Yuletide letter
Hello, dearest Yuletide author, and welcome! I hope this letter will be useful to you, but if it's not, pretend you never read it and do your own thing. I firmly believe that the more you want to write something, the better the end result will be, so please don't agonize over including tropes I like if they're not your cup of tea, or shoehorning in a pairing you don't really ship. It's been a couple of years since I participated in Yuletide, so I am going to be over the moon that someone wrote a story JUST FOR ME in one of the small fandoms of my heart, and if it happens to include a thing I like, that's just icing on the cake.
Please don't let the following list of likes scare you off! I tried to include a variety of things I know I enjoy in case you need inspiration, but there are TONS of other things I enjoy that I just can't think of at the moment or haven't come across yet. So if what you want to write isn't on this list, don't let it keep you from writing it!
My likes: Gen, het, slash, femslash, threesomes (not necessarily in that order, I just enjoy all of them), characters living in each other's pockets, unhealthily co-dependent relationships, competency, characters looking out for each other, strong characters whose few weaknesses include their family member/significant other/best friend, friendly or flirtatious banter, characters who are bad at feelings, casefic, epic adventures, not-so-epic adventures, slice of life fics, zombies, desperation (in sex - characters are desperately horny or just desperate for each other, otherwise - characters are desperate to the point of panic to see/save/rescue/cure/help/etc. their friend/family/lover), two characters pining for each other, pining that takes a long while to pay off, h/c, a character hiding their injury/illness until it's almost too late, found families, antiheroes, holiday fics (Christmas/Thanksgiving/birthdays), humor, dark humor, angst, bad guys getting their comeuppance, happy endings
My dislikes: Deathfic, a/b/o, kinks involving bodily waste (scat, watersports, vomit), crackfic, mpreg, non-con, dub-con unless it's of the sex pollen/fuck or die variety
Requests:
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) (Gretel, Hansel)
I would love to see just about anything involving Hansel and Gretel. Pre-movie or post-movie, adventure fic or character-driven fic or slice of life, anything! I ship these two like burning, so if you wanted to write a fic where they're more than just siblings, I would be ecstatic. But I also love just their brother and sister dynamics, how it's so obvious how much they care about each other, so if incest isn't your thing, don't sweat it!
I didn't choose any other characters, but if you opt for a post-movie fic, I'm fine with Ben and Edward being included if you'd rather do a team fic.
This movie was SO cheesy, but in the absolutely enjoyable way that made me want tons of fic. I'm so curious about Hansel and Gretel's childhood - how did they survive their first year on their own? How did they learn to fight? Did they ever have mentors? Have they ever run across other witch hunters? What were their holidays like without family? How did they deal with each other's budding interest in the opposite (or same) sex?
Post-movie, there is so much for them to deal with, and I would love to see any of it explored. Now that Ben and Edward are a part of their team, is there any jealousy that it's not just the two of them against the world anymore? How do they cope with knowing their mother was a witch? How do they feel about Gretel being a witch? Do they have any remorse over the fact that they've always thought all witches were bad when they're not?
Like I said in my request, I do ship Hansel/Gretel, so if you're into that, I'd love anything about them growing up and discovering their sexuality together, or fighting giving them some energy to work off through sex, or the idea that they're all they've known for so long that they can't imagine being with anyone else long-term. I'd also love to see how they react to each other sleeping with other people (jealousy? possessiveness? shrugging it off? congratulations?) If you'd prefer to stick to just brother&sister dynamics, I'm all for that, too! Just about anything with them being snarky at each other or protecting each other or being adorably fond of each other would be awesome.
I loved the over-the-top goriness of the film, too, and the action sequences, so if you want to include some witch-hunting or opt for an all-out adventure or casefic, feel free to include as much violence as your little heart desires!
Zombieland (2009) (Tallahassee, Little Rock, Columbus, Wichita)
This movie pulled me in for the zombies and kept me with the found family aspect. I ADORE found family situations, and I especially love found families where the characters wouldn't necessarily be people you'd see getting along. Because of that, I'd prefer post-movie fic to pre-movie (although if you have your heart set on backstory for one or all of them, or just general backstory on the zombie outbreak, go with it!) I'd love to see these four finding a place to settle down and what that would involve, or finding another group of survivors and how that would go, or just continuing their roadtrip.
I'd prefer genfic for this, but I'm fine with pairing up any of the adult characters if that's what strikes you! I don't have any strong feelings one way or the other about Columbus and Wichita's romantic relationship, so feel free to include it or have it fizzle out, whatever you want. If it does fizzle, I'd prefer they split amicably, though.
I love these four characters, and I love these four characters together. I love Columbus' neurotic tendencies, his rules, his acceptance of his fate as a loner at the beginning of the movie and then his slow realization that he's not a loner, he just hadn't found the people he wanted to be with yet. I adore the little taste we get of him being a big brother type to Little Rock (educating her on Bill Murray movies.) I enjoy Tallahassee's swagger and the morbid sense of pleasure he has in killing zombies, but I mostly love the little bits we see of him letting the others into his life. I love that Wichita's both cynical and devious when she needs to be but goofy and sweet when she lets her guard down, and I love that her sole focus during a zombie apocalypse was to keep her little sister happy and safe. I love that Little Rock seems to have adopted Wichita's snarky, take-no-shit attitude, but that she's still just a kid with a lot of growing up to do and now that they have this little family, she might end up being someone completely different.
To sum up: I love them. I would read so much more about any of them or all of them! I really liked the tone of the movie, serious subject matter done in a fairly humorous way, but if you wanted to go darker with it, I'd be all for it. I also really enjoyed Columbus' list of rules, so if you wanted to write a fic that filled in the rest of his rules or continued the narration in that style, you wouldn't be going amiss, but don't feel limited to writing in that style!
Quantum Leap (Sam Beckett, Al Calavicci)
What I would really like is some Quantum Leap fic set in the present day, either with Sam leaping into someone in 2013 or an update on how the project is going in 2013, with Sam leaping into whatever time and place you want. Something big (leaping into a politician, actor/actress, etc.) or something small (leaping into an everyday guy/lady) or something in between, I'm not picky! I love the bond between Sam and Al, Sam's earnestness and Al's snark, and the way they find time to be friends despite the insane situation they're in. I'm not a huge fan of Sam/Al romantically, but if that's your thing, go for it! I will love whatever you write, because I miss this show and would just love to see two of my favorite characters in action again somehow.
I grew up watching reruns of this on USA Up All Night (I could never understand why all the commercials were for those, "Feeling lonely? We'll keep you company! Call 1-900-HOT-BABE, $2.99 a minute, taxes apply," sex lines. As a twelve-year-old girl, I was mortified when my family would walk in during a commercial break and I'd have to convince them I was just trying to watch a cheesy sci-fi show) and fell in love with it. I bought novelizations. I bought the episodes they released on VHS. I named my cat Bakula. Yeah. I really, really loved this show. I still love it today, although in a more nostalgic and fond way, and so when I say I will love pretty much anything you write about it, I mean it. In my heart of hearts I would prefer something not too depressing or angsty and with a happy or hopeful ending, but the subject matter of the show could get fairly dark and the ending was depressing as hell, so if you wanted to stick with that, I'd totally understand and still enjoy the fic!
I mentioned wanting fic set in the present day in my request, but if you would feel more comfortable or have an idea for a fic set in another time, please write it! If you want to set the fic before the end of the show, I'd love to see Al as the smartass horndog he is, and if it's set after the end of the show, I'd love to see more about his family.
The Heat (2013) (Shannon Mullins, Sarah Ashburn)
I loved these two women together SO MUCH. I've always been a sucker for buddy-cop movies, and a sucker for Sandra Bullock movies, so basically I knew I was going to love this movie even before I saw it. It didn't disappoint! I love that Mullins mellows Ashburn out and Ashburn focuses Mullins. They just complement each other so well, and I think the movie did a great job of cementing their relationship so that it's not hard to imagine these two being lifelong friends.
I would love love love to see some casefic for these two where they partner up and take down another bad guy, or even some kind of non-police related adventure. Roadtrip? Zombie apocalypse AU? Whatever strikes your fancy! If you don't want to do casefic or adventure fic, I'd also love something about them just being bros, going out drinking or painting a room or dealing with Mullins' family.
I'm also cool with pairing these two up romantically, if that's the route you want to go!
I realized after I signed up that my request downplayed the idea of femslash with these two, but it's definitely not something I'm meh about. I love their friendship on it's own, but I also think they'd make great girlfriends, friends with benefits, or maybe just a one-night stand that doesn't hurt their friendship. I would LOVE to see Ashburn being super uptight in bed and Mullins making it fun and comfortable for her, but I'd also love to see that flipped and have Ashburn be a tiger in the sack.
I think my request pretty much covers the rest of it!
Thank you again, author, for making my Yuletide brighter, and I hope you have as much fun writing a fic as I will reading it!
Please don't let the following list of likes scare you off! I tried to include a variety of things I know I enjoy in case you need inspiration, but there are TONS of other things I enjoy that I just can't think of at the moment or haven't come across yet. So if what you want to write isn't on this list, don't let it keep you from writing it!
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) (Gretel, Hansel)
I would love to see just about anything involving Hansel and Gretel. Pre-movie or post-movie, adventure fic or character-driven fic or slice of life, anything! I ship these two like burning, so if you wanted to write a fic where they're more than just siblings, I would be ecstatic. But I also love just their brother and sister dynamics, how it's so obvious how much they care about each other, so if incest isn't your thing, don't sweat it!
I didn't choose any other characters, but if you opt for a post-movie fic, I'm fine with Ben and Edward being included if you'd rather do a team fic.
This movie was SO cheesy, but in the absolutely enjoyable way that made me want tons of fic. I'm so curious about Hansel and Gretel's childhood - how did they survive their first year on their own? How did they learn to fight? Did they ever have mentors? Have they ever run across other witch hunters? What were their holidays like without family? How did they deal with each other's budding interest in the opposite (or same) sex?
Post-movie, there is so much for them to deal with, and I would love to see any of it explored. Now that Ben and Edward are a part of their team, is there any jealousy that it's not just the two of them against the world anymore? How do they cope with knowing their mother was a witch? How do they feel about Gretel being a witch? Do they have any remorse over the fact that they've always thought all witches were bad when they're not?
Like I said in my request, I do ship Hansel/Gretel, so if you're into that, I'd love anything about them growing up and discovering their sexuality together, or fighting giving them some energy to work off through sex, or the idea that they're all they've known for so long that they can't imagine being with anyone else long-term. I'd also love to see how they react to each other sleeping with other people (jealousy? possessiveness? shrugging it off? congratulations?) If you'd prefer to stick to just brother&sister dynamics, I'm all for that, too! Just about anything with them being snarky at each other or protecting each other or being adorably fond of each other would be awesome.
I loved the over-the-top goriness of the film, too, and the action sequences, so if you want to include some witch-hunting or opt for an all-out adventure or casefic, feel free to include as much violence as your little heart desires!
Zombieland (2009) (Tallahassee, Little Rock, Columbus, Wichita)
This movie pulled me in for the zombies and kept me with the found family aspect. I ADORE found family situations, and I especially love found families where the characters wouldn't necessarily be people you'd see getting along. Because of that, I'd prefer post-movie fic to pre-movie (although if you have your heart set on backstory for one or all of them, or just general backstory on the zombie outbreak, go with it!) I'd love to see these four finding a place to settle down and what that would involve, or finding another group of survivors and how that would go, or just continuing their roadtrip.
I'd prefer genfic for this, but I'm fine with pairing up any of the adult characters if that's what strikes you! I don't have any strong feelings one way or the other about Columbus and Wichita's romantic relationship, so feel free to include it or have it fizzle out, whatever you want. If it does fizzle, I'd prefer they split amicably, though.
I love these four characters, and I love these four characters together. I love Columbus' neurotic tendencies, his rules, his acceptance of his fate as a loner at the beginning of the movie and then his slow realization that he's not a loner, he just hadn't found the people he wanted to be with yet. I adore the little taste we get of him being a big brother type to Little Rock (educating her on Bill Murray movies.) I enjoy Tallahassee's swagger and the morbid sense of pleasure he has in killing zombies, but I mostly love the little bits we see of him letting the others into his life. I love that Wichita's both cynical and devious when she needs to be but goofy and sweet when she lets her guard down, and I love that her sole focus during a zombie apocalypse was to keep her little sister happy and safe. I love that Little Rock seems to have adopted Wichita's snarky, take-no-shit attitude, but that she's still just a kid with a lot of growing up to do and now that they have this little family, she might end up being someone completely different.
To sum up: I love them. I would read so much more about any of them or all of them! I really liked the tone of the movie, serious subject matter done in a fairly humorous way, but if you wanted to go darker with it, I'd be all for it. I also really enjoyed Columbus' list of rules, so if you wanted to write a fic that filled in the rest of his rules or continued the narration in that style, you wouldn't be going amiss, but don't feel limited to writing in that style!
Quantum Leap (Sam Beckett, Al Calavicci)
What I would really like is some Quantum Leap fic set in the present day, either with Sam leaping into someone in 2013 or an update on how the project is going in 2013, with Sam leaping into whatever time and place you want. Something big (leaping into a politician, actor/actress, etc.) or something small (leaping into an everyday guy/lady) or something in between, I'm not picky! I love the bond between Sam and Al, Sam's earnestness and Al's snark, and the way they find time to be friends despite the insane situation they're in. I'm not a huge fan of Sam/Al romantically, but if that's your thing, go for it! I will love whatever you write, because I miss this show and would just love to see two of my favorite characters in action again somehow.
I grew up watching reruns of this on USA Up All Night (I could never understand why all the commercials were for those, "Feeling lonely? We'll keep you company! Call 1-900-HOT-BABE, $2.99 a minute, taxes apply," sex lines. As a twelve-year-old girl, I was mortified when my family would walk in during a commercial break and I'd have to convince them I was just trying to watch a cheesy sci-fi show) and fell in love with it. I bought novelizations. I bought the episodes they released on VHS. I named my cat Bakula. Yeah. I really, really loved this show. I still love it today, although in a more nostalgic and fond way, and so when I say I will love pretty much anything you write about it, I mean it. In my heart of hearts I would prefer something not too depressing or angsty and with a happy or hopeful ending, but the subject matter of the show could get fairly dark and the ending was depressing as hell, so if you wanted to stick with that, I'd totally understand and still enjoy the fic!
I mentioned wanting fic set in the present day in my request, but if you would feel more comfortable or have an idea for a fic set in another time, please write it! If you want to set the fic before the end of the show, I'd love to see Al as the smartass horndog he is, and if it's set after the end of the show, I'd love to see more about his family.
The Heat (2013) (Shannon Mullins, Sarah Ashburn)
I loved these two women together SO MUCH. I've always been a sucker for buddy-cop movies, and a sucker for Sandra Bullock movies, so basically I knew I was going to love this movie even before I saw it. It didn't disappoint! I love that Mullins mellows Ashburn out and Ashburn focuses Mullins. They just complement each other so well, and I think the movie did a great job of cementing their relationship so that it's not hard to imagine these two being lifelong friends.
I would love love love to see some casefic for these two where they partner up and take down another bad guy, or even some kind of non-police related adventure. Roadtrip? Zombie apocalypse AU? Whatever strikes your fancy! If you don't want to do casefic or adventure fic, I'd also love something about them just being bros, going out drinking or painting a room or dealing with Mullins' family.
I'm also cool with pairing these two up romantically, if that's the route you want to go!
I realized after I signed up that my request downplayed the idea of femslash with these two, but it's definitely not something I'm meh about. I love their friendship on it's own, but I also think they'd make great girlfriends, friends with benefits, or maybe just a one-night stand that doesn't hurt their friendship. I would LOVE to see Ashburn being super uptight in bed and Mullins making it fun and comfortable for her, but I'd also love to see that flipped and have Ashburn be a tiger in the sack.
I think my request pretty much covers the rest of it!
Thank you again, author, for making my Yuletide brighter, and I hope you have as much fun writing a fic as I will reading it!