Dear Yuletide Author,
Dear author,
First off: Hello and thank you for writing for me! I love Yuletide, it's a treasured holiday tradition, and I'm excited!
Secondly, I hope you'll forgive me if huge chunks of my letter are copied from previous years--my preferences and requests are pretty stable.
I have, for the most part, tried to give you multiple options and prompts for each fandom, and many requests are very broad and/or brainstorm-y. Part of that is because I really don't have particularly concrete expectations or must-have's, and the thing I like most about a gift is the surprise. In addition, I want the best you can offer (I'm picky like that ;)), and I want to give you free rein for that. So, seriously: everything I suggested is just that--a suggestion. In those cases where I said any characters in the request, I meant that! Even if I'm talking about specific characters or scenarios in the prompt--that was just what my mind could come up with at the time. Doesn't mean that I won't enjoy another story more, just because I didn't come up with that idea.
In conclusion: Do whatever you feel works best for you and feel free to ignore pretty much everything I'm saying here or in my prompts if that helps you to write a good story.
However, if you'd like some more info about my preferences, here it is.
I generally like:
- The Department of Backstory. The main reason I got into fandom was that I wondered about all the details that are never explained in canon. Where do the characters come from? What made them the way they are? Which part of their world have we never seen and how does it function? I also like future fic, for similar reasons.
- Gen fic and character studies. I like romance--het and slash--but I'm picky about my pairings and I need good characterisation to back it up. I think the general rule is: if I mention a pairing in my prompt, writing about that pairing is good but not at all required. If I didn't mention a pairing in my prompts, I'll probably prefer a story that is not primarily romance. I love gen fic for the reasons above--it's an opportunity to explore the motives, experiences and personality of a character beyond what's provided in canon.
- Minor characters. I'm a sucker for minor characters, because there's so much room for speculation and experimentation there.
- Dialogue and character interaction. Good, in-character dialogue is awesome. Snarky, witty dialogue and banter is beyond awesome. I'm generally fond of fics that explore the relationship between characters--whether that's romance, friendship, or antagonism.
About smut: I honestly don't care either way. If it's there and well done, good. If it isn't, I won't miss it.
About AUs: I guess the same applies here--I like AUs, but I don't have a preference for them. And I'd like the spirit of the original 'verse to be recognizable in an AU.
About crossovers and fusions: If you have a sudden inspiration for a crossover or fusion between any of my fandoms and/or any of the fandoms listed in my profile, sure, why not? I'd love to read about Tracer Bullet joining Kami in her battle against evil or Renault caught in a battle of wits!
About the general tone: I'm easy here. I'll read dark, angsty stuff as well as teeth-rotting fluff. As long as it's not graphic gore and violence from beginning to end, I'm good. I've gotten character death fic, established relationship fluff, a wacky crossover and a horror story for past Yuletides, and loved all of them to bits. If you want to go with fluff, I have a huge kink for established relationships (romantic or platonic).
Something about each of my fandoms:
The Immortals (Tamora Pierce)
- My request: I dearly love The Immortals series and the whole Tortall 'verse! I'd appreciate any of the following:
- Numair/Daine future fic
- Fic exploring side characters, like Maura of Dunlath, Rikash, any of the animal gods, or Daine's animal friends
- Worldbuilding that goes into more detail about the Realms of the Gods, Stormwing culture, or even the background story of the time the Immortals were first banned in the Divine Realms.
- Fic about Numair's backstory (I need that book, Tammy!!!)
- Anything that is set in this 'verse, really.
- Some more info: I think my requests fall into two categories: Fandoms I requested because I just love them to death, and fandoms I requested because I had a specific promt in mind. This is clearly in the first camp. I grew up with Alanna and Daine, I regularly reread all the Tortall books, and I really have no specific idea what I'd like to read. It could be set within the timeframe of the Immortals, or pre- or post-series. I ship Daine/Numair, so you could just write me some fluff, but I would also really enjoy fic that's just about minor characters or worldbuilding, and I'm also aware of the fact that this is our last chance to speculate about Numair's backstory before it will all get jossed by Tammy. Do what you want, and I'll cheer for you!
Calvin and Hobbes
- My request: Challenge: Give me the story behind this picture: http://spacecoyote.deviantart.com/art/John-Calvin-and-Thomas-Hobbes-68330601. If that doesn't work for you, there are more suggestions in my letter!
- Some more info: Calvin and Hobbes is a staple Yuletide request for me. I adore the strip, and I'll take any kind of fic for it! With comic strip fandoms I'm always interested to see how the source material translates to another medium. Seeing a typical Calvin and Hobbes comic strip in prose is often not that interesting (but hey, feel free to prove me wrong!), but I've read some great crossover and fusion fics, explorations of minor characters or POV changes, and Calvin-as-a-teen/grownup in this fandom. Last year, I got a short Madness fill for baby!Calvin that I loved and would definitely read more about. So yeah, any of those would be great, especially fusions/crossovers or fic about any of the minor characters if the picture doesn't do anything for you. I'd happily read about a day in the life of Miss Wormwood or Rosalie. Run wild! If the story doesn't go anywhere, put it in the Transmogrifier and see it turn into something completely different (and possibly covered in radioactive slime).
Casablanca
- My request: Requested character: Louis Renault. Anything about Renault, who is by far the most fascinating character in the movie. Whether it's his beautiful friendship with Rick (no Rick/Renault slash, please), his backstory, or a movie scene from his perspective.
- Some more info: I have absolutely zero ideas for a plot here (sorry!), i just want more Renault. He is a favorite character of mine in the sense that I find him terribly intriguing and fun to watch, not in the sense that I think he's a particularly good guy. He does some incredibly questionable things in the movie, and there is no need to gloss over that. That said, I think the movie (especially the ending) provides you with a lot of leeway for his character and especially character development.
The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
- My request: Future fic, please. The novel takes place at the beginning of the 20th century, and as we all know (at least since Downton Abbey), the world described there is about to change drastically. I'd like to see any of the characters cope with events to come!
- Some more info: Another book that I loved as a child, but unlike the Immortals series, here I'm more interested in the actual prompt, or at least the motivation behind it. I think that motivation was thinking about the way our perspectives change when we grow up -- both my perspective as a reader and the characters' perspectives. This is a chance for worldbuilding (what happens to Misselthwaite?) or character exploration (how does Dickon get through the war?). You are allowed to make this dark, but you definitely don't have to, if you want to keep the hopeful spirit of the book preserved.
The Princess Bride (1987)
- My request: I'd really, really enjoy a genderbent!AU, whether it's all the characters or just one of them.
- Some more info: I like the movie, but the lack of women with agency and things to do in this movie is sad. Give me some ladies! I've seen one or two fics where Buttercup and Wesley change places, but where's Iniga Montoya trying to avenge her mother? As I said, it doesn't have to be every character. Just give me a fic that passes the Bechdel test.
The Lynburn Legacy (Sarah Rees Brennan)
- My request: SPOILERS FOR UNMADE! I always enjoy Sarah Rees Brennan's commitment to non-romantic relationships and dynamics (friendships and families) and I'd love to read more about that. Some ideas might be:
- The Lynburns, the Prescotts, or the Glasses post-series
- Kami, Angela and Holly redefining their friendship(s) now that Holly and Angela are dating
- All those years that Rob, Lillian and Ash spent in America/coming back, with Ash caught between his parents
- Angela coping with the loss of her brother
Alternatively, I'd also really like a fic about Jared (and his relationship with Kami). I'm a little conflicted -- I do ship Jared/Kami, but Jared is really, really messed up, and his issues are definitely not resolved at the end of the series (I doubt they will ever be). What does that mean for him, but also for Kami, and is it possible to have a healthy relationship under those circumstances?
- Some more info: I really love this series--the combination of mystery, gothic and urban (rural?) fantasy, the characters, their relationships, the writing style. So anything you give me for this universe will be treasured. The list of prompts above is definitely incomplete and just meant to give you an idea of things I might enjoy -- backstory, character interaction and relationships, and (possibly) minor characters or a minor character's viewpoint. Any of those abstract characteristics will make me happy. The Jared prompt is somewhat different from the rest because this is something that bugged me at the end of the series. I don't think the author intended to say that all's well now and Kami and Jared will live happily ever after, but the ending felt a little like that, which was incongruous with the way Jared's issues and their relationship were handled before.
I hope this helps. Most of all, I hope you have fun with my fandoms and prompts! Don't be terrified, I'm so happy you signed up for this, and I love you for it! And anybody who likes either of these fandoms has my implicit trust.
First off: Hello and thank you for writing for me! I love Yuletide, it's a treasured holiday tradition, and I'm excited!
Secondly, I hope you'll forgive me if huge chunks of my letter are copied from previous years--my preferences and requests are pretty stable.
I have, for the most part, tried to give you multiple options and prompts for each fandom, and many requests are very broad and/or brainstorm-y. Part of that is because I really don't have particularly concrete expectations or must-have's, and the thing I like most about a gift is the surprise. In addition, I want the best you can offer (I'm picky like that ;)), and I want to give you free rein for that. So, seriously: everything I suggested is just that--a suggestion. In those cases where I said any characters in the request, I meant that! Even if I'm talking about specific characters or scenarios in the prompt--that was just what my mind could come up with at the time. Doesn't mean that I won't enjoy another story more, just because I didn't come up with that idea.
In conclusion: Do whatever you feel works best for you and feel free to ignore pretty much everything I'm saying here or in my prompts if that helps you to write a good story.
However, if you'd like some more info about my preferences, here it is.
I generally like:
- The Department of Backstory. The main reason I got into fandom was that I wondered about all the details that are never explained in canon. Where do the characters come from? What made them the way they are? Which part of their world have we never seen and how does it function? I also like future fic, for similar reasons.
- Gen fic and character studies. I like romance--het and slash--but I'm picky about my pairings and I need good characterisation to back it up. I think the general rule is: if I mention a pairing in my prompt, writing about that pairing is good but not at all required. If I didn't mention a pairing in my prompts, I'll probably prefer a story that is not primarily romance. I love gen fic for the reasons above--it's an opportunity to explore the motives, experiences and personality of a character beyond what's provided in canon.
- Minor characters. I'm a sucker for minor characters, because there's so much room for speculation and experimentation there.
- Dialogue and character interaction. Good, in-character dialogue is awesome. Snarky, witty dialogue and banter is beyond awesome. I'm generally fond of fics that explore the relationship between characters--whether that's romance, friendship, or antagonism.
About smut: I honestly don't care either way. If it's there and well done, good. If it isn't, I won't miss it.
About AUs: I guess the same applies here--I like AUs, but I don't have a preference for them. And I'd like the spirit of the original 'verse to be recognizable in an AU.
About crossovers and fusions: If you have a sudden inspiration for a crossover or fusion between any of my fandoms and/or any of the fandoms listed in my profile, sure, why not? I'd love to read about Tracer Bullet joining Kami in her battle against evil or Renault caught in a battle of wits!
About the general tone: I'm easy here. I'll read dark, angsty stuff as well as teeth-rotting fluff. As long as it's not graphic gore and violence from beginning to end, I'm good. I've gotten character death fic, established relationship fluff, a wacky crossover and a horror story for past Yuletides, and loved all of them to bits. If you want to go with fluff, I have a huge kink for established relationships (romantic or platonic).
Something about each of my fandoms:
The Immortals (Tamora Pierce)
- My request: I dearly love The Immortals series and the whole Tortall 'verse! I'd appreciate any of the following:
- Numair/Daine future fic
- Fic exploring side characters, like Maura of Dunlath, Rikash, any of the animal gods, or Daine's animal friends
- Worldbuilding that goes into more detail about the Realms of the Gods, Stormwing culture, or even the background story of the time the Immortals were first banned in the Divine Realms.
- Fic about Numair's backstory (I need that book, Tammy!!!)
- Anything that is set in this 'verse, really.
- Some more info: I think my requests fall into two categories: Fandoms I requested because I just love them to death, and fandoms I requested because I had a specific promt in mind. This is clearly in the first camp. I grew up with Alanna and Daine, I regularly reread all the Tortall books, and I really have no specific idea what I'd like to read. It could be set within the timeframe of the Immortals, or pre- or post-series. I ship Daine/Numair, so you could just write me some fluff, but I would also really enjoy fic that's just about minor characters or worldbuilding, and I'm also aware of the fact that this is our last chance to speculate about Numair's backstory before it will all get jossed by Tammy. Do what you want, and I'll cheer for you!
Calvin and Hobbes
- My request: Challenge: Give me the story behind this picture: http://spacecoyote.deviantart.com/art/John-Calvin-and-Thomas-Hobbes-68330601. If that doesn't work for you, there are more suggestions in my letter!
- Some more info: Calvin and Hobbes is a staple Yuletide request for me. I adore the strip, and I'll take any kind of fic for it! With comic strip fandoms I'm always interested to see how the source material translates to another medium. Seeing a typical Calvin and Hobbes comic strip in prose is often not that interesting (but hey, feel free to prove me wrong!), but I've read some great crossover and fusion fics, explorations of minor characters or POV changes, and Calvin-as-a-teen/grownup in this fandom. Last year, I got a short Madness fill for baby!Calvin that I loved and would definitely read more about. So yeah, any of those would be great, especially fusions/crossovers or fic about any of the minor characters if the picture doesn't do anything for you. I'd happily read about a day in the life of Miss Wormwood or Rosalie. Run wild! If the story doesn't go anywhere, put it in the Transmogrifier and see it turn into something completely different (and possibly covered in radioactive slime).
Casablanca
- My request: Requested character: Louis Renault. Anything about Renault, who is by far the most fascinating character in the movie. Whether it's his beautiful friendship with Rick (no Rick/Renault slash, please), his backstory, or a movie scene from his perspective.
- Some more info: I have absolutely zero ideas for a plot here (sorry!), i just want more Renault. He is a favorite character of mine in the sense that I find him terribly intriguing and fun to watch, not in the sense that I think he's a particularly good guy. He does some incredibly questionable things in the movie, and there is no need to gloss over that. That said, I think the movie (especially the ending) provides you with a lot of leeway for his character and especially character development.
The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
- My request: Future fic, please. The novel takes place at the beginning of the 20th century, and as we all know (at least since Downton Abbey), the world described there is about to change drastically. I'd like to see any of the characters cope with events to come!
- Some more info: Another book that I loved as a child, but unlike the Immortals series, here I'm more interested in the actual prompt, or at least the motivation behind it. I think that motivation was thinking about the way our perspectives change when we grow up -- both my perspective as a reader and the characters' perspectives. This is a chance for worldbuilding (what happens to Misselthwaite?) or character exploration (how does Dickon get through the war?). You are allowed to make this dark, but you definitely don't have to, if you want to keep the hopeful spirit of the book preserved.
The Princess Bride (1987)
- My request: I'd really, really enjoy a genderbent!AU, whether it's all the characters or just one of them.
- Some more info: I like the movie, but the lack of women with agency and things to do in this movie is sad. Give me some ladies! I've seen one or two fics where Buttercup and Wesley change places, but where's Iniga Montoya trying to avenge her mother? As I said, it doesn't have to be every character. Just give me a fic that passes the Bechdel test.
The Lynburn Legacy (Sarah Rees Brennan)
- My request: SPOILERS FOR UNMADE! I always enjoy Sarah Rees Brennan's commitment to non-romantic relationships and dynamics (friendships and families) and I'd love to read more about that. Some ideas might be:
- The Lynburns, the Prescotts, or the Glasses post-series
- Kami, Angela and Holly redefining their friendship(s) now that Holly and Angela are dating
- All those years that Rob, Lillian and Ash spent in America/coming back, with Ash caught between his parents
- Angela coping with the loss of her brother
Alternatively, I'd also really like a fic about Jared (and his relationship with Kami). I'm a little conflicted -- I do ship Jared/Kami, but Jared is really, really messed up, and his issues are definitely not resolved at the end of the series (I doubt they will ever be). What does that mean for him, but also for Kami, and is it possible to have a healthy relationship under those circumstances?
- Some more info: I really love this series--the combination of mystery, gothic and urban (rural?) fantasy, the characters, their relationships, the writing style. So anything you give me for this universe will be treasured. The list of prompts above is definitely incomplete and just meant to give you an idea of things I might enjoy -- backstory, character interaction and relationships, and (possibly) minor characters or a minor character's viewpoint. Any of those abstract characteristics will make me happy. The Jared prompt is somewhat different from the rest because this is something that bugged me at the end of the series. I don't think the author intended to say that all's well now and Kami and Jared will live happily ever after, but the ending felt a little like that, which was incongruous with the way Jared's issues and their relationship were handled before.
I hope this helps. Most of all, I hope you have fun with my fandoms and prompts! Don't be terrified, I'm so happy you signed up for this, and I love you for it! And anybody who likes either of these fandoms has my implicit trust.