Dear Yuletide author
Dear Yuletide Author,
I am so happy that you’re writing in Yuletide this year, and thank you for writing in a fandom I love! I’m going to say upfront that I’m simply delighted a story is going to be added to one of these fandoms, so remember that optional details are optional, and please disregard any that don’t work for you.
I’ve made a few prompts if you need a starting point, and some of my general loves include slice of life, character studies, alternate POVs, epilogues, backstories, missing scenes, and what-comes-nexts. Adventures, worldbuilding, competency, and camaraderie are wonderful, and I have a soft spot for sweetness and sincerity. All three of my requests this year have fairly romancey overtones, and that is great too, although definitely not required!
I don’t have a lot of squicks, but character death, bashing, and abuse/debasement/torture make me sad. I would suggest canon as a general guideline for tone, rating, and explicity. My AO3 account also has the types of things I like, if you need more examples.
I feel I was already pretty detailed in my requests, so I won’t elaborate too much further, except maybe to describe how I see these fandoms and why I like them.
Brief Encounter
I fell into this completely backwards, because I saw the recent Broadway play first, and then found the movie afterwards. I love them both, but the play helped introduce me to the story and magnified the emotional undercurrent by highlighting the difference between the feelings that Alec and Laura had and what they were able to express. I love the tragedy of that story, and what I saw as their incredible honor and self-control. IMHO, here's the most pivotal scene, and the second. The New York Times's review of the play also captures a lot of how I see the play/movie as well. A sweet or bittersweet continuation would both work for me-I can see it both ways.
I highly recommend the movie, even if you’re not writing this fandom! You can see it on YouTube here.
Sevenwaters Trilogy
I adore Juliet Marillier’s rich writing, and while I love all the books in this trilogy (series, really),Daughter of the Forest has to be my favorite, partially because it was such a strong introduction to the world, and partially because of the fairy tale it’s based on. Also, Sorcha and Red appeal to me immensely as characters. They both show such strength and the ability to sacrifice for the greater good. (maybe martyrdom is my kink :) So, while I was glad they got a happy ending at the end of Daughter, I was so sad that it only lasted for such a short time! If I could see them enjoying their happiness for a bit longer, that would absolutely be lovely. Also, as I mentioned, a character study on Red or some light on his thoughts and experience during Daughter would also be fantastic.
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Trilogy
These games are among my all-time favorites because they hold all my favorite elements of a good game: Amazing adventure story, fun characters, witty banter, a lovely narrative, gorgeous worldbuilding, beautiful scenic designs, and satisfying platforming experience. I will admit that I did not like Warrior Within at all, because I was so attached to Sands of Time, and I felt like WW had none of the things that made SoT fun. Luckily, everyone else seemed to think so too, and Two Thrones was a return to form, and I love it even more than SoT because of the touch of psychological darkness and personal struggle. (In my headcanon, the events of WW still occurred, but the details of how are very hazy.) I love the Prince as an imperfect character with a good heart, and I liked the message of TT that had him stop running to face his demons, and to take personal responsibility. The idea of him taking leadership, inspiring his people, and rebuilding Babylon after his hand in destroying it seems incredibly redemptive. I love his chemistry with Farah and the witty sizzle that they have. Farah herself is smart and heroic in all the right ways, and able to be proactive about the fate she's been handed.
Again, thank you, thank you for writing! Please free to poke around my AO3 account or LJ if you like. I’m truly looking forward to your story.
See you at the reveal!
S