Dear Yuletide Author
OMG WTF YULETIDE!!!
Dear Yuletide author,
You are awesome! You are amazing! Thank you in advance for writing a fic in one of the six fandoms that I requested. We matched on at least one, which means you probably have good taste! Or we both have bad taste. Whichever!
I took the last two years off from Yuletide, but before that I had been doing it since... 2006? Good lord, is that possible? SO ANYWAY, the only reason I bring this up is because I want to say that if you are freaking out and regretting having made the offer that matched us and wondering how you are going to possibly write in that fandom, omg what were you thinking??? ...relax! I am very easy to please. I am 100% for sure going to love whatever you write.
And, hey! If we matched on a fandom and you are really, really regretting it, good news: three of my requests this year are movies with less than 2 hr canons! (I have definitely once written in a fandom that was not my original match. Shh, don't tell the recipient.) And one fandom is a stand alone novel! Or, hey, if you really have to default, I know that stuff happens and schedules become overwhelming; I will not take it personally. This should be a low-pressure event.
My philosophy with yuletide is that you get better fic if you leave the author a lot of room to write what inspires them, if they enjoy what they are writing so it is not a big chore. So I'm 100% on the "optional-details-are-optional" bandwagon. But if you want a little bit of guidance about what I was thinking when I picked these fandoms, or some boundaries on squicks and favorite tropes, read onward, my friend...
General stuff:
In the normal course of the year, I mostly read slash (I am a canonically gay male.) But I definitely know that yuletide is not necessarily that challenge, and that many of the fandoms and characters I picked do not at all lend themselves to that; I am 100% onboard with gen or het in all my yuletide-ing. I am comfortable with any rating from G through NC-17.
Dislikes: Character death, non-con, character bashing, infidelity, angst that is left unresolved. I like a happy ending, if not necessarily a happy fic. At least one of my fandoms involves underage characters; I would prefer they not be involved in anything explicitly sexual unless this is post-canon and they are above the age of consent.
Likes: My bookmarked AO3 tags at the moment include "soulbonds / soulbond-identifying marks," "accidental marriage," "fake/pretend relationship" and "coming-out." This does not mean that you need to go in any of those directions at all; those are just some tropes that I sometimes enjoy. I also enjoy crossovers and fusions if they have some logic behind how the other fandom came in. I like comedy and romance and madcap adventure more than hurt/comfort and angst, but I don't dislike h/c or angst per se. I'm okay with a fic being within the time period of the canon, or with future-fic or prequel-fic. I'm not normally a fan of AU in yuletide (which for me has always been as much about liking the canon as liking a particular set of characters) but I kind of could see it working for some of these characters, so I wouldn't necessarily rule it out if you wanted to go that direction.
The fandoms I picked... I did not pick them in any particular order at all. In fact, I did not make nominations at all this year. So I did not come into this with any very strong agenda, is what I am saying. I'm not trying to force you to write some particular fic. These are totally "oh, I've never read a fic in that before; I wonder what that would be like?" fandoms.
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries - I picked Phryne Fisher and Jack Robinson as the characters because I enjoy their budding romance and their banter... the back and forth, the push and pull, the mutual wariness of committing. They're kind of not really right for each other on paper, given their histories... she's kind of promiscuous and he's fairly traditional and has been hurt before. But I have hopes they'll figure it out eventually. I'm up for anything with these two... a case, a quiet moment between cases, an AU where they're solving crimes in a post-apocalyptic wasteland... well, maybe not that... but really anything so long as Phryne is being awesome and Jack is being gruff. (I also very nearly requested Dot and Hugh instead or in addition, but obviously their presence or absence is up to you since I did not, in fact, select them.) I have not read the books (I think I heard that there are books?) so please don't spoil me for anything past season three of the show.
Adventures in Babysitting - I picked "any" here because I legitimately would be fine with something about any of the nominated (or not nominated) characters in the tagset. I just really liked this movie when I was a kid. Chris Parker being awesome (while barely keeping it together)? Sara as a grownup, fangirling at the release of the Thor movies? Brad and Darryl eventually realizing they're MFEO? Something kind of in keeping with the tone of the movie, maybe? This was definitely a "I don't know what an Adventures in Babysitting fanfic would be, but I bet it would be fun" pick.
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Ed Earl Dodd / Mona Stangley - I recently rewatched this and the gender mores and also the racism are kind of terrible and dated, but... singing about prostitution! The movie is in large part about the relationship between the sheriff and Miss Mona, but we don't get a lot of a sense of how their relationship started out. And I've also often wondered how those two crazy kids ended up, with Ed Earl apparently running for the legislature at the end of the film... what did Mona do with her time? IDEK.
Jumpin' Jack Flash - I only requested Terry Dolittle, but feel free to bring in any of the rest of the cast in whatever context you desire, or not, as you like. "Terry being spastic yet somehow also getting shit done" is kind of a deliberately vague request, but she's just such a great character and it was such a great comedic performance by Whoopi. I think of her whenever I hear the Supremes, not gonna lie. "Terry! Terry! Terry!" he says, in his worst Jon Lovitz impression.
Falco Series - Lindsey Davis - Again, I only requested Helena Justina, but feel free to bring in anyone else. It took me a little bit when I first read The Silver Pigs to "get" that Falco was an unreliable narrator, but once I reframed how I was reading it I really enjoyed the entire series. But I kind of felt like Falco had his say... what about Helena?
Soon I Will Be Invincible! - Austin Grossman - I requested Doctor Impossible. Again, a bit of an unreliable narrator there. I was crushed for him when Corefire didn't even remember him, even though they went to high school and college together and Doctor Impossible was (thought he was?) the one responsible for the accident that gave Corefire his powers. (Sorry, major spoiler there; highlight to read.) Feel free to bring in other characters in any capacity you choose. I really just finished reading this book a few weeks ago and thought Doctor Impossible was a compelling character that would be a fun sandbox to play with. (Possibly I should not mention that I am also a biomedical researcher? I use my powers for good, honest.)
So many things. These are my demented ravings, but you should really, really feel free to go where the muses move you. Thank you again for writing.
[And, just as a heads up... I most likely will not be able to comment immediately when the archive goes live on Christmas Eve / Christmas morning, due to family obligations, but I will do my darnedest to leave squee as soon as possible on Christmas Day afternoon / evening.]
Dear Yuletide author,
You are awesome! You are amazing! Thank you in advance for writing a fic in one of the six fandoms that I requested. We matched on at least one, which means you probably have good taste! Or we both have bad taste. Whichever!
I took the last two years off from Yuletide, but before that I had been doing it since... 2006? Good lord, is that possible? SO ANYWAY, the only reason I bring this up is because I want to say that if you are freaking out and regretting having made the offer that matched us and wondering how you are going to possibly write in that fandom, omg what were you thinking??? ...relax! I am very easy to please. I am 100% for sure going to love whatever you write.
And, hey! If we matched on a fandom and you are really, really regretting it, good news: three of my requests this year are movies with less than 2 hr canons! (I have definitely once written in a fandom that was not my original match. Shh, don't tell the recipient.) And one fandom is a stand alone novel! Or, hey, if you really have to default, I know that stuff happens and schedules become overwhelming; I will not take it personally. This should be a low-pressure event.
My philosophy with yuletide is that you get better fic if you leave the author a lot of room to write what inspires them, if they enjoy what they are writing so it is not a big chore. So I'm 100% on the "optional-details-are-optional" bandwagon. But if you want a little bit of guidance about what I was thinking when I picked these fandoms, or some boundaries on squicks and favorite tropes, read onward, my friend...
General stuff:
In the normal course of the year, I mostly read slash (I am a canonically gay male.) But I definitely know that yuletide is not necessarily that challenge, and that many of the fandoms and characters I picked do not at all lend themselves to that; I am 100% onboard with gen or het in all my yuletide-ing. I am comfortable with any rating from G through NC-17.
Dislikes: Character death, non-con, character bashing, infidelity, angst that is left unresolved. I like a happy ending, if not necessarily a happy fic. At least one of my fandoms involves underage characters; I would prefer they not be involved in anything explicitly sexual unless this is post-canon and they are above the age of consent.
Likes: My bookmarked AO3 tags at the moment include "soulbonds / soulbond-identifying marks," "accidental marriage," "fake/pretend relationship" and "coming-out." This does not mean that you need to go in any of those directions at all; those are just some tropes that I sometimes enjoy. I also enjoy crossovers and fusions if they have some logic behind how the other fandom came in. I like comedy and romance and madcap adventure more than hurt/comfort and angst, but I don't dislike h/c or angst per se. I'm okay with a fic being within the time period of the canon, or with future-fic or prequel-fic. I'm not normally a fan of AU in yuletide (which for me has always been as much about liking the canon as liking a particular set of characters) but I kind of could see it working for some of these characters, so I wouldn't necessarily rule it out if you wanted to go that direction.
The fandoms I picked... I did not pick them in any particular order at all. In fact, I did not make nominations at all this year. So I did not come into this with any very strong agenda, is what I am saying. I'm not trying to force you to write some particular fic. These are totally "oh, I've never read a fic in that before; I wonder what that would be like?" fandoms.
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries - I picked Phryne Fisher and Jack Robinson as the characters because I enjoy their budding romance and their banter... the back and forth, the push and pull, the mutual wariness of committing. They're kind of not really right for each other on paper, given their histories... she's kind of promiscuous and he's fairly traditional and has been hurt before. But I have hopes they'll figure it out eventually. I'm up for anything with these two... a case, a quiet moment between cases, an AU where they're solving crimes in a post-apocalyptic wasteland... well, maybe not that... but really anything so long as Phryne is being awesome and Jack is being gruff. (I also very nearly requested Dot and Hugh instead or in addition, but obviously their presence or absence is up to you since I did not, in fact, select them.) I have not read the books (I think I heard that there are books?) so please don't spoil me for anything past season three of the show.
Adventures in Babysitting - I picked "any" here because I legitimately would be fine with something about any of the nominated (or not nominated) characters in the tagset. I just really liked this movie when I was a kid. Chris Parker being awesome (while barely keeping it together)? Sara as a grownup, fangirling at the release of the Thor movies? Brad and Darryl eventually realizing they're MFEO? Something kind of in keeping with the tone of the movie, maybe? This was definitely a "I don't know what an Adventures in Babysitting fanfic would be, but I bet it would be fun" pick.
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Ed Earl Dodd / Mona Stangley - I recently rewatched this and the gender mores and also the racism are kind of terrible and dated, but... singing about prostitution! The movie is in large part about the relationship between the sheriff and Miss Mona, but we don't get a lot of a sense of how their relationship started out. And I've also often wondered how those two crazy kids ended up, with Ed Earl apparently running for the legislature at the end of the film... what did Mona do with her time? IDEK.
Jumpin' Jack Flash - I only requested Terry Dolittle, but feel free to bring in any of the rest of the cast in whatever context you desire, or not, as you like. "Terry being spastic yet somehow also getting shit done" is kind of a deliberately vague request, but she's just such a great character and it was such a great comedic performance by Whoopi. I think of her whenever I hear the Supremes, not gonna lie. "Terry! Terry! Terry!" he says, in his worst Jon Lovitz impression.
Falco Series - Lindsey Davis - Again, I only requested Helena Justina, but feel free to bring in anyone else. It took me a little bit when I first read The Silver Pigs to "get" that Falco was an unreliable narrator, but once I reframed how I was reading it I really enjoyed the entire series. But I kind of felt like Falco had his say... what about Helena?
Soon I Will Be Invincible! - Austin Grossman - I requested Doctor Impossible. Again, a bit of an unreliable narrator there. I was crushed for him when Corefire didn't even remember him, even though they went to high school and college together and Doctor Impossible was (thought he was?) the one responsible for the accident that gave Corefire his powers. (Sorry, major spoiler there; highlight to read.) Feel free to bring in other characters in any capacity you choose. I really just finished reading this book a few weeks ago and thought Doctor Impossible was a compelling character that would be a fun sandbox to play with. (Possibly I should not mention that I am also a biomedical researcher? I use my powers for good, honest.)
So many things. These are my demented ravings, but you should really, really feel free to go where the muses move you. Thank you again for writing.
[And, just as a heads up... I most likely will not be able to comment immediately when the archive goes live on Christmas Eve / Christmas morning, due to family obligations, but I will do my darnedest to leave squee as soon as possible on Christmas Day afternoon / evening.]