (especially Loki), but you don’t have to use them. I’m not interested in a story with romance, but something that touches upon the power of myths in modern life and how we can’t escape them. I have no particular squicks except character bashing. I love my characters to be rich and nuanced, and for even the bad ones to be layered enough that I can love them.
I love ‘road trip’ stories and space operas and Westerns, bleak landscapes and isolations. Enemies to lovers is absolutely my favorite trope, and a slow building of romance and plot is the best way to my heart.
~
A Court of Thorns and Roses
I read the first two books of this series earlier this year, and the fact that they are unfinished has been driving me mad. What I love about these stories was the dark take they took on the original tales, bringing the romance of fairytales to a much darker place. But above all, I am in love with the way the first book mimicked Beauty and the Beast (complete with dubious morality and treatment of women), and how the second book turned that on its head by retelling Hades and Persephone as a romance. The first book worried me, but the second was delightful. It emphasizes strong women and self-determination of fate, and has a delicious ‘dark’ Lord that I love to ogle.
I would love to see a story the gives me a window into the upcoming third book in the series. I want to see Feyre being amazing and doing fantastic things. I wouldn’t mind a steamy sex scene with Rhys, but I’m definitely looking for more than PWP. I want to see Tamlin get what he deserves, but since that might be a novel, don’t feel pushed to include that.
I don’t have any particular squicks except character bashing. Even though I hate Tamlin, I would like to see him portrayed with nuance if you choose to include him at all. What would thrill me beyond belief would be if you included a third myth/fairytale in your story, and subverted it a bit like SJM does. While she chose myths along similar lines (Beauty and the Beast and Hades/Persephone both include unlikely romance, enemies to lovers), I would be up for you to use any kind of Greek or Norse mythology, or Russian fairytales as the pattern for your own story.
I love ‘road trip’ stories and space operas and Westerns, bleak landscapes and isolations. Enemies to lovers is absolutely my favorite trope, and a slow building of romance and plot is the best way to my heart.
~
Jane Eyre
Something about Jane Eyre has always lingered with me, from the stark imagery of the scenery to the desperation of the romance. It doesn’t hurt that it’s very much a version of Beauty and the Beast, one of my favorite tales. I’ve also read and loved Wide Sargasso Sea, for the way it sucked me in and filled with its humid and beautiful heat. I could wax rapturous for days.
What I’m looking for is a story that brings me back into that dense, hypnotic world of both stories. I would love to see something female-centric, focused on Bertha and Jane. I’m open to femme-slash, but I don’t want PWP. I mostly want something atmospheric and beautiful, with a tinge of a ghost story.
~
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
I request this every year. I love to return to the intricate and layered story of English magic and its reclamation. I love Clarke’s style and the way it is both pastiche and quite touching. I also love the characters - all of them - from the horrible ones like the Gentleman with the Thistledown Hair, to the best like Jonathan Strange. And my most favorite of all is John Uskglass, the Raven King.
I want a story that draws me back into the fairy tale that Clarke built, with magic and rich characters. I am open to you using old characters or creating new ones. You can stay within the bounds of the original stories or write a new one. I’m not terrible interested in romance or PWP, but I would love to see Clarke’s world explored further, especially with regard to the history of magic. I love ‘road trip’ stories and space operas and Westerns, bleak landscapes and isolations. Enemies to lovers/friends is absolutely my favorite trope, and a slow building of plot is the best way to my heart.
~
Norse Religion & Lore
I adore Norse lore because of its strangeness. It’s a very odd, lyrical kind of mythology. The stories are repetitive and cyclical, and very often makes little sense. And at the same time it manages to make all the sense in the world, which I’ve never managed to wrap my head around. I have very few squicks except character bashing, and I’m open to almost anything. I love ‘road trip’ stories and space operas and Westerns, bleak landscapes and isolations. Enemies to lovers is absolutely my favorite trope, and a slow building of romance and plot is the best way to my heart.
Within Norse religion, I love Loki the most of all, and the stories of Ragnarok. I want to see an exciting and nuanced portrayal of character, and maybe a reversal of fate. Feel free to surprise me. I’m excited to see what’s you’ll do!