fanfiction for the holidays (aka my Yuletide letter)
This is my first year to participate in Yuletide. Since some people who read my livejournal aren't savvy about it, I'll briefly explain. It's basically a fanfiction-writing event centered around smaller, more obscure story sources. (Sometimes really obscure. Who wants fanfiction from Andrew Bird's album "Armchair Apocrypha"? Someone out there does, apparently.)
As a participant I make three or four story requests and write a story to match someone else's request. Writers submit their stories to AO3, a fanfiction archive, and they're posted live on December 25. The authors are identified a week later.
(Side note: the poor AO3 website is overwhelmed right now. Thankfully sign-ups last until Nov. 19. I'll try again tomorrow.)
Apparently it's traditional to write a letter to the person who will be assigned your requests. I'll adhere to tradition.
Hello, dear writer who has chosen one of the slightly obscure fandoms I requested. Yay! I'm glad you're here!
Stories I like include: plotty tales, character studies, snappy dialogue, relationships, drama, heartbreak, tooth-aching sweetness, silly comedy and everything in between. If it's helpful, you can have a look at fanfiction that I've written here. I'd love to say more about specific things I like but it's hard to pick out themes and genres when I like so many. I guess I'll just add that I like female characters of all varieties.
Three Four things that are acceptable to me (but frequently not for others): 1) I have nothing against original characters. If done well, they can be an interesting way of exploring the original canon source. 2) I also have nothing against pregnancy, babies and children in stories. Just don't make the kid some precocious, lisping, adorable tyke. 3) Crossovers are fine. It would be nice if I knew the other fandom, but I know how to use google to find out the basics if I'm not already familiar with it. 4) You can kill people off, if it fits the source material.
I do have a short list of things I'd rather not read in my Yuletide fic. Characters being unfaithful to their chosen partners frustrates me. Plot-related sex is fine, but no how-to manuals or threesomes, please. I'm not interested in slash (of either variety) as the story focus. I very much dislike bashing characters, since I usually like everybody (except the villains I'm supposed to dislike, and even then I might still like them). Oh, and I'm squeamish about very descriptive gory content.
On to my specific requests:
Lois McMaster Bujold--Curse of Chalion seriesI'd love to see more of Ista after "Paladin of Souls." I'm interested in her ongoing role as Paladin for the Bastard, in her friendship with Liss, and in her relationship with Illvin. (I'm not averse to babies. It fits the perverse humor and 'out of season' theme of a deity like the Bastard.) Also, Foix and Liss--I'm curious about them as a couple, especially acknowledging his ongoing state of dealing with a demon.
This fandom is why I felt compelled to mention that I'm not against babyfic. I do love Paladin of Souls, and would enjoy fic about almost any of the characters, most especially if Ista was a part of the story. Oh, and fic set during the book instead of after would also be fine.
Ultraviolet (BBC TV)
Angie March hasn't gotten much attention in the few UV fics posted. I'd like to see more about her, post-series especially, but pre-series has great potential as well. Fic with her on her own, interacting with other women from the series, dealing with her daughter--I'm partial to any of that. (I'm also partial to an Angie/Vaughan pairing as well.)
Emotionally repressed characters seem to be a favorite of mine. Angie has that in spades. But this show was so well-crafted (and self-contained), I'd be pleased to read about any of the characters. (Everyone in that cast is emotionally repressed in one way or another, now that I think about it. Except maybe Jack.)
movie Up
Ellie/Carl! Ellie and Carl go to prom! Ellie and Carl, working to put her through university! Ellie and Carl when they find out about their infertifility, and why didn't they adopt. Ellie's thoughts as she makes her addition to the photo album. It's not ALL Ellie/Carl in my brain, though. Carl at his first "Wilderness Boy" meeting. Carl having to deal with other Wilderness Boys. Carl and Russell on another trip in the blimp!
This movie made me bawl the first time I watched it. And the second time. And the third time. Ellie as a child was well-defined in the film, but we didn't get to see her as an adult, other than within the montage at the beginning. That's why I mentioned Ellie/Carl in my request. I also liked Carl's pseudo-father role by the end of the movie, and the idea of him dealing with a gaggle of Wilderness Boys makes me smile. Basically the only part of the movie that doesn't interest me is reading lots more about the villain; even the dogs are fun characters that I would read about.
movie Bend It Like Beckham
I'd like to see more about Jess Bamra's holidays back from university, or summer break. Does she try a relationship with Joe? How does her family deal with it? Does she decide that long-distance relationships are doomed and start in a relationship with someone she met in the US? Is she avoiding romance completely? Alternately, how do she and Jules deal with life in the US as first-time college students? How long does it take for them to get past the worst of the homesickness and culture shock?
There's not much genfic or hetfic for this fandom, so I'd be happy with either. Jess is my favorite, and I think the possibilities for her time in the US are fascinating. I also love her family, so time with them would be fun as well. Jules' family is... hilarifying, so if you feel like taking the challenge of including Mrs. Paxton, please go for it.
Fanfiction is fun. I like playing with existing characters and worlds and putting my own design on it, and I love getting to read other people's versions as well. Since you volunteered for at least one of these fandoms, I hope you'll enjoy writing for me.
Posted at Dreamwidth: http://rose-griffes.dreamwidth.org/186557.html. Comment where you wish.
As a participant I make three or four story requests and write a story to match someone else's request. Writers submit their stories to AO3, a fanfiction archive, and they're posted live on December 25. The authors are identified a week later.
(Side note: the poor AO3 website is overwhelmed right now. Thankfully sign-ups last until Nov. 19. I'll try again tomorrow.)
Apparently it's traditional to write a letter to the person who will be assigned your requests. I'll adhere to tradition.
Hello, dear writer who has chosen one of the slightly obscure fandoms I requested. Yay! I'm glad you're here!
Stories I like include: plotty tales, character studies, snappy dialogue, relationships, drama, heartbreak, tooth-aching sweetness, silly comedy and everything in between. If it's helpful, you can have a look at fanfiction that I've written here. I'd love to say more about specific things I like but it's hard to pick out themes and genres when I like so many. I guess I'll just add that I like female characters of all varieties.
Three Four things that are acceptable to me (but frequently not for others): 1) I have nothing against original characters. If done well, they can be an interesting way of exploring the original canon source. 2) I also have nothing against pregnancy, babies and children in stories. Just don't make the kid some precocious, lisping, adorable tyke. 3) Crossovers are fine. It would be nice if I knew the other fandom, but I know how to use google to find out the basics if I'm not already familiar with it. 4) You can kill people off, if it fits the source material.
I do have a short list of things I'd rather not read in my Yuletide fic. Characters being unfaithful to their chosen partners frustrates me. Plot-related sex is fine, but no how-to manuals or threesomes, please. I'm not interested in slash (of either variety) as the story focus. I very much dislike bashing characters, since I usually like everybody (except the villains I'm supposed to dislike, and even then I might still like them). Oh, and I'm squeamish about very descriptive gory content.
On to my specific requests:
Lois McMaster Bujold--Curse of Chalion seriesI'd love to see more of Ista after "Paladin of Souls." I'm interested in her ongoing role as Paladin for the Bastard, in her friendship with Liss, and in her relationship with Illvin. (I'm not averse to babies. It fits the perverse humor and 'out of season' theme of a deity like the Bastard.) Also, Foix and Liss--I'm curious about them as a couple, especially acknowledging his ongoing state of dealing with a demon.
This fandom is why I felt compelled to mention that I'm not against babyfic. I do love Paladin of Souls, and would enjoy fic about almost any of the characters, most especially if Ista was a part of the story. Oh, and fic set during the book instead of after would also be fine.
Ultraviolet (BBC TV)
Angie March hasn't gotten much attention in the few UV fics posted. I'd like to see more about her, post-series especially, but pre-series has great potential as well. Fic with her on her own, interacting with other women from the series, dealing with her daughter--I'm partial to any of that. (I'm also partial to an Angie/Vaughan pairing as well.)
Emotionally repressed characters seem to be a favorite of mine. Angie has that in spades. But this show was so well-crafted (and self-contained), I'd be pleased to read about any of the characters. (Everyone in that cast is emotionally repressed in one way or another, now that I think about it. Except maybe Jack.)
movie Up
Ellie/Carl! Ellie and Carl go to prom! Ellie and Carl, working to put her through university! Ellie and Carl when they find out about their infertifility, and why didn't they adopt. Ellie's thoughts as she makes her addition to the photo album. It's not ALL Ellie/Carl in my brain, though. Carl at his first "Wilderness Boy" meeting. Carl having to deal with other Wilderness Boys. Carl and Russell on another trip in the blimp!
This movie made me bawl the first time I watched it. And the second time. And the third time. Ellie as a child was well-defined in the film, but we didn't get to see her as an adult, other than within the montage at the beginning. That's why I mentioned Ellie/Carl in my request. I also liked Carl's pseudo-father role by the end of the movie, and the idea of him dealing with a gaggle of Wilderness Boys makes me smile. Basically the only part of the movie that doesn't interest me is reading lots more about the villain; even the dogs are fun characters that I would read about.
movie Bend It Like Beckham
I'd like to see more about Jess Bamra's holidays back from university, or summer break. Does she try a relationship with Joe? How does her family deal with it? Does she decide that long-distance relationships are doomed and start in a relationship with someone she met in the US? Is she avoiding romance completely? Alternately, how do she and Jules deal with life in the US as first-time college students? How long does it take for them to get past the worst of the homesickness and culture shock?
There's not much genfic or hetfic for this fandom, so I'd be happy with either. Jess is my favorite, and I think the possibilities for her time in the US are fascinating. I also love her family, so time with them would be fun as well. Jules' family is... hilarifying, so if you feel like taking the challenge of including Mrs. Paxton, please go for it.
Fanfiction is fun. I like playing with existing characters and worlds and putting my own design on it, and I love getting to read other people's versions as well. Since you volunteered for at least one of these fandoms, I hope you'll enjoy writing for me.
Posted at Dreamwidth: http://rose-griffes.dreamwidth.org/186557.html. Comment where you wish.