Dear Yuletide Writer letter
14 Oct 2018 05:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kangeikoDear Yuletide Santa,
I am so looking forward to reading your wonderful fic! This is possibly my favourite time of year and I cannot wait to rip open my gift & glory in all the fic goodness. I've included some broad likes/dislikes below to help out. You can also see what I've written in my letters in previous years as I've been pretty consistent year on year.
Likes:
1. Gen, slash, het, whatever. I’ve requested pairings in my prompts below, but if any of the pairings don't work for you, rest assured that I love drama and significant looks just as much.
2. Plot! I do love me some plot. Failing that, angst! Also - humour! Fun! (That doesn't narrow it down, does it?)
3. First-times in shippy fic. I tend to be less interested in a couple after they have been happily settled or wrapped up in each other, and a lot more interested in how couples get together. If it's an established relationship, I like the conflict in the relationship - maybe something unresolved between the couple, or some bone of contentious that could drive them apart.
4. Conflict. I like change in fic - change in relationships, change in preconceptions, change in situation, good old-fashion action-adventure - and having characters disagree or take opposing sides.
5. Protectiveness / family / team / squad feelings. People having each others' backs.
Do Not Wants:
1. Chan, shota, underage, however you term it.
2. Non-con, rape.
3. Character-bashing. If I've nominated a fandom I tend to love all the characters.
4. The common sex-based squicks - chan as mentioned, also scat, watersports, snuff, etc. I'm also not a fan of alpha/beta/omega fic, knotting, mpreg, heavy BDSM, etc.
5. Yuletide-specific "do not like" (i.e. I like them fine outside of Yuletide, but not in Yuletide): crossovers, metafic, author inserts, breaking the fourth wall.
And now, the requests - and, as always, optional details are optional!
Eminem (Musician)
Eminem, Machine Gun Kelly
I followed the back and forth on this little spat with great interest, and I love the fact that MGK's lyrics are pretty much alternating between insults and praise for Eminem. I also love the fact that the reaction from pretty much everyone else acknowledges this, and MGK's almost painfully obvious crush is treated as, er, painfully obvious to the extent that it doesn't even need pointing out.
I have missed emslash something fierce; there's hardly any about these days, and what was there before is dying a death as LJs get deleted and websites disappear. (Thank goodness for the wayback machine, is all I can say.) So if you're on board with writing emslash, I would be immensely happy! Doesn't have to be Eminem/MGK; I'd be thrilled with any emslash in the context of the Eminem and MGK spat. Maybe MGK runs into Eminem during an event and decides to clear the air? Maybe Dr. Dre finds the whole spat hilarious and Eminem is just mostly embarrassed by it? Maybe Eminem is busy being a dad & raising his kids & doesn't have time to worry about some star-struck kid trying to get his attention?
If slash isn't your cup of tea, I'd be thrilled with anything that has an amused Eminem dealing with an increasingly invested MGK. (Or Eminem dealing with an MGK not in the best situation & feeling obligated to step in.)
Things that make me happy in this fandom - Eminem's focus being on his kids, his sobriety being important to him, and his increasingly dad-like jokes (like his ineptitude at selfies). (Yes, OK, I have a thing about people aging and finding that not-cool things are actually pretty wonderful. I am here for 40-something Eminem and him going to bed early with some steeped ginger because concerts are exhausting and his voice is hoarse, or him doing parent-teacher night, or attending his daughter's graduation out of sight so he doesn't take away from her big day, or anything else incredibly normal.)
*
The Nanny
C.C. Babcock, Niles
How much do I love CC/Niles? Let me count the ways! I love how they can tear strips off each other, and how funny they are; I love how they pretend to hate each other but they miss each other if the other is away; I love the easy sexual chemistry and how it's so ridiculously wholesome; I love how actually this sort of relationship would be incredibly messed up outside of a sitcom...
Ooops, did I write that last bit? Yup, much as I love the romantic fic for CC/Niles, the one thing that I am fascinated about is how much damage they've done to each other. Sure, it's funny to see Niles having to wait on CC after she broke her leg - except that he tripped her. It was funny that a despondent Niles was baking cakes with CC's face on them, except that she was committed at least partly as a result of him triggering her breakdown. I love them so much, but they are not gentle with each other at all, and often CC bore the brunt of it.
I'd love to see that relationship taken - at least a little - outside of the sitcom setting. Sure, we get our (sort of) happy ending. But that doesn't mean that CC is magically well-adjusted, or that the low points of her history with Niles have magically gone away. Dear writer, if you're able to give us a little glimpse of how they navigate those murky waters, I would love you forever.
If that sounds far too depressing, then something set before they get together would be lovely. Maybe it's a landmark birthday, and CC is feeling especially conscious of it, and Niles does something nice for her? Maybe Niles has some bad news from home & CC is the one who is there & helps him?
Things I love in this fandom - wit, humour and consequences! I love them on equal ground, more or less, and I try to avoid anything with large doses of humiliation.
*
Seafort Saga - David Feintuch
Nicholas Seafort, Edgar Tolliver
I love this series and I am not even a little ashamed. *g* If you're scrolling through this letter out of curiosity, I wrote a quick fandom pimp - with a focus on this pairing - many years ago, and you can find it here.
Let me get it out of the way first: my favourite character in the entire series is Edgar Tolliver. He puts up with so much of Nick's bullshit and calls him out on the worst of it, and I love it. I love how worried he gets when Nick is missing or hurt, and I love that they're of an age and that they have seen each other at their worst. I love that Tolliver has permission to touch Nick, and that this is so fraught - it's the thing that got him demoted, and yet now he gets to do it whenever he wants. And not just that, but Nick depends on him for it sometimes, and - and - and my god, look at how they interact and tell me they're not married, I won't believe you. Tolliver is Nick's steady rock.
So, um. Take him away? I always love Tolliver-in-peril situations, and it wouldn't be Yuletide if I wasn't requesting one. (It's my bulletproof kink.) Maybe Nick finds out that, yup, he's normally OK with holding the line when people are taken hostage, but not if it's Tolliver. Maybe Tolliver is injured & Nick has to look after him. Maybe they go off into Nick's exile and Nick still has all the guilt of Tolliver willingly following him. Maybe someone figures out how much Nick relies on Tolliver & tries to get him out of the way - whatever, go wild!
Alternatively, maybe something sweet - Nick actually trying to do something nice for Tolliver? Tolliver completely disregarding regs & doing something sweet & thoughtful for Nick's birthday? Tolliver & Nick having to parent the endless number of waifs and strays that Nick brings home?
I'd love some slash on this, but I'd be happy with some good old angst - Nick does that so beautifully!
I am so looking forward to reading your wonderful fic! This is possibly my favourite time of year and I cannot wait to rip open my gift & glory in all the fic goodness. I've included some broad likes/dislikes below to help out. You can also see what I've written in my letters in previous years as I've been pretty consistent year on year.
Likes:
1. Gen, slash, het, whatever. I’ve requested pairings in my prompts below, but if any of the pairings don't work for you, rest assured that I love drama and significant looks just as much.
2. Plot! I do love me some plot. Failing that, angst! Also - humour! Fun! (That doesn't narrow it down, does it?)
3. First-times in shippy fic. I tend to be less interested in a couple after they have been happily settled or wrapped up in each other, and a lot more interested in how couples get together. If it's an established relationship, I like the conflict in the relationship - maybe something unresolved between the couple, or some bone of contentious that could drive them apart.
4. Conflict. I like change in fic - change in relationships, change in preconceptions, change in situation, good old-fashion action-adventure - and having characters disagree or take opposing sides.
5. Protectiveness / family / team / squad feelings. People having each others' backs.
Do Not Wants:
1. Chan, shota, underage, however you term it.
2. Non-con, rape.
3. Character-bashing. If I've nominated a fandom I tend to love all the characters.
4. The common sex-based squicks - chan as mentioned, also scat, watersports, snuff, etc. I'm also not a fan of alpha/beta/omega fic, knotting, mpreg, heavy BDSM, etc.
5. Yuletide-specific "do not like" (i.e. I like them fine outside of Yuletide, but not in Yuletide): crossovers, metafic, author inserts, breaking the fourth wall.
And now, the requests - and, as always, optional details are optional!
Eminem (Musician)
Eminem, Machine Gun Kelly
I followed the back and forth on this little spat with great interest, and I love the fact that MGK's lyrics are pretty much alternating between insults and praise for Eminem. I also love the fact that the reaction from pretty much everyone else acknowledges this, and MGK's almost painfully obvious crush is treated as, er, painfully obvious to the extent that it doesn't even need pointing out.
I have missed emslash something fierce; there's hardly any about these days, and what was there before is dying a death as LJs get deleted and websites disappear. (Thank goodness for the wayback machine, is all I can say.) So if you're on board with writing emslash, I would be immensely happy! Doesn't have to be Eminem/MGK; I'd be thrilled with any emslash in the context of the Eminem and MGK spat. Maybe MGK runs into Eminem during an event and decides to clear the air? Maybe Dr. Dre finds the whole spat hilarious and Eminem is just mostly embarrassed by it? Maybe Eminem is busy being a dad & raising his kids & doesn't have time to worry about some star-struck kid trying to get his attention?
If slash isn't your cup of tea, I'd be thrilled with anything that has an amused Eminem dealing with an increasingly invested MGK. (Or Eminem dealing with an MGK not in the best situation & feeling obligated to step in.)
Things that make me happy in this fandom - Eminem's focus being on his kids, his sobriety being important to him, and his increasingly dad-like jokes (like his ineptitude at selfies). (Yes, OK, I have a thing about people aging and finding that not-cool things are actually pretty wonderful. I am here for 40-something Eminem and him going to bed early with some steeped ginger because concerts are exhausting and his voice is hoarse, or him doing parent-teacher night, or attending his daughter's graduation out of sight so he doesn't take away from her big day, or anything else incredibly normal.)
*
The Nanny
C.C. Babcock, Niles
How much do I love CC/Niles? Let me count the ways! I love how they can tear strips off each other, and how funny they are; I love how they pretend to hate each other but they miss each other if the other is away; I love the easy sexual chemistry and how it's so ridiculously wholesome; I love how actually this sort of relationship would be incredibly messed up outside of a sitcom...
Ooops, did I write that last bit? Yup, much as I love the romantic fic for CC/Niles, the one thing that I am fascinated about is how much damage they've done to each other. Sure, it's funny to see Niles having to wait on CC after she broke her leg - except that he tripped her. It was funny that a despondent Niles was baking cakes with CC's face on them, except that she was committed at least partly as a result of him triggering her breakdown. I love them so much, but they are not gentle with each other at all, and often CC bore the brunt of it.
I'd love to see that relationship taken - at least a little - outside of the sitcom setting. Sure, we get our (sort of) happy ending. But that doesn't mean that CC is magically well-adjusted, or that the low points of her history with Niles have magically gone away. Dear writer, if you're able to give us a little glimpse of how they navigate those murky waters, I would love you forever.
If that sounds far too depressing, then something set before they get together would be lovely. Maybe it's a landmark birthday, and CC is feeling especially conscious of it, and Niles does something nice for her? Maybe Niles has some bad news from home & CC is the one who is there & helps him?
Things I love in this fandom - wit, humour and consequences! I love them on equal ground, more or less, and I try to avoid anything with large doses of humiliation.
*
Seafort Saga - David Feintuch
Nicholas Seafort, Edgar Tolliver
I love this series and I am not even a little ashamed. *g* If you're scrolling through this letter out of curiosity, I wrote a quick fandom pimp - with a focus on this pairing - many years ago, and you can find it here.
Let me get it out of the way first: my favourite character in the entire series is Edgar Tolliver. He puts up with so much of Nick's bullshit and calls him out on the worst of it, and I love it. I love how worried he gets when Nick is missing or hurt, and I love that they're of an age and that they have seen each other at their worst. I love that Tolliver has permission to touch Nick, and that this is so fraught - it's the thing that got him demoted, and yet now he gets to do it whenever he wants. And not just that, but Nick depends on him for it sometimes, and - and - and my god, look at how they interact and tell me they're not married, I won't believe you. Tolliver is Nick's steady rock.
So, um. Take him away? I always love Tolliver-in-peril situations, and it wouldn't be Yuletide if I wasn't requesting one. (It's my bulletproof kink.) Maybe Nick finds out that, yup, he's normally OK with holding the line when people are taken hostage, but not if it's Tolliver. Maybe Tolliver is injured & Nick has to look after him. Maybe they go off into Nick's exile and Nick still has all the guilt of Tolliver willingly following him. Maybe someone figures out how much Nick relies on Tolliver & tries to get him out of the way - whatever, go wild!
Alternatively, maybe something sweet - Nick actually trying to do something nice for Tolliver? Tolliver completely disregarding regs & doing something sweet & thoughtful for Nick's birthday? Tolliver & Nick having to parent the endless number of waifs and strays that Nick brings home?
I'd love some slash on this, but I'd be happy with some good old angst - Nick does that so beautifully!