Dear Yuletide Author

[winoniel]

Dear Yuletide Author

Thanks so much, dearest Yuletide Writer, for agreeing to gift me with your time and talent through a story! I know going in that I will seriously LOVE anything you write.

I am so intrigued by the characters that I’ve listed, and anything that you do with them will be satisfying, I am certain. If you are just not feeling my optional prompts-remember, they’re optional. That’s what this fest is all about. In the same vein, if instead of the adventure/mystery/crime/business plots, you want to write a character study or a quiet interior piece, please feel free. It will take me totally by surprise and give me more depth and insight into my darling fandoms, and I’m sure that your creativity + our fandom = sheer, unmitigated glory!. [ETA: I just remembered that a separate LJ post describes some of my feelings about these fandoms. Please feel free to read or not, as your fancy takes you!

Third, I prefer slash, though it isn’t necessary for the fic: you can go for the male bonding or buddy fic or bromance. I am most interested in the dynamics of relationship, how a character negotiates difference between himself and his companion/lover/friend, and how he calls upon his relationships to help them interact with their world. I would request, however, that you do not write these characters in het relationships. I also begin to retch at fluff or crack happening between my ‘manly’ characters. Non-con, watersports, necrophilia, scat are major squicks for me, though feel free to bring on the BDSM or hot, angry sex, if you are so inclined!

Fourth, I would really prefer it if you could avoid character bashing, particularly the female characters in these fandoms. Just because the guys are more into each other than the women doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with them, so if you could keep it from being the female character’s ‘fault’ that the men prefer each other, I will love you forever. The women don’t have to be ‘good,’ in fact, I adore the How to Get Away with Murder episodes in which Bonnie or Annalise show how willing they are to get their hands dirty, or the Dominion scenes in which Claire or Becca are struggling to figure out what is best for them and their people, and make big mistakes. It’s just that I don't like to see characters given negative qualities that aren't in their canon, or put in positions that draw really negative interpretations of their actions because the author disliked them for some reason. If you write them as human, I will be happy, and if you really dislike a character, I'd rather you just quietly exclude them from the story.

Finally, thank you so much for doing this. I am so excited to see what you choose to do with my little obsessions. I also allowed anonymous comments for this post in case you have further questions (or just want to squee with a fellow fan!).

Just for your convenience, I have my requests copied under the cut so that all my comments are in one place.

Requested:

1. How to Get Away with Murder

• Connor Walsh
• Asher Millstone
• Wes Gibbins

Prefer: plotty story with crime-solving, courtroom scenes, or other legal strategy (think the Marren Trudeau or the abusive cop cases); character development; slash with any combination of the requested characters or Connor with an OC.
I'm not a fan of fluff, but since it's Yuletide, would prefer a happy ending (which could just be an acknowledgment that Conner can make an emotional tie or that his efforts in the firm are rewarded.

2. The Administration - Manna Francis

• Val Toreth
• Keir Warrick

Prefer: plotty story with crime-solving (think the Selwyn or Kemp cases); character development; slash.

I really adore:

1. the gritty dystopian New London of the book
2. witty dialogue between Warrick, Girardin, and Toreth
3. some angry or 'out-of-control' sex.

Plot is important: the relationship without the other details of the story isn't as emotionally satisfying to me. I'm not a fan of fluff, but since it's Yuletide, would prefer a happy ending (which could just be a reference at the end to the enduring nature of Toreth/Warrick's relationship--nothing out of character)

3. Dominion (TV)

• Gabriel
• Michael
• Uriel

Prefer: plotty story with all of the strands of Vega included; character development; slash (preferable, but not imperative)

I'm not a fan of fluff, but since it's Yuletide, would prefer a happy ending (which could just be the boys agreeing to disagree about their goals but accepting each other’s belief in their own ideals).

4. Lord of the White Hell - Ginn Hale

• Javier Tornesal
• Kiram Kir-Zaki
• Elezar Grunito

Prefer: plotty story with all of the familial, academic, romantic, magic, and buddy drama to be found at the Sagrada Academy; character development; slash (preferable, but not imperative). I'm not a fan of fluff, but since it's Yuletide, would prefer a happy ending (which could just be an acknowledgment of their relationship).