Dear Author Letter (femslashex 2014)
First off, thank you so much for signing up for FemslashEx 2014, and for accepting this assignment. I am sure that I am going to love the story that you end up writing for me, and I do hope that you also have fun creating it.
I am not especially fussy about story style. I love everything from missing scenes that would fit between episodes/chapters of canon to elaborate alternate universes where only the characters remain the same, fluff to PWP, light humour to heavy dark!fic. Endings can be happy, hopeful, ambiguous, or tragic - whatever works best for the story.
I dislike character bashing. No matter how much I like or dislike a character, I am much more interested in stories that explore their motivations rather than villainising them pointlessly.
If you lean toward the heavier ratings, I would prefer that you stay away from chan, scatplay and watersports. Everything else (including - but not limited to - non-con, dub-con, BDSM, infidelity) is fair game. Graphic violence and graphic sexual situations are fine.
Optional Details are Optional:
If you are looking for inspiration or a place to start, here are some of the reasons I would like to read about the pairings I have chosen, and a couple of vague story ideas/prompts. If you already know who and what you want to write about, please disregard this. It is intended in the spirit of helpfulness, not hindrance.
This list is sorted alphabetically (with pairings in the order of the collection tags to minimise confusion), not in any order of preference.
1) Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Related Fandoms fanfic ONLY:
a) Buffy Summers/Drusilla - Perhaps something focused on Buffy's Slayer dreams and Drusilla's seer visions? Buffy has shared/witnessed Faith's and Angel's dreams in canon, and I think Dru's dreams would be a lot more interesting.
b) Cordelia Chase/Buffy Summers - Preferably something set after Cordelia has been in LA for a while. They both change so much after high school, it would be lovely to see the women they became getting to know each other again as adults instead of teenagers.
c) Darla/Buffy Summers (BtVS) - Any way you want to go with this, really. They never interacted much in canon aside from trying to kill each other for various reasons (and only in season 1 of BtVS), so the dynamic between them could be almost anything.
d) Faith Lehane/Buffy Summers - You can't really go wrong with this pairing. Anything you want to write I will love, be it darkest dark!fic or cutest fluff.
e) Faith Lehane/Dawn Summers - I would prefer something set in in season 7 of BtVS, or post BtVS for this one.
f) Winifred Burkle/Cordelia Chase - I would love to see this one as a sequence of missing scenes while the guys are off dealing with various demonic situations.
2) Doctor Who fanfic OR fanart:
Simplified versions of plot ideas welcome for art pieces.
a) Clara Oswin Oswald/River Song - Clara saw River for the first time in The Name of the Doctor, but how many versions of Clara had River met/seen/heard before that? Perhaps the Doctor wasn't the only one to realise how impossible Clara was, or want to get closer to her, to get to know her better?
b) Clara Oswin Oswald/Rose Tyler - I'd like to see a post Bad Wolf version of Rose for this. No preference on which version of Clara is used.
c) Liz Ten/Queen Nefertiti - Two strong, powerful women who are used to getting what they want, and know that time travel is possible. Could be very interesting indeed.
d) Martha Jones/Donna Noble - Maybe something set just before or just after The Doctor's Daughter.
e) Queen Nefertiti/Amy Pond - I loved their interactions during Dinosaurs on a Spaceship. Amy was so excited to be meeting someone she'd learned about in school, and they made a pretty good team. Definitely potential there.
3) Firefly fanfic OR fanart:
For this fandom, I just have a few plot ideas. Just a reminder that these are entirely optional, and I will love whatever you come up with. And simplified versions of these ideas are very welcome for art pieces.
a) Kaylee Frye/Inara Serra - A story in which Kaylee and Inara are in an established relationship and not doing anything to hide it, but only Jayne realises that they are anything more than friends, and no one ever really takes Jayne's observations seriously. I see this as being fairly light and silly, with the girls just being happy and in love, and Jayne getting more and more frustrated because it is SO OBVIOUS, and why can't anyone else see that? But I am sure there are other great ways to approach the premise too.
b) Kaylee Frye/River Tam - I would really like to see something exploring River's feelings of hurt when Kaylee pulls away from her after "War Stories", or something set post Serenity (the movie) after River takes over as pilot of the ship.
c) Saffron/Inara Serra - Saffron takes Inara hostage for [reasons]. The crew of the Serenity work hard to save her, but she's not sure she wants saving this time...
4) Hunger Games Series - All Media Types fanfic ONLY:
a) Clove/Glimmer - From Katniss's perspective, both girls are rather unsympathetic characters, but they had to be lonely and scared going into that kind of situation, too. Perhaps they took comfort in each other...with the underlying, unspoken knowledge that at least one of them was going to die in the very near future, possibly by the other's hand.
b) Katniss Everdeen/Johanna Mason (Hunger Games) - I'd love to see something set after the reaping for the 3rd Quarter Quell, but before the Hunger Games themselves.
c) Katniss Everdeen/Madge Undersee - Two suggestions for this one. First, something cute set before the first book. Second, Madge's thoughts while watching the 74th Hunger Games, assuming she has had feelings for Katniss for a while and never had the chance/courage to tell her.
d) Primrose Everdeen/Johanna Mason - Prim did a whole lot of growing up during the third book, while Katniss wasn't looking. I'd like to see more of the person she was becoming.
5) Original Work fic OR art
a) Angel/Demon (pairing), b) Bounty Hunter/Target, c) Princess/Assassin, d) Queen/Knight, e) Vampire/Hunter.
No suggestions for original work. I love all of these dynamics, and would really enjoy whatever direction you want to take them in.
6) Suits (TV) fanfic ONLY:
What I love about all these women is their ability to thrive in what is generally a male-dominated environment.
a) Donna Paulsen/Jessica Pearson - Whenever these two interact during the show, I feel like there's a lot of unspoken history there, whether good or bad. Maybe a glimpse of what that history might be?
b) Donna Paulsen/Rachel Zane - Long night at the office? Night out away from the office?
c) Jessica Pearson/Rachel Zane - Jessica seems like someone that Rachel would look up to as a strong role model or teacher. Maybe an unrequited (or requited, if that's the way you want to take it) crush?
I am not especially fussy about story style. I love everything from missing scenes that would fit between episodes/chapters of canon to elaborate alternate universes where only the characters remain the same, fluff to PWP, light humour to heavy dark!fic. Endings can be happy, hopeful, ambiguous, or tragic - whatever works best for the story.
I dislike character bashing. No matter how much I like or dislike a character, I am much more interested in stories that explore their motivations rather than villainising them pointlessly.
If you lean toward the heavier ratings, I would prefer that you stay away from chan, scatplay and watersports. Everything else (including - but not limited to - non-con, dub-con, BDSM, infidelity) is fair game. Graphic violence and graphic sexual situations are fine.
Optional Details are Optional:
If you are looking for inspiration or a place to start, here are some of the reasons I would like to read about the pairings I have chosen, and a couple of vague story ideas/prompts. If you already know who and what you want to write about, please disregard this. It is intended in the spirit of helpfulness, not hindrance.
This list is sorted alphabetically (with pairings in the order of the collection tags to minimise confusion), not in any order of preference.
1) Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Related Fandoms fanfic ONLY:
a) Buffy Summers/Drusilla - Perhaps something focused on Buffy's Slayer dreams and Drusilla's seer visions? Buffy has shared/witnessed Faith's and Angel's dreams in canon, and I think Dru's dreams would be a lot more interesting.
b) Cordelia Chase/Buffy Summers - Preferably something set after Cordelia has been in LA for a while. They both change so much after high school, it would be lovely to see the women they became getting to know each other again as adults instead of teenagers.
c) Darla/Buffy Summers (BtVS) - Any way you want to go with this, really. They never interacted much in canon aside from trying to kill each other for various reasons (and only in season 1 of BtVS), so the dynamic between them could be almost anything.
d) Faith Lehane/Buffy Summers - You can't really go wrong with this pairing. Anything you want to write I will love, be it darkest dark!fic or cutest fluff.
e) Faith Lehane/Dawn Summers - I would prefer something set in in season 7 of BtVS, or post BtVS for this one.
f) Winifred Burkle/Cordelia Chase - I would love to see this one as a sequence of missing scenes while the guys are off dealing with various demonic situations.
2) Doctor Who fanfic OR fanart:
Simplified versions of plot ideas welcome for art pieces.
a) Clara Oswin Oswald/River Song - Clara saw River for the first time in The Name of the Doctor, but how many versions of Clara had River met/seen/heard before that? Perhaps the Doctor wasn't the only one to realise how impossible Clara was, or want to get closer to her, to get to know her better?
b) Clara Oswin Oswald/Rose Tyler - I'd like to see a post Bad Wolf version of Rose for this. No preference on which version of Clara is used.
c) Liz Ten/Queen Nefertiti - Two strong, powerful women who are used to getting what they want, and know that time travel is possible. Could be very interesting indeed.
d) Martha Jones/Donna Noble - Maybe something set just before or just after The Doctor's Daughter.
e) Queen Nefertiti/Amy Pond - I loved their interactions during Dinosaurs on a Spaceship. Amy was so excited to be meeting someone she'd learned about in school, and they made a pretty good team. Definitely potential there.
3) Firefly fanfic OR fanart:
For this fandom, I just have a few plot ideas. Just a reminder that these are entirely optional, and I will love whatever you come up with. And simplified versions of these ideas are very welcome for art pieces.
a) Kaylee Frye/Inara Serra - A story in which Kaylee and Inara are in an established relationship and not doing anything to hide it, but only Jayne realises that they are anything more than friends, and no one ever really takes Jayne's observations seriously. I see this as being fairly light and silly, with the girls just being happy and in love, and Jayne getting more and more frustrated because it is SO OBVIOUS, and why can't anyone else see that? But I am sure there are other great ways to approach the premise too.
b) Kaylee Frye/River Tam - I would really like to see something exploring River's feelings of hurt when Kaylee pulls away from her after "War Stories", or something set post Serenity (the movie) after River takes over as pilot of the ship.
c) Saffron/Inara Serra - Saffron takes Inara hostage for [reasons]. The crew of the Serenity work hard to save her, but she's not sure she wants saving this time...
4) Hunger Games Series - All Media Types fanfic ONLY:
a) Clove/Glimmer - From Katniss's perspective, both girls are rather unsympathetic characters, but they had to be lonely and scared going into that kind of situation, too. Perhaps they took comfort in each other...with the underlying, unspoken knowledge that at least one of them was going to die in the very near future, possibly by the other's hand.
b) Katniss Everdeen/Johanna Mason (Hunger Games) - I'd love to see something set after the reaping for the 3rd Quarter Quell, but before the Hunger Games themselves.
c) Katniss Everdeen/Madge Undersee - Two suggestions for this one. First, something cute set before the first book. Second, Madge's thoughts while watching the 74th Hunger Games, assuming she has had feelings for Katniss for a while and never had the chance/courage to tell her.
d) Primrose Everdeen/Johanna Mason - Prim did a whole lot of growing up during the third book, while Katniss wasn't looking. I'd like to see more of the person she was becoming.
5) Original Work fic OR art
a) Angel/Demon (pairing), b) Bounty Hunter/Target, c) Princess/Assassin, d) Queen/Knight, e) Vampire/Hunter.
No suggestions for original work. I love all of these dynamics, and would really enjoy whatever direction you want to take them in.
6) Suits (TV) fanfic ONLY:
What I love about all these women is their ability to thrive in what is generally a male-dominated environment.
a) Donna Paulsen/Jessica Pearson - Whenever these two interact during the show, I feel like there's a lot of unspoken history there, whether good or bad. Maybe a glimpse of what that history might be?
b) Donna Paulsen/Rachel Zane - Long night at the office? Night out away from the office?
c) Jessica Pearson/Rachel Zane - Jessica seems like someone that Rachel would look up to as a strong role model or teacher. Maybe an unrequited (or requited, if that's the way you want to take it) crush?