Dear Yuletide Writer
Dear writer,
Thank you for writing for me!
I’ve included some thoughts below on my preferences and fandoms. Please don’t stress too much if you’re inspired to write something else (although I’d prefer if you didn’t delve into my DNWs). I’ve given some specific prompts, but feel to take a general theme from my general likes if that’s more inspiring!
I'm not active on LJ anymore, although you're welcome to poke around here. I'm slightly active on tumblr and you can also check out my pinboard. I'm on ao3 as partypaprika.
General likes:
-Hurt/comfort
-Conflict, angst (ideally ending in a HEA)
-Slow burn
-Pining and UST
-Sacrifices, especially if characters are making big sacrifices on behalf of someone that they care deeply about
-Having dysfunctional relationships
-Enemies being forced (either directly or by circumstances) to work together
-Enemies to lovers
-Opposites attracting or coming to understand each other
-Marriages of convenience, fake dating, etc.
-Magical realism and magical powers
-Time travel, time loops, time do-overs etc.
-Modern royalty AUs
-Identity porn
-Epistolary and non-linear storytelling
-Canon divergence
-Mythology
-Hidden displays of affection
General dislikes:
-Major character death
-Noncon
-Incest
-Painplay
-Torture
-Humiliation kink
-A/b/o
-Dom/sub
-Mpreg
-Knotting
-Coffee shop AUs
-High school AUs
Guns of the Dawn - Adrian Tchaikovsky
Cristan Northway, Daffed Mallen, Emily Marshwic
Canon: It's a book about (kind of) napoleonic era land war, combined with the never-ending decimation of WWI, and then a dash of magic. The story focuses on a woman who watches as the war depletes her country's resources and men, ultimately getting drafted into the war effort herself where she must face what it means to be at war. This book nails some of my favorite tropes: competence, people being thrust into extreme situations, a slow burn romance that happened very organically. I loved it.
This book totally took me by surprise! I found myself completely engaged by the war that Emily was fighting as well as the changes that shaped Emily. Emily's introspection and determination drove the book, but she did it amongst a fascinating set of characters.
I'd love really love more of just about anything post-canon. I would love to see an exploration of what Cristan and Emily do after going back to town after the events of the book. Does Emily begin to reconcile her war self with her peacetime self? Does Cristan help Emily adjust, even as they both know that the war has irrevocably changed them and their relationship? They also will likely have to deal with confusion and censure over their relationship--Emily is the golden hero whereas Cristan is hated. How do they support each other when there are issues in public?
I'd also love to know what happens to Mallen. Does he find the Denland woman that he was in love with now that the war is over? Do he and Emily reconnect at any point in the future? I feel like they had a very interesting connection and a deep respect for each other that could play out as platonically or romantically. Maybe they meet up a few years down the line as Emily is still having issues adjusting to peacetime and realizes that the swamps are the only place where she feels remotely normal.
I also loved the Survivor's Club and would be very happy to see them meet up down the line. Where do they all end up and what brings them all together again?
Lady Sherlock Series
Charlotte Holmes, Ingram Ashburton
Canon: This is a take on the Sherlock Holmes story, genderflipped. I know, right now there is an overload of Sherlock Holmes media, but I promise this one is worth the read. Charlotte Holmes is a brilliant young woman in London in the 1800s who rebels against her family and is forced to leave home. Initially she begins solving mysteries in order to clear her family from suspicion but she comes to find that she is quite good at it. However, the more that she solves, the deeper the mysteries around her seem to go.
I know that the newest book is out, so feel free to either use the end of the third book as the last of canon or the fourth book.
I absolutely love the unresolved sexual tension between Charlotte and Lord Ingram so incredibly much. It’s so deliciously fraught. I would love to see what happens now that they’ve dipped into having an affair (even if it was only for the purpose of solving the case) and worked together since. Can they find a way to compromise between their desires?
Feel free to explore their past as well-what was their friendship like? How did both of them struggle with their feelings?
I’d also love to see another mystery (maybe more of an everyday sort) that Charlotte solves-we see a lot of the big mysteries that people consult with her on. What about the more mundane ones? Seeing Charlotte in action is always great!
Going forward, does Charlotte ever come out as the brains behind Sherlock? Or are there further hijinks resulting from her dual identities?
Or, with respect to Lord Ingram, does Charlotte spend time with Lord Ingram’s children? She doesn’t seem like much of a kid person (or maybe she’s surprisingly good with them!) and would love to see hijinks with her and the kids ensue.
Feel free to go as serious or as light as you would like!
Circe
Circe, Telemachus
Canon: This is a new reinterpretation of Circe, formerly most known as the witch who seduced Odysseus on his journey back home. It follows Circe throughout her life, from her rocky childhood (such as it is for immortals) to being exiled to an island in the Mediterranean. The book deals a lot with what it means for her to come into her own power and who she is as a person.
I really enjoyed the relationship between Circe and Telemachus. It felt very organic to me and I loved just how much Telemachus really loved and admired Circe. I'm also totally a sucker for quiet but steadfast people falling for their polar opposites.
I love how even though Circe was slower to face her feelings for Telemachus, she embraced them in the end and braved mortality and the world to be with him. They complement each other so well-Telemachus is patient, kind and humorous, Circe is passionate, smart with hard-fought knowledge, and protective and loving. I would love to see them in a moment together-being with each other and in love.
I also would love to see more about what happens after Circe and Telemachus leave Circe’s island-the adventures that they go on together, the daughters that they raise, visiting Telegonus (and his captain) or the bright and shining love between them.
Tell me more about who Circe becomes after she becomes mortal-does her vision come true for herself? Or does she go on to live a more active life than she imagined--does she end up affecting kingdoms and lives in a way that she couldn’t imagine when her immortality felt like a burden?
I would also love to know more about Telemachus-what was it like growing up under the shadow of his father. How did he develop such strength of spirit?
I would also love to go back to Circe and Telemachus falling in love-maybe from Telemachus’s point of view or what happened on the island after they defeated Scylla.
Kate Daniels Series
Kate Daniels, Curran Lennart
Canon: A ten book urban fantasy series (but it goes by super quickly!) that follows a PI in post-magical Atlanta where unreliable magic and creatures are the norm. She solves mysteries, kicks ass and has a past that she’s hoping stays there (spoiler: it doesn’t).
I like both Kate and Curran so much as individuals and together. I love their back and forth and just how much they care about the other-how they’re willing to risk everything for each other.
I’d love to see more of the cut scenes from when they were getting together. I love their banter and chemistry-give me the two of them flirting or fighting or making out (or all three!).
I’d also love to see more of them after the events of the series-now that the big bad has (temporarily) been defeated, how goes the raising of a kid and every day life? What new cases does Kate take on? Does Curran become the president of the PTA, calmly but efficiently ordering the other parents around?
I would also love to hear more about both of their backgrounds-what were they individually like as teenagers (what if a spell reverts them back to their teenage selves?).
I also love the interplay with magic in Kate Daniel’s world. I would love to see what possible craziness occurs to either Kate, Curran or the two of them. Body switching? Repeating days? Kate becoming a shapeshifter? Something more angsty like amnesia or taking away emotions? Anything goes!
The Queen’s Thief
Attolia|Irene, Eugenides
Canon: A book series set in a world resembling ancient Greece/Persia that follows a thief, Gen, that starts by following the adventures of a young thief but soon gets into some really interesting politics.
I love this book series so much, especially the build-up and relationship between Eugenides and Attolia. I wish that I could see more of their married life from their perspective. After The Queen of Attolia, we only get glimpses of the affection and feeling between the two of them. How do they deal with a court crisis behind court doors?
How does Attolia reconcile herself to her past actions after one of Eugenides bad nightmares? I would also love to hear more about Eugenides' thought process during The Queen of Attolia when he decided that he was going to propose to her. Feel free to also look into the future: does either Eugenides or Attolia get kidnapped at some point (perhaps after a big disagreement or after rash words have been exchanged) and the other has to deal with their guilt and getting the other person back?
If you like political intrigue, I would be down for political intrigue, including but not limited to intrigue that (truthfully or just seemingly) drives a wedge between Eugenides and Attolia. Maybe it’s the Medes or perhaps another player from the Continent. Maybe it's just some of Attolia's barons. Or maybe it's someone from their past that has always felt wronged by Eugenides and Attolia and is seeking revenge. They're both stubborn and hard-headed--what if someone knows just the right buttons to press and maneuvers the two of them against each other? How do they reconcile?
I would also be excited to see Eugenides and Attolia in a different setting (time or geography) or some kind of a time traveling trope. Maybe they've just fought and then find themselves in a groundhog loop or they get magically transported to a completely different area of the world (the Continent?), surrounded by hostile enemies and have to work their way back. This could also occur before Eugenides and Attolia end up marrying. I'm totally down for a modern AU as well where Attolia is modern royalty and Eugenides still comes to steal her heart!
Canon-specific preference: I'd prefer if we saw the events from either Eugenides or Attolia's point of view. It can definitely be in third person, I'd just prefer if the perspective was from either Eugenides or Attolia, rather than an outside party.
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street
Grace Carrow, Akira Matsumoto
Canon: A telegraphist in Victorian England finds his life changing quite rapidly when he seems to coincidentally come in contact with a Japanese watchmaker and they become close friends. Featuring some fascinating magic realism and a great M/M relationship!
My heart completely breaks for Grace-yes, she makes very bad decisions but she’s also impossibly constrained and just trying to find a way out for herself. I would really like to see her find a place for herself, somewhere that she can thrive.
I also loved her relationship with Akira-how they truly were equals-and thought that they had great chemistry. I like how different they are in personality and yet how much they are drawn together. What is it about Grace that draws Akira to her?
For Akira, I would love to see what his future holds-does he return to Japan, stay in Europe or England? Does he reconnect with Keita?
I would love to see what happens after the end of the book-do Akira and Grace go on to have adventures in Europe together? Maybe Grace ends up going off on her own to do science and Akira realizes that he can’t live without her, chasing after her.
Maybe they end up going in different directions and then reconnect later in life when Akira is a famous ambassador or diplomat and Grace has become famous for her inventions or scientific discoveries. Or maybe their roles reverse from the book and Akira needs help and Grace comes to his rescue.
Thank you for writing for me!
I’ve included some thoughts below on my preferences and fandoms. Please don’t stress too much if you’re inspired to write something else (although I’d prefer if you didn’t delve into my DNWs). I’ve given some specific prompts, but feel to take a general theme from my general likes if that’s more inspiring!
I'm not active on LJ anymore, although you're welcome to poke around here. I'm slightly active on tumblr and you can also check out my pinboard. I'm on ao3 as partypaprika.
General likes:
-Hurt/comfort
-Conflict, angst (ideally ending in a HEA)
-Slow burn
-Pining and UST
-Sacrifices, especially if characters are making big sacrifices on behalf of someone that they care deeply about
-Having dysfunctional relationships
-Enemies being forced (either directly or by circumstances) to work together
-Enemies to lovers
-Opposites attracting or coming to understand each other
-Marriages of convenience, fake dating, etc.
-Magical realism and magical powers
-Time travel, time loops, time do-overs etc.
-Modern royalty AUs
-Identity porn
-Epistolary and non-linear storytelling
-Canon divergence
-Mythology
-Hidden displays of affection
General dislikes:
-Major character death
-Noncon
-Incest
-Painplay
-Torture
-Humiliation kink
-A/b/o
-Dom/sub
-Mpreg
-Knotting
-Coffee shop AUs
-High school AUs
Guns of the Dawn - Adrian Tchaikovsky
Cristan Northway, Daffed Mallen, Emily Marshwic
Canon: It's a book about (kind of) napoleonic era land war, combined with the never-ending decimation of WWI, and then a dash of magic. The story focuses on a woman who watches as the war depletes her country's resources and men, ultimately getting drafted into the war effort herself where she must face what it means to be at war. This book nails some of my favorite tropes: competence, people being thrust into extreme situations, a slow burn romance that happened very organically. I loved it.
This book totally took me by surprise! I found myself completely engaged by the war that Emily was fighting as well as the changes that shaped Emily. Emily's introspection and determination drove the book, but she did it amongst a fascinating set of characters.
I'd love really love more of just about anything post-canon. I would love to see an exploration of what Cristan and Emily do after going back to town after the events of the book. Does Emily begin to reconcile her war self with her peacetime self? Does Cristan help Emily adjust, even as they both know that the war has irrevocably changed them and their relationship? They also will likely have to deal with confusion and censure over their relationship--Emily is the golden hero whereas Cristan is hated. How do they support each other when there are issues in public?
I'd also love to know what happens to Mallen. Does he find the Denland woman that he was in love with now that the war is over? Do he and Emily reconnect at any point in the future? I feel like they had a very interesting connection and a deep respect for each other that could play out as platonically or romantically. Maybe they meet up a few years down the line as Emily is still having issues adjusting to peacetime and realizes that the swamps are the only place where she feels remotely normal.
I also loved the Survivor's Club and would be very happy to see them meet up down the line. Where do they all end up and what brings them all together again?
Lady Sherlock Series
Charlotte Holmes, Ingram Ashburton
Canon: This is a take on the Sherlock Holmes story, genderflipped. I know, right now there is an overload of Sherlock Holmes media, but I promise this one is worth the read. Charlotte Holmes is a brilliant young woman in London in the 1800s who rebels against her family and is forced to leave home. Initially she begins solving mysteries in order to clear her family from suspicion but she comes to find that she is quite good at it. However, the more that she solves, the deeper the mysteries around her seem to go.
I know that the newest book is out, so feel free to either use the end of the third book as the last of canon or the fourth book.
I absolutely love the unresolved sexual tension between Charlotte and Lord Ingram so incredibly much. It’s so deliciously fraught. I would love to see what happens now that they’ve dipped into having an affair (even if it was only for the purpose of solving the case) and worked together since. Can they find a way to compromise between their desires?
Feel free to explore their past as well-what was their friendship like? How did both of them struggle with their feelings?
I’d also love to see another mystery (maybe more of an everyday sort) that Charlotte solves-we see a lot of the big mysteries that people consult with her on. What about the more mundane ones? Seeing Charlotte in action is always great!
Going forward, does Charlotte ever come out as the brains behind Sherlock? Or are there further hijinks resulting from her dual identities?
Or, with respect to Lord Ingram, does Charlotte spend time with Lord Ingram’s children? She doesn’t seem like much of a kid person (or maybe she’s surprisingly good with them!) and would love to see hijinks with her and the kids ensue.
Feel free to go as serious or as light as you would like!
Circe
Circe, Telemachus
Canon: This is a new reinterpretation of Circe, formerly most known as the witch who seduced Odysseus on his journey back home. It follows Circe throughout her life, from her rocky childhood (such as it is for immortals) to being exiled to an island in the Mediterranean. The book deals a lot with what it means for her to come into her own power and who she is as a person.
I really enjoyed the relationship between Circe and Telemachus. It felt very organic to me and I loved just how much Telemachus really loved and admired Circe. I'm also totally a sucker for quiet but steadfast people falling for their polar opposites.
I love how even though Circe was slower to face her feelings for Telemachus, she embraced them in the end and braved mortality and the world to be with him. They complement each other so well-Telemachus is patient, kind and humorous, Circe is passionate, smart with hard-fought knowledge, and protective and loving. I would love to see them in a moment together-being with each other and in love.
I also would love to see more about what happens after Circe and Telemachus leave Circe’s island-the adventures that they go on together, the daughters that they raise, visiting Telegonus (and his captain) or the bright and shining love between them.
Tell me more about who Circe becomes after she becomes mortal-does her vision come true for herself? Or does she go on to live a more active life than she imagined--does she end up affecting kingdoms and lives in a way that she couldn’t imagine when her immortality felt like a burden?
I would also love to know more about Telemachus-what was it like growing up under the shadow of his father. How did he develop such strength of spirit?
I would also love to go back to Circe and Telemachus falling in love-maybe from Telemachus’s point of view or what happened on the island after they defeated Scylla.
Kate Daniels Series
Kate Daniels, Curran Lennart
Canon: A ten book urban fantasy series (but it goes by super quickly!) that follows a PI in post-magical Atlanta where unreliable magic and creatures are the norm. She solves mysteries, kicks ass and has a past that she’s hoping stays there (spoiler: it doesn’t).
I like both Kate and Curran so much as individuals and together. I love their back and forth and just how much they care about the other-how they’re willing to risk everything for each other.
I’d love to see more of the cut scenes from when they were getting together. I love their banter and chemistry-give me the two of them flirting or fighting or making out (or all three!).
I’d also love to see more of them after the events of the series-now that the big bad has (temporarily) been defeated, how goes the raising of a kid and every day life? What new cases does Kate take on? Does Curran become the president of the PTA, calmly but efficiently ordering the other parents around?
I would also love to hear more about both of their backgrounds-what were they individually like as teenagers (what if a spell reverts them back to their teenage selves?).
I also love the interplay with magic in Kate Daniel’s world. I would love to see what possible craziness occurs to either Kate, Curran or the two of them. Body switching? Repeating days? Kate becoming a shapeshifter? Something more angsty like amnesia or taking away emotions? Anything goes!
The Queen’s Thief
Attolia|Irene, Eugenides
Canon: A book series set in a world resembling ancient Greece/Persia that follows a thief, Gen, that starts by following the adventures of a young thief but soon gets into some really interesting politics.
I love this book series so much, especially the build-up and relationship between Eugenides and Attolia. I wish that I could see more of their married life from their perspective. After The Queen of Attolia, we only get glimpses of the affection and feeling between the two of them. How do they deal with a court crisis behind court doors?
How does Attolia reconcile herself to her past actions after one of Eugenides bad nightmares? I would also love to hear more about Eugenides' thought process during The Queen of Attolia when he decided that he was going to propose to her. Feel free to also look into the future: does either Eugenides or Attolia get kidnapped at some point (perhaps after a big disagreement or after rash words have been exchanged) and the other has to deal with their guilt and getting the other person back?
If you like political intrigue, I would be down for political intrigue, including but not limited to intrigue that (truthfully or just seemingly) drives a wedge between Eugenides and Attolia. Maybe it’s the Medes or perhaps another player from the Continent. Maybe it's just some of Attolia's barons. Or maybe it's someone from their past that has always felt wronged by Eugenides and Attolia and is seeking revenge. They're both stubborn and hard-headed--what if someone knows just the right buttons to press and maneuvers the two of them against each other? How do they reconcile?
I would also be excited to see Eugenides and Attolia in a different setting (time or geography) or some kind of a time traveling trope. Maybe they've just fought and then find themselves in a groundhog loop or they get magically transported to a completely different area of the world (the Continent?), surrounded by hostile enemies and have to work their way back. This could also occur before Eugenides and Attolia end up marrying. I'm totally down for a modern AU as well where Attolia is modern royalty and Eugenides still comes to steal her heart!
Canon-specific preference: I'd prefer if we saw the events from either Eugenides or Attolia's point of view. It can definitely be in third person, I'd just prefer if the perspective was from either Eugenides or Attolia, rather than an outside party.
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street
Grace Carrow, Akira Matsumoto
Canon: A telegraphist in Victorian England finds his life changing quite rapidly when he seems to coincidentally come in contact with a Japanese watchmaker and they become close friends. Featuring some fascinating magic realism and a great M/M relationship!
My heart completely breaks for Grace-yes, she makes very bad decisions but she’s also impossibly constrained and just trying to find a way out for herself. I would really like to see her find a place for herself, somewhere that she can thrive.
I also loved her relationship with Akira-how they truly were equals-and thought that they had great chemistry. I like how different they are in personality and yet how much they are drawn together. What is it about Grace that draws Akira to her?
For Akira, I would love to see what his future holds-does he return to Japan, stay in Europe or England? Does he reconnect with Keita?
I would love to see what happens after the end of the book-do Akira and Grace go on to have adventures in Europe together? Maybe Grace ends up going off on her own to do science and Akira realizes that he can’t live without her, chasing after her.
Maybe they end up going in different directions and then reconnect later in life when Akira is a famous ambassador or diplomat and Grace has become famous for her inventions or scientific discoveries. Or maybe their roles reverse from the book and Akira needs help and Grace comes to his rescue.