yuletide 2011: my dear author novel. (I really wish this was short enough to be called a letter.)
Dear author,
I'm so fucking sorry that this is so god-damn long. TL;DR: I love you, write whatever you want, I'll love it, I'm easy. (And quite a fan of immature innuendo.) With respect to dear author letters, let us philosophise for a moment: I've been reading a lot of the meta about this recently and what's become obvious to me is that every author wants something different out of the dear author letter. If you're someone who prefers less direction rather than more, then I'm sorry for laying this beast on you. You can probably skip to the part where I say: write what you want, write what you want. Basically I in no way have any expectations. I'm a clean slate. I have no major squicks or triggers, except that please warn me if you're going to write about mental illness/suicide for whatever reason. (It's not a no-no, I just want to know before I read it. Oh and since we're talking about it, issues of consent kind of make me feel weird about the entire thing. Like... I feel like I should interject and stop rape, so if you could avoid glorifying noncon and dubcon that'd be swell. If you want to write about how the characters deal with those themes though, I am okay with that.) I'll read anything of any rating. In general I'm a fan on novelty in fandom, so go out on a limb, be brave.
If, however, you're the kind who wants more information, then read on because woah boy, did I get a little carried away.
Firstly, general likes/dislikes here. I recommend reading that list first so you realise just how hoped up and hyper I am most of the time, just in case the rest of this seems overly serious. Full disclosure: I'm studying for finals and if I have to look at one more fact about parasitic diseases I will scream. So this is my break. My head is tired so I will do my best.
Regarding length, I am one of those people that will happily read novel length fanfic. If you're like me and you kind of suck at writing short things and you're worried about it being too long, pssh, don't be! However I'll just as happily read something short and sweet, so also, no worries about too short if it's done at 1000.
Secondly, and I cannot stress this enough - I'll read anything. Allegedly in real life I am hard to buy gifts for, but in terms of fic? The fact that you've written it is enough. I'll enjoy it, whatever it is. So the following is the loosest possible guide okay? If you have some awesome idea for any of my nominated characters/fandoms then you just go ahead and write the story you want to write. Those stories are always the best ones anyway.
However, if you are stuck, I do have some a lot of ~thoughts. Let me share them with you.
Wow, that cut text sounded overly creepy didn't it?
Okay.
Poetic Works - Margaret Atwood - The Moment, Sad Child, Shapechangers In Winter and Flying Inside Your Own Body.
(Those are links to all the poems because, this was my brainchild. I nominated it. I know. You think I'm a pretentious d-bag. Look, I probably am.) Anyway. The poems are amazing. Just go read them anyway, even if you've been matched on another one of my requests. They're worth it. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who's requested and offered for it, but if, by some freaky deaky coincidence you want to write backstory or current story for any of them as much as I do, please go ahead.
Shapechangers in Winter is ostensibly a love story. I would love something along the lines of One Day - little snapshots from the character's lives, how they grow and change but remain in love. (The line it's still you is absolutely one of my favourites. Sad Child probably lends itself to a similar thing, staring in the mirror as a child, a teen, an adult. I think Flying Inside Your Own Body is more about a moment, but go with what you will. And The Moment. I don't even know.
I think the great thing about writing for poems is that they're kind of vague. Fill in the story any way you want.
In terms of ratings, I'll read anything but I think probably the style of the works lends itself to more of an R kind of sex scene than and NC-17. Then again... I never say no to porn.
Downton Abbey - Mary Crawley, Matthew Crawley, Sybil Crawley, Edith Crawley
(Side note: I haven't watched the last episode at the time of writing due to afore mentioned studying, so if the events of the finale make any of this seem strange, I'm sorry. I will have watched it by the time yuletide starts, never fear.)
Oh dear show, bless my heart, you're my most favourite. I have literally cried at the end of every single episode of this season and in general my reaction has been "how are Mary and Matthew not together, my heart doesn't understand?". I primarily ship them. Mary is my favourite character. I'd love to see anything with her interacting with her sisters or shippy fic. I'm happy for angst here. In fact, let's be honest, the way Mary and Matthew exquisitely break my heart week after week is part of the appeal. I've a huge kink for infidelity, so them not being able to stop having an affair while married to Lavinia and Richard Carlisle would also be a treat.
I don't really ship Sybil with Branson. (I definitely preferred her with Gwen, and my favourite thing ever was a fic I read once where Sybil and Branson invite Gwen to Paris with them in the roaring 20s and they live in a happy polyamorous relationship). However, I'm not adverse to it. I'd like to see their relationship dissected a little, all the interplay between classes and philosophies is interesting to me. Sybil is my favourite when she's being a baby feminist, so anything about her involvement in the women's movement of the time would probably get framed and put on my wall.
And Edith! I've come to love her this season, with her fling with a farmer and bonding with the soldiers. I could even appreciate some kind of epistolary fic involving letters she writes to her sisters after they leave Downton. Or even an Edith/Matthew AU picking up in season one.
Again I'll read pretty much any rating, but (and this might seem weird), I'd be happier if sex scenes were contextualised, and sort of dealt with within the period setting. I'm happiest when my period fic is authentic, so don't be afraid to deal with hard subject matter when it comes to -isms, if it comes to that. (I can't really see this being much of a thing with Downton, unless you're writing Sybil and Branson.)
Miranda - Miranda Hart & Gary Preston
I have never laughed so hard in my god damn life. This show makes me cry. It's that funny. I relate to Miranda far more than I probably should. Miranda and Gary have stolen my heart with their stupid gorgeous oddball love. I have three specific bunnies floating around, feel free to use them as building blocks:
One - backstory. I mainlined this show so fast that I'm not 100% sure on the canon facts, but I'm pretty sure Gary and Miranda met at university. I would die to see something from those days, when Miranda was dressing pets up as famous detectives and Gary was secretly also just as weird. I'd love to see them sort of hover on the edge of almost like they do in the show, perhaps a failed attempt at a kiss?
Two - hilarious first-time sexy times that do not work. I love writing honestly about sex (okay, I love trying to write honestly about sex) and you know, Miranda is so awkward and Gary is so secretly awkward too and everything always seems to go wrong for them, and I would really like to see some kind of humourous and sweet story about how they have to try a lot to make it work. Because sometimes that's how it goes. "Such fun!"
Three - okay, HOW did they share a bed in the Christmas episode and yet nothing happened? I nearly cried. A follow on perhaps, set at New Years, where everyone is wondering why they're so awkward about each other when really it's because they either made out a lot and then woke up spooning or actually did it ("naughty") and then they get to have a ~moment when the clock ticks over? I adore holiday fic, jsyk.
Rizzoli & Isles - Jane Rizzoli, Maura Isles.
I love how this show has basically just given up all pretenses and accepted that Jane and Maura are dating. I was a little worried season two would heterosexual the place up, but joy! It did not!
I'm just going to go ahead and copy out my optional details, since I kind of wrote down everything there:
I'm a big fan of case files, if you have time to pull one off (I know they take research and I by no means require one). I enjoy long conversations on car rides, if you're leaning more in a gen direction (or not). I'm a fairly big fan of tropes executed with flair, so if you've got a cracky idea for a college AU or a situation in which Jane or Maura are cuffed together, I am your girl. Give it a whirl. I do ship these two like nobody's business, but I understand that femmslash isn't for everyone, so I'm okay with gen. Any and all ratings are also fine.
Anyway. I'm okay with additional characters being roped in. I particularly love the Rizzoli family dynamic, so it would be pretty hilarious to write something about how Jane's brothers figure out that her and Maura are more than just friends, around the same time that they themselves work it out.
In terms of gen-fic, any kind of statement about female friendship would be wonderful. Just the idea that these two could be the most important people in each other's lives would be nice. I'm thinking something along the lines of a trope-tastic fic involving hiking, sniping at each other like sisters, getting lost and then expressing deep appreciation for each other. (This would also work with shippy fic, but I think it could work with gen too.)
And I'm always okay with backstory! If you want to tackle the lives of either of the characters before they met, go forth, prosper. I will love it!
And Bass! Always happy for Bass to make an appearance.
P.S. Anon comments are on, IP logging is off, so if you want more direction or clarification (or to hate on me I guess isn't that what anon is for), go right ahead. It'll be super stealthy.
I'm so fucking sorry that this is so god-damn long. TL;DR: I love you, write whatever you want, I'll love it, I'm easy. (And quite a fan of immature innuendo.) With respect to dear author letters, let us philosophise for a moment: I've been reading a lot of the meta about this recently and what's become obvious to me is that every author wants something different out of the dear author letter. If you're someone who prefers less direction rather than more, then I'm sorry for laying this beast on you. You can probably skip to the part where I say: write what you want, write what you want. Basically I in no way have any expectations. I'm a clean slate. I have no major squicks or triggers, except that please warn me if you're going to write about mental illness/suicide for whatever reason. (It's not a no-no, I just want to know before I read it. Oh and since we're talking about it, issues of consent kind of make me feel weird about the entire thing. Like... I feel like I should interject and stop rape, so if you could avoid glorifying noncon and dubcon that'd be swell. If you want to write about how the characters deal with those themes though, I am okay with that.) I'll read anything of any rating. In general I'm a fan on novelty in fandom, so go out on a limb, be brave.
If, however, you're the kind who wants more information, then read on because woah boy, did I get a little carried away.
Firstly, general likes/dislikes here. I recommend reading that list first so you realise just how hoped up and hyper I am most of the time, just in case the rest of this seems overly serious. Full disclosure: I'm studying for finals and if I have to look at one more fact about parasitic diseases I will scream. So this is my break. My head is tired so I will do my best.
Regarding length, I am one of those people that will happily read novel length fanfic. If you're like me and you kind of suck at writing short things and you're worried about it being too long, pssh, don't be! However I'll just as happily read something short and sweet, so also, no worries about too short if it's done at 1000.
Secondly, and I cannot stress this enough - I'll read anything. Allegedly in real life I am hard to buy gifts for, but in terms of fic? The fact that you've written it is enough. I'll enjoy it, whatever it is. So the following is the loosest possible guide okay? If you have some awesome idea for any of my nominated characters/fandoms then you just go ahead and write the story you want to write. Those stories are always the best ones anyway.
However, if you are stuck, I do have some a lot of ~thoughts. Let me share them with you.
Wow, that cut text sounded overly creepy didn't it?
Okay.
Poetic Works - Margaret Atwood - The Moment, Sad Child, Shapechangers In Winter and Flying Inside Your Own Body.
(Those are links to all the poems because, this was my brainchild. I nominated it. I know. You think I'm a pretentious d-bag. Look, I probably am.) Anyway. The poems are amazing. Just go read them anyway, even if you've been matched on another one of my requests. They're worth it. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who's requested and offered for it, but if, by some freaky deaky coincidence you want to write backstory or current story for any of them as much as I do, please go ahead.
Shapechangers in Winter is ostensibly a love story. I would love something along the lines of One Day - little snapshots from the character's lives, how they grow and change but remain in love. (The line it's still you is absolutely one of my favourites. Sad Child probably lends itself to a similar thing, staring in the mirror as a child, a teen, an adult. I think Flying Inside Your Own Body is more about a moment, but go with what you will. And The Moment. I don't even know.
I think the great thing about writing for poems is that they're kind of vague. Fill in the story any way you want.
In terms of ratings, I'll read anything but I think probably the style of the works lends itself to more of an R kind of sex scene than and NC-17. Then again... I never say no to porn.
Downton Abbey - Mary Crawley, Matthew Crawley, Sybil Crawley, Edith Crawley
(Side note: I haven't watched the last episode at the time of writing due to afore mentioned studying, so if the events of the finale make any of this seem strange, I'm sorry. I will have watched it by the time yuletide starts, never fear.)
Oh dear show, bless my heart, you're my most favourite. I have literally cried at the end of every single episode of this season and in general my reaction has been "how are Mary and Matthew not together, my heart doesn't understand?". I primarily ship them. Mary is my favourite character. I'd love to see anything with her interacting with her sisters or shippy fic. I'm happy for angst here. In fact, let's be honest, the way Mary and Matthew exquisitely break my heart week after week is part of the appeal. I've a huge kink for infidelity, so them not being able to stop having an affair while married to Lavinia and Richard Carlisle would also be a treat.
I don't really ship Sybil with Branson. (I definitely preferred her with Gwen, and my favourite thing ever was a fic I read once where Sybil and Branson invite Gwen to Paris with them in the roaring 20s and they live in a happy polyamorous relationship). However, I'm not adverse to it. I'd like to see their relationship dissected a little, all the interplay between classes and philosophies is interesting to me. Sybil is my favourite when she's being a baby feminist, so anything about her involvement in the women's movement of the time would probably get framed and put on my wall.
And Edith! I've come to love her this season, with her fling with a farmer and bonding with the soldiers. I could even appreciate some kind of epistolary fic involving letters she writes to her sisters after they leave Downton. Or even an Edith/Matthew AU picking up in season one.
Again I'll read pretty much any rating, but (and this might seem weird), I'd be happier if sex scenes were contextualised, and sort of dealt with within the period setting. I'm happiest when my period fic is authentic, so don't be afraid to deal with hard subject matter when it comes to -isms, if it comes to that. (I can't really see this being much of a thing with Downton, unless you're writing Sybil and Branson.)
Miranda - Miranda Hart & Gary Preston
I have never laughed so hard in my god damn life. This show makes me cry. It's that funny. I relate to Miranda far more than I probably should. Miranda and Gary have stolen my heart with their stupid gorgeous oddball love. I have three specific bunnies floating around, feel free to use them as building blocks:
One - backstory. I mainlined this show so fast that I'm not 100% sure on the canon facts, but I'm pretty sure Gary and Miranda met at university. I would die to see something from those days, when Miranda was dressing pets up as famous detectives and Gary was secretly also just as weird. I'd love to see them sort of hover on the edge of almost like they do in the show, perhaps a failed attempt at a kiss?
Two - hilarious first-time sexy times that do not work. I love writing honestly about sex (okay, I love trying to write honestly about sex) and you know, Miranda is so awkward and Gary is so secretly awkward too and everything always seems to go wrong for them, and I would really like to see some kind of humourous and sweet story about how they have to try a lot to make it work. Because sometimes that's how it goes. "Such fun!"
Three - okay, HOW did they share a bed in the Christmas episode and yet nothing happened? I nearly cried. A follow on perhaps, set at New Years, where everyone is wondering why they're so awkward about each other when really it's because they either made out a lot and then woke up spooning or actually did it ("naughty") and then they get to have a ~moment when the clock ticks over? I adore holiday fic, jsyk.
Rizzoli & Isles - Jane Rizzoli, Maura Isles.
I love how this show has basically just given up all pretenses and accepted that Jane and Maura are dating. I was a little worried season two would heterosexual the place up, but joy! It did not!
I'm just going to go ahead and copy out my optional details, since I kind of wrote down everything there:
I'm a big fan of case files, if you have time to pull one off (I know they take research and I by no means require one). I enjoy long conversations on car rides, if you're leaning more in a gen direction (or not). I'm a fairly big fan of tropes executed with flair, so if you've got a cracky idea for a college AU or a situation in which Jane or Maura are cuffed together, I am your girl. Give it a whirl. I do ship these two like nobody's business, but I understand that femmslash isn't for everyone, so I'm okay with gen. Any and all ratings are also fine.
Anyway. I'm okay with additional characters being roped in. I particularly love the Rizzoli family dynamic, so it would be pretty hilarious to write something about how Jane's brothers figure out that her and Maura are more than just friends, around the same time that they themselves work it out.
In terms of gen-fic, any kind of statement about female friendship would be wonderful. Just the idea that these two could be the most important people in each other's lives would be nice. I'm thinking something along the lines of a trope-tastic fic involving hiking, sniping at each other like sisters, getting lost and then expressing deep appreciation for each other. (This would also work with shippy fic, but I think it could work with gen too.)
And I'm always okay with backstory! If you want to tackle the lives of either of the characters before they met, go forth, prosper. I will love it!
And Bass! Always happy for Bass to make an appearance.
P.S. Anon comments are on, IP logging is off, so if you want more direction or clarification (or to hate on me I guess isn't that what anon is for), go right ahead. It'll be super stealthy.