Dear Yuletide Writer (and other random people reading this)
Hi! I'm Snow.
And you're absolutely fantastic.
You've got the information from my requests, so if you're someone who does well without an overabundance of information, well. Feel free not to read the rest of this. But if you're like me and the more information the better, or if you buy into the whole 'stalking your recipient is a sign of love' philosophy, read on!
Things I like
The purpose of this list is that if if you picked any one of these things and built a story around it, it would be awesome and I'd love it. Not that you try to include everything on this list, or anything silly like that. And if you got an idea just from the prompts I gave, great. This is just here for reference, then.
An additional note: If you're worried about adherence to canon, obviously don't completely flout it, but I probably don't remember it that well, and I'd rather have a good story about who you think the characters are than anything else.
Now, deep breath. And on to the fandoms!
Arabesk trilogy - Jon Courtenay Grimwood
Any
I'd be delighted if you wanted to give me insights into any of the character's thoughts. Tiri would be pretty epically awesome, but so would Zara and Hani, and for all that he's at the centre of things in canon, Raf's view on the big picture is still a complete mystery to me, so you could also expand on that. I love the characters here, and I'd love to see your interpretations of them, no matter what that turns out to be.
I don't actually have much to add here. I think Zara is a smidgen underdeveloped, but one of the things I love most about her is her bitterness. I love Hani knowing better than anyone and how adorable she is. I particularly love how Tiri insists he's imaginary, and I love how Raf doesn't do much by way of analysis and just goes with the flow. I love all sorts of other things about them too, so feel free to focus on an aspect of a character you love.
Or, if you're up to it, explore the setting. The culture and history are an intrinsic part of the book, and they are woven so beautifully with the characters and the plot. This story simply wouldn't work in any other setting, and if you want to do something exploring that I'd adore that as well.
About the Fandom: The Arabesk trilogy is a three book series of mysteries. It's sort of cyberpunk and sort of future alternate history (probably set in the 2050s, and definitely in an Alexandria where World War I never expanded out of the Balkans.
Cold Wind (Kitty and the Can Openers Song)
I/You
I really would adore anything that explores the dissonance in the song between the words and the sweet sound of it, because that's really at the foundation of what makes this song so interesting to me. Also, if you're at all worried that you have no clue if you're interpreting the song the same way I am, please please, go with your interpretation. I'd love to read about it.
I understand that this one is sort of a tough thing to figure out how to go about writing, so understand that I would be very pleased with any variety of things. Maybe an introspective scene fleshing out what the singer's thinking, or anything exploring who these people are. Is it a woman talking to another woman: "you know I want you girl"? Is it a man's PoV? I think anything that paints a picture of both bitterness and love would also work really well. Basically, like I said in the request, go with your gut here.
About the Fandom: It's a song. I really like it. If you're looking to switch fandoms, this would probably be the easiest to jump ship to. Lyrics are here and you can listen to it here.
Kick (tv)
Layla Salim/Jackie Schneider
Basically what I'm looking for here is femmeslash regarding Layla and Jackie or anything exploring Layla's relationship with her family, particularly as influence by their religion and culture, and how that changes as a result of her continuing secret relationship with Jackie.
So canon ends with Layla breaking things off with her family but not coming out to them, and reengaging in her relationship with Jackie. I would love anything about Layla and Jackie that explores post canon. I'd be interested in seeing how you imagine the Layla/Jackie relationship evolving, both among themselves and how they interact with their social circle at university. Also interesting would be a conversation between Layla and any of her siblings, or maybe Jackie meeting siblings who aren't Amen, or any kind of confrontation regarding Amen.
I did start watching Kick primarily because I'd heard it had a canonically lesbian Muslim character, and so if you felt comfortable writing something that deals with that in some way, I'd find that really interesting. If you'd feel kind of comfortable, but think you needed a good beta,
dark_agenda might be a good place to start. If you don't feel comfortable writing about that, write what you are comfortable with.
About the Fandom: Kick is an Australian tv series of 13 episodes which are half an hour in length each. It mostly focuses on Miki Mavros' attempts to flirt with Dr. Mangeshkar, but Layla and Jackie's relationship is a significant subplot. However, if you have an embarrassment squick, this won't be the show for you.
Inland Territory (Album)
Any
I'm good with literal retellings of the story of a single song or a symbolic type of capturing the feeling of the song or just fixating on a single line and seeing what that does for you. Or any kind of trying to meld multiple songs into a story would be cool too. If you don't think you interpret the song/CD the same way I do, go with your interpretation.
If you signed up for a specific song, go for it. I'm going to throw out a couple of ideas I've had for a couple of them, in case that would help.
About the Fandom: It's a CD, by Vienna Teng. It's another one that's be super easy to pick up if you decided to switch fandoms.
And should you wish to stalk me further, most of my journal here is unlocked, my fic is here and I'm very frequently in #yuletide under the name Snow.
*Banners for the Arabesk trilogy and Kick made by the lovely
sherlockian from images from the canons. The Cold Wind and Inland Territory Banners were made by me, also using images from canons.
Comments welcome either here or on Dreamwidth (
).
And you're absolutely fantastic.
You've got the information from my requests, so if you're someone who does well without an overabundance of information, well. Feel free not to read the rest of this. But if you're like me and the more information the better, or if you buy into the whole 'stalking your recipient is a sign of love' philosophy, read on!
Things I like
The purpose of this list is that if if you picked any one of these things and built a story around it, it would be awesome and I'd love it. Not that you try to include everything on this list, or anything silly like that. And if you got an idea just from the prompts I gave, great. This is just here for reference, then.
- Character development. I'd rather have complex characters than 100% likable ones.
- Trust. Particularly when a character trusts another more than they should, but that trust turns out to have been well-placed. Or the very fact that they were trusted made the other person rise to the challenge.
- Platonic love. Friendships where the very notion that they would have sex or be attracted to each other doesn't come up, because it would be dismissed by both parties. (These aren't all I like, I've requested at least one romantic relationship after all.)
- Relationships based on equality. Relationships where both the people clearly are bringing something to the table. I particularly adore relationships where both the people are messed up, but in just the right way for each other.
- Love not being enough. What I mean by this is that sometimes things work out, sometimes they don't, but if they do work out it's not just because the people loved each other, it's because they put effort into it.
- Snark, witty banter. People saying clever things.
- Alternate Universes. Whether they branch off from canon or completely cracky things of crack. Seriously. The only fandom I'd object to a high school AU for would be Kick, because they're only in college, after all.
- Disintegrating situations. Especially people doing their best to gain control of a situation that is bad and turning worse. They don't have to fail, or succeed, it's how they meet the challenge that's really interesting.
- Endings. I am a sucker for a happy ending, but go with whatever fits the fics and if it's sad or angsty I can still love it loads, as long as it feels complete.
- Self-determination. People controlling their own futures
An additional note: If you're worried about adherence to canon, obviously don't completely flout it, but I probably don't remember it that well, and I'd rather have a good story about who you think the characters are than anything else.
Now, deep breath. And on to the fandoms!
Arabesk trilogy - Jon Courtenay Grimwood
Any
I'd be delighted if you wanted to give me insights into any of the character's thoughts. Tiri would be pretty epically awesome, but so would Zara and Hani, and for all that he's at the centre of things in canon, Raf's view on the big picture is still a complete mystery to me, so you could also expand on that. I love the characters here, and I'd love to see your interpretations of them, no matter what that turns out to be.
I don't actually have much to add here. I think Zara is a smidgen underdeveloped, but one of the things I love most about her is her bitterness. I love Hani knowing better than anyone and how adorable she is. I particularly love how Tiri insists he's imaginary, and I love how Raf doesn't do much by way of analysis and just goes with the flow. I love all sorts of other things about them too, so feel free to focus on an aspect of a character you love.
Or, if you're up to it, explore the setting. The culture and history are an intrinsic part of the book, and they are woven so beautifully with the characters and the plot. This story simply wouldn't work in any other setting, and if you want to do something exploring that I'd adore that as well.
About the Fandom: The Arabesk trilogy is a three book series of mysteries. It's sort of cyberpunk and sort of future alternate history (probably set in the 2050s, and definitely in an Alexandria where World War I never expanded out of the Balkans.
Cold Wind (Kitty and the Can Openers Song)
I/You
I really would adore anything that explores the dissonance in the song between the words and the sweet sound of it, because that's really at the foundation of what makes this song so interesting to me. Also, if you're at all worried that you have no clue if you're interpreting the song the same way I am, please please, go with your interpretation. I'd love to read about it.
I understand that this one is sort of a tough thing to figure out how to go about writing, so understand that I would be very pleased with any variety of things. Maybe an introspective scene fleshing out what the singer's thinking, or anything exploring who these people are. Is it a woman talking to another woman: "you know I want you girl"? Is it a man's PoV? I think anything that paints a picture of both bitterness and love would also work really well. Basically, like I said in the request, go with your gut here.
About the Fandom: It's a song. I really like it. If you're looking to switch fandoms, this would probably be the easiest to jump ship to. Lyrics are here and you can listen to it here.
Kick (tv)
Layla Salim/Jackie Schneider
Basically what I'm looking for here is femmeslash regarding Layla and Jackie or anything exploring Layla's relationship with her family, particularly as influence by their religion and culture, and how that changes as a result of her continuing secret relationship with Jackie.
So canon ends with Layla breaking things off with her family but not coming out to them, and reengaging in her relationship with Jackie. I would love anything about Layla and Jackie that explores post canon. I'd be interested in seeing how you imagine the Layla/Jackie relationship evolving, both among themselves and how they interact with their social circle at university. Also interesting would be a conversation between Layla and any of her siblings, or maybe Jackie meeting siblings who aren't Amen, or any kind of confrontation regarding Amen.
I did start watching Kick primarily because I'd heard it had a canonically lesbian Muslim character, and so if you felt comfortable writing something that deals with that in some way, I'd find that really interesting. If you'd feel kind of comfortable, but think you needed a good beta,
dark_agenda might be a good place to start. If you don't feel comfortable writing about that, write what you are comfortable with.
About the Fandom: Kick is an Australian tv series of 13 episodes which are half an hour in length each. It mostly focuses on Miki Mavros' attempts to flirt with Dr. Mangeshkar, but Layla and Jackie's relationship is a significant subplot. However, if you have an embarrassment squick, this won't be the show for you.
Inland Territory (Album)
Any
I'm good with literal retellings of the story of a single song or a symbolic type of capturing the feeling of the song or just fixating on a single line and seeing what that does for you. Or any kind of trying to meld multiple songs into a story would be cool too. If you don't think you interpret the song/CD the same way I do, go with your interpretation.
If you signed up for a specific song, go for it. I'm going to throw out a couple of ideas I've had for a couple of them, in case that would help.
- Radio: I'd love something from the perspective of the triage doctors, or an observer trying to tell someone who's further away from it.
- St. Stephen's Cross: You've got the image of two individuals being swept away in the tide of some major event, and coming back to each other. It's gorgeous.
- Antebellum: Some of the things I adore most about this song are the seasonal imagery and the sense of time passing.
- No Gringo: Soo much possibility in this one. I interpret it as the US has gone to shit and now people want into Mexico. That alone, ooh, so much potential.
- In Another Life: Maybe pick a single scene, or run with the idea of the multiple different lives. Or anything.
- Augustine: Well. I think anything with the line 'faith is both the prison and the open hand' would be epically awesome for this one.
About the Fandom: It's a CD, by Vienna Teng. It's another one that's be super easy to pick up if you decided to switch fandoms.
And should you wish to stalk me further, most of my journal here is unlocked, my fic is here and I'm very frequently in #yuletide under the name Snow.
*Banners for the Arabesk trilogy and Kick made by the lovely
sherlockian from images from the canons. The Cold Wind and Inland Territory Banners were made by me, also using images from canons.
Comments welcome either here or on Dreamwidth (
).