Yuletide Letter
Dear Yuletide Writer,
First of all, thank you ever so much for taking part in Yuletide. You are awesome! I am so excited about someone writing one of my obscure requests, you have no idea.
Here are my requests again, plus some additional information/resources that perhaps you might find useful.
1. RPF - British Actors (Gary Oldman/Tim Roth)
I'd love any Gary Oldman/Tim Roth slash: angsty or happy or something in between; something that explores the complexity of their relationship; or the feeling that they've missed their chance or that life has slipped passed them; or just something that shows them back when they were young and on the set of 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' and enjoying each other's company and maybe, maybe falling in love. Explicit or otherwise, whatever time period, if you write it, I'll be overjoyed!
My OTP! I love them so much, don't ask me why. I guess it started with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, so if you want some basic inspiration and evidence of their chemistry, I'd suggest you watch that film (my tinhat, let me show you it). For visual inspiration, oldman_roth is a good picture community. I have written this pairing before, so if you're curious about how I've done it, you can take a look here (for the serious one) and here (for the crack and evidence of my (mixed) feelings about Gary Oldman's moustache). I think what I most love about this pairing is the impossibility of it: it's never going fit in with the rest of their lives (wives, ex-wives, kids, not to mention work, etc), it's always going to be slightly tinted with angst, with the unspoken knowledge that it's not going to work out, that moments together are fleeting and transitory and thus made potentially heavy with significance. Of course, that's just my interpretation of it - so if you have some other ideas (hopefully not something too implausible or wildly OOC!), I'd love to read it. You don't even have to write the romance as fulfilled, I'd be just as happy with friendship fic with an undercurrent of desire (requited or unrequited). I hope I haven't intimidated you there with my obsessiveness! Honestly, I'd be thrilled to read just about anything about these two!
2. RPF - Rolling Stones (Charlie Watts; Keith Richards; Mick Jagger; Ron Wood)
My OT4! While I'd love to read something that deals with the dynamic between the four of them, I don't mind if you'd rather focus on a slash pairing of Mick/Keith (eg. how their relationship, romantic or otherwise, has endured through time, how it functions, how it changes) or Keith/Ronnie (eg. Keith's feelings for both Ronnie and Mick?), or simply something that explores how Charlie feels sitting in the background and/or his quiet relationship to these loud men. Gen or slash (though I'm not really after explicit sex!), set present day or back in the hey-day, I'd love something that captures the feel of rock and roll and the chaotic energy of the Rolling Stones, regardless of what subject you choose to write about.
My request there basically sums up what I'd love to read in this fandom. If you want filmic inspiration, Martin Scorsese's Shine a Light is a most enjoyable film - a lot of concert footage (their energy! it's amazing!), but also some humorous flashes of them backstage. While some fandoms lend themselves to quiet introspective fics, I don't necessarily require a Rolling Stones fic to make sense. In fact, I'd rather read something here that is a bit frenetic and chaotic, a bit more in the spirit of their music, something that shows the push and pull of their *ahem* "rock and roll lifestyle" (sorry!) and if you throw a bit of sex in there too or something that hints towards their deeper, more lasting feelings for each other, then all the better!
3. RPF - Collectors (tv) (Any: Andy Muirhead; Adrian Franklin; Niccole Warren; Gordon Brown)
I'd love some sweet, tentative Andy/Gordon slash! But perhaps we don't want to leave the others out - so even a happy, cute, fluffy gen piece (perhaps with slashy undercurrents?) would be wunderbar!
This quaint little TV show that only airs in Australia - me and my mum are the only fans that I know, though there must be more because the show's been running for ages. Sadly, none of these fans have turned to fanfic - at least, not as far as I know. So why don't you be the first? Gordon is my favourite on this show (not in half because of my kink for Scottish accents!), so I'd love something that is Gordon-centric, whether from his POV or from one of the others', regarding him (my preference is for third person limited rather than first person, please). I'd love a fic that contains the witty banter and gentle teasing of the show. If you want to show Andy and Gordon stealing a moment together in an 18th century French wardrobe, I will not complain! Or if you'd rather write Gordon suspecting or catching Adrian in the act of sexing up Eero Saarinen's Grasshopper chair at the 1950s fair, then be my guest! I'd rather no angst here please, but fun and games and maybe more! Just so you know, I'm not a huge fan of het, but if you want to show Niccole having a kinky obsession with something (some object or another, or perhaps she has a collection we don't know about!), then that would be fine. But I'd rather any sexual content between the lads, if you please. The Collectors' website might be of use.
4. RPF - Three Men in a Boat (2005) (Any: Griff Rhys Jones; Dara O'Briain; Rory McGrath; Loli)
Griff is my favourite and I love Dara too, so whether you want to write gen or slash (Griff/Dara? OT3?), something sweet and whimsical and Griff- or Dara-centric would make me happy!
I don't know what else to add. If you've seen the show, and its sequels -Three Men in Another Boat (2008) and Three Men in More Than One Boat (2009) - you'll know how sweet it is and what genuine chemistry these three have. Again, I would love any fic that contained witty banter, gentle teasing and perhaps Griff being a dork about boats and over Jerome K. Jerome, while the others tease him and make fun behind his back before making up (*ahem*) later. You may or may not choose to include Loli, the dog from the original show. You may or may not wish to include the playing (and/or destruction) of banjos. You can make this as slashy as you want - though I don't really desire to see Rory paired up unless it's as part of the OT3. I'm not sure sure I want to read explicit sex here either. I don't mind if you set it during the filming of any of the seasons or between shoots (perhaps Dara visiting Griff on one of his boats before all three catch up?). Other than that, anything in keeping with the spirit of show (and indeed the book, which is an enjoyable and fairly quick read, and slashy too!) would be more than welcomed by me.
And now for some more general notes:
Things I like:
- well-written stories that the author has put a bit of heart and thought into. It always shows when an author has enjoyed writing something. Feel free to take your story into a direction that interests you, that you want to write, rather than trying to tailor something to my exact specifications.
- understated stories, where elements such as feelings/emotions/tensions/desires are not laid out obvious, but are hidden beneath the surface as undercurrents of desire or angst or even just something more ambiguous that is only hinted at. You don't have to think up a huge, big plot for me to be happy - if you'd rather write a character study or a mood piece, something short and focussed and succinct, then I'd prefer that to something uncertain and rambling. Again, please write whatever you're comfortable writing!
- good characterisation, strong voices and realistic relationships - that is: relationships that are complicated, that contain miscommunication and misunderstanding as well as humour and joy, that are not always completely happy but neither are they always angst-ridden, relationships that contain contradictions and uncertainties and ambiguities, even when such elements perhaps go unsaid.
- stories with a strong sense of place and/or time, that contain details such as what the characters hear and smell and feel and taste as well as what they see and say.
Things I don't like:
- bad grammar, slopping writing, stories that have not been read and corrected by a beta reader
- first person and second person narrative - particularly in RPF. It just niggles with me, sorry. I'd much prefer the third person voice. (If you're unsure, here's the related wiki article)
- death fic, dub-con, non-con, rape fic, anything that is nasty to the characters, etc
- please, please don't use terms like the taller man/the older man/the shorter man/the skinnier man/the hairier man/the Scottisher man... just - NO! This is just a pet hate of mine. I'd rather you just use their names. I know it can feel repetitive when writing slash, but I'd rather you use their names (even if it feels like overusing them) than go down this path, please. Get your beta reader to make suggestions if you're unsure.
- also, I'm not a huge fan of het, I'd much rather read slash or femmeslash or even just gen . If you must write het, please make it a bit kinky and then I'll be happy!
Thank you again, dear writer! I hope you have fun doing this. Don't stress over it, please. I'm really not that fussy. I'll read anything if it's well-written! Good luck!
ps. my apologies if I don't get to read/comment on the story until after Christmas. I will no doubt be internetless for some time over Christmas/Boxing Day while I endure full roast Christmas dinner with extended crazy family in the height of Australian summer!
First of all, thank you ever so much for taking part in Yuletide. You are awesome! I am so excited about someone writing one of my obscure requests, you have no idea.
Here are my requests again, plus some additional information/resources that perhaps you might find useful.
1. RPF - British Actors (Gary Oldman/Tim Roth)
I'd love any Gary Oldman/Tim Roth slash: angsty or happy or something in between; something that explores the complexity of their relationship; or the feeling that they've missed their chance or that life has slipped passed them; or just something that shows them back when they were young and on the set of 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' and enjoying each other's company and maybe, maybe falling in love. Explicit or otherwise, whatever time period, if you write it, I'll be overjoyed!
My OTP! I love them so much, don't ask me why. I guess it started with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, so if you want some basic inspiration and evidence of their chemistry, I'd suggest you watch that film (my tinhat, let me show you it). For visual inspiration, oldman_roth is a good picture community. I have written this pairing before, so if you're curious about how I've done it, you can take a look here (for the serious one) and here (for the crack and evidence of my (mixed) feelings about Gary Oldman's moustache). I think what I most love about this pairing is the impossibility of it: it's never going fit in with the rest of their lives (wives, ex-wives, kids, not to mention work, etc), it's always going to be slightly tinted with angst, with the unspoken knowledge that it's not going to work out, that moments together are fleeting and transitory and thus made potentially heavy with significance. Of course, that's just my interpretation of it - so if you have some other ideas (hopefully not something too implausible or wildly OOC!), I'd love to read it. You don't even have to write the romance as fulfilled, I'd be just as happy with friendship fic with an undercurrent of desire (requited or unrequited). I hope I haven't intimidated you there with my obsessiveness! Honestly, I'd be thrilled to read just about anything about these two!
2. RPF - Rolling Stones (Charlie Watts; Keith Richards; Mick Jagger; Ron Wood)
My OT4! While I'd love to read something that deals with the dynamic between the four of them, I don't mind if you'd rather focus on a slash pairing of Mick/Keith (eg. how their relationship, romantic or otherwise, has endured through time, how it functions, how it changes) or Keith/Ronnie (eg. Keith's feelings for both Ronnie and Mick?), or simply something that explores how Charlie feels sitting in the background and/or his quiet relationship to these loud men. Gen or slash (though I'm not really after explicit sex!), set present day or back in the hey-day, I'd love something that captures the feel of rock and roll and the chaotic energy of the Rolling Stones, regardless of what subject you choose to write about.
My request there basically sums up what I'd love to read in this fandom. If you want filmic inspiration, Martin Scorsese's Shine a Light is a most enjoyable film - a lot of concert footage (their energy! it's amazing!), but also some humorous flashes of them backstage. While some fandoms lend themselves to quiet introspective fics, I don't necessarily require a Rolling Stones fic to make sense. In fact, I'd rather read something here that is a bit frenetic and chaotic, a bit more in the spirit of their music, something that shows the push and pull of their *ahem* "rock and roll lifestyle" (sorry!) and if you throw a bit of sex in there too or something that hints towards their deeper, more lasting feelings for each other, then all the better!
3. RPF - Collectors (tv) (Any: Andy Muirhead; Adrian Franklin; Niccole Warren; Gordon Brown)
I'd love some sweet, tentative Andy/Gordon slash! But perhaps we don't want to leave the others out - so even a happy, cute, fluffy gen piece (perhaps with slashy undercurrents?) would be wunderbar!
This quaint little TV show that only airs in Australia - me and my mum are the only fans that I know, though there must be more because the show's been running for ages. Sadly, none of these fans have turned to fanfic - at least, not as far as I know. So why don't you be the first? Gordon is my favourite on this show (not in half because of my kink for Scottish accents!), so I'd love something that is Gordon-centric, whether from his POV or from one of the others', regarding him (my preference is for third person limited rather than first person, please). I'd love a fic that contains the witty banter and gentle teasing of the show. If you want to show Andy and Gordon stealing a moment together in an 18th century French wardrobe, I will not complain! Or if you'd rather write Gordon suspecting or catching Adrian in the act of sexing up Eero Saarinen's Grasshopper chair at the 1950s fair, then be my guest! I'd rather no angst here please, but fun and games and maybe more! Just so you know, I'm not a huge fan of het, but if you want to show Niccole having a kinky obsession with something (some object or another, or perhaps she has a collection we don't know about!), then that would be fine. But I'd rather any sexual content between the lads, if you please. The Collectors' website might be of use.
4. RPF - Three Men in a Boat (2005) (Any: Griff Rhys Jones; Dara O'Briain; Rory McGrath; Loli)
Griff is my favourite and I love Dara too, so whether you want to write gen or slash (Griff/Dara? OT3?), something sweet and whimsical and Griff- or Dara-centric would make me happy!
I don't know what else to add. If you've seen the show, and its sequels -Three Men in Another Boat (2008) and Three Men in More Than One Boat (2009) - you'll know how sweet it is and what genuine chemistry these three have. Again, I would love any fic that contained witty banter, gentle teasing and perhaps Griff being a dork about boats and over Jerome K. Jerome, while the others tease him and make fun behind his back before making up (*ahem*) later. You may or may not choose to include Loli, the dog from the original show. You may or may not wish to include the playing (and/or destruction) of banjos. You can make this as slashy as you want - though I don't really desire to see Rory paired up unless it's as part of the OT3. I'm not sure sure I want to read explicit sex here either. I don't mind if you set it during the filming of any of the seasons or between shoots (perhaps Dara visiting Griff on one of his boats before all three catch up?). Other than that, anything in keeping with the spirit of show (and indeed the book, which is an enjoyable and fairly quick read, and slashy too!) would be more than welcomed by me.
And now for some more general notes:
Things I like:
- well-written stories that the author has put a bit of heart and thought into. It always shows when an author has enjoyed writing something. Feel free to take your story into a direction that interests you, that you want to write, rather than trying to tailor something to my exact specifications.
- understated stories, where elements such as feelings/emotions/tensions/desires are not laid out obvious, but are hidden beneath the surface as undercurrents of desire or angst or even just something more ambiguous that is only hinted at. You don't have to think up a huge, big plot for me to be happy - if you'd rather write a character study or a mood piece, something short and focussed and succinct, then I'd prefer that to something uncertain and rambling. Again, please write whatever you're comfortable writing!
- good characterisation, strong voices and realistic relationships - that is: relationships that are complicated, that contain miscommunication and misunderstanding as well as humour and joy, that are not always completely happy but neither are they always angst-ridden, relationships that contain contradictions and uncertainties and ambiguities, even when such elements perhaps go unsaid.
- stories with a strong sense of place and/or time, that contain details such as what the characters hear and smell and feel and taste as well as what they see and say.
Things I don't like:
- bad grammar, slopping writing, stories that have not been read and corrected by a beta reader
- first person and second person narrative - particularly in RPF. It just niggles with me, sorry. I'd much prefer the third person voice. (If you're unsure, here's the related wiki article)
- death fic, dub-con, non-con, rape fic, anything that is nasty to the characters, etc
- please, please don't use terms like the taller man/the older man/the shorter man/the skinnier man/the hairier man/the Scottisher man... just - NO! This is just a pet hate of mine. I'd rather you just use their names. I know it can feel repetitive when writing slash, but I'd rather you use their names (even if it feels like overusing them) than go down this path, please. Get your beta reader to make suggestions if you're unsure.
- also, I'm not a huge fan of het, I'd much rather read slash or femmeslash or even just gen . If you must write het, please make it a bit kinky and then I'll be happy!
Thank you again, dear writer! I hope you have fun doing this. Don't stress over it, please. I'm really not that fussy. I'll read anything if it's well-written! Good luck!
ps. my apologies if I don't get to read/comment on the story until after Christmas. I will no doubt be internetless for some time over Christmas/Boxing Day while I endure full roast Christmas dinner with extended crazy family in the height of Australian summer!