Dear Author: Unsent Letters
Dear Author,
Thank you for writing something for me for
unsent_letters_exchange!
The main thing here is to have fun and write the story of your heart -- I'm leaving you a fair amount of latitude to do that. I like characters to be accorded a fair amount of narrative respect (no bashing side-characters, please!), and I subscribe to the belief that historical queer people were pretty resourceful at snatching some happiness for themselves. (I.e., if Hornblower is a miserable git, it's because of his brain chemistry and war trauma, not because historical homophobia prevented queer people from being happy.) If you're writing shipfic, I prefer consensual and reasonably healthy relationships (although Hornblower canon is such a mess I'll cut you a fair amount of slack on the 'healthy' front). Please know that I'm just as happy receiving gen fic, if that's what you'd rather write.
Hornblower - C.S. Forester
William Bush is a favourite character, and the novels never give us enough about him. I nominated "William Bush & Anyone," and I mean it: tell me about his life, his thoughts, his feelings, his relationships, whether it's the captain's log on the Nonsuch, a letter to his sister, or a letter for the Naval Chronicle. A quick look at my fic will show you I'm a big Hornblower/Bush shipper, but you don't have to follow that lead: I'd be just as happy with gen, or with Hornblower being a minor character or character not appearing. (Who IS Bush when Hornblower isn't around? I WANT TO KNOW.) If you'd rather tell me about Bush via Hornblower writing to Bush's sisters (post-Caudebec is the obvious scenario, but feel free to impress me by coming up with another occasion!), then I'm eager to read that, too.
Maria Mason is another favourite character, and needs far more respect than she is afforded in canon. We're told that she and Lady Barbara have a friendly relationship: I've always been curious about that. But again, I'm requesting "Maria & Anyone," so feel free to take the reins and tell me about her life, her feelings, her relationships: her private diary, her letters to her mother, her letters to an absent friend, her letters to her husband... I don't care. Tell me about the Maria her husband never manages to see.
For both of them, feel free to posit a canon divergence and give them a happier end, if you like. Or stick to the end that Forester gave them and break my heart. You know the story you want to tell, and I want to hear it, too.
Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Kate Whitney is from "The Twisted Lip" and was an old school chum of Mary's; I enjoy thinking that they were girlfriends, too. Tell me whatever story you please about them, but I do have two requests: no Unhappy Historical Queer Women (it's okay if their relationship doesn't work out, but please don't make them Unhappy Because History Times Were Homophobic and Bad), and also please don't demonize John Watson (if Mary marries John, let it be because she loves him).
Irene Adler needs no introduction. I'd love to hear about her being happy and awesome post-Sherlock Holmes, or about her being happy and awesome before she and Holmes met. I'm really not into the Holmes/Adler pairing, but feel free to pair her with her beloved Godfrey, the King of Bohemia (who canonically does not deserve her), or a woman of your choice.
Sherlock Holmes in the 23rd Century
(Please note that this is NOT the cartoon series where Watson is a robot, but the two-parter that aired as a part of Bravestarr where Wt'sn is a green-skinned Rigellian. Part 1 and Part 2. Yes, I know it's a goofy kids' cartoon, but the premise gives me serious feels about Holmes, Watson, and Wt'sn, okay?)
My prompts for this one are fairly specific: I want letters across the time-jump, please. I want John Watson in the 19th century realising that Holmes has fallen through time and writing to Holmes in the 23rd, or alternatively, Holmes making it back to the 19th or 20th century, and he and/or Watson writing to Wt'sn in the 23rd. I have a story in this 'verse that you're welcome to use for a jumping-off place, but also please feel free to ignore that and go your own way.
Sherlock Holmes Returns (1993) aka 1994 Baker Street
This is a goofy, 90-minute, made-for-tv film, available on YouTube. This one, too, gives me hardcore feelings about Holmes and Watson -- how much does Watson know about Holmes' time-jump, and what does he feel about it?
With that in mind, I'd like communication across the time jump, please: John Watson realising what Holmes has done and writing from the 19th century to Holmes in the 21st; what he has to say is entirely up to you. I have a story in this 'verse; you may use it for inspiration or ignore it entirely, I leave it up to you.
Original Work
And I think that's it! If you have questions about my tastes or want to run ideas past someone,
grrlpup is a good bet, but please don't feel that's necessary. Go have fun, tell the story you want to tell, and I look forward to reading it!
This entry was originally posted at Dreamwidth, where there are
comments. You may comment there (using OpenID) or here.
Thank you for writing something for me for
unsent_letters_exchange!
The main thing here is to have fun and write the story of your heart -- I'm leaving you a fair amount of latitude to do that. I like characters to be accorded a fair amount of narrative respect (no bashing side-characters, please!), and I subscribe to the belief that historical queer people were pretty resourceful at snatching some happiness for themselves. (I.e., if Hornblower is a miserable git, it's because of his brain chemistry and war trauma, not because historical homophobia prevented queer people from being happy.) If you're writing shipfic, I prefer consensual and reasonably healthy relationships (although Hornblower canon is such a mess I'll cut you a fair amount of slack on the 'healthy' front). Please know that I'm just as happy receiving gen fic, if that's what you'd rather write.
Hornblower - C.S. Forester
William Bush is a favourite character, and the novels never give us enough about him. I nominated "William Bush & Anyone," and I mean it: tell me about his life, his thoughts, his feelings, his relationships, whether it's the captain's log on the Nonsuch, a letter to his sister, or a letter for the Naval Chronicle. A quick look at my fic will show you I'm a big Hornblower/Bush shipper, but you don't have to follow that lead: I'd be just as happy with gen, or with Hornblower being a minor character or character not appearing. (Who IS Bush when Hornblower isn't around? I WANT TO KNOW.) If you'd rather tell me about Bush via Hornblower writing to Bush's sisters (post-Caudebec is the obvious scenario, but feel free to impress me by coming up with another occasion!), then I'm eager to read that, too.
Maria Mason is another favourite character, and needs far more respect than she is afforded in canon. We're told that she and Lady Barbara have a friendly relationship: I've always been curious about that. But again, I'm requesting "Maria & Anyone," so feel free to take the reins and tell me about her life, her feelings, her relationships: her private diary, her letters to her mother, her letters to an absent friend, her letters to her husband... I don't care. Tell me about the Maria her husband never manages to see.
For both of them, feel free to posit a canon divergence and give them a happier end, if you like. Or stick to the end that Forester gave them and break my heart. You know the story you want to tell, and I want to hear it, too.
Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Kate Whitney is from "The Twisted Lip" and was an old school chum of Mary's; I enjoy thinking that they were girlfriends, too. Tell me whatever story you please about them, but I do have two requests: no Unhappy Historical Queer Women (it's okay if their relationship doesn't work out, but please don't make them Unhappy Because History Times Were Homophobic and Bad), and also please don't demonize John Watson (if Mary marries John, let it be because she loves him).
Irene Adler needs no introduction. I'd love to hear about her being happy and awesome post-Sherlock Holmes, or about her being happy and awesome before she and Holmes met. I'm really not into the Holmes/Adler pairing, but feel free to pair her with her beloved Godfrey, the King of Bohemia (who canonically does not deserve her), or a woman of your choice.
Sherlock Holmes in the 23rd Century
(Please note that this is NOT the cartoon series where Watson is a robot, but the two-parter that aired as a part of Bravestarr where Wt'sn is a green-skinned Rigellian. Part 1 and Part 2. Yes, I know it's a goofy kids' cartoon, but the premise gives me serious feels about Holmes, Watson, and Wt'sn, okay?)
My prompts for this one are fairly specific: I want letters across the time-jump, please. I want John Watson in the 19th century realising that Holmes has fallen through time and writing to Holmes in the 23rd, or alternatively, Holmes making it back to the 19th or 20th century, and he and/or Watson writing to Wt'sn in the 23rd. I have a story in this 'verse that you're welcome to use for a jumping-off place, but also please feel free to ignore that and go your own way.
Sherlock Holmes Returns (1993) aka 1994 Baker Street
This is a goofy, 90-minute, made-for-tv film, available on YouTube. This one, too, gives me hardcore feelings about Holmes and Watson -- how much does Watson know about Holmes' time-jump, and what does he feel about it?
With that in mind, I'd like communication across the time jump, please: John Watson realising what Holmes has done and writing from the 19th century to Holmes in the 21st; what he has to say is entirely up to you. I have a story in this 'verse; you may use it for inspiration or ignore it entirely, I leave it up to you.
Original Work
- Weary 1920s Archaeologist Who Has Seen Some Shit/Museum Curator Who Is Fed Up With Colonialism
- Female Historian/Time Traveler from the Past
- Female Historian/Historical Person Who Can See the Future
- Librarian/Adventurer
And I think that's it! If you have questions about my tastes or want to run ideas past someone,
grrlpup is a good bet, but please don't feel that's necessary. Go have fun, tell the story you want to tell, and I look forward to reading it!
This entry was originally posted at Dreamwidth, where there are
comments. You may comment there (using OpenID) or here.