Dear 2009 Yuletide Author
Dear Yuletide Author,
We have a fandom in common. Yay! I love you already and I feel warm and fuzzy inside knowing you're writing a fic for me. I hope you enjoy your Yuletide writing experience and are delighted by happy-plot-bunnies of awesome. I know I'll love whatever you are excited about writing!
I'm sure you are here for this letter detailing my fic preferences, so without further ado:
I read: Gen, slash, and het about equally; PG-13 to NC-17 most often; G and PG less frequently, but often enough to still be present in my rec'ing practices.
I like: Introspective character pieces especially those focused on faith*; character-based gen; exploring the themes of the canon; character driven porn, especially exploring power dynamics and/or polyamory; well-constructed canon-based AU's. Basically, if it's character-centric, I'm a happy fic reader.
*I love faith-focused stories. It's definitely not a requirement to make me happy and if you don't choose to go this route; I'm sure I'll still be delighted. I’d rather you stick with a theme and style that works for you. If you do want to explore faith in your story, you'll likely cause me double the squee. If you're interested in trying this, but aren't sure where to start, you might check out the available prompts (quotations) at ninebillion. Crises of faith are especially welcome, resolved or not! My only caveat if you choose this theme, is that you respect all included faiths (eg. If writing Michael Holt/Pieter Cross, please respect both Pieter's Catholicism and Michael's Atheism.)
Personal squicks: Incest; non-con, scat; extreme violence (not ‘comic book violence’); mentor/student; character bashing or glossing-over faults; characterization ignored for plot; crack!pairings (i.e. non-canon pairing with no canon subtext); mpreg; non-canon character death; the bondage and sadism/masochism in BDSM; fluffy fluff that is fluffy.
I’ve included my ship preferences for each fandom, but this doesn’t mean I need a shipper fic. I’m likely to be just as happy, if not more happy with a genfic. I certainly wouldn’t scoff at a PWP and if you are so inspired, I figured you might want to know my preferred ships. Name order does not indicate top or bottom - I really don't care.
Fandom notes are in alphabetical order and the amount I go on about each does not indicate in any way the level of interest in a fic in that fandom. Also, feel free to ignore all, if you prefer. If you write it, I will love it.
Request: Captain America (comics)
Characters: Bucky Barnes
Details: Practically anything focused on Bucky would make me happy. If you want a prompt, though, it would be awesome if you could write Bucky and Steve after Steve's return; Bucky as Winter Soldier; Bucky and Nat through the years; Bucky and company in WWII; a Cap!Bucky adventure; or anything Bucky-focused and I'll be delighted.
Additional Information: Confession time: I'm in love with Bucky. Seriously, I'm completely head-over-heals for him. I love his hot-headedness and irreverence; his deep regrets; his compassion and insightfulness about people; his flippant sense of humor; his loyalty; his need for attention; and his sheer competence. I like his mentoring relationship with the Young Avengers; the equality and shared history in his relationship with Natasha; and the brothers-in-arms relationship with Steve and his fellow Invaders. I also enjoy his relationship with Sam and his being part of the Avengers and the larger Marvel world. I have a tried and true kink for Russian spy fic.
I do have a few squicks in this fandom. Please avoid: Wolverine in any way, shape, or form; psychopath!Bucky; post-Cosmic Cube Bucky who's somehow younger than thirty. He’s not. Please note: Steve/Bucky and Bucky/Natasha don’t fall into the mentor/student squick for me, but Nick/Bucky and Bucky/any Young Avenger does.
I ship: Bucky/Steve, Bucky/Natalia, Bucky/Natasha/Clint, Bucky/Steve/Clint, Bucky/Toro, Steve/Sharon, Sharon/Sam, Nick Fury/Awesome
Fandom Resources: Please note that my delicious tags linked on the buckycap profile page are meant to provide a comprehensive list of available fic, rather than a rec list. Instead, please check-out this post and/or my memories for recs; I'm doing November recs in this fandom at sequentialcrack; previous Yuletides.
As a "gimme" fandom, the source material doesn't require previous knowledge of the Marvel Universe and can be read as a stand-alone. The first twenty-five issues is 550 pages - it can be read in a few hours. You might try here for the issues. Alternatively, the Captain America: Sentinal of Liberty four-issue mini is available at the Longbox. You will need a .cbr viewer to read scanned issues. The books are also available in libraries, bookstores and from your local comic shop.
Request: Gattaca
Characters: Jerome, Vincent, Irene, Anton
Details: Anything would be great about any of these characters! If you want a prompt, though, it would be awesome if you could write a story about Vincent and Anton's childhood relationship; or an Irene-centric story; or pre-Eugene Jerome; or Vincent's journey to Titan; or Jerome/Vincent; or an AU where one character makes a different decision and it changes all the outcomes; or any of these characters in any combination will make me happy.
Additional Information: Gattaca is my favorite film. There is honestly not a single thing I dislike about it; the script, acting, cinematography, the murder mystery, the romance, the brothers, the symbolism/meta. The science is really very cheesy and unrealistic and the props are rather ridiculous (I like that in sci-fi flicks), but the soul of the film is rich, layered, and inspiring.
I deeply love the metaphysical allegory in this film. If you are inspired to continue that theme, I would be over the moon; however, it’s not necessary for me to enjoy a fic in this fandom. I’m fascinated by the identity issues and the social ethics. I love the verbal reparte between the characters. The most important thing to know about how I view Gattaca is that I find it hopeful and about the fruition of possibilities. My favorite quote illustrates this nicely: "I only lent you my body - you lent me your dream." - Jerome to Vincent.
I ship: Jerome/Vincent, Jerome/Irene/Vincent, Vincent/Irene, Irene/Anton
Fandom Resources: IMDB entry; Gattaca's original script; previous Yuletides.
As a "gimme" fandom, the source material is a two and half hour film with few characters and distinctive tones and themes. Jude Law is AMAZING in it and Ethan Hawke is WTF!Hot. Uma Thurman was well cast and it even has bonus Ernest Borgnine. It's available on DVD and torrents.
Request: Justice Society of America (comics)
Characters: Any
Details: Anything would be great! If you want a prompt, it would be awesome if you could write something paralleling the war generation with the present; or something about growing old; or focusing on the younger girls; or maybe a day in the life story about a particular member; or anything JSA and I'll be thrilled.
Additional Information: I'm gonna' quote literaryll because she's eloquent and "Yeah" (bold mine):
It's beautifully drawn, fantastically written, and really you just can't go wrong with a team that has WWII era old fogies working alongside teenagers and mental patients. It's the backbone of the DCU and for good reason - the JSA book is all about legacy, lineage, history, *family*; - the same things that run through just about every DCU book in one way or another. JSA pulls those threads together and focuses. In my mind, if you read the JSA (in any of its iterations) and hate it? You don't really love the DCU. You love a pocket of it... Did I mention that the book is fun and pretty?
"Legacy in the DCU implies hope for the future" and I love JSA because of how hopeful it is. I love how the old guard are still heroes and how the younger generation actually looks up to and respects them. I love how the original team stood up to the House Un-American Committee by refusing to take off their masks. I love how the younger members would rather be JSA-ers than Titans. I love how Superman looks up to them and looks to them "because the world needs better heroes". I love how the team both honors the past and looks to the future.
Feel free to reference anything (or anyone) no matter how obscure (I’ve read all available canon I could get my eyes on, including the current and recent series; archive editions; current, recent and long-ago tangential titles; AU’s (I love The Golden Age!); and mini-series.). That said, if you’re inspired to write JSA and you’ve not read any of that, write what you know. I won’t miss the extraneous stuff.
I do have favorites and not-so favorites. If you feel like including a favorite or two, please do, though I truly do love the whole team. My favorites are Alan and family, Jay and Joan, Carter and the rest of the All-Star Squadron, including Ma, Libby, Dinah and Sheira. (A fic about the old guard ladies would send me into ecstacy!) Also, Pieter and Michael, Sand, Courtney, Maxine, Jesse, Billy, Teth and the former Infinitors (Todd, Karen, Al, Rick, Hector). David Reid is my least favorite character, but I’ve even enjoyed him (eg. I love his conversation with Earth-22 Superman). Basically, I’m pretty easy to please with this fandom and would like a fic about anyone in any time-period with any tone.
I ship: Molly/Alan/Joan/Jay (in any combination), Courtney/Maxine, Courtney/Al, Courtney/Billy, Billy/Courtney/Al, Al/Teth, Todd/Al, Todd/Sand, Sand/Tommy, Sand/Jack, Ted G./Ma, Carter/Shiera, Pieter/Michael, Pieter/Dinah II, Ted K./Dinah I, Jesse/Rick, Grant/Jesse/Rick, Karen/Helena, Karen/Atlee, and Todd/Damon
Fandom Resources: jsa_allstars; and starsandsea’s excellent essay: How to Write the Modern JSA.
As a "gimme" fandom, the source material could be narrowed down to a single issue or mini-series, however, some knowledge of the DC Universe is likely necessary. The last twelve volumes, numerous individual issues and several mini-series are available for download at the Longbox. You will need a .cbr viewer to read them. In person, start with your local comic shop or library.
Request: Lucifer (comics)
Characters: Lucifer Morningstar, Michael, Meleos, Elaine Belloc
Details: Anything would be great!. If you want a prompt, though, it would be awesome if you could write Lucifer and Michael bonding/fighting as brothers; or why Elaine trusts Lucifer so completely; or how Lucifer ended up posing for Meleos's Basanos; or how Michael decided to defy Yahweh for Elaine; or anything with these characters will make me happy.
Additional Information: I have just finished reading the source material, so my love for this series is currently boundless and untainted. I love how it turns Judeo-Christian mythology on its ear. I love that it treats it as mythology!
It was really hard to narrow the character list down to only four. I love these characters; they are so fully realized, each with clear strengths and faults. I adore how Lucifer is ruthless, cunning, charming and idealistic. I love how the series never gives us his first-person perspective, even while he’s the protagonist and our sympathies are meant to lie with him. I would love to have more of his perspective. Michael I think is a tragic figure, yet quite sympathetic. I would love to see how he processed some of the choices he made. I found the brothers' relationship the most compelling of the series and I would love it explored in greater depth. Maleos is an enigma for me. The series hints at his rich history. What drew him to humanity for so long and why did he feel the need to chronicle? I love Elaine's mix of innocence and maturity and her genuine brightness of spirit. Please don't feel you must limit yourself to those four just because they're my favorite. The only reason I didn't select "Any" is because I really don't want fic about the fallen cherubs (though in a supporting role, they're fine). If you really want to explore Mazikeen or Lillith; or Remiel and Duma; or Christopher/Lys, I'll be quite pleased.
I ship: Canon relationships only.
Fandom Resources: club_lux; fandoms_of_one's memories; previous Yuletides.
As a "gimme" fandom, this one’s a doozy with eleven volumes of source material. However, no knowledge of Sandman, the bible, or the DC Universe is necessary. The books are available at libraries, bookstores and your local comic shop. You might try this post. You will need a .cbr viewer to read scanned issues.
How to stalk me: This is my fic journal. My fic is tagged and you're welcome to read any of it to get an idea of what I like. If you would like to see more of my interests, please refer to isilweth. It's f'locked but there's quite a bit on my profile and I've opened select posts for Yuletide. My comics pull list (includes favorites) and lj scrapbook are always public. You might also check out my memories. I'm a mod at buckycap and comics_squee, and comment/post regularly to theinvaders and jsa_allstars.
Last but not at all least, THANK YOU! Season's Greetings to you and blessings to you and yours!