"This man is wearing a diamond-encrusted suit, you could retire on the pants alone. Merry Christmas!
Dear Yuletide Writer,
I can’t thank you enough for offering to write something for me. I’m going to be incredibly excited to read what you’ve created! This is my second Yuletide, and I’m going to break my letter up the same way I did last year because it seemed to work. I have my “perfect world” section with my favorite (specific) ideas, in case you’re one who likes specific prompts, but I also have other random, general ideas to get your brain juices flowing. Please, rest assured, I don't want you to feel obligated to take any of those routes. Just, I don’t want you to stress. I want this letter to be helpful and not intimidating or frustrating... I hope I did a good job! If worse comes to absolute worst, and you're feeling bearsy about the whole thing, please know at the end of the day that I appreciate your effort, and as long as I got a fic, I'll be happy! Here goes:
In general, I like: Witty humor, subtlety, “little moments”, happy endings, strong friendships that lead to romance. I’m not opposed to holiday themed stories, but they are not a must if they don't seem to fit with your agenda. I actually adore non-linear storytelling if it’s done correctly. I really like nerdy references, or references to small things in canon that only a fan would get. I like to put the puzzle together. If you want to go the smut route, I’m cool with that, but it's not necessary by any stretch. I can do some light angst, as long as it’s a happy ending. I am a sucker for introspection, as well as careful attention to characterization.
In general, things I would like to avoid: Violence, character death, animal abuse/illness/death, gore, rape or non-con. I have an embarrassment squick, so if you could avoid that, I’d really appreciate it. I also really detest “One partner assumes the other has cheated but actually hasn’t and this is all a ploy to create drama” fic, if you know what I mean by that. I would prefer that the characters and setting remain as close to canon as possible. I’m not into AU. Basically, a good rule of thumb would be if it could realistically happen in canon, I’m okay with it. But I’d prefer that it mesh with the way things feel in canon, including characterizations, pairings, etc.
1) That Thing You Do! (1996) - Guy Patterson, Faye Dolan
I would love some sort of Guy/Faye fic focused on when Guy knew he had feelings for Faye. I would think this would be sometime pre-movie, but if it’s during the movie, that’s cool. Post movie Guy/Faye fic is also awesome. “Deleted scene” type fic is awesome. Basically anything involving Guy and Faye being a couple will totally make my Yuletide a happy one. I nominated TB Player and Lenny, too, so if you want to include them in the fic, then go for it! I just didn't want to saddle you with too much and demand that they be included too.
In a perfect world… : In a perfect world, I have a ton of ideas for TTYD! fic. Basically, my idea in my head is some sort of Guy/Faye fic focused on when Guy knew he had feelings for Faye. I would think this would be sometime pre-movie, but if it’s during the movie, that’s cool.
Other random (optional!) suggestions: Post movie Guy/Faye fic is also awesome. “Deleted scene” type fic is awesome. Basically anything involving Guy and Faye being a couple will totally make my Yuletide a happy one. I nominated TB Player and Lenny, too, so if you want to include them in the fic (or any other characters in the movie, for that matter), then go for it! Ultimately, Guy and Faye are what I'm in for, but I'm never opposed to others popping in to say hello.
Things I like about this fandom, in general: I like the "feel" of this movie. It's generally happy-go-lucky and it's really witty. I also like that the story is told in a realistic way. Each of the characters are individuals, but they aren't caricatures of a type of character.
2) Boston Teens (SNL Sketch) - Pat “Sully” Sullivan and Denise “Zazu” McDonough
I’d love a Sully/Denise fic that takes place through the time period in which the Boston Red Sox win the World Series in 2004. I've included research/reference links in my DYW letter. Any Sully and Denise being Sully and Denise is awesome, though, you're not obligated to use THAT PROMPT AND ONLY THAT PROMPT. I would love any sort of fic involving them, so I’m not really picky! Maybe even a fic of them going to a game and getting into some hi-jinks in trying to meet a player. Or if Sully went streaking or something. Whatever floats your boat.
In a perfect world…: In an ideal world, I’d love a Sully/Denise fic that takes place through the time period in which the Boston Red Sox win the World Series in 2004. Sully and Denise’s last two appearances on SNL were in early 2004, before the World Series was even a thought, and in 2011, when they made no mention of it! Anyway, I’d just love to see that playoff period in October. So if you have no idea about anything related to this canon, or to the Boston Red Sox in 2004, this one needs some background. Links ahoy!
[Lots of links are here]
Wiki on Sully & Denise: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boston_Teens
Wiki about the 2004 ALDS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_American_League_Division_Series
Wiki about the 2004 ALCS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_American_League_Championship_Series
Wiki about the 2004 World Series: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_World_Series
The entire "canon" for them, if you will, is below. If not, I have listed the episode on Netflix instant and where to find it in the specific episode.
Links:
-11/13/1999: First Appearance
-12/11/1999
-2/19/2000
-05/13/2000
-10/14/2000
-03/10/2001
-03/02/2002
-10/05/2002 (just click the "close this message" button and it will be there)
-04/05/2003
-10/11/2003
-12/17/2011: Last Appearance
There are two sketches that I couldn’t find linkable video for: 11/10/2001: Season 27, episode 25 (On Netflix instant, 6:50 in to the episode), and 3/13/2004: Season 29, Episode 15 (On Netflix instant, first sketch in the episode).
Other random (optional!) suggestions: Any Sully and Denise being Sully and Denise is awesome. I would love any sort of fic involving them, so I’m not really picky! Maybe even a fic of them going to a game and getting into some hi-jinks in trying to meet a player. Or if Sully went streaking or something. Whatever floats your boat.
Things I like about this fandom: I like that the writing references very specific Boston places. I also like that Sully and Denise are absolutely insane. I love that random Boston celebrities (and other celebrities) squeezed their way into sketches. I love that it's over the top and crazy.
3) The Mindy Project - Danny Castellano, Mindy Lahiri
I would love Danny/Mindy in any capacity. Or gen fic about the two of them as arguing co-workers with tension you can cut with a knife. Or Mindy fic; I love Mindy as a character and would love to read about her! Whatever floats your boat here is cool with me. See my DYW letter for more details.
In a perfect world…: I would love to see a fic based on this scene: http://jessbakescakes.tumblr.com/post/32398528905 (I couldn't find a YouTube video for it; sorry!) It's cool if it's a babyfic, since that's addressed here, but it absolutely doesn't have to be. What I like about this moment is that Danny obviously has thought through what he things a guy should do for Mindy. And he did talk about himself. Maybe snapshots of a future relationship where Danny's actions speak for him?
Other random (optional!) suggestions: Danny/Mindy in any capacity. Or gen fic about the two of them. I love the scenes about them as co-workers who completely disagree with each other, etc. The tension is so much fun. Or even Mindy fic; I love Mindy as a character and would love to read about her! What was her life like growing up? Did her interests isolate her at all? Whatever floats your boat here is cool with me.
Things I like about this fandom: I like that this character is written much differently than Kelly Kapoor. While I see similarities (and a lot of them come from Mindy Kaling herself), I definitely see Mindy Lahiri as a completely different character. I like that there's a sort of unrequited thing going on right now with her and Danny. I like that Danny has a soft spot. I like this show, basically.
4) Community - Abed Nadir
I kind of want Abed-centric fic, maybe based on his love for TV? That's what fascinates me about Abed. Something with references to other TV shows, full of tropes, etc. We know Abed kind of views his life as a TV show. It would be really cool if maybe this fic is meta. What if Abed tries to create his own sitcom? That would be awesome! We've seen him try to create movies; I can only imagine what his sitcoms would be like. See my DYW letter for more details.
In a perfect world...: I kind of want Abed-centric fic, maybe based on his love for TV? That's what fascinates me about Abed. Something with references to other TV shows, full of tropes, etc. We know Abed kind of views his life as a TV show. It would be really cool if maybe this fic is meta. What if Abed tries to create his own sitcom? That would be awesome! We've seen him try to create movies; I can only imagine what his sitcoms would be like. Does he make a sitcom based on his life? Or is it a sci fi, or a drama? If his friends were TV characters, who would they be?
Other random (optional!) suggestions: Ultimately, what I wish for is a fic that's full of tropes about Abed (in combination with others, or solo... feel free to add some of the others from the show, if you feel like it... again, not mandatory). I just ask that this remain a gen fic, please! And I would definitely like it to be Abed-centric.
Things I like about this fandom: I like that it makes awesome references. I like tropes. I like the 'themed' episodes (Law & Order, Paintball, etc). I like that it's completely meta a lot of the time. I like the fact that they call each other out on their BS. I like that no matter what, they try their best to remain a family.
If you ever want to stalk me, you are totally free to do that. My tumblr name is the same as my AO3 name (jessbakescakes), and my twitter is as well. I have a gigantic public list of fandoms and ships HERE that I'm constantly updating. You can have someone proxy email me if you want, too, that's fine! I want this to be an easy Yuletide for you. I don't want you to stress!
I hope your Yuletide is fabulous and someone puts as much love and care into your fic as you surely will into mine!
Jessica / JessBakesCakes
I can’t thank you enough for offering to write something for me. I’m going to be incredibly excited to read what you’ve created! This is my second Yuletide, and I’m going to break my letter up the same way I did last year because it seemed to work. I have my “perfect world” section with my favorite (specific) ideas, in case you’re one who likes specific prompts, but I also have other random, general ideas to get your brain juices flowing. Please, rest assured, I don't want you to feel obligated to take any of those routes. Just, I don’t want you to stress. I want this letter to be helpful and not intimidating or frustrating... I hope I did a good job! If worse comes to absolute worst, and you're feeling bearsy about the whole thing, please know at the end of the day that I appreciate your effort, and as long as I got a fic, I'll be happy! Here goes:
In general, I like: Witty humor, subtlety, “little moments”, happy endings, strong friendships that lead to romance. I’m not opposed to holiday themed stories, but they are not a must if they don't seem to fit with your agenda. I actually adore non-linear storytelling if it’s done correctly. I really like nerdy references, or references to small things in canon that only a fan would get. I like to put the puzzle together. If you want to go the smut route, I’m cool with that, but it's not necessary by any stretch. I can do some light angst, as long as it’s a happy ending. I am a sucker for introspection, as well as careful attention to characterization.
In general, things I would like to avoid: Violence, character death, animal abuse/illness/death, gore, rape or non-con. I have an embarrassment squick, so if you could avoid that, I’d really appreciate it. I also really detest “One partner assumes the other has cheated but actually hasn’t and this is all a ploy to create drama” fic, if you know what I mean by that. I would prefer that the characters and setting remain as close to canon as possible. I’m not into AU. Basically, a good rule of thumb would be if it could realistically happen in canon, I’m okay with it. But I’d prefer that it mesh with the way things feel in canon, including characterizations, pairings, etc.
1) That Thing You Do! (1996) - Guy Patterson, Faye Dolan
I would love some sort of Guy/Faye fic focused on when Guy knew he had feelings for Faye. I would think this would be sometime pre-movie, but if it’s during the movie, that’s cool. Post movie Guy/Faye fic is also awesome. “Deleted scene” type fic is awesome. Basically anything involving Guy and Faye being a couple will totally make my Yuletide a happy one. I nominated TB Player and Lenny, too, so if you want to include them in the fic, then go for it! I just didn't want to saddle you with too much and demand that they be included too.
In a perfect world… : In a perfect world, I have a ton of ideas for TTYD! fic. Basically, my idea in my head is some sort of Guy/Faye fic focused on when Guy knew he had feelings for Faye. I would think this would be sometime pre-movie, but if it’s during the movie, that’s cool.
Other random (optional!) suggestions: Post movie Guy/Faye fic is also awesome. “Deleted scene” type fic is awesome. Basically anything involving Guy and Faye being a couple will totally make my Yuletide a happy one. I nominated TB Player and Lenny, too, so if you want to include them in the fic (or any other characters in the movie, for that matter), then go for it! Ultimately, Guy and Faye are what I'm in for, but I'm never opposed to others popping in to say hello.
Things I like about this fandom, in general: I like the "feel" of this movie. It's generally happy-go-lucky and it's really witty. I also like that the story is told in a realistic way. Each of the characters are individuals, but they aren't caricatures of a type of character.
2) Boston Teens (SNL Sketch) - Pat “Sully” Sullivan and Denise “Zazu” McDonough
I’d love a Sully/Denise fic that takes place through the time period in which the Boston Red Sox win the World Series in 2004. I've included research/reference links in my DYW letter. Any Sully and Denise being Sully and Denise is awesome, though, you're not obligated to use THAT PROMPT AND ONLY THAT PROMPT. I would love any sort of fic involving them, so I’m not really picky! Maybe even a fic of them going to a game and getting into some hi-jinks in trying to meet a player. Or if Sully went streaking or something. Whatever floats your boat.
In a perfect world…: In an ideal world, I’d love a Sully/Denise fic that takes place through the time period in which the Boston Red Sox win the World Series in 2004. Sully and Denise’s last two appearances on SNL were in early 2004, before the World Series was even a thought, and in 2011, when they made no mention of it! Anyway, I’d just love to see that playoff period in October. So if you have no idea about anything related to this canon, or to the Boston Red Sox in 2004, this one needs some background. Links ahoy!
[Lots of links are here]
Wiki on Sully & Denise: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boston_Teens
Wiki about the 2004 ALDS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_American_League_Division_Series
Wiki about the 2004 ALCS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_American_League_Championship_Series
Wiki about the 2004 World Series: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_World_Series
The entire "canon" for them, if you will, is below. If not, I have listed the episode on Netflix instant and where to find it in the specific episode.
Links:
-11/13/1999: First Appearance
-12/11/1999
-2/19/2000
-05/13/2000
-10/14/2000
-03/10/2001
-03/02/2002
-10/05/2002 (just click the "close this message" button and it will be there)
-04/05/2003
-10/11/2003
-12/17/2011: Last Appearance
There are two sketches that I couldn’t find linkable video for: 11/10/2001: Season 27, episode 25 (On Netflix instant, 6:50 in to the episode), and 3/13/2004: Season 29, Episode 15 (On Netflix instant, first sketch in the episode).
Other random (optional!) suggestions: Any Sully and Denise being Sully and Denise is awesome. I would love any sort of fic involving them, so I’m not really picky! Maybe even a fic of them going to a game and getting into some hi-jinks in trying to meet a player. Or if Sully went streaking or something. Whatever floats your boat.
Things I like about this fandom: I like that the writing references very specific Boston places. I also like that Sully and Denise are absolutely insane. I love that random Boston celebrities (and other celebrities) squeezed their way into sketches. I love that it's over the top and crazy.
3) The Mindy Project - Danny Castellano, Mindy Lahiri
I would love Danny/Mindy in any capacity. Or gen fic about the two of them as arguing co-workers with tension you can cut with a knife. Or Mindy fic; I love Mindy as a character and would love to read about her! Whatever floats your boat here is cool with me. See my DYW letter for more details.
In a perfect world…: I would love to see a fic based on this scene: http://jessbakescakes.tumblr.com/post/32398528905 (I couldn't find a YouTube video for it; sorry!) It's cool if it's a babyfic, since that's addressed here, but it absolutely doesn't have to be. What I like about this moment is that Danny obviously has thought through what he things a guy should do for Mindy. And he did talk about himself. Maybe snapshots of a future relationship where Danny's actions speak for him?
Other random (optional!) suggestions: Danny/Mindy in any capacity. Or gen fic about the two of them. I love the scenes about them as co-workers who completely disagree with each other, etc. The tension is so much fun. Or even Mindy fic; I love Mindy as a character and would love to read about her! What was her life like growing up? Did her interests isolate her at all? Whatever floats your boat here is cool with me.
Things I like about this fandom: I like that this character is written much differently than Kelly Kapoor. While I see similarities (and a lot of them come from Mindy Kaling herself), I definitely see Mindy Lahiri as a completely different character. I like that there's a sort of unrequited thing going on right now with her and Danny. I like that Danny has a soft spot. I like this show, basically.
4) Community - Abed Nadir
I kind of want Abed-centric fic, maybe based on his love for TV? That's what fascinates me about Abed. Something with references to other TV shows, full of tropes, etc. We know Abed kind of views his life as a TV show. It would be really cool if maybe this fic is meta. What if Abed tries to create his own sitcom? That would be awesome! We've seen him try to create movies; I can only imagine what his sitcoms would be like. See my DYW letter for more details.
In a perfect world...: I kind of want Abed-centric fic, maybe based on his love for TV? That's what fascinates me about Abed. Something with references to other TV shows, full of tropes, etc. We know Abed kind of views his life as a TV show. It would be really cool if maybe this fic is meta. What if Abed tries to create his own sitcom? That would be awesome! We've seen him try to create movies; I can only imagine what his sitcoms would be like. Does he make a sitcom based on his life? Or is it a sci fi, or a drama? If his friends were TV characters, who would they be?
Other random (optional!) suggestions: Ultimately, what I wish for is a fic that's full of tropes about Abed (in combination with others, or solo... feel free to add some of the others from the show, if you feel like it... again, not mandatory). I just ask that this remain a gen fic, please! And I would definitely like it to be Abed-centric.
Things I like about this fandom: I like that it makes awesome references. I like tropes. I like the 'themed' episodes (Law & Order, Paintball, etc). I like that it's completely meta a lot of the time. I like the fact that they call each other out on their BS. I like that no matter what, they try their best to remain a family.
If you ever want to stalk me, you are totally free to do that. My tumblr name is the same as my AO3 name (jessbakescakes), and my twitter is as well. I have a gigantic public list of fandoms and ships HERE that I'm constantly updating. You can have someone proxy email me if you want, too, that's fine! I want this to be an easy Yuletide for you. I don't want you to stress!
I hope your Yuletide is fabulous and someone puts as much love and care into your fic as you surely will into mine!
Jessica / JessBakesCakes