It's the happiest season of all...
LiveJournal starry_haze
E-mail: daydreaminlondon [at] gmail [dot] com
Things I'd like: I'd love a story featuring John/Teyla, but not necessarily a ship fic in itself. Don't make romance the point; give the characters some other problem to work on/goal to work towards and allow us to see their relationship evolve organically through what they're doing together (possibly with other people)-the teamwork, camaraderie, loyalty, etc. (Star Trek Into Darkness is a great example of this type of storytelling; their personal relationships really go through the wringer. Character growth, yay!)
I like plotty team adventure fic-similar to an episode of the series or the Legacy novel series. (I love the Legacy series, so feel free to use developments therein if you desire.) My happy formula is probably action plus world building and characterization. Sometimes that resembles case fic with mystery-solving (fan of way too many procedurals, including Bones, Castle, and NCIS), and sometimes that's more like a heist fic with suspense and thrills (à la Inception), but I enjoy other formats when done well too, e.g., "five times when X did Y," character vignettes, etc. I am fascinated by memory and dreams; enjoy non-linear storytelling; and like "things are not what they seem to be" scenarios (e.g. the endings of "Submersion," "The Return (Part 2)" [my favorite SGA episode], and "Progeny"), but as these are difficult tropes, proceed with much caution if you go this route. I'd much prefer a well-told, straightforward story over one that tries to be more clever than it actually is. Oh, if you're witty, go for gold; if you make me laugh, I can excuse all kinds of absurdities! :p
The main "requirement" is for the story to have a narrative pulse. Outside of that, if you execute really well, go for whatever strikes your fancy! Some of my favorite characterizations are: (1) smart, light-hearted, humorous, and loyal John. If you go for angsty John, have the team remind him that the burden isn't his alone to bear. (2) kickbutt, calm, steady-as-a-rock, and perceptive Teyla. She has this uncanny ability to see what people really mean and are not saying. Also, you get brownie points if you can capture her wry sense of humor! (3) wise Ronon. He knows about John and Teyla, maybe even before they themselves do, and he's not afraid to call them out on it. A man of few words who's no-nonsense when he does speak. If you get Pegasus culture and/or Teyla or Ronon backstory in there, that'd be fantastic (I was a sociocultural anthropology major), but only as it flows with the narrative. Oh yes: I adore John and Ronon friendship for the record. If all plot bunnies fail you, music is always win, but it's not necessary if you've got epic action bunnies. :p
If the stars don't align for John/Teyla, I could go for John&Teyla with John, Teyla, or Ronon as the viewpoint character. I'm perfectly content with team fic of the "squint to see the ship" variety. As long as you acknowledge the special dynamic between John and Teyla, my shippy heart will be golden and able to fill in the details. ;)
Things I wouldn't like: My main nitpick is heavy exposition or too much telling; I like writers who respect the readers' intelligence. I dislike anything that throws a reader out of the narrative: glaringly off details, too much reflection with no action (don't have John stand around for five paragraphs thinking about his emotions and this or that. Get him out of his head and have him interact with the world around him, or with other characters), and plot holes (sadly, my suspension of disbelief has limits). Too much pining. Out-of-character dialogue. Super crack!fic (slight AU and alt!verse are fine). Unhappy endings. Depressing all the way through. Ogling the characters. The characters as less intelligent than they are. Cotton candy fluff. Also: no swearing or sex, please.
What I can do: I am most comfortable with John/Teyla and Teyla-centric gen. If you need me, I can also take a stab at character-centric gen for John or Ronon and friendship fic. My past work is mostly character studies, vignettes, and standalone scenes, but I am currently delving into more plotty, epic territory. Any time frame in canon, I've seen all five seasons of SGA and read the entire Legacy series (loved it!).
What I can't do: John paired with someone besides Teyla. Slash. Whump. Crack!fic. Anything above a PG-13 rating. I'm sure there's more, but these limits cover a lot of ground.
Pinch hitter?: No. (Just being honest; my goal is not to grieve our gracious moderators this year.)
E-mail: daydreaminlondon [at] gmail [dot] com
Things I'd like: I'd love a story featuring John/Teyla, but not necessarily a ship fic in itself. Don't make romance the point; give the characters some other problem to work on/goal to work towards and allow us to see their relationship evolve organically through what they're doing together (possibly with other people)-the teamwork, camaraderie, loyalty, etc. (Star Trek Into Darkness is a great example of this type of storytelling; their personal relationships really go through the wringer. Character growth, yay!)
I like plotty team adventure fic-similar to an episode of the series or the Legacy novel series. (I love the Legacy series, so feel free to use developments therein if you desire.) My happy formula is probably action plus world building and characterization. Sometimes that resembles case fic with mystery-solving (fan of way too many procedurals, including Bones, Castle, and NCIS), and sometimes that's more like a heist fic with suspense and thrills (à la Inception), but I enjoy other formats when done well too, e.g., "five times when X did Y," character vignettes, etc. I am fascinated by memory and dreams; enjoy non-linear storytelling; and like "things are not what they seem to be" scenarios (e.g. the endings of "Submersion," "The Return (Part 2)" [my favorite SGA episode], and "Progeny"), but as these are difficult tropes, proceed with much caution if you go this route. I'd much prefer a well-told, straightforward story over one that tries to be more clever than it actually is. Oh, if you're witty, go for gold; if you make me laugh, I can excuse all kinds of absurdities! :p
The main "requirement" is for the story to have a narrative pulse. Outside of that, if you execute really well, go for whatever strikes your fancy! Some of my favorite characterizations are: (1) smart, light-hearted, humorous, and loyal John. If you go for angsty John, have the team remind him that the burden isn't his alone to bear. (2) kickbutt, calm, steady-as-a-rock, and perceptive Teyla. She has this uncanny ability to see what people really mean and are not saying. Also, you get brownie points if you can capture her wry sense of humor! (3) wise Ronon. He knows about John and Teyla, maybe even before they themselves do, and he's not afraid to call them out on it. A man of few words who's no-nonsense when he does speak. If you get Pegasus culture and/or Teyla or Ronon backstory in there, that'd be fantastic (I was a sociocultural anthropology major), but only as it flows with the narrative. Oh yes: I adore John and Ronon friendship for the record. If all plot bunnies fail you, music is always win, but it's not necessary if you've got epic action bunnies. :p
If the stars don't align for John/Teyla, I could go for John&Teyla with John, Teyla, or Ronon as the viewpoint character. I'm perfectly content with team fic of the "squint to see the ship" variety. As long as you acknowledge the special dynamic between John and Teyla, my shippy heart will be golden and able to fill in the details. ;)
Things I wouldn't like: My main nitpick is heavy exposition or too much telling; I like writers who respect the readers' intelligence. I dislike anything that throws a reader out of the narrative: glaringly off details, too much reflection with no action (don't have John stand around for five paragraphs thinking about his emotions and this or that. Get him out of his head and have him interact with the world around him, or with other characters), and plot holes (sadly, my suspension of disbelief has limits). Too much pining. Out-of-character dialogue. Super crack!fic (slight AU and alt!verse are fine). Unhappy endings. Depressing all the way through. Ogling the characters. The characters as less intelligent than they are. Cotton candy fluff. Also: no swearing or sex, please.
What I can do: I am most comfortable with John/Teyla and Teyla-centric gen. If you need me, I can also take a stab at character-centric gen for John or Ronon and friendship fic. My past work is mostly character studies, vignettes, and standalone scenes, but I am currently delving into more plotty, epic territory. Any time frame in canon, I've seen all five seasons of SGA and read the entire Legacy series (loved it!).
What I can't do: John paired with someone besides Teyla. Slash. Whump. Crack!fic. Anything above a PG-13 rating. I'm sure there's more, but these limits cover a lot of ground.
Pinch hitter?: No. (Just being honest; my goal is not to grieve our gracious moderators this year.)