Dear Yuletide Author
Hi, Yuletide Author!
First of all, thanks for being the best person ever to walk the earth. I'm incredibly grateful you've taken the time to write for me. In return, I offer you love and fealty from a very easy to please Yuletide recipient. I love nearly everyone in the fandoms I've requested, so basically anything that captures your fancy goes.
Some general likes:
On the happy side of things (or at least the side where things end up generally happy), I am fond of learning to be loved narratives, found families, relationships based off friendships, friendships that endure so long that characters know each other better than themselves, wacky hijinks gone wrong, hurt/comfort with an even ratio of comfort to hurt, and happiness that characters have to work for.
On the less happy but hopefully not entirely heartbreaking side of things, I enjoy yearning, sacrifice born out of love, stories that end sadly but with a sense of inevitability (so, sadness that is earned), relationships that fail because of an excess of love instead of a lack of it, and unhappy endings that have hope.
Some general dislikes:
Character bashing, fics with an abundance of hurt and not enough comfort, second-hand embarrassment, unhappy endings that aren't earned, misogynistic (or racist/classist/fat-phobic/ableist) language
1. Boy Meets World
Shawn Hunter, Cory Matthews, Topanga Lawrence, Eric Matthews
I love Shawn and Cory's relationship, whether it is purely friendship or something more, for how committed they are to each other and how they ease each other's insecurities. (Shawn worries that he'll never make anything of his life and Cory worries that he will never be cool enough, etc.) Something exploring that emotional connection would be wonderful! Alternately, I find them both delightful in their idiocy and a light-hearted fic about one of their schemes gone wrong would also be more than welcome. I really think their relationship is the best part of either character, but I am also okay with a focus on one or the other. How does Shawn's writing go? How does Cory decide to become a teacher? (If you'd rather have him go a different route and disregard the Girl Meets World stuff, that is cool! Although I would love anything that explored him as a parent.)
Other than Shawn and Cory, Topanga will always have my heart. I love her feminism and her commitment to being true to herself, even when that means something everyone else finds whackadoodle. I also like that she and Cory make each other better people. Anything about her would make me happy - maybe something about what she does after college and between Girl Meets World, or perhaps an imagining of the Girl Meets World time period? Or something set when she was younger would be great as well!
As for Eric, I enjoy both his optimism and his sometimes begrudging way of looking out for the people he cares about. I mostly enjoy Eric with Cory or Jack, but I am more than open if you would prefer to write something focused on Eric. I admit that I have always been slightly curious about how he finds his way through life. If none of these characters resonate with you or if you want to include others, feel free! Other characters I love particularly - Amy and Alan, Mr. Feeny (who doesn't love him?), Jack, Mr. Turner, Morgan (version 1 or 2), Angela, Frankie.
2. The Secret Garden
Mary Lennox, Dickon Sowerby
This is one of my favorite books of all time, probably because (even if Mary is blood related) it is a great example of found family. I am particularly drawn to how Dickon's friendship and love help Mary grow into a better person - and how that encourages her and allows her to do the same for Colin. I'd love anything that showed how that friendship really developed, and I'd love to see how it continued to grow after the book. I would also definitely not say no to a fic about that friendship turning into a romantic relationship when Mary and Dickon are older. How would that happen? What would Uncle Archie say? And where does Colin fit in? I am fine with Colin also being a part of any romance, or with Colin staying a close friend. A fic about Colin and Dickon's friendship would be awesome - I felt like that relationship got a bit short-changed in the books. (I am not so okay with Mary and Colin being in a relationship without Dickon, because forgetting about Dickon makes me sad. Also because I felt like Dickon sometimes got glossed over/treated as a prop in a way that smacked of classism, and that makes me uncomfortable.)
Alternately, if you wanted to write a fic where Dickon talking to animals is a reality instead of a childish fantasy, that would make my day.
3. Tigana
Dianora bren Saevar, Baerd bar Saevar
I am a bit more specific in my desires for Tigana, mostly because I felt like Dianora and Baerd earned their happy ending and then got cheated out of it. A fix-it fic would be most welcome. Does Baerd arrive earlier at the end of the book, maybe in time to stop Dianora from walking into the water? Or maybe Dianora makes a different decision at the end and they find each other when things settle down? Or does Baerd think that the Dianora he's been hearing about might actually be his sister, only to investigate and find he's right? Or Dianora could even go with Baerd from the very beginning. I am happy with something that either ends romantically or platonically.
If that relationship makes you really uncomfortable, I am all about Dianora in general, so a fic about how badass she is would be great. I loved the complexity of her storyline and how love and politics and conviction all pulled her in different directions.
4. The Fosters
This show is all over my hurt/comfort and found family loves. I am so taken in by Jesus and Mariana, mostly because of how he explains why he took the fall for her. I love that they are both protective of each other, so anything exploring that dynamic, either before they were adopted or after, would be super. I would also read the heck out of anything about how Lena, Stef, and Brandon won their trust and showed them what it meant to have a family. Big brother Brandon fic would be fantastic as well. I am less interested (though still all about) Callie and Jude just because I feel as though the show already captures that period in their development - by the time the show starts, Jesus and Mariana are already settled in so we've sort of missed that process with them. However, if Callie or Jude is the keeper of your heart (and I understand that!), something that shows either Callie taking care of Jude or the two of them learning to be loved would also take care of everything on my emotional hit list. I am lukewarm on the Callie/Brandon storyline - it's getting in the way of my platonic, family narrative! - but other than that, go crazy.
Thank you so much for writing for me - I cannot wait to read your fic! If you are wondering whether or not I will like something, the answer is probably yes. I'm hoping that you will have as good a time writing your story as I will reading it. Happy Yuletide!
First of all, thanks for being the best person ever to walk the earth. I'm incredibly grateful you've taken the time to write for me. In return, I offer you love and fealty from a very easy to please Yuletide recipient. I love nearly everyone in the fandoms I've requested, so basically anything that captures your fancy goes.
Some general likes:
On the happy side of things (or at least the side where things end up generally happy), I am fond of learning to be loved narratives, found families, relationships based off friendships, friendships that endure so long that characters know each other better than themselves, wacky hijinks gone wrong, hurt/comfort with an even ratio of comfort to hurt, and happiness that characters have to work for.
On the less happy but hopefully not entirely heartbreaking side of things, I enjoy yearning, sacrifice born out of love, stories that end sadly but with a sense of inevitability (so, sadness that is earned), relationships that fail because of an excess of love instead of a lack of it, and unhappy endings that have hope.
Some general dislikes:
Character bashing, fics with an abundance of hurt and not enough comfort, second-hand embarrassment, unhappy endings that aren't earned, misogynistic (or racist/classist/fat-phobic/ableist) language
1. Boy Meets World
Shawn Hunter, Cory Matthews, Topanga Lawrence, Eric Matthews
I love Shawn and Cory's relationship, whether it is purely friendship or something more, for how committed they are to each other and how they ease each other's insecurities. (Shawn worries that he'll never make anything of his life and Cory worries that he will never be cool enough, etc.) Something exploring that emotional connection would be wonderful! Alternately, I find them both delightful in their idiocy and a light-hearted fic about one of their schemes gone wrong would also be more than welcome. I really think their relationship is the best part of either character, but I am also okay with a focus on one or the other. How does Shawn's writing go? How does Cory decide to become a teacher? (If you'd rather have him go a different route and disregard the Girl Meets World stuff, that is cool! Although I would love anything that explored him as a parent.)
Other than Shawn and Cory, Topanga will always have my heart. I love her feminism and her commitment to being true to herself, even when that means something everyone else finds whackadoodle. I also like that she and Cory make each other better people. Anything about her would make me happy - maybe something about what she does after college and between Girl Meets World, or perhaps an imagining of the Girl Meets World time period? Or something set when she was younger would be great as well!
As for Eric, I enjoy both his optimism and his sometimes begrudging way of looking out for the people he cares about. I mostly enjoy Eric with Cory or Jack, but I am more than open if you would prefer to write something focused on Eric. I admit that I have always been slightly curious about how he finds his way through life. If none of these characters resonate with you or if you want to include others, feel free! Other characters I love particularly - Amy and Alan, Mr. Feeny (who doesn't love him?), Jack, Mr. Turner, Morgan (version 1 or 2), Angela, Frankie.
2. The Secret Garden
Mary Lennox, Dickon Sowerby
This is one of my favorite books of all time, probably because (even if Mary is blood related) it is a great example of found family. I am particularly drawn to how Dickon's friendship and love help Mary grow into a better person - and how that encourages her and allows her to do the same for Colin. I'd love anything that showed how that friendship really developed, and I'd love to see how it continued to grow after the book. I would also definitely not say no to a fic about that friendship turning into a romantic relationship when Mary and Dickon are older. How would that happen? What would Uncle Archie say? And where does Colin fit in? I am fine with Colin also being a part of any romance, or with Colin staying a close friend. A fic about Colin and Dickon's friendship would be awesome - I felt like that relationship got a bit short-changed in the books. (I am not so okay with Mary and Colin being in a relationship without Dickon, because forgetting about Dickon makes me sad. Also because I felt like Dickon sometimes got glossed over/treated as a prop in a way that smacked of classism, and that makes me uncomfortable.)
Alternately, if you wanted to write a fic where Dickon talking to animals is a reality instead of a childish fantasy, that would make my day.
3. Tigana
Dianora bren Saevar, Baerd bar Saevar
I am a bit more specific in my desires for Tigana, mostly because I felt like Dianora and Baerd earned their happy ending and then got cheated out of it. A fix-it fic would be most welcome. Does Baerd arrive earlier at the end of the book, maybe in time to stop Dianora from walking into the water? Or maybe Dianora makes a different decision at the end and they find each other when things settle down? Or does Baerd think that the Dianora he's been hearing about might actually be his sister, only to investigate and find he's right? Or Dianora could even go with Baerd from the very beginning. I am happy with something that either ends romantically or platonically.
If that relationship makes you really uncomfortable, I am all about Dianora in general, so a fic about how badass she is would be great. I loved the complexity of her storyline and how love and politics and conviction all pulled her in different directions.
4. The Fosters
This show is all over my hurt/comfort and found family loves. I am so taken in by Jesus and Mariana, mostly because of how he explains why he took the fall for her. I love that they are both protective of each other, so anything exploring that dynamic, either before they were adopted or after, would be super. I would also read the heck out of anything about how Lena, Stef, and Brandon won their trust and showed them what it meant to have a family. Big brother Brandon fic would be fantastic as well. I am less interested (though still all about) Callie and Jude just because I feel as though the show already captures that period in their development - by the time the show starts, Jesus and Mariana are already settled in so we've sort of missed that process with them. However, if Callie or Jude is the keeper of your heart (and I understand that!), something that shows either Callie taking care of Jude or the two of them learning to be loved would also take care of everything on my emotional hit list. I am lukewarm on the Callie/Brandon storyline - it's getting in the way of my platonic, family narrative! - but other than that, go crazy.
Thank you so much for writing for me - I cannot wait to read your fic! If you are wondering whether or not I will like something, the answer is probably yes. I'm hoping that you will have as good a time writing your story as I will reading it. Happy Yuletide!