Dear Yuletide Author
First, thank you for volunteering to write one of my very obscure requests - and my apologies for the lateness in getting this letter posted. Between cancelled flights and the hurricane just trying to focus on anything else has been nearly impossible for a while. But with that out of the way, hopefully I can provide a few helpful notes here - if you don’t know me already - about the kinds of things I’d enjoy in a fic in general and for each of my requested fandoms (since I have no idea which one you might be writing!)
General fic preferences: I am primarily a m/m slash reader and writer. That said, I like slash that isn't just about the sex and I’m totally fine with G-rated slash that contains no graphic content as long as a focus on the relationship is there. I like there to be some kind of plot or point to the story besides just a sex scene, something that makes the story unique or identifiable to the characters involve (ie, no “Any Two Guys” smutfic, please.)
I DO like and read genfic as well, provided it has a good plot or explores the characters in a different way. I’m not really keen on het romance fic, particularly if it involves OFCs. I really prefer the focus of the story to be on the “canon” characters I’ve requested and not original/other characters.
Characterization/other RPF issues: I do like RPF that makes at least some effort to get basic characterization and facts straight, or perhaps spins off of events that actually took place.
Squicks/Kinks: I’m honestly fairly vanilla and generally don’t care for BDSM, non-con, or fic that’s all just about a particular kink/type of sex play. I can’t say I really have any general kinks (maybe a few specific ones for the fandoms requested), but I do like fics with a good sense of humor and smart, in-character dialog.
So, for my specific fandoms/requests:
The Police (Stewart Copeland, Sting) - The Police have been my main/major fandom for a very, very long time and I’m always eager to read ANYTHING written by someone other than myself about them! Stewart is my favorite member of the band and I love the Sting/Stewart relationship dynamic (slashy or otherwise). I don’t want to constrain what you might feel inspired to write about for them, but if you’d prefer a prompt, here are some ideas I’d enjoy seeing explored:
- Something set during the early days of the band/getting to know each other. If you need any reference materials, Sting’s autobiography “Broken Music” has some lovely, inspirational stuff about this time period.
- Reunion tour (2007-2008) fic. Trying to work together again after all of those years. Revisiting old tensions (sexual or otherwise?), funny tour tales...Stewart’s autobiography “Strange Things Happen” has some fun insight (and crazy stories) about what it was like to try to be The Police again after so many years apart.
- Something set during the recording of Ghost in the Machine or Synchronicity on Montserrat. Late night sex on a deserted beach, perhaps?
Foo Fighters (Taylor Hawkins)
Taylor is my favorite member of the band and I’d enjoy a lot of different kinds of stories focusing on him. I love how he’s such a “fanboy” for his rock and roll heroes like Stewart Copeland (yes, a crossover fic between them would TOTALLY rock my world as Stewart/Taylor is my OTP), Roger Taylor and Brian May of Queen, etc. Honestly the only kind of story I wouldn’t be crazy about in Foo Fighters right now is a generic Dave/Taylor slashfic - I’m just kind of bored with that pairing at this point and it’s almost too “obvious” to me to be really exciting. Friendship/silly fic about Dave & Taylor would be fine, though, and for a change I’d be interested in reading Taylor slashed with any OTHER member of the Foos.
The A-Team RPF (Dwight Schultz, Dirk Benedict)
The A-Team was one of my very first fandoms and I just love how Dirk & Dwight are still such close friends today. If you go on YouTube and look up any of their convention appearances or joint interviews from the past 10 years or so, you’ll surely get lots of inspiration and writing fodder about them! This fandom I’m totally ok with (and perhaps would even prefer) gen friendship fic over slashfic. Some prompts/ideas I’d enjoy reading:
- Something set during the A-Team filming years. At one convention they talked about how in the later seasons, the two of them had to improvise a lot to fill up “camera time” when George and T were being difficult, and would only work very set, short hours. So maybe a story about the stress of those days and how it helped heighten their friendship?
- Crazy adventures at a fan convention!
- When Dirk’s wife Toni left him to go back to LA and go back to her acting career, apparently Dwight went to spend time with Dirk and his boys to provide emotional support. That story always makes me go “aw” and I’d love to see that difficult time explored in fiction.