Yuletide Letter 2018
Dear Yuletide Author,
First of all, thank you so much for writing for me. Yuletide is one of my favorite times of year, both for seeing all the wonderful writing that comes out of the woodwork and for giving me a reason to keep writing myself. And for celebrating the fandoms that we both have in common! So rest assured that I will love whatever you write--but if you would like a little more guidance, read on.
Things I like:
Strong friendships, especially between men
Emotionally vulnerable romance, especially between men
Complex characterization (seemingly "evil" characters having reasonable motivations, "good" characters being petty or morally ambiguous sometimes)
Strong adherence to canon (stories that feel like "missing scenes" or logical developments/precedents)
Tone adherence to canon
Body swapping
Time travel
canon divergence AUs (what if so-and-so had made a different choice?)
Genre/setting AUs if done well
Crossovers
Do Not Want:
RP shipping
Character bashing
Original Characters (as main characters)
Fandom Specifics:
The TRY Channel
Characters: Any
I will nominate and request this every year until someone actually knows what I'm talking about. XD (HERE. EDUCATE YOURSELF.) Davey and George are my absolute favorites, but Damon is just *too adorable* and has a long comedy partnership with George, so that's fun, and Diane is so *upbeat* and like, actually Luna Lovegood? Feel free to also include Ryan, Lolsy, Donal, John, Dermot, Blaithin...really any of the others. If you squeeze in a James cameo related to his evolving crush on and disillusionment with Davey, I would be very very okay with that. :D
Prompt ideas: An unfilmed episode, behind-the-scenes stuff, revisiting favorite episodes (including from the Facts. era--drag would be amazing) with new participants, a lads' night out/trip to Europe/world adventure
Gen, please!
Beasts of Burden
Characters: Any
I don't have any particular prompts or ideas for this; it was just one of those books I got to the end of and wanted MORE. Dogs (and one cat) fighting demons? With surprisingly rich and dynamic characterization?! I didn't nominate any characters because I couldn't narrow it down to four. I would love something about any or all of them.
The Great British Bake-Off
Characters: Paul Hollywood
Okay, I only requested Paul so that someone who offered either Mary or Prue could match with me; I will gladly accept Paul paired with either of those fabulous ladies, and am happy to see either Mel & Sue OR Sandi & Noel OR other combos hosting.
I love this show, and I also love the Comic/Sports Relief celebrity bake-offs. I love the range of characters that appear each series with such individual personalities. I love the earnestness of it all, and how everyone gets sucked into it even when they "swore [they] wouldn't cry over a cake." I LOVE the way contestants help each other out.
I am caught up to the current (2018) series, so feel free to include any of those contestants (Rahul especially, but also Kim-Joy and Manon and Terry and Dan). I do have some trouble remembering individual contestants on earlier series, especially if they left before the top five or so, but if you love them then go ahead! I'd also be happy with you creating your own unaired series of either celebrity/other fandom or original characters.
Gen, please! (potential Mel & Sue jokes about Paul/Mary excepted)
A Quiet Place
Characters: Lee Abbott, Regan Abbott
I liked the whole movie, but really loved the early portions where it established the characters and their world. I'd enjoy seeing more of that: what systems did they have in place that we didn't get to see? I also thought the movie did very well at not explaining everything; we don't know how the family survived the initial attacks or how they figured out the sound thing. But fic can explore those things, as well as what their family life was like before it all went down, and what happened in the year between the opening and the rest of the movie. Feel free to include the other characters, as well; I just find the relationship between Regan and her dad the most compelling.
The Thick of It
Characters: Malcolm
Just...Malcolm. Anything with Malcolm. Maybe Malcolm on current British politics (Brexit, snap election, Skripal attack, royal weddings/babies...)? If his heart could survive it. ;)
The Left Hand of Darkness
Characters: Genly, Estraven
Missing scenes from the Ice? A dream sequence where they do "meet once more as aliens," and the fallout from that? Genly talking to/bonding with Estraven's child?
First of all, thank you so much for writing for me. Yuletide is one of my favorite times of year, both for seeing all the wonderful writing that comes out of the woodwork and for giving me a reason to keep writing myself. And for celebrating the fandoms that we both have in common! So rest assured that I will love whatever you write--but if you would like a little more guidance, read on.
Things I like:
Strong friendships, especially between men
Emotionally vulnerable romance, especially between men
Complex characterization (seemingly "evil" characters having reasonable motivations, "good" characters being petty or morally ambiguous sometimes)
Strong adherence to canon (stories that feel like "missing scenes" or logical developments/precedents)
Tone adherence to canon
Body swapping
Time travel
canon divergence AUs (what if so-and-so had made a different choice?)
Genre/setting AUs if done well
Crossovers
Do Not Want:
RP shipping
Character bashing
Original Characters (as main characters)
Fandom Specifics:
The TRY Channel
Characters: Any
I will nominate and request this every year until someone actually knows what I'm talking about. XD (HERE. EDUCATE YOURSELF.) Davey and George are my absolute favorites, but Damon is just *too adorable* and has a long comedy partnership with George, so that's fun, and Diane is so *upbeat* and like, actually Luna Lovegood? Feel free to also include Ryan, Lolsy, Donal, John, Dermot, Blaithin...really any of the others. If you squeeze in a James cameo related to his evolving crush on and disillusionment with Davey, I would be very very okay with that. :D
Prompt ideas: An unfilmed episode, behind-the-scenes stuff, revisiting favorite episodes (including from the Facts. era--drag would be amazing) with new participants, a lads' night out/trip to Europe/world adventure
Gen, please!
Beasts of Burden
Characters: Any
I don't have any particular prompts or ideas for this; it was just one of those books I got to the end of and wanted MORE. Dogs (and one cat) fighting demons? With surprisingly rich and dynamic characterization?! I didn't nominate any characters because I couldn't narrow it down to four. I would love something about any or all of them.
The Great British Bake-Off
Characters: Paul Hollywood
Okay, I only requested Paul so that someone who offered either Mary or Prue could match with me; I will gladly accept Paul paired with either of those fabulous ladies, and am happy to see either Mel & Sue OR Sandi & Noel OR other combos hosting.
I love this show, and I also love the Comic/Sports Relief celebrity bake-offs. I love the range of characters that appear each series with such individual personalities. I love the earnestness of it all, and how everyone gets sucked into it even when they "swore [they] wouldn't cry over a cake." I LOVE the way contestants help each other out.
I am caught up to the current (2018) series, so feel free to include any of those contestants (Rahul especially, but also Kim-Joy and Manon and Terry and Dan). I do have some trouble remembering individual contestants on earlier series, especially if they left before the top five or so, but if you love them then go ahead! I'd also be happy with you creating your own unaired series of either celebrity/other fandom or original characters.
Gen, please! (potential Mel & Sue jokes about Paul/Mary excepted)
A Quiet Place
Characters: Lee Abbott, Regan Abbott
I liked the whole movie, but really loved the early portions where it established the characters and their world. I'd enjoy seeing more of that: what systems did they have in place that we didn't get to see? I also thought the movie did very well at not explaining everything; we don't know how the family survived the initial attacks or how they figured out the sound thing. But fic can explore those things, as well as what their family life was like before it all went down, and what happened in the year between the opening and the rest of the movie. Feel free to include the other characters, as well; I just find the relationship between Regan and her dad the most compelling.
The Thick of It
Characters: Malcolm
Just...Malcolm. Anything with Malcolm. Maybe Malcolm on current British politics (Brexit, snap election, Skripal attack, royal weddings/babies...)? If his heart could survive it. ;)
The Left Hand of Darkness
Characters: Genly, Estraven
Missing scenes from the Ice? A dream sequence where they do "meet once more as aliens," and the fallout from that? Genly talking to/bonding with Estraven's child?