Dear Yuletide Writer!
This post is also over here, for the link I put in my request. But just in case you missed the link...
Dear Yuletide Writer,
Welcome to the Letter that Ate the world! I was going to make this short and sweet, but... that didn't happen. (Eep!)
First, thank you! This exchange is my favorite time of the year, and I'm so excited about it, and so happy to have someone writing a story for me. I said a lot in the details of my request - probably too much! - so I just wanted to throw this post out here in case you wanted any clarification or to know anything else about the kinds of things I like.
I'd be happy to get a story in any of the fandoms I requested, with any of the pairings I requested; there's really no one fandom that I want more than any other. And though there are some places where I specified that I'd really like a romantic relationship, I don't want you to feel compelled -- I'm pretty bifictional, and I'd be perfectly content with a gen story that focused on the strength of the relationship between my chosen characters.
That said, here are some things that might help along the way.
In romantic or slash pairings, I like...
* happy endings
* first-time stories
* pining
* stories with pining followed by a first-time and a happy ending
* angst
* stories with angst followed by a first-time and a happy ending
(you're seeing a pattern here, I bet!)
* stories where someone thinks they can't ever have the person they want... and then finds out they can
* hurt/comfort stories (if the hurt isn't too extreme; psychological is fine, too!)
In gen/friendship pairings, I like...
* happy endings
* stories that depend on the relationship to fuel the plot
* stories where one person admits how much they care about the other (and then vice versa) - not necessarily coming right out and saying "I care about you!" but in some way, by word or deed, showing it
* stories where they sacrifice for each other
* stories where they declare loyalty to each other -- to outsiders
In general, some things I like in stories are...
* stories that take people out of the show's natural environment. For people who work together, it can be fun to see them in their downtime, that kind of thing
* or, on the other hand, I like "case" stories that weave around the relationship plots, too
* I like scary things; from my requests, you can see that I don't shy away from the scary. =)
* I like for other people from the show's "team" (most of my shows tend to have a "team") to be in stories, too -- not the primary focus, but around
* I like stories where people comfort each other or stand up for each other
* and I like stories where people misunderstand each other / accidentally hurt each other, and have to work to make it better
Some more general things that make me happy in any story:
* Smart people being smart
* Dialogue - I like people talking to each other
* Humor, when it's dry/wry/sarcastic
* Drama, when it's not soap-opera-ish
* People being good to each other
And then there's the stuff I DON'T like. I'll keep it short!
* death stories
* stories that involve maiming/permanently damaging my people
* stories that involve my chosen characters betraying each other in any way (including infidelity)
* mpreg, bdsm, domestic discipline/spanking, rape, torture, extreme kink - I'm fairly vanilla, really. Given what I've requested, I should specify - I don't like those things in the relationship I've requested. If things like that happen in any cases they're involved with, that's fine. Uh, except mpreg, that would be odd. =)
* bestiality (when I include Joshua in my Dark Angel character requests? I want him there as a friend *g*)
* threesomes
* character bashing (I tend to like the chicks in my shows, even if I don't want them getting in the way of my slash pairings)
* stories that could be described as "painful to read", "bittersweet", or "beautiful but sad". I really don't mind pain or angst in my stories -- I kind of like it, actually! -- but I like the pain to end and a happy ending to be had for my people.
* AUs, particularly anything involving hookers (I sometimes like AUs, actually, but not really in any of the fandoms I've requested here)
I know when I'm writing for this exchange, I like to have ideas of what my person likes, but I don't like to be too restricted, either. However, in case you're a person who thrives on prompt-type things, I thought I'd throw a few of those in, too. I'm making these up on the spot, so please don't feel like I'll be unhappy if you don't use any of them!
Things that can be fun:
* road trips
* haunted houses
* "haunted" houses
* scary, big, old empty buildings with echoing hallways (creepy! but I really like creepy)
* big, dangerous storms
* power outages!
* insecurities
* nightmares
* serial killers
* urban legends
* "found" families (one member of pairing goes home with the other for a holiday, and is made to feel at home/happy in spite of initial discomfort with family; romance ensues! =) )
* ummmm, that's all I can think of, right off-hand.
I covered most of the specifics of the fandoms I requested IN the request, I think. But here are some things I love about the shows/pairings I requested:
1. Vorkosigan.
I love Ivan, and I love Miles, and I love Gregor. I love that Gregor is a bit solemn, but has a sneaky, dark humor about him, too, and that he's so freaking smart. I love that Miles is both insane and insightful; I love that he is passionate and brilliant and sometimes incredibly stupid when he gets in his own way. I love his bullheadedness and I love how no matter how bad things get, they somehow turn out okay for him. I love Ivan's slackerdom, and I love that he's far smarter and more competent than he lets on, and I love his sense of humor, and I love his fierce loyalty to Miles and Gregor.
I like adventure stories in this fandom, and intrigue, and danger! And I prefer stories that take place when they're all still fairly young - not necessarily Young Miles-young, but before they've married off/retired/etc. Something that happened pre-Lord Auditor days would make me happiest.
I'm all about Ivan/Gregor in terms of slash, though I've read and enjoyed Miles/Gregor or Miles/Ivan on occasion. Miles-slash is not at the top of my list, possibly because he's gone through so many women. =) But for any pair of them or the combination of all three, any gen story about their friendship and loyalty will work for me as well.
2. Bones
This is a new fandom for me! But I love Brennan and Booth a lot, for pretty standard reasons. I love Booth's fierce loyalty to Brennan, and how oddly gentle he can be with her, and how hilarious he is when he's bickering with her. I love Brennan's constant attempts to transcend her Asperger's-like weirdness and connect with Brennan, and I love that more often than not she manages to do it. I love that she has such utter, utter faith in him, and refuses to call it faith. I love them as devoted friends/sibling-like friends, in gen stories, and I love the idea of them figuring out how perfect they are for each other romantically as well. And I love the cases, and the team!
3. Poppy Z Brite - Lost Souls
Ghost and Steve, man. What can I say? They're like a vastly more fucked up, not-related version of Sam and Dean. The book left them so broken, but trying so hard to heal each other -- I want them to get there, and be okay. I'd really love slash for these two, because of that one kiss that Ghost thought would be the only one they'd ever have. I so want Ghost to be wrong! His sweetness and his fierceness and his wisdom are exactly what Steve needs; and Steve's wildness and restlessness and real-world solidity are exactly what Ghost needs. Even in a gen story, that's what would be most important to me. I think I'd really love a story that took place after the events of the book rather than during or before -- so I can read it as a "happily ever after" for them. And given that the book is what it is -- creepiness and weirdness are encouraged. =)
4. Criminal Minds
Basically, I just adore this show. And I adore the relationships between all the characters. One thing I've grown to love is Derek Morgan's protectiveness toward Reid. Reid is great at his job, resourceful, tough, but also has that air of vulnerability that comes from being not quite secure in himself and not fully in touch with the world. He doesn't really need Morgan's protection, but Morgan needs to give it, and I think Reid is glad to have it. I love how fierce Morgan gets when Reid is in danger or about to go into danger, and I love how hard it is for him to deal with that. I'd be happy with a gen story about their friendship or a slash story, either way. (I also think they're both wildly hot. =)
Addendum:
Mostly, though, what I want is to make sure that you have as much fun writing for me as I know I'm going to have writing for my person. To that end, please please please, if nothing I've said here works for you, write the story in your heart for the request we matched on. Everybody stresses over this exchange, it's part of the fun! But if it stops being fun for you, then write what will make YOU happy. That would be the best gift I could get.
Again, thanks so much! I hope you have a blast with this; I know I'll love whatever you come up with.
Love,
--Merry
Dear Yuletide Writer,
Welcome to the Letter that Ate the world! I was going to make this short and sweet, but... that didn't happen. (Eep!)
First, thank you! This exchange is my favorite time of the year, and I'm so excited about it, and so happy to have someone writing a story for me. I said a lot in the details of my request - probably too much! - so I just wanted to throw this post out here in case you wanted any clarification or to know anything else about the kinds of things I like.
I'd be happy to get a story in any of the fandoms I requested, with any of the pairings I requested; there's really no one fandom that I want more than any other. And though there are some places where I specified that I'd really like a romantic relationship, I don't want you to feel compelled -- I'm pretty bifictional, and I'd be perfectly content with a gen story that focused on the strength of the relationship between my chosen characters.
That said, here are some things that might help along the way.
In romantic or slash pairings, I like...
* happy endings
* first-time stories
* pining
* stories with pining followed by a first-time and a happy ending
* angst
* stories with angst followed by a first-time and a happy ending
(you're seeing a pattern here, I bet!)
* stories where someone thinks they can't ever have the person they want... and then finds out they can
* hurt/comfort stories (if the hurt isn't too extreme; psychological is fine, too!)
In gen/friendship pairings, I like...
* happy endings
* stories that depend on the relationship to fuel the plot
* stories where one person admits how much they care about the other (and then vice versa) - not necessarily coming right out and saying "I care about you!" but in some way, by word or deed, showing it
* stories where they sacrifice for each other
* stories where they declare loyalty to each other -- to outsiders
In general, some things I like in stories are...
* stories that take people out of the show's natural environment. For people who work together, it can be fun to see them in their downtime, that kind of thing
* or, on the other hand, I like "case" stories that weave around the relationship plots, too
* I like scary things; from my requests, you can see that I don't shy away from the scary. =)
* I like for other people from the show's "team" (most of my shows tend to have a "team") to be in stories, too -- not the primary focus, but around
* I like stories where people comfort each other or stand up for each other
* and I like stories where people misunderstand each other / accidentally hurt each other, and have to work to make it better
Some more general things that make me happy in any story:
* Smart people being smart
* Dialogue - I like people talking to each other
* Humor, when it's dry/wry/sarcastic
* Drama, when it's not soap-opera-ish
* People being good to each other
And then there's the stuff I DON'T like. I'll keep it short!
* death stories
* stories that involve maiming/permanently damaging my people
* stories that involve my chosen characters betraying each other in any way (including infidelity)
* mpreg, bdsm, domestic discipline/spanking, rape, torture, extreme kink - I'm fairly vanilla, really. Given what I've requested, I should specify - I don't like those things in the relationship I've requested. If things like that happen in any cases they're involved with, that's fine. Uh, except mpreg, that would be odd. =)
* bestiality (when I include Joshua in my Dark Angel character requests? I want him there as a friend *g*)
* threesomes
* character bashing (I tend to like the chicks in my shows, even if I don't want them getting in the way of my slash pairings)
* stories that could be described as "painful to read", "bittersweet", or "beautiful but sad". I really don't mind pain or angst in my stories -- I kind of like it, actually! -- but I like the pain to end and a happy ending to be had for my people.
* AUs, particularly anything involving hookers (I sometimes like AUs, actually, but not really in any of the fandoms I've requested here)
I know when I'm writing for this exchange, I like to have ideas of what my person likes, but I don't like to be too restricted, either. However, in case you're a person who thrives on prompt-type things, I thought I'd throw a few of those in, too. I'm making these up on the spot, so please don't feel like I'll be unhappy if you don't use any of them!
Things that can be fun:
* road trips
* haunted houses
* "haunted" houses
* scary, big, old empty buildings with echoing hallways (creepy! but I really like creepy)
* big, dangerous storms
* power outages!
* insecurities
* nightmares
* serial killers
* urban legends
* "found" families (one member of pairing goes home with the other for a holiday, and is made to feel at home/happy in spite of initial discomfort with family; romance ensues! =) )
* ummmm, that's all I can think of, right off-hand.
I covered most of the specifics of the fandoms I requested IN the request, I think. But here are some things I love about the shows/pairings I requested:
1. Vorkosigan.
I love Ivan, and I love Miles, and I love Gregor. I love that Gregor is a bit solemn, but has a sneaky, dark humor about him, too, and that he's so freaking smart. I love that Miles is both insane and insightful; I love that he is passionate and brilliant and sometimes incredibly stupid when he gets in his own way. I love his bullheadedness and I love how no matter how bad things get, they somehow turn out okay for him. I love Ivan's slackerdom, and I love that he's far smarter and more competent than he lets on, and I love his sense of humor, and I love his fierce loyalty to Miles and Gregor.
I like adventure stories in this fandom, and intrigue, and danger! And I prefer stories that take place when they're all still fairly young - not necessarily Young Miles-young, but before they've married off/retired/etc. Something that happened pre-Lord Auditor days would make me happiest.
I'm all about Ivan/Gregor in terms of slash, though I've read and enjoyed Miles/Gregor or Miles/Ivan on occasion. Miles-slash is not at the top of my list, possibly because he's gone through so many women. =) But for any pair of them or the combination of all three, any gen story about their friendship and loyalty will work for me as well.
2. Bones
This is a new fandom for me! But I love Brennan and Booth a lot, for pretty standard reasons. I love Booth's fierce loyalty to Brennan, and how oddly gentle he can be with her, and how hilarious he is when he's bickering with her. I love Brennan's constant attempts to transcend her Asperger's-like weirdness and connect with Brennan, and I love that more often than not she manages to do it. I love that she has such utter, utter faith in him, and refuses to call it faith. I love them as devoted friends/sibling-like friends, in gen stories, and I love the idea of them figuring out how perfect they are for each other romantically as well. And I love the cases, and the team!
3. Poppy Z Brite - Lost Souls
Ghost and Steve, man. What can I say? They're like a vastly more fucked up, not-related version of Sam and Dean. The book left them so broken, but trying so hard to heal each other -- I want them to get there, and be okay. I'd really love slash for these two, because of that one kiss that Ghost thought would be the only one they'd ever have. I so want Ghost to be wrong! His sweetness and his fierceness and his wisdom are exactly what Steve needs; and Steve's wildness and restlessness and real-world solidity are exactly what Ghost needs. Even in a gen story, that's what would be most important to me. I think I'd really love a story that took place after the events of the book rather than during or before -- so I can read it as a "happily ever after" for them. And given that the book is what it is -- creepiness and weirdness are encouraged. =)
4. Criminal Minds
Basically, I just adore this show. And I adore the relationships between all the characters. One thing I've grown to love is Derek Morgan's protectiveness toward Reid. Reid is great at his job, resourceful, tough, but also has that air of vulnerability that comes from being not quite secure in himself and not fully in touch with the world. He doesn't really need Morgan's protection, but Morgan needs to give it, and I think Reid is glad to have it. I love how fierce Morgan gets when Reid is in danger or about to go into danger, and I love how hard it is for him to deal with that. I'd be happy with a gen story about their friendship or a slash story, either way. (I also think they're both wildly hot. =)
Addendum:
Mostly, though, what I want is to make sure that you have as much fun writing for me as I know I'm going to have writing for my person. To that end, please please please, if nothing I've said here works for you, write the story in your heart for the request we matched on. Everybody stresses over this exchange, it's part of the fun! But if it stops being fun for you, then write what will make YOU happy. That would be the best gift I could get.
Again, thanks so much! I hope you have a blast with this; I know I'll love whatever you come up with.
Love,
--Merry