Yuletide 2013 letter
Dear yuletide author,
Thank you so much for offering one of my fandoms!
I want this letter to be as helpful as possible, and as unstressful as possible, so if you're a writer full of ideas, then completely ignore all my optional details, but if you're looking blankly at your assignment and thinking help!, then I've tried to come up with as many different suggestions as possible, any of which you're welcome to run with, play with, or fiddle around to your heart's content. I'll link to my various recs pages in case you want to get a feel for what I've been reading lately, but I know time can be tight, and some writers might find that more off-putting that helpful, so again, use or not.
Okay, general stuff first.
I've requested four fandoms in which I'm genuinely equally happy to have gen or het or slash - I know what it's like to panic at your yuletide assignment and worry you might end up writing the second-best option. In this case, no need for panic! Gen = ♥, slash = ♥, het = ♥. I read all ratings, so you can't go wrong there either. And ratings can be based on graphic language, violence, peril etc as well as sexual content, so I'll just add that I'm fine with any levels of those. Just as long as my characters are still alive at the end!
I like happy endings. I love snark and banter, developing relationships, a degree of schmoop, boys being boys, twisty plots, adventures, competence, misunderstandings and little snap-shot of life moments. I love romance and drama and adventure and humour and crack. When it comes to relationship stories, I'm all about the journey - I love first times and UST. I often find little looks or casual brushes of fingers hotter than graphic porn. I enjoy clichés (huddling for warmth, pretending to be gay/a couple, secretly a robot/artificial intelligence), and I love AU's (boarding school, college, superheroes, dragons (of the sentient type), daemons (the His Dark Materials type), space adventures, robots, magic and more).
Crossovers or fusions can be great fun, so if you want to blend fandoms, or throw in characters from another fandom we're both familiar with (my LJ icons and recs pages are probably the best clues as to what fandoms I know), that'd be cool, whether it's as a major part of the plot or a blink-and-you'll-miss-it little touch. I'm always happy to hand-wave when it comes to timelines and fitting different characters in a story!
I gather one of the questions the yuletides mods get asked most is 'does my recipient like holiday stories?' - I'm easy either way!
I'm not easily squicked, and I don't have any triggers, but please don't kill any of my characters. I'd generally rather not have any non-con/rape (unless it's peripheral, and not of/by any of my requested characters) - the one potential exception here is Captive Prince where some of my optional details suggest a background of abuse. I normally don't like crossover pairings (I love crossovers, just not pairing people up from different fandoms if it breaks up a favourite pairing). I'm also not a fan of jealousy or possessiveness, first person point of view, dom/sub situations, meta fic, or English characters saying 'gotten'. *g*
My recs on pinboard, my AO3 bookmarks, and my recs on LJ.
Now my requests, in alphabetical order (yeah, all that, and I hadn't even got to the requests!)
Captive Prince - S. U. Pacat (Laurent (Captive Prince), Damen (Captive Prince))
I've been trying to think what it is exactly that I love so much about these books, and there isn't any one thing I can pinpoint. I love the politics and strategising, I love that we have an unreliable narrator so we have to read between the lines to try to determine what's true. I love the slow build up of the romance and the impossibility of it (and the desperate hope that Laurent and Damen can work things out). I love the world-building. I'm utterly fascinated by Laurent in particular, the way the persona he presents to the world at large is so at odds with the way he is with people who matter, his wicked sense of humour, his control, but that he's really so young to be so burdened.
A few suggestions. A scene (either from the books, or a missing scene) from Laurent's point of view: having either a different unreliable narrator, or, if we assume he knows Damon's identity (I suspect he does, but you go with your gut feeling) a more reliable narrator, would be interesting. Or possibly they met many years ago, boys innocently straying across country lines, friends for a day. Or a future fic, either what happens next or something a year or two down the line; maybe they're both kings by now - how would that work out? Or Damon revealing his identity to Laurent - when does he do it, how does Laurent react, did Laurent know? Or Damen working out that the Regent abused Laurent as a child - how does Damon respond and how does Laurent react to his secret being revealed (my theory is that Laurent's brother protected him from the Regent, so when Damon killed him, Laurent lost not just a brother but his protector - if you want to play with this idea, that'd be wonderful). Or one of the moments in the book where Damen wonders what if their lives had played out differently (e.g. if he'd gone to Auguste and brokered peace and met Laurent then).
Obviously the book itself is very explicit, but go for whatever you feel comfortable with rating-wise. I've deliberately included prompts that can be written as virtually gen fic, and prompts that could potentially end up porny - I'm fine with either. If you go the porn route, though, I'll just note that one of things I most enjoy about the sex scenes in the book is the degree of emotion in them and how much we learn about Laurent in each one.
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (Phryne Fisher, Jack Robinson)
What's not to love about this show? Phryne's a smart, assertive woman who loves sex and isn't condemned for that, who cares strongly for others, wears amazing outfits, and is very multi-talented. I also like that they don't make Jack look like a fool beside her - he's an excellent detective in his own right. He's also gradually becoming less stuffy thanks to Phryne's influence. I adore their banter and flirting! I like that Jack doesn't judge Phryne when he sees her with other men. I also love the other characters too, especially Mr. Butler, Dot and Elizabeth MacMillan, so if you offered any characters and want to write an ensemble piece, that's cool.
And now for some very random prompts. Casefic would be awesome, especially if Jack and Phryne have to go undercover together. A party on the beach (with or without a dead body showing up), bonus points for swimming, and extra bonus points if Jack and Phryne end up skinny-dipping. Phryne gives Jack a flying lesson. A zombie attack - who first works out how to deal with them (Phryne? Jack? Mr Butler? Jane?) Throwing the characters into a different time period/setting would be fun, whether it's ancient Egypt or a space ship (or some other time period you fancy writing)! This is definitely a fandom I'm happy to read fusions or crossovers or AUs, just as much as canon type stories. If you want to go for romance, Jack/Phryne makes me happy, and the idea of Lin Chung/Jack/Phryne intrigues me.
Gen or het or threesome, any rating.
The Gates (Dylan Radcliff, Nick Monohan)
I need more Dylan in my life! His friendship with Nick in particular, whether you look at that as unlikely allies or something more. I really started to love these two characters in episode four when Dylan saved Nick's life. The dynamic between them is what really appeals - the growing but reluctant trust, the feeling that they shouldn't be friends but they can't help but like and respect each other.
I'm still sad that this show was cancelled. But it does leave room for all sorts of 'what happened next stories', and plenty of room to make up backstory on Dylan. Or you could go the AU route, and transplant the two of them somewhere else altogether - another place or time or universe even! Or transplant other characters into The Gates - criminals, lawyers, vampires, werewolves, they could all cause problems for Dylan and Nick.
A few optional ideas. A case-fic would be cool, the two of them working together. Or misunderstandings, Nick turning against Dylan for some reason, only to have Dylan save the day. Or maybe Dylan has to turn Nick into a vampire, forming a bond between them - what problems ensue?
Gen or slash, any rating.
The Unusuals (Casey Shraeger, Jason Walsh)
I loved the quirky nature of this show - I adore slightly off-beat humour and the sort of characters that are more and more interesting as you get to dig deeper into who they are.
When it comes to Casey and Jason, I'm equally happy if you write them as work partners, or develop a romance (though if you go the romantic route, please have them broken up with their partners - I don't see either of them as people who'd cheat). I'm also equally happy with a story that focuses on the two of them or an ensemble piece.
Optional prompts. The Second Precinct is overrun by tribbles/zombies/rats/giant lizards/something else. Dispatch gets kidnapped and sends messages for help. A case comes up that appears supernatural, but has a perfectly normal explanation (or does it?) Secrets (whether dangerous, funny, unexpected or something else) are revealed. A day in the life of Casey or Jason. What happened after the end of season one?
Gen or het, any rating.
I hope that's helpful. Just remember, optional details are optional, so if you have a story in mind, do ignore all my suggestions-they're only there as prompts if you need them, not as stories I must have!
And finally, THANK YOU!
Signe
Thank you so much for offering one of my fandoms!
I want this letter to be as helpful as possible, and as unstressful as possible, so if you're a writer full of ideas, then completely ignore all my optional details, but if you're looking blankly at your assignment and thinking help!, then I've tried to come up with as many different suggestions as possible, any of which you're welcome to run with, play with, or fiddle around to your heart's content. I'll link to my various recs pages in case you want to get a feel for what I've been reading lately, but I know time can be tight, and some writers might find that more off-putting that helpful, so again, use or not.
Okay, general stuff first.
I've requested four fandoms in which I'm genuinely equally happy to have gen or het or slash - I know what it's like to panic at your yuletide assignment and worry you might end up writing the second-best option. In this case, no need for panic! Gen = ♥, slash = ♥, het = ♥. I read all ratings, so you can't go wrong there either. And ratings can be based on graphic language, violence, peril etc as well as sexual content, so I'll just add that I'm fine with any levels of those. Just as long as my characters are still alive at the end!
I like happy endings. I love snark and banter, developing relationships, a degree of schmoop, boys being boys, twisty plots, adventures, competence, misunderstandings and little snap-shot of life moments. I love romance and drama and adventure and humour and crack. When it comes to relationship stories, I'm all about the journey - I love first times and UST. I often find little looks or casual brushes of fingers hotter than graphic porn. I enjoy clichés (huddling for warmth, pretending to be gay/a couple, secretly a robot/artificial intelligence), and I love AU's (boarding school, college, superheroes, dragons (of the sentient type), daemons (the His Dark Materials type), space adventures, robots, magic and more).
Crossovers or fusions can be great fun, so if you want to blend fandoms, or throw in characters from another fandom we're both familiar with (my LJ icons and recs pages are probably the best clues as to what fandoms I know), that'd be cool, whether it's as a major part of the plot or a blink-and-you'll-miss-it little touch. I'm always happy to hand-wave when it comes to timelines and fitting different characters in a story!
I gather one of the questions the yuletides mods get asked most is 'does my recipient like holiday stories?' - I'm easy either way!
I'm not easily squicked, and I don't have any triggers, but please don't kill any of my characters. I'd generally rather not have any non-con/rape (unless it's peripheral, and not of/by any of my requested characters) - the one potential exception here is Captive Prince where some of my optional details suggest a background of abuse. I normally don't like crossover pairings (I love crossovers, just not pairing people up from different fandoms if it breaks up a favourite pairing). I'm also not a fan of jealousy or possessiveness, first person point of view, dom/sub situations, meta fic, or English characters saying 'gotten'. *g*
My recs on pinboard, my AO3 bookmarks, and my recs on LJ.
Now my requests, in alphabetical order (yeah, all that, and I hadn't even got to the requests!)
Captive Prince - S. U. Pacat (Laurent (Captive Prince), Damen (Captive Prince))
I've been trying to think what it is exactly that I love so much about these books, and there isn't any one thing I can pinpoint. I love the politics and strategising, I love that we have an unreliable narrator so we have to read between the lines to try to determine what's true. I love the slow build up of the romance and the impossibility of it (and the desperate hope that Laurent and Damen can work things out). I love the world-building. I'm utterly fascinated by Laurent in particular, the way the persona he presents to the world at large is so at odds with the way he is with people who matter, his wicked sense of humour, his control, but that he's really so young to be so burdened.
A few suggestions. A scene (either from the books, or a missing scene) from Laurent's point of view: having either a different unreliable narrator, or, if we assume he knows Damon's identity (I suspect he does, but you go with your gut feeling) a more reliable narrator, would be interesting. Or possibly they met many years ago, boys innocently straying across country lines, friends for a day. Or a future fic, either what happens next or something a year or two down the line; maybe they're both kings by now - how would that work out? Or Damon revealing his identity to Laurent - when does he do it, how does Laurent react, did Laurent know? Or Damen working out that the Regent abused Laurent as a child - how does Damon respond and how does Laurent react to his secret being revealed (my theory is that Laurent's brother protected him from the Regent, so when Damon killed him, Laurent lost not just a brother but his protector - if you want to play with this idea, that'd be wonderful). Or one of the moments in the book where Damen wonders what if their lives had played out differently (e.g. if he'd gone to Auguste and brokered peace and met Laurent then).
Obviously the book itself is very explicit, but go for whatever you feel comfortable with rating-wise. I've deliberately included prompts that can be written as virtually gen fic, and prompts that could potentially end up porny - I'm fine with either. If you go the porn route, though, I'll just note that one of things I most enjoy about the sex scenes in the book is the degree of emotion in them and how much we learn about Laurent in each one.
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (Phryne Fisher, Jack Robinson)
What's not to love about this show? Phryne's a smart, assertive woman who loves sex and isn't condemned for that, who cares strongly for others, wears amazing outfits, and is very multi-talented. I also like that they don't make Jack look like a fool beside her - he's an excellent detective in his own right. He's also gradually becoming less stuffy thanks to Phryne's influence. I adore their banter and flirting! I like that Jack doesn't judge Phryne when he sees her with other men. I also love the other characters too, especially Mr. Butler, Dot and Elizabeth MacMillan, so if you offered any characters and want to write an ensemble piece, that's cool.
And now for some very random prompts. Casefic would be awesome, especially if Jack and Phryne have to go undercover together. A party on the beach (with or without a dead body showing up), bonus points for swimming, and extra bonus points if Jack and Phryne end up skinny-dipping. Phryne gives Jack a flying lesson. A zombie attack - who first works out how to deal with them (Phryne? Jack? Mr Butler? Jane?) Throwing the characters into a different time period/setting would be fun, whether it's ancient Egypt or a space ship (or some other time period you fancy writing)! This is definitely a fandom I'm happy to read fusions or crossovers or AUs, just as much as canon type stories. If you want to go for romance, Jack/Phryne makes me happy, and the idea of Lin Chung/Jack/Phryne intrigues me.
Gen or het or threesome, any rating.
The Gates (Dylan Radcliff, Nick Monohan)
I need more Dylan in my life! His friendship with Nick in particular, whether you look at that as unlikely allies or something more. I really started to love these two characters in episode four when Dylan saved Nick's life. The dynamic between them is what really appeals - the growing but reluctant trust, the feeling that they shouldn't be friends but they can't help but like and respect each other.
I'm still sad that this show was cancelled. But it does leave room for all sorts of 'what happened next stories', and plenty of room to make up backstory on Dylan. Or you could go the AU route, and transplant the two of them somewhere else altogether - another place or time or universe even! Or transplant other characters into The Gates - criminals, lawyers, vampires, werewolves, they could all cause problems for Dylan and Nick.
A few optional ideas. A case-fic would be cool, the two of them working together. Or misunderstandings, Nick turning against Dylan for some reason, only to have Dylan save the day. Or maybe Dylan has to turn Nick into a vampire, forming a bond between them - what problems ensue?
Gen or slash, any rating.
The Unusuals (Casey Shraeger, Jason Walsh)
I loved the quirky nature of this show - I adore slightly off-beat humour and the sort of characters that are more and more interesting as you get to dig deeper into who they are.
When it comes to Casey and Jason, I'm equally happy if you write them as work partners, or develop a romance (though if you go the romantic route, please have them broken up with their partners - I don't see either of them as people who'd cheat). I'm also equally happy with a story that focuses on the two of them or an ensemble piece.
Optional prompts. The Second Precinct is overrun by tribbles/zombies/rats/giant lizards/something else. Dispatch gets kidnapped and sends messages for help. A case comes up that appears supernatural, but has a perfectly normal explanation (or does it?) Secrets (whether dangerous, funny, unexpected or something else) are revealed. A day in the life of Casey or Jason. What happened after the end of season one?
Gen or het, any rating.
I hope that's helpful. Just remember, optional details are optional, so if you have a story in mind, do ignore all my suggestions-they're only there as prompts if you need them, not as stories I must have!
And finally, THANK YOU!
Signe