Dear Yuletide Author 2017
Well hey there, writer! Thank you so much for writing for me; I'm sure I'll love your fic, and hopefully something here catches your eye. I have prompts for each of my requested fandoms, but if none of them work for you or you have another idea you'd prefer to write, please don't stress about filling those specific prompts - they're just a jumping off point.
Here are some links for easy letter navigation - and if you'd prefer light format, that's here.
general likes and dislikes | the handmaid's tale | mona lisa smile | dead poets society
likes: I like intense relationships, strong bonds/loyalty - and if you want to go a darker route, relationships that are a bit too intense and obsessive. I like darkfic and horror; scary fic is welcome, body horror is fine by me. I like canon divergence and seeing the way things could have gone if things had happened differently. Family and people working together, especially in weird situations or with people who don't know/like each other much, are awesome. Worldbuilding, backstory, and missing canon scenes are great too; I like knowing more about the canon/characters. And I generally prefer fic in the same tone as canon. For darkfic/horror: body horror/dysmorphia (e.g. not recognizing self in mirror), skewed perceptions/doubting sanity, creepy mirrors, gaslighting, uncanny valley, psychological horror, people "coming back wrong", whump and H/C, PTSD. For shipfic: slow burns, like painfully, ridiculously slow, and UST, all the kissing, teasing.
dislikes: I'd rather not get PWP this Yuletide - sorry if that's what you were planning on writing! (Smut is fine with me, but I'd rather it not be the sole focus.) I also am not a huge fan of non-canon AUs, or crossovers/fusions.
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the handmaid's tale
Requested characters: Aunt Lydia
I'm fascinated with cults and brainwashing, and so this show is like candy for me (despite the unfortunate resemblance to real life these days). I find the expanded look on the inner workings of Gilead really interesting, the depth and complexity of the world. The visuals are amazing, and the whole show is just haunting. It feels both far away and terrifyingly prescient. Aunt Lydia, to me, is one of the most interesting characters in the show; she's a true believer and has no qualms brutally punishing the handmaids, but she also feels for them and cares for them.
Prompts:
- how was Aunt Lydia drawn into the movement? how did she become an Aunt? what was it like working at the Red Center?
- did Aunt Lydia, like Serena Joy, have a hand in the Gileadean takeover? did she also get robbed of any meaningful influence after the takeover?
- who was she before Gilead? did she always have the beliefs she has in the show, or was she recruited similarly to Nick - was she brainwashed?
- Lydia as a recruiter
- something about her becoming sympathetic to the Mayday movement, or being an undercover operative
- (entirely optional since Janine wasn't nommed) something about Lydia's relationship with Janine/Ofwarren
mona lisa smile
Requested characters: Betty Warren, Giselle Levy
Betty and Giselle are my favorite two characters; I love how sincere and passionate and dedicated they are, how even in an admittedly light, feel-good movie, their intelligence is still so clear. They have very different perspectives in life - but still, they care a lot for each other. Even when Betty is treating Giselle badly, Giselle understands that Betty is being trapped in a loveless marriage and a life she doesn't want, and never stops being her friend, and by the end they're even rooming together! I ship them, but gen about their friendship would also be lovely.
Prompts:
- Giselle/Betty - living in their new apartment in New York, going to law school - what's it like?
- Giselle "everything is erotic" Levy introduces Betty to actually enjoyable sex and love
- it's implied that Betty became a lot more...intense after she got engaged. what was their friendship/relationship like before that?
- Giselle seems to be dealing with depression and substance abuse problems after Professor Dunbar ends things - H/C where Betty helps her with her mental health or addiction would be delightful, or just helps her through her heartbreak
- anything about the nitty gritty of law school
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dead poets society
Requested characters: Neil Perry, Todd Anderson
This movie! I rewatch this movie all the time (well, not the ending). I love how inspiring it feels, the emphasis on writing as something that has to be felt, not quantified, the boys sneaking off to read poetry in the night - and even more than all of that, I adore Neil and Todd and their relationship. Shy/outgoing is one of my favorite dynamics, and DPS captures it beautifully. I ship Neil and Todd, but as always, gen is totally fine if you don't ship it!
Prompts:
- rooming together - what is it like? a night they stay up late talking, bonding moments, etc
- FIX IT FIC, ALL THE FIX IT FIC. fic where Neil runs away instead of killing himself, or Todd rescues him, or they run away together...
- writing something collaboratively - or writing poems for each other
- a time they go to the cave alone
- Neil lives but runs away - they meet again, years later
- Todd or Neil or both come back as teachers
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