posted by ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
zeegoeshere at 04:19pm on 02/11/2012 under yuletide
zeegoeshere at 04:19pm on 02/11/2012 under yuletideDear Yuletide Writer,
I am always a bit stumped as to what to say in these letters. Mostly I'm just happy that you're going to write me a story for any of the fandoms I requested! I tried to provide some details about what kind of fic I love reading and what I would love for the fandoms in question, but I don't want to intimidate you or make you feel like I won't love your story unless it fits my specifications. I want to read whatever story you're excited about writing.
I'm good with slash, femslash, het, gen--my preferences for fanfic really depend on the characters and fandoms in question. General things that I always love in fic include: loyal friendship, misunderstandings, romantic comedy tropes, sex pollen, angst, flawed characters being mean to each other, in-character banter, humor, hurt feelings, happy endings that feel earned, established relationships that break up but then they end up getting together. I guess my biggest overall bulletproof kink is melodrama, but that's superseded by my love for the characters in question--I need the characterization to feel right above everything else, and I love the story tropes I just listed only if they feel organic to the story. Like, I love hatesex with some pairings, but with others I would be uninterested in that because I don't think they would go there. Ditto with fluff, schmoop, domestic fic--with some pairings I eat that shit up with a spoon, others not so much.
If you can sell it to me with the characterization in your story, there's not much that I won't happily go along with. But I do have some general dislikes: watersports (although there is an exception below) (NOT THAT I REQUIRE WATERSPORTS, just that if you yearn to write it for this particular pairing I will happily roll with it!) (oh god come back I didn't mean to scare you off), knotting, porn without plot (unless it's something like sex pollen, where it's more about forced intimacy than anything else), angst that doesn't get resolved in any way, character death, character bashing, breaking up and/or disappearing female love interests to get two guys together. I don't like it when characters have self-esteem issues that they don't seem to have in canon--like, when character A is convinced that character B could never want them because they're so insecure. I'm not a huge fan of jealousy and possessiveness. I'm fine with porn, but porn that's just there for porn's sake and isn't hugely necessary for the point of the story isn't super interesting to me.
I realize that most of the things that I've just talked about are mostly about pairing stuff, but I promise I wasn't lying when I said that I like gen too! It's just that what I really love seeing is characters interacting in ways that reveal interesting things about who they are--I love gen as long as it has good meaty character interaction, and some of my favorite stories are my favorites because the characters interact in fantastic ways without anyone hooking up with anyone else.
My specific fandom requests:
Nation by Terry Pratchett
My request: I shipped Mau/Daphne like crazy while reading the books and really, really wanted future fic where Daphne returned to the island in the future and they were able to have their romance. But I also loved their friendship, so if you want to keep it gen, that's cool too! I would also be pleased as punch with anything about Mau and the Nation.
I cried so hard at the end of this book, because as much as the ending was so perfect for Mau and the Nation and Daphne and her story, I wanted them to be together so bad. I would be so happy with anything that features Daphne coming back to the Nation when they're both older--even if they don't hook up romantically, I just want them to be able to meet again. I would also love any kind of future fic about Mau continuing to grow into himself and be awesome. I thought the way this book touched on loss and tragedy and the way that people (specifically Mau) deal with trauma to be so poignant and perfect, and I loved the role that Daphne played in that and the way she grew into her own person at the same time. In a lot of ways, this book is like hurt/comfort without the kissing part of that trope, and if you wanted to add the kissing back in and do Mau/Daphne h/c, that would be lovely.
But honestly, I adore everything about this book and these characters and the alternate history that Pratchett created. It was one of those books where as soon as I finished it, I immediately wanted to force everyone in my life to read it--it makes me evangelical. And so there's really not going to be any story in this universe that I won't love.
Breaking Bad
My request: Anything you do with any of the characters I requested would be wonderful! Backstory for Gus would be especially fascinating--I definitely interpreted the flashbacks about his past to mean that he was in a romantic relationship with Max, the guy he started Los Pollos Hermanos with. I would love to read anything fleshing out that relationship. I would also love anything in which some really good things happen for Jesse Pinkman.
This is one of those shows that I love even though it breaks my heart into tiny, tiny little pieces. Jesse Pinkman is one of my favorite characters of all time, and nothing good happens to him ever, and while I love that the show is one big long angst-fest in which everything constantly gets worse for everyone, I would really love a story in which Jesse gets out of the meth business, away from Walt, and gets a happy ending. I joke sometimes about running a fandom-wide challenge that's all about taking Jesse out of this show and putting him into some other show where good things can happen for him.
I also love Gus and am FASCINATED by his backstory and how much of a mystery it still is. Like I said, interpreted his dead partner as being his dead romantic partner, and I would love fic about them. Fic about Gus and Jesse, or Mike and Jesse (not in a sexual way, more in a father-figures-who-dont-suck way) getting happy endings together would rock. I also adore Skyler and would appreciate fic where she gets a happy ending, or fic where she and Jesse get together and start plotting against Walt, etc etc.
Archer
My request: I would love love love some Pam/Cheryl femslash! I also ship Archer and Lana in sort of a lulzy way where I really like it when she punches him in the face--Lana for some reason isn't available as a character to request, but I adore her and would love any fic about her.
Oh my GOD I ship Pam and Cheryl like CRAZY. Hatesex! Choking! Banter! Crazy kinky sex maybe including watersports if you really want to go there! This show is hilarious and badwrong and I would love some hilarious and badwrong fic, but I also would love to see these characters go from the relationship they have in the show to an actual romantic relationship--I definitely see them as one of those pairings that keep breaking up and getting back together. My favorite thing about Archer is how everyone in it is a terrible person, and so any story featuring the characters being as terribleyetwonderful as they are in canon will make me pleased as punch.
If you're not super into Pam and Cheryl, as I mentioned in my request, I also sorta ship Archer/Lana despite myself. But not in a way where I want them to get married or whatever, in a way where I enjoy it when they get themselves into traumatic threesomes or Lana shoots Archer or Archer has cancer and makes Lana go on an enrampagement with him. That kind of thing! I would also be into Lana/Pam, Lana/Cheryl, Archer/Pam, or Archer with any of the dudes in the show, because seriously, would anything be funnier than Archer's gay panic? Probably not.
Infinite Jest
My request: Would love something about Pemulis and Hal, slash or gen. Would also just love a story about what happens for Pemulis after the events of the book. I would also be super pleased with anything about Hal or the other Incandenzas, as well as anything about Joelle or Don Gately.
One of my biggest concerns after finishing this book was BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO PEMULIS OMG!! Seriously though, what happened to Pemulis?? I want a good future for him! I want to find out how he was able to get into a good college without a tennis scholarship! I want Hal to seek him out and for them to negotiate a relationship even though Hal can't communicate! I love reading all the crazy theories on the internet about what happens after the end of this book, how the plot resolves itself, so if you want to incorporate any kind of theory about how all the plot points tie together, I would love that--but you should also feel free to ignore all of the weightier/plottier aspects of the book and just give me a story all. About. Pemulis. (Or all about Pemulis and Hal, or Pemulis and his other friends at the tennis academy, or--whatever.)
The only characters available for request in this fandom were the boys at the tennis academy, so I feel like if you're my Yuletide Writer, those are probably the characters you're interested in writing about. But if you end up stumped for those characters, please know that I would also be happy with fic about Don Gately, Joelle and all the characters in the Rehab house, or fic about any of the Incandenzas (especially Orrin). The only characters that I can't think of that I don't particularly want fanfic for are the Quebecois resistance characters and the characters in the U.S. government.
I am always a bit stumped as to what to say in these letters. Mostly I'm just happy that you're going to write me a story for any of the fandoms I requested! I tried to provide some details about what kind of fic I love reading and what I would love for the fandoms in question, but I don't want to intimidate you or make you feel like I won't love your story unless it fits my specifications. I want to read whatever story you're excited about writing.
I'm good with slash, femslash, het, gen--my preferences for fanfic really depend on the characters and fandoms in question. General things that I always love in fic include: loyal friendship, misunderstandings, romantic comedy tropes, sex pollen, angst, flawed characters being mean to each other, in-character banter, humor, hurt feelings, happy endings that feel earned, established relationships that break up but then they end up getting together. I guess my biggest overall bulletproof kink is melodrama, but that's superseded by my love for the characters in question--I need the characterization to feel right above everything else, and I love the story tropes I just listed only if they feel organic to the story. Like, I love hatesex with some pairings, but with others I would be uninterested in that because I don't think they would go there. Ditto with fluff, schmoop, domestic fic--with some pairings I eat that shit up with a spoon, others not so much.
If you can sell it to me with the characterization in your story, there's not much that I won't happily go along with. But I do have some general dislikes: watersports (although there is an exception below) (NOT THAT I REQUIRE WATERSPORTS, just that if you yearn to write it for this particular pairing I will happily roll with it!) (oh god come back I didn't mean to scare you off), knotting, porn without plot (unless it's something like sex pollen, where it's more about forced intimacy than anything else), angst that doesn't get resolved in any way, character death, character bashing, breaking up and/or disappearing female love interests to get two guys together. I don't like it when characters have self-esteem issues that they don't seem to have in canon--like, when character A is convinced that character B could never want them because they're so insecure. I'm not a huge fan of jealousy and possessiveness. I'm fine with porn, but porn that's just there for porn's sake and isn't hugely necessary for the point of the story isn't super interesting to me.
I realize that most of the things that I've just talked about are mostly about pairing stuff, but I promise I wasn't lying when I said that I like gen too! It's just that what I really love seeing is characters interacting in ways that reveal interesting things about who they are--I love gen as long as it has good meaty character interaction, and some of my favorite stories are my favorites because the characters interact in fantastic ways without anyone hooking up with anyone else.
My specific fandom requests:
Nation by Terry Pratchett
My request: I shipped Mau/Daphne like crazy while reading the books and really, really wanted future fic where Daphne returned to the island in the future and they were able to have their romance. But I also loved their friendship, so if you want to keep it gen, that's cool too! I would also be pleased as punch with anything about Mau and the Nation.
I cried so hard at the end of this book, because as much as the ending was so perfect for Mau and the Nation and Daphne and her story, I wanted them to be together so bad. I would be so happy with anything that features Daphne coming back to the Nation when they're both older--even if they don't hook up romantically, I just want them to be able to meet again. I would also love any kind of future fic about Mau continuing to grow into himself and be awesome. I thought the way this book touched on loss and tragedy and the way that people (specifically Mau) deal with trauma to be so poignant and perfect, and I loved the role that Daphne played in that and the way she grew into her own person at the same time. In a lot of ways, this book is like hurt/comfort without the kissing part of that trope, and if you wanted to add the kissing back in and do Mau/Daphne h/c, that would be lovely.
But honestly, I adore everything about this book and these characters and the alternate history that Pratchett created. It was one of those books where as soon as I finished it, I immediately wanted to force everyone in my life to read it--it makes me evangelical. And so there's really not going to be any story in this universe that I won't love.
Breaking Bad
My request: Anything you do with any of the characters I requested would be wonderful! Backstory for Gus would be especially fascinating--I definitely interpreted the flashbacks about his past to mean that he was in a romantic relationship with Max, the guy he started Los Pollos Hermanos with. I would love to read anything fleshing out that relationship. I would also love anything in which some really good things happen for Jesse Pinkman.
This is one of those shows that I love even though it breaks my heart into tiny, tiny little pieces. Jesse Pinkman is one of my favorite characters of all time, and nothing good happens to him ever, and while I love that the show is one big long angst-fest in which everything constantly gets worse for everyone, I would really love a story in which Jesse gets out of the meth business, away from Walt, and gets a happy ending. I joke sometimes about running a fandom-wide challenge that's all about taking Jesse out of this show and putting him into some other show where good things can happen for him.
I also love Gus and am FASCINATED by his backstory and how much of a mystery it still is. Like I said, interpreted his dead partner as being his dead romantic partner, and I would love fic about them. Fic about Gus and Jesse, or Mike and Jesse (not in a sexual way, more in a father-figures-who-dont-suck way) getting happy endings together would rock. I also adore Skyler and would appreciate fic where she gets a happy ending, or fic where she and Jesse get together and start plotting against Walt, etc etc.
Archer
My request: I would love love love some Pam/Cheryl femslash! I also ship Archer and Lana in sort of a lulzy way where I really like it when she punches him in the face--Lana for some reason isn't available as a character to request, but I adore her and would love any fic about her.
Oh my GOD I ship Pam and Cheryl like CRAZY. Hatesex! Choking! Banter! Crazy kinky sex maybe including watersports if you really want to go there! This show is hilarious and badwrong and I would love some hilarious and badwrong fic, but I also would love to see these characters go from the relationship they have in the show to an actual romantic relationship--I definitely see them as one of those pairings that keep breaking up and getting back together. My favorite thing about Archer is how everyone in it is a terrible person, and so any story featuring the characters being as terribleyetwonderful as they are in canon will make me pleased as punch.
If you're not super into Pam and Cheryl, as I mentioned in my request, I also sorta ship Archer/Lana despite myself. But not in a way where I want them to get married or whatever, in a way where I enjoy it when they get themselves into traumatic threesomes or Lana shoots Archer or Archer has cancer and makes Lana go on an enrampagement with him. That kind of thing! I would also be into Lana/Pam, Lana/Cheryl, Archer/Pam, or Archer with any of the dudes in the show, because seriously, would anything be funnier than Archer's gay panic? Probably not.
Infinite Jest
My request: Would love something about Pemulis and Hal, slash or gen. Would also just love a story about what happens for Pemulis after the events of the book. I would also be super pleased with anything about Hal or the other Incandenzas, as well as anything about Joelle or Don Gately.
One of my biggest concerns after finishing this book was BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO PEMULIS OMG!! Seriously though, what happened to Pemulis?? I want a good future for him! I want to find out how he was able to get into a good college without a tennis scholarship! I want Hal to seek him out and for them to negotiate a relationship even though Hal can't communicate! I love reading all the crazy theories on the internet about what happens after the end of this book, how the plot resolves itself, so if you want to incorporate any kind of theory about how all the plot points tie together, I would love that--but you should also feel free to ignore all of the weightier/plottier aspects of the book and just give me a story all. About. Pemulis. (Or all about Pemulis and Hal, or Pemulis and his other friends at the tennis academy, or--whatever.)
The only characters available for request in this fandom were the boys at the tennis academy, so I feel like if you're my Yuletide Writer, those are probably the characters you're interested in writing about. But if you end up stumped for those characters, please know that I would also be happy with fic about Don Gately, Joelle and all the characters in the Rehab house, or fic about any of the Incandenzas (especially Orrin). The only characters that I can't think of that I don't particularly want fanfic for are the Quebecois resistance characters and the characters in the U.S. government.