Dear Yuletide Author 2017
Hip, hip, hooray for Yuletide - the best thing about the season. If you're here to write a story or just to explore, welcome!
All Souls Trilogy - Deborah Harkness
Characters: Any (Miriam Shephard, Marcus Whitmore, Sarah Bishop, Ysabeau Clairmont)
I've been a fan of this series of books from the get-go
and I'm so excited that a television series is underway (here's a casting update from the end of September). The casting is pretty great so far, not gonna lie. For instance, this is Marcus, one of the nominated characters in the fandom, who happens to be a veteran of the American Revolution, a vampire in the extended Clairmont family scion, and an enthusiastic genetic scientist. But I'm getting ahead of myself. . . .
Insta-primer: Supernatural creatures are among humans, right in plain sight, and have been for centuries - witches, vampires, and daemons (creative & genius types) - and Diana Bishop is doing her best to deny her nature as a witch, until she touches a mysterious manuscript in the Bodleian library. That book and herself draw the interest of all sorts of creatures, intensified by her romantic relationship with the dangerous vampire, Matthew Clairmont. Nominated characters are Miriam Shephard and Marcus Whitmore, two vampires who work with Matthew in his Oxford lab, but whose long history with the man run in very different directions, Sarah Bishop - Diana's aunt who is a powerful witch in her own right, and Ysabeau Clairmeont, an ancient vampire who spawned the legend of Melisandre as well as Matthew into his vampire life, long ago.
Prompts & ideas: The vampire characters all have long lives, Ysabeau and Miriam go back to antiquity, I believe, so you could focus on a historical event for any of the three, there. Miriam's pretty awesome at science - I wonder if she ever worked with Marie Curie? Or tell me about how Marcus became such a surfer type and accumulated his vast collection of slogan t-shirts? Sarah's own witchcraft training, using the Bishop grimoire, might be wonderful to explain or something of her romantic relationship with Emily. For more romance, Ysabeau and Philippe have a fascinating, if sometimes unfathomable relationship, or Miriam's heartbreaking loss might draw you in. Marcus and Phoebe offer a modern alternative. (Or you could always take up the unspoken challenge from the first book's mention of Marcus's time in New Orleans and give me some story of the way in which Marcus found himself outsmarted by Lestat and Matthew.)
Lois Lane Series - Gwenda Bond
Characters: Lois Lane, Clark Kent
I
am such a fangirl for Lois Lane in pretty much any incarnation, but this Lois Lane series of YA novels by Gwenda Bond is a current favourite. Two short stories (both freely available online) and a trio of novels are out, all featuring a high school-aged Lois who's investigating the heck out of a lot of really weird stuff with the occasional online assist from her unseen friend SmallvilleGuy. (Guess who that is?)
Things to know: Lois is always investigating something amazingly dangerous and crazily out-there in a science-fiction-y sense. She regularly logs into a secure chat server where she confers with SmallvilleGuy. It's impressive how well Bond makes their relationship work through several books without Lois ever setting eyes on her friend or knowing his name (though things are changing, thanks to book three). These books respect the mythos and are so much fun - they ought to be illegal. The short stories are great examples of how Lois' problems tumble out of control with the help of other high school students, strange scientist schemes or greedy gangster plans all the while reaching out to her online friend who may, occasionally, help out in some super ways. Heh!
If you want a prompt or three? How about bringing in another part of the DC mythos - maybe Lois travels to Star City or Gotham? Or, as a military brat, maybe she makes a trip out into the eastern Mediterranean and gets caught up with the Amazons? Or how about when Lois starts to gear up for university - does she stumble upon some bad happenings with Met U's sports teams? It could be a slice-of-life story or a holiday adventure. How does Lois Lane cope with the school's seasonal concert festivities or how do her investigations turn up a crisis brewing in the secret Santa exchange?
Star Wars Legends: Thrawn Trilogy - Timothy Zahn
Characters: Mara Jade
I
have been a Star Wars fan forever and a Mara Jade fan ever since these books were first published. In other words,a long, long time. Her character may be relegated to the realm of Legends, but legends live when they're as amazing as Mara Jade.
Where to go? Lucasfilm has given us Thrawn, anew, so why not consider bringing Mara, in some form, into the ongoing Star Wars continuity? Mara and Phasma, striking sparks off of each other? That could be endlessly fascinating! Or Mara involved in the story line of Rogue One? I'd be keen to see what you do with that. If you're a fan of the Rebels series, how about Mara as an antagonist, overt or covert, for them in the years going forward? Maybe you simply want to give Mara one more adventure with her smuggler boss or as the Emperor's Hand? That would be fantastic!
Sorcerer to the Crown - Zen Cho
Characters: Prunella Gentleman
Diverse
and magical Regency? OMG, where has this been all my life! Zen Cho won my heart with her scrappy heroine, her dutiful hero and the whole world-building exercise that includes magic-users from other realms and other countries, pouring into England and disrupting the entire serene empire-building scenario that often goes unremarked in other historical fantasies.
Prunella is a fantastic character, so daring and brave. Zacharias is the Sorcerer Royal at the start of the story, but he is heavily, even horribly burdened - he has all of the talent but none of the support due to his being a black man among the lily-white elite. Prunella, too, isn't your everyday Regency heroine - her mother a mysterious absence but certainly not English, her education an exercise in frustration in a society that believes magic isn't right for women and, oh, did I mention the problem of the Malaysian magicians seeking righteous justice? This book is funny, smart and really inspired. I loved it!
Some story ideas: While we wait for future books in the series, you might want to run some more with the tidbits that we have. Maybe set your story before the events of the novel, exploring some more of Prunella's hands-on magical explorations at the school, alone or with the other young women? Alternatively, jump ahead to the novel's end. Would Prunella ever travel to the Fairy Court? Or can we see her confer with other international magical figures?
Wonder Woman (2017)
Character: Etta Candy
I
was bowled over by this movie. Diana! The Amazons! Steve Trevor! And, wait, who is this saucy woman, stomping onto the screen and saving the day for Diana in London? Why, it's Etta Candy? Her character's been around forever and I think the movie did a pretty good job at giving her more to do, but more. More, more, more, please!
Need some inspiration? Etta has a back story but we don't see much of anything in the movie. Dive in and tell me who she is, how she ended up as a secretary to an American pilot/spy/whatever in the Great War? She's playing a deeper game than simply schlepping his stuff around! Or give us a sense of how Etta deals with the loss of Steve and, presumably, her employment. Does she bond with Diana in the following weeks, teaching the Amazon more of how to navigate in the modern world? Maybe she gets to visit Themyscira at some point - what would she think of the Amazons? Or jump ahead to her life's end - what sticks with her as she thinks back to her youth and the wartime?
Some general notes: I particularly like gen-fic, het and femslash. Anything that involves women. Boyslash in stories that give women equal time is also great. Smart characters and/or smart-asses are a real weakness. Wordplay and wit are my kryptonite and I enjoy all the crazy allusions or meta references you may want to employ.
You don't have to bring on sexy times but feel free to go there. I love plotty and PWP stories equally. If you like to launch AUs or delve into meta, I think they are fabulous options. Humour, angst, action: those are also fantastic. I'm not keen on gore, horror and dark hurt/comfort, definitely not so much with death, torture or sadism. There can be dark themes, there can loss as life goes on, but not endless bloodbaths, please?
Most of all, remember that I'm going to be as happy as possible that you wrote something for me.
Once again, thanks to you Yuletide writers and fellow fans. You make this time of year a treat!
X-posted from Dreamwidth. (
comments there.)
All Souls Trilogy - Deborah Harkness
Characters: Any (Miriam Shephard, Marcus Whitmore, Sarah Bishop, Ysabeau Clairmont)
I've been a fan of this series of books from the get-go
and I'm so excited that a television series is underway (here's a casting update from the end of September). The casting is pretty great so far, not gonna lie. For instance, this is Marcus, one of the nominated characters in the fandom, who happens to be a veteran of the American Revolution, a vampire in the extended Clairmont family scion, and an enthusiastic genetic scientist. But I'm getting ahead of myself. . . .
Insta-primer: Supernatural creatures are among humans, right in plain sight, and have been for centuries - witches, vampires, and daemons (creative & genius types) - and Diana Bishop is doing her best to deny her nature as a witch, until she touches a mysterious manuscript in the Bodleian library. That book and herself draw the interest of all sorts of creatures, intensified by her romantic relationship with the dangerous vampire, Matthew Clairmont. Nominated characters are Miriam Shephard and Marcus Whitmore, two vampires who work with Matthew in his Oxford lab, but whose long history with the man run in very different directions, Sarah Bishop - Diana's aunt who is a powerful witch in her own right, and Ysabeau Clairmeont, an ancient vampire who spawned the legend of Melisandre as well as Matthew into his vampire life, long ago.
Prompts & ideas: The vampire characters all have long lives, Ysabeau and Miriam go back to antiquity, I believe, so you could focus on a historical event for any of the three, there. Miriam's pretty awesome at science - I wonder if she ever worked with Marie Curie? Or tell me about how Marcus became such a surfer type and accumulated his vast collection of slogan t-shirts? Sarah's own witchcraft training, using the Bishop grimoire, might be wonderful to explain or something of her romantic relationship with Emily. For more romance, Ysabeau and Philippe have a fascinating, if sometimes unfathomable relationship, or Miriam's heartbreaking loss might draw you in. Marcus and Phoebe offer a modern alternative. (Or you could always take up the unspoken challenge from the first book's mention of Marcus's time in New Orleans and give me some story of the way in which Marcus found himself outsmarted by Lestat and Matthew.)
Lois Lane Series - Gwenda Bond
Characters: Lois Lane, Clark Kent
I
am such a fangirl for Lois Lane in pretty much any incarnation, but this Lois Lane series of YA novels by Gwenda Bond is a current favourite. Two short stories (both freely available online) and a trio of novels are out, all featuring a high school-aged Lois who's investigating the heck out of a lot of really weird stuff with the occasional online assist from her unseen friend SmallvilleGuy. (Guess who that is?)
Things to know: Lois is always investigating something amazingly dangerous and crazily out-there in a science-fiction-y sense. She regularly logs into a secure chat server where she confers with SmallvilleGuy. It's impressive how well Bond makes their relationship work through several books without Lois ever setting eyes on her friend or knowing his name (though things are changing, thanks to book three). These books respect the mythos and are so much fun - they ought to be illegal. The short stories are great examples of how Lois' problems tumble out of control with the help of other high school students, strange scientist schemes or greedy gangster plans all the while reaching out to her online friend who may, occasionally, help out in some super ways. Heh!
If you want a prompt or three? How about bringing in another part of the DC mythos - maybe Lois travels to Star City or Gotham? Or, as a military brat, maybe she makes a trip out into the eastern Mediterranean and gets caught up with the Amazons? Or how about when Lois starts to gear up for university - does she stumble upon some bad happenings with Met U's sports teams? It could be a slice-of-life story or a holiday adventure. How does Lois Lane cope with the school's seasonal concert festivities or how do her investigations turn up a crisis brewing in the secret Santa exchange?
Star Wars Legends: Thrawn Trilogy - Timothy Zahn
Characters: Mara Jade
I
have been a Star Wars fan forever and a Mara Jade fan ever since these books were first published. In other words,a long, long time. Her character may be relegated to the realm of Legends, but legends live when they're as amazing as Mara Jade.
Where to go? Lucasfilm has given us Thrawn, anew, so why not consider bringing Mara, in some form, into the ongoing Star Wars continuity? Mara and Phasma, striking sparks off of each other? That could be endlessly fascinating! Or Mara involved in the story line of Rogue One? I'd be keen to see what you do with that. If you're a fan of the Rebels series, how about Mara as an antagonist, overt or covert, for them in the years going forward? Maybe you simply want to give Mara one more adventure with her smuggler boss or as the Emperor's Hand? That would be fantastic!
Sorcerer to the Crown - Zen Cho
Characters: Prunella Gentleman
Diverse
and magical Regency? OMG, where has this been all my life! Zen Cho won my heart with her scrappy heroine, her dutiful hero and the whole world-building exercise that includes magic-users from other realms and other countries, pouring into England and disrupting the entire serene empire-building scenario that often goes unremarked in other historical fantasies.
Prunella is a fantastic character, so daring and brave. Zacharias is the Sorcerer Royal at the start of the story, but he is heavily, even horribly burdened - he has all of the talent but none of the support due to his being a black man among the lily-white elite. Prunella, too, isn't your everyday Regency heroine - her mother a mysterious absence but certainly not English, her education an exercise in frustration in a society that believes magic isn't right for women and, oh, did I mention the problem of the Malaysian magicians seeking righteous justice? This book is funny, smart and really inspired. I loved it!
Some story ideas: While we wait for future books in the series, you might want to run some more with the tidbits that we have. Maybe set your story before the events of the novel, exploring some more of Prunella's hands-on magical explorations at the school, alone or with the other young women? Alternatively, jump ahead to the novel's end. Would Prunella ever travel to the Fairy Court? Or can we see her confer with other international magical figures?
Wonder Woman (2017)
Character: Etta Candy
I
was bowled over by this movie. Diana! The Amazons! Steve Trevor! And, wait, who is this saucy woman, stomping onto the screen and saving the day for Diana in London? Why, it's Etta Candy? Her character's been around forever and I think the movie did a pretty good job at giving her more to do, but more. More, more, more, please!
Need some inspiration? Etta has a back story but we don't see much of anything in the movie. Dive in and tell me who she is, how she ended up as a secretary to an American pilot/spy/whatever in the Great War? She's playing a deeper game than simply schlepping his stuff around! Or give us a sense of how Etta deals with the loss of Steve and, presumably, her employment. Does she bond with Diana in the following weeks, teaching the Amazon more of how to navigate in the modern world? Maybe she gets to visit Themyscira at some point - what would she think of the Amazons? Or jump ahead to her life's end - what sticks with her as she thinks back to her youth and the wartime?
Some general notes: I particularly like gen-fic, het and femslash. Anything that involves women. Boyslash in stories that give women equal time is also great. Smart characters and/or smart-asses are a real weakness. Wordplay and wit are my kryptonite and I enjoy all the crazy allusions or meta references you may want to employ.
You don't have to bring on sexy times but feel free to go there. I love plotty and PWP stories equally. If you like to launch AUs or delve into meta, I think they are fabulous options. Humour, angst, action: those are also fantastic. I'm not keen on gore, horror and dark hurt/comfort, definitely not so much with death, torture or sadism. There can be dark themes, there can loss as life goes on, but not endless bloodbaths, please?
Most of all, remember that I'm going to be as happy as possible that you wrote something for me.
Once again, thanks to you Yuletide writers and fellow fans. You make this time of year a treat!
X-posted from Dreamwidth. (
comments there.)