Dear Yuletide writer (2014)
Dear Yuletide writer,
First things first: no pressure.
I don’t think it’s usual practice to give your writer ten different options for pairings/scenarios, but um, I just like a lot of different things and I thought I'd give you the widest range of options possible. This doesn’t mean you have to somehow combine all of them, or crowbar characters in where they’re not needed. I’m hoping that out of the multiple suggestions, you’ll find something that pings for you. But, if not, feel free to come up with an idea of your own involving those characters/pairings. Honestly, I’m easy - I just want more fic for my rare fandoms and for you to have fun writing something. :)
Some general likes/dislikes, for reference:
I love het, slash and femslash, at any rating from G to NC-17. I prefer ‘shippy fic to gen fic, but the gen scenarios I’ve given I would definitely enjoy reading.
‘Shippy fic needn’t go any further than kissing, depending on what you’re comfortable writing. Although I like smut, I like complex emotions more. No happily-ever-afters necessary, as long a relationship has resonance (even momentary resonance), which brings me to…
I enjoy realism and convincing characterization above all else in my fiction, so if it makes sense for a couple to break up, do it! I like happy endings, but I prefer realistic ones. My love of realism means that I’m not too fond of AUs or anything too fantastical. It also means I’m not big on sweeping declarations of love. (I usually like my characters to be backed into an emotional corner before they’ll ever say I love you.) Give me simple warmth, affection and kindness instead. Or… don’t! I love angsty, fucked up relationships that are damaging but also deliciously dark and satisfying.
I have kind of a mean sense of humour, which means you don’t need to worry about offending me! I’m pretty open when it comes to kink. If you think it’s hot, you can probably make me think it’s hot, too. Rough sex or non-con is fine, but no rapefic.
Please avoid A/B/O.
When I use the word ‘threesome’, I generally mean three separate but overlapping relationships. That can culminate in three-in-a-bed... or not. I enjoy the confusion and complexity involved with three people being in love (or in like) with each other.
I like happy poly fic where everyone knows that everyone is sleeping with everyone else and is completely fine with it. Of course, I also enjoy cheating fic, provided there are appropriate amounts of guilt and angst involved. I never like to see a character denigrated because he/she happens to get in the way of another pairing, nor do I like the trope where one character (usually female) is cast in the role of fangirl, salivating over two slashy boys.
Most importantly: THANK YOU - and have fun! Believe me when I say that you could write anything about the characters mentioned and I’d love it.
Find me elsewhere: on tumblr and twitter and AO3.
The Fosters - Brandon, Jude, Sophia, Lou
Requests:
(Brandon/Callie.) I love the sneaking-around/forbidden-love/us-against-the-world element of this pairing. Anything that fills in some of the gaps in their relationship in s1b or imagines a clandestine relationship for them in s2a would be wonderful. I love Brallie at their most fucked up, but I also think there’s a functional relationship under all that angst. If you’d rather write something happier, how about a riff on their shared love of music? We never did get that promised s2 jam session on screen, so I’d love a story that incorporates the two of them playing music together. Another alternative scenario: I love the scene in ‘Family Day’ where they talk about their future together (have to get a nice kitchen table!) and I’ve always wondered what it would be like if they really had ended up living together as teenagers in their own apartment. I’m imagining hilarious calamity (the sink’s blocked and neither of them know how to fix it!) mixed with genuine sweetness.
(Jude/Connor.) No, but really, what happened in the tent? More specifically, I’d love a story about that fateful camping trip - I’d love to know how they patched up their friendship, tent shenanigans aside. If you’re in the mood to write something fluffier, great! I basically just want to read about Jude and Connor holding hands and being dumb. Here’s a random prompt, in case you prefer specifics: Jude is trying so resolutely to ignore his romantic feelings for Connor and be a good friend that he accidentally overlooks the fact that Connor is desperately trying to hit on him. So they go to the movies (on a date, Connor thinks), but Jude thinks it’s just platonic. They go ice skating and Connor tries to hold Jude’s hand, but Jude thinks it’s an accident, etc. etc.
(Sophia.) I’d love a gen Sophia POV piece. She’s such a strange mix of bratty and serene, cheerful and unhappy. I’d love a story about what’s going through her head.
(Lou.) I’d love to know what the Secret Life of Lou is like. Much like Sophia, with Lou, I feel like we saw glimpses of a fascinating character, but not enough to really get a sense of her life. So I’d love a story that follows her home from band practice and gets inside her head. (Side note: I prefer Lou and Brandon as friends/FWB, rather than as a couple.)
More gen options: I get really emotional about Brandon and Callie (either separate or apart) and the moms, so if you’d rather write a gen story that focuses on those familial relationships, go for it. What would have happened if Callie had become estranged from Stef and Lena after running away, and then got back in touch a few years down the line? What was Brandon’s young life like as he adapted to having two moms? How might his relationship with Lena change now that the two of them have become closer in s2a? (Brandon-Lena is one of my favourite dynamics on the show.)
Requests involving characters not nominated:
I know they weren’t nominated, but I love the Girls United girls (and boy), so a story about them would be awesome. Cole is my favourite. I’ve always thought a story about his time living on the streets would be interesting - particularly if it was an AU and he happened to run into Callie, who was also living rough... Write me a story about Cole and Callie as a pair of living-on-their-wits hustlers, ala The Decemberists’ ‘On the Bus Mall’!
More notes:
I love many, many different aspects of this show, so you’ll forgive me if my requests are a little disparate. I’m definitely not expecting you to pack everything into one steroid-enhanced story, and the good news is that you could write almost anything about these characters and I’ll love it!
I am a total Brandon Foster apologist, I’m afraid. He’s been a complete asshole at times (yelling at Callie on the beach for wanting to see Donald springs to mind), but I also think his anger/turmoil is understandable, and he’s a doofy-sweet guy at his core.
I think Jude is potentially the most complicated character on the show, full of layers and contradictions. I dislike when he’s written off simply as a cute kid who’s nice to everyone - I think he definitely plays up the ‘cute kid’ angle as a defence mechanism (“they can’t hurt me if they underestimate me” etc.).
My recaps of s2a will probably give you more than you want to know in terms of what I think about the show. You can also check my fosters tag on tumblr.
The Fosters (TV 2013) RPF - Maia Mitchell, David Lambert
Requests:
Maia seems like such a goofball, while David’s more serious. I’d love to read about how a relationship between them might play out… especially in the background of being paid to make out on-screen. How about a fic involving on-set pranks? Maia and David share two halves of the same trailer - how might that work on a day-to-day basis? Also, Maia once said that David purports to be a great cook, but he has never cooked for her. Maybe he finally makes her a meal and everything goes hilariously wrong…
Requests involving characters not nominated:
I know they’re not nominated, but alternatively, I would love to read a story about Teri Polo and Sherri Saum. They’re SO affectionate with each other (calling each other ‘wife’ IRL <3) - what would happen if that tipped over into romantic feelings? (Side note: I definitely see this as culminating in them being in a happy, poly relationship where their husbands know all about it.)
More notes:
I generally see Maia/David as a light-hearted pairing, prone to hijinks and hot makeouts. You can write it as a love match or just a FWB thing - I don’t mind. I’d just like to read about them having fun together. Bonus points for including something about the cultural differences between Australia and America.
Check out my mavid tag on tumblr.
Taylor Swift (Musician) - Taylor Swift (Taylor Swift RPF)
Requests:
I feel like there are the seeds of so many great stories in Taylor’s recent history: moving to New York, meeting amazing ladies, becoming a feminist, becoming aware of herself... all combined with the headfuck of being insanely rich and famous. So I’d love a story about Taylor navigating being a regular girl who loves Tumblr and cats... but also dealing with not being average at all. And if it involves a little f/f romance, then so much the better! I’ll admit to not being too familiar with most of Taylor’s current female friends, but, please, by all means, sell me on the idea of Taylor/Karlie, Taylor/Lena, Taylor/Lorde, or even Taylor/OriginalFemaleCharacter (whichever floats your boat). I just want a story about Taylor being happy and finding that there’s more to romance than a knight on a white horse...
More notes:
I love Taylor completely unironically, but I also don’t think she’s a perfectflawless demigod. So feel free to be realistic and critical in your characterization of her.
Check my taylor tag on tumblr.
The Good Wife (TV) - Alicia, Kalinda, Cary
Requests:
Alicia, Kalinda and Cary are my three favourite characters and my OT3, and I’d love to read a story about their complex and overlapping relationships. I tend to imagine Cary’s presence might take the edge off the over-intense relationship of Alicia and Kalinda. (Plus: HOT.) I just… want them to be happy together. Or, alternatively, to implode in a delicious avalanche of angst. Really, either is fine.
If OT3 ‘shipping is not your thing, I would be just as happy to receive a story that’s about Alicia/Cary, Alicia/Kalinda OR Kalinda/Cary. I love all three pairings unreservedly.
(Alicia/Cary.) I’d love to read a story that fills in some of the gaps of the early days of Florrick Agos - those days when they were working out of Alicia’s apartment and they were forced to rely on one another exclusively. This could easily work as a gen fic, or if you’d like to put in some sex/romance, that would be awesome, too (wasn’t Alicia’s bedroom the company HQ for a while??).
(Alicia/Kalinda.) I’d love to read a story about these two finally making peace… or having angry sex and realizing they’ll never be able to make peace. Basically, throw all of their issues on the table and let the chips fall where they may. A specific prompt: Alicia wanting to know what about Kalinda was included in her Oppo Research definitely made me think she was worried a secret tryst between the two of them from the past (a drunken kiss? A one-night-stand? A two-week affair that imploded?) might come to light. I’d love to read a story that riffs on that idea.
(Kalinda/Cary.) The show itself is maddeningly vague on the particulars of Cary/Kalinda, so I’d love to read a story that elaborates upon their early relationship (was “welcome back to normal” in #2.16 their first kiss or just part of a FWB arrangement that started months earlier?) and perhaps draws a more concrete line between how they were at the beginning of their relationship and how they are now, following Cary’s stay in prison. In general, anything that riffs on Cary-in-prison (perhaps he has PTSD?) would be welcome.
More notes:
I like Kalinda as bisexual and polyamorous and I’m resistant to any characterization that changes that. I do think Kalinda is capable of commitment, and any of the pairings mentioned might involve Kalinda deciding to commit to another person (or two people), but I don’t think this decision would come easily and I don’t think she’d want to be monogamous.
Check my good wife tag on tumblr.
First things first: no pressure.
I don’t think it’s usual practice to give your writer ten different options for pairings/scenarios, but um, I just like a lot of different things and I thought I'd give you the widest range of options possible. This doesn’t mean you have to somehow combine all of them, or crowbar characters in where they’re not needed. I’m hoping that out of the multiple suggestions, you’ll find something that pings for you. But, if not, feel free to come up with an idea of your own involving those characters/pairings. Honestly, I’m easy - I just want more fic for my rare fandoms and for you to have fun writing something. :)
Some general likes/dislikes, for reference:
I love het, slash and femslash, at any rating from G to NC-17. I prefer ‘shippy fic to gen fic, but the gen scenarios I’ve given I would definitely enjoy reading.
‘Shippy fic needn’t go any further than kissing, depending on what you’re comfortable writing. Although I like smut, I like complex emotions more. No happily-ever-afters necessary, as long a relationship has resonance (even momentary resonance), which brings me to…
I enjoy realism and convincing characterization above all else in my fiction, so if it makes sense for a couple to break up, do it! I like happy endings, but I prefer realistic ones. My love of realism means that I’m not too fond of AUs or anything too fantastical. It also means I’m not big on sweeping declarations of love. (I usually like my characters to be backed into an emotional corner before they’ll ever say I love you.) Give me simple warmth, affection and kindness instead. Or… don’t! I love angsty, fucked up relationships that are damaging but also deliciously dark and satisfying.
I have kind of a mean sense of humour, which means you don’t need to worry about offending me! I’m pretty open when it comes to kink. If you think it’s hot, you can probably make me think it’s hot, too. Rough sex or non-con is fine, but no rapefic.
Please avoid A/B/O.
When I use the word ‘threesome’, I generally mean three separate but overlapping relationships. That can culminate in three-in-a-bed... or not. I enjoy the confusion and complexity involved with three people being in love (or in like) with each other.
I like happy poly fic where everyone knows that everyone is sleeping with everyone else and is completely fine with it. Of course, I also enjoy cheating fic, provided there are appropriate amounts of guilt and angst involved. I never like to see a character denigrated because he/she happens to get in the way of another pairing, nor do I like the trope where one character (usually female) is cast in the role of fangirl, salivating over two slashy boys.
Most importantly: THANK YOU - and have fun! Believe me when I say that you could write anything about the characters mentioned and I’d love it.
Find me elsewhere: on tumblr and twitter and AO3.
The Fosters - Brandon, Jude, Sophia, Lou
Requests:
(Brandon/Callie.) I love the sneaking-around/forbidden-love/us-against-the-world element of this pairing. Anything that fills in some of the gaps in their relationship in s1b or imagines a clandestine relationship for them in s2a would be wonderful. I love Brallie at their most fucked up, but I also think there’s a functional relationship under all that angst. If you’d rather write something happier, how about a riff on their shared love of music? We never did get that promised s2 jam session on screen, so I’d love a story that incorporates the two of them playing music together. Another alternative scenario: I love the scene in ‘Family Day’ where they talk about their future together (have to get a nice kitchen table!) and I’ve always wondered what it would be like if they really had ended up living together as teenagers in their own apartment. I’m imagining hilarious calamity (the sink’s blocked and neither of them know how to fix it!) mixed with genuine sweetness.
(Jude/Connor.) No, but really, what happened in the tent? More specifically, I’d love a story about that fateful camping trip - I’d love to know how they patched up their friendship, tent shenanigans aside. If you’re in the mood to write something fluffier, great! I basically just want to read about Jude and Connor holding hands and being dumb. Here’s a random prompt, in case you prefer specifics: Jude is trying so resolutely to ignore his romantic feelings for Connor and be a good friend that he accidentally overlooks the fact that Connor is desperately trying to hit on him. So they go to the movies (on a date, Connor thinks), but Jude thinks it’s just platonic. They go ice skating and Connor tries to hold Jude’s hand, but Jude thinks it’s an accident, etc. etc.
(Sophia.) I’d love a gen Sophia POV piece. She’s such a strange mix of bratty and serene, cheerful and unhappy. I’d love a story about what’s going through her head.
(Lou.) I’d love to know what the Secret Life of Lou is like. Much like Sophia, with Lou, I feel like we saw glimpses of a fascinating character, but not enough to really get a sense of her life. So I’d love a story that follows her home from band practice and gets inside her head. (Side note: I prefer Lou and Brandon as friends/FWB, rather than as a couple.)
More gen options: I get really emotional about Brandon and Callie (either separate or apart) and the moms, so if you’d rather write a gen story that focuses on those familial relationships, go for it. What would have happened if Callie had become estranged from Stef and Lena after running away, and then got back in touch a few years down the line? What was Brandon’s young life like as he adapted to having two moms? How might his relationship with Lena change now that the two of them have become closer in s2a? (Brandon-Lena is one of my favourite dynamics on the show.)
Requests involving characters not nominated:
I know they weren’t nominated, but I love the Girls United girls (and boy), so a story about them would be awesome. Cole is my favourite. I’ve always thought a story about his time living on the streets would be interesting - particularly if it was an AU and he happened to run into Callie, who was also living rough... Write me a story about Cole and Callie as a pair of living-on-their-wits hustlers, ala The Decemberists’ ‘On the Bus Mall’!
More notes:
I love many, many different aspects of this show, so you’ll forgive me if my requests are a little disparate. I’m definitely not expecting you to pack everything into one steroid-enhanced story, and the good news is that you could write almost anything about these characters and I’ll love it!
I am a total Brandon Foster apologist, I’m afraid. He’s been a complete asshole at times (yelling at Callie on the beach for wanting to see Donald springs to mind), but I also think his anger/turmoil is understandable, and he’s a doofy-sweet guy at his core.
I think Jude is potentially the most complicated character on the show, full of layers and contradictions. I dislike when he’s written off simply as a cute kid who’s nice to everyone - I think he definitely plays up the ‘cute kid’ angle as a defence mechanism (“they can’t hurt me if they underestimate me” etc.).
My recaps of s2a will probably give you more than you want to know in terms of what I think about the show. You can also check my fosters tag on tumblr.
The Fosters (TV 2013) RPF - Maia Mitchell, David Lambert
Requests:
Maia seems like such a goofball, while David’s more serious. I’d love to read about how a relationship between them might play out… especially in the background of being paid to make out on-screen. How about a fic involving on-set pranks? Maia and David share two halves of the same trailer - how might that work on a day-to-day basis? Also, Maia once said that David purports to be a great cook, but he has never cooked for her. Maybe he finally makes her a meal and everything goes hilariously wrong…
Requests involving characters not nominated:
I know they’re not nominated, but alternatively, I would love to read a story about Teri Polo and Sherri Saum. They’re SO affectionate with each other (calling each other ‘wife’ IRL <3) - what would happen if that tipped over into romantic feelings? (Side note: I definitely see this as culminating in them being in a happy, poly relationship where their husbands know all about it.)
More notes:
I generally see Maia/David as a light-hearted pairing, prone to hijinks and hot makeouts. You can write it as a love match or just a FWB thing - I don’t mind. I’d just like to read about them having fun together. Bonus points for including something about the cultural differences between Australia and America.
Check out my mavid tag on tumblr.
Taylor Swift (Musician) - Taylor Swift (Taylor Swift RPF)
Requests:
I feel like there are the seeds of so many great stories in Taylor’s recent history: moving to New York, meeting amazing ladies, becoming a feminist, becoming aware of herself... all combined with the headfuck of being insanely rich and famous. So I’d love a story about Taylor navigating being a regular girl who loves Tumblr and cats... but also dealing with not being average at all. And if it involves a little f/f romance, then so much the better! I’ll admit to not being too familiar with most of Taylor’s current female friends, but, please, by all means, sell me on the idea of Taylor/Karlie, Taylor/Lena, Taylor/Lorde, or even Taylor/OriginalFemaleCharacter (whichever floats your boat). I just want a story about Taylor being happy and finding that there’s more to romance than a knight on a white horse...
More notes:
I love Taylor completely unironically, but I also don’t think she’s a perfectflawless demigod. So feel free to be realistic and critical in your characterization of her.
Check my taylor tag on tumblr.
The Good Wife (TV) - Alicia, Kalinda, Cary
Requests:
Alicia, Kalinda and Cary are my three favourite characters and my OT3, and I’d love to read a story about their complex and overlapping relationships. I tend to imagine Cary’s presence might take the edge off the over-intense relationship of Alicia and Kalinda. (Plus: HOT.) I just… want them to be happy together. Or, alternatively, to implode in a delicious avalanche of angst. Really, either is fine.
If OT3 ‘shipping is not your thing, I would be just as happy to receive a story that’s about Alicia/Cary, Alicia/Kalinda OR Kalinda/Cary. I love all three pairings unreservedly.
(Alicia/Cary.) I’d love to read a story that fills in some of the gaps of the early days of Florrick Agos - those days when they were working out of Alicia’s apartment and they were forced to rely on one another exclusively. This could easily work as a gen fic, or if you’d like to put in some sex/romance, that would be awesome, too (wasn’t Alicia’s bedroom the company HQ for a while??).
(Alicia/Kalinda.) I’d love to read a story about these two finally making peace… or having angry sex and realizing they’ll never be able to make peace. Basically, throw all of their issues on the table and let the chips fall where they may. A specific prompt: Alicia wanting to know what about Kalinda was included in her Oppo Research definitely made me think she was worried a secret tryst between the two of them from the past (a drunken kiss? A one-night-stand? A two-week affair that imploded?) might come to light. I’d love to read a story that riffs on that idea.
(Kalinda/Cary.) The show itself is maddeningly vague on the particulars of Cary/Kalinda, so I’d love to read a story that elaborates upon their early relationship (was “welcome back to normal” in #2.16 their first kiss or just part of a FWB arrangement that started months earlier?) and perhaps draws a more concrete line between how they were at the beginning of their relationship and how they are now, following Cary’s stay in prison. In general, anything that riffs on Cary-in-prison (perhaps he has PTSD?) would be welcome.
More notes:
I like Kalinda as bisexual and polyamorous and I’m resistant to any characterization that changes that. I do think Kalinda is capable of commitment, and any of the pairings mentioned might involve Kalinda deciding to commit to another person (or two people), but I don’t think this decision would come easily and I don’t think she’d want to be monogamous.
Check my good wife tag on tumblr.