Dear Yuletide 2021 writer
(Hello my lovely writer. Do you know how magnificent you are?)
First of all, you are a lovely person. And thank you for taking on my requests. Now, in case you wondered, the names are different. My LJ/DW name is Reynardo but my Ao3 name is Mary West. And one day very soon now I'll have my genuine author name too and if I'm very lucky, someone writing fanfic for my book at Yuletide. That would be so cool.
So - the scary stuff! I want characters to be themselves. Are they tapping you on the shoulder and saying "Like this. That's right. I would have done *that* in those circumstances"? I love origin stories and filling in the gaps. I love "But what if..." If, instead of my prompts, something other ferocious plot bunny comes along and bites hard, go with it. Plot bunnies are to be respected.
A Queen from the North - Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese Characters: Hon. Nicholas Brockett, Macsen Jones, Priya Joshi, almost anyone else from the book. The two main characters are sweet enough, but I would love to see if the sweet and adorable Macsen Jones and the wonderfully bouncy Priya Joshi get together. Or does Edward Glynne lose his partner but find a new love in the Hon Nicholas Brockett? The main statement still applies though - if any other matching up or friendship calls your plot-bunnies, then go with them.
The State Within George Blake, Nicholas Brocklehurst. They're not romantically attached. But they're a mental match. It's ten years later, and a mystery surfaces that involves a missing car with Diplomatic plates from the British Embassy, and a tape purporting to have enough evidence to discredit the atypical yet strangely popular Democratic candidate for the presidency who turned up from nowhere. Our two protagonists know when to call on each other - or is this one case where they should not? (I apologise - this might actually be a good lead for a full novel - if it gets out of control, just go with it and throw me a thanks when you create a bestseller.)
Wellington Paranormal (TV) Officer Kyle Minogue (WPTV) Officer O'Leary (WPTV) Sergeant Maaka (WPTV). Reports of a horse on the hillside at Maupuia Park are coming in thick and fast. But has someone dressed the poor horse up for Hallowe'en? Because horses don't normally have horns on their heads. Bonus points if a) there's a My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic reference, b) Suspicions that someone's made a prop at the nearby Weta Workshop and c) only Office Minogue is able to get close to it, which tells you far too much about Officer Minogue.
Knitting. I've only put in for "Yarn" but all and any knitting areas are welcome - I didn't want to limit you! So long as yarn is in there somewhere, I'm good.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. I would like to get inside Alexander's head. What was it like trying to pretend to be heterosexual while knowing inside what he was really like? Where did he go after the competition? And did he compete again, and for which country? So many options for such an amazing man.
There's the 11Foot8 Bridge. Here in Melbourne we have the Montague St Bridge (Twitter
montaguestbridg). There's the Tay Bridge, and a notoriously BAD poem about it. I don't think the bridges are happy with the notoriety. Or maybe they are. Or is there a rivalry between them? Using the 11 Foot 8 bridge and your choice of any others, I would love to hear them arguing about this. I want attitude, I want self-importance, and I want cuts and snubs and mike-drops as vicious as any Drag Queen Meetup or similar. Give me snark, give me barbs, give me the lot!
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All fics - use any other characters that make sense to you in the story. You know them. You are listening to their voices, so write who they are.
If they lead down the path of heat and fire and bodies clashing, let them. But there's no need to force it. I'm quite as happy with G rated as I am with M. Or even E. Again, let them lead where they will. Stick your nose in this ratings list and I would prefer we stay inside green, blue and purple at the most, just this time. There are times for the others, but not this time.
Or friendship fic. It can be just friends. That would be fine too.
And don't worry too much if your fic starts straying outside the boundaries. They do that. It's all the characters' faults. You are making something for me, and I love you anyway. Write me a story, leave me going "yes, they totally would have done that!" and you will have a happy, happy recipient.
Thank you. (Posted on Dreamwidth, shared to Live Journal)
First of all, you are a lovely person. And thank you for taking on my requests. Now, in case you wondered, the names are different. My LJ/DW name is Reynardo but my Ao3 name is Mary West. And one day very soon now I'll have my genuine author name too and if I'm very lucky, someone writing fanfic for my book at Yuletide. That would be so cool.
So - the scary stuff! I want characters to be themselves. Are they tapping you on the shoulder and saying "Like this. That's right. I would have done *that* in those circumstances"? I love origin stories and filling in the gaps. I love "But what if..." If, instead of my prompts, something other ferocious plot bunny comes along and bites hard, go with it. Plot bunnies are to be respected.
A Queen from the North - Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese Characters: Hon. Nicholas Brockett, Macsen Jones, Priya Joshi, almost anyone else from the book. The two main characters are sweet enough, but I would love to see if the sweet and adorable Macsen Jones and the wonderfully bouncy Priya Joshi get together. Or does Edward Glynne lose his partner but find a new love in the Hon Nicholas Brockett? The main statement still applies though - if any other matching up or friendship calls your plot-bunnies, then go with them.
The State Within George Blake, Nicholas Brocklehurst. They're not romantically attached. But they're a mental match. It's ten years later, and a mystery surfaces that involves a missing car with Diplomatic plates from the British Embassy, and a tape purporting to have enough evidence to discredit the atypical yet strangely popular Democratic candidate for the presidency who turned up from nowhere. Our two protagonists know when to call on each other - or is this one case where they should not? (I apologise - this might actually be a good lead for a full novel - if it gets out of control, just go with it and throw me a thanks when you create a bestseller.)
Wellington Paranormal (TV) Officer Kyle Minogue (WPTV) Officer O'Leary (WPTV) Sergeant Maaka (WPTV). Reports of a horse on the hillside at Maupuia Park are coming in thick and fast. But has someone dressed the poor horse up for Hallowe'en? Because horses don't normally have horns on their heads. Bonus points if a) there's a My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic reference, b) Suspicions that someone's made a prop at the nearby Weta Workshop and c) only Office Minogue is able to get close to it, which tells you far too much about Officer Minogue.
Knitting. I've only put in for "Yarn" but all and any knitting areas are welcome - I didn't want to limit you! So long as yarn is in there somewhere, I'm good.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. I would like to get inside Alexander's head. What was it like trying to pretend to be heterosexual while knowing inside what he was really like? Where did he go after the competition? And did he compete again, and for which country? So many options for such an amazing man.
There's the 11Foot8 Bridge. Here in Melbourne we have the Montague St Bridge (Twitter
montaguestbridg). There's the Tay Bridge, and a notoriously BAD poem about it. I don't think the bridges are happy with the notoriety. Or maybe they are. Or is there a rivalry between them? Using the 11 Foot 8 bridge and your choice of any others, I would love to hear them arguing about this. I want attitude, I want self-importance, and I want cuts and snubs and mike-drops as vicious as any Drag Queen Meetup or similar. Give me snark, give me barbs, give me the lot!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
All fics - use any other characters that make sense to you in the story. You know them. You are listening to their voices, so write who they are.
If they lead down the path of heat and fire and bodies clashing, let them. But there's no need to force it. I'm quite as happy with G rated as I am with M. Or even E. Again, let them lead where they will. Stick your nose in this ratings list and I would prefer we stay inside green, blue and purple at the most, just this time. There are times for the others, but not this time.
Or friendship fic. It can be just friends. That would be fine too.
And don't worry too much if your fic starts straying outside the boundaries. They do that. It's all the characters' faults. You are making something for me, and I love you anyway. Write me a story, leave me going "yes, they totally would have done that!" and you will have a happy, happy recipient.
Thank you. (Posted on Dreamwidth, shared to Live Journal)