yuletide 2009
Dear Yuletide Santa:
DO NOT BE AFRAID! I apologise for the mostly friends-locked-ness of my journal. As you can see, my geeking out for the last two years has mostly been about The Middleman and Star Trek (2009). But you can take a stroll through the meme tag to learn a bit more about me, and my fiction also says a lot about my tastes. I'm mostly a gen/het writer, with a dash of slash and femmeslash thrown in, but my reading tastes are a lot broader than my writing tastes.
I know it's terrifying and maddening to try and get a read on someone who keeps herself to herself, even fannishly. All my previous yuletide Dear Santa letters are here. And here are some general LJC things you should know:
I am not always one of those "happily ever after" curtain-fic types. While I am a romantic, I don't expect Shakespeare Comedy Weddings to end every story. That's probably pretty obvious, but the posts I've made in the past about characters and what I enjoy about their interactions in canon, and the potential that exists for those relationships to be explored and grow and change. But I really do dig the relationships in canon, and love to see those explored--as well as their potential explored.
I love character development. I love humour. I love stories that capture the feel and tone of the source. I love stories that experiment with the boundaries of tone and feel of the source. I love missing scene stories A LOT. I love epistolary novels. I love dialogue. I love cheese--the variety from a can, as well as a lovely brie with some sliced apples and maybe some $6 wine. I love 3rd person limited. I love 1st person. I find 3rd person omniscient difficult to achieve, personally, and rarely see it actually work without just coming across as 3rd person limited that jumps from POV to POV. But if you can do it, then GO ON, MY SON, sez I. I think 2nd person is actually a trick played by authors on an unsuspecting public, and am wary and distrustful of it, on principle. But likewise, if it makes you glee, then who am I to stand in the way of glee?
I love really kickass chicks who are flawed and real and strong and smart and clever and make mistakes, and own their mistakes, and take chances, and stick to their guns, and trust their instincts. I love their partners and husbands and fathers and brothers and sons and boyfriends and ex-boyfriends and confidants and adversaries.
Right, so, here are my requests:
Fandom: Shell Game
Characters: Dinah aka Jennie Jerome/Riley aka John Reid
Request: I'd love to see a story which really examines how tempted Riley is by Dinah. Here is this guy who has convinced himself he's left his shady past behind, and is committed to the choices he's made. Then Dinah comes sweeping back into his life to turn it upside down. Is he worried that she only wants him back because she can't stand losing? Or does he still love her? How does he deal with his past as a grifter, and was his desire to go straight born of a genuine moral conflict? or just the wish to start fresh, and "John Reid" is just a comfortable mask to wear because it IS just a mask?
Fandom: The Man From Atlantis
Characters: Dr Elizabeth Merrill/Mark Harris
Request: Elizabeth is always so adamant that her relationship with Mark is platonic--in a "methinks the lady doth protest too much" kind of way. But after "Deadly Carnival" where Mark has a little kiss and cuddle from the owner of the carnival, I wonder if *he* sees his relationship with Elizabeth as platonic? He certainly enjoyed kissing Charlene. What if that gives him a new perspective on his friendship with Elizabeth? How would she react?
Fandom: Probe
Characters: Austin James/Michelle Castle
Request: Austin relies so much on Mickey both professionally and personally, and really values her friendship. How would he react if she were to start a serious romantic relationship with someone? Doesn't have to be Austin/Mickey per se, but I'd lore it if it were because I 'ship them like mad.
Fandom: The Brothers Bloom
Character: Bang Bang
Request: I'd love to know Bang Bang's story. I love her friendship with Penelope. I love her penchant for firearms and explosives. I love how, like Parker from "Leverage" she appears and disappears and you don't question it. Pre-film, during the film (omg karaoke what?), after the big finale (I continue to hope she hitched a ride on the side of the truck before the car exploded), any story you want to tell, I'll be happy.
In short: welcome to my childhood, spent watching 1980s and 1970s action-adventure series which totally shaped my tastes as an adult. I know they're dated. I know they're cheesy. More than that, I know they're freakishly rare, which I know is the ethos of Yuletide Challenge, but I also know how daunting it can seem. Luckily, all of the above are tiny sources--Man From Atlantis being the biggest fandom commitment, but if you feel overwhelmed, I am good with you concentrating on the pilot telefilm. I admit, half of what I love about the characters comes from the novelisation, but since that's harder to find than a straight guy under the age of 30 who collects Jem dolls and fashions, I'll understand completely if you stick to just the media.
I currently have a inappropriate love of grifters, con men, and thieves. Make of that what you will. I may geek about Leverage and Hustle and White Collar, but really, it all comes back to my childhood adoration of Remington Steele and Shell Game where the marks never really got hurt unless they were greedy bastards who deserved it, and it was all about sleight of hand and occasionally making out, while waltzing off with priceless diamond earrings or Royal Blue Lavulite...
Mostly, I love yuletide. So don't worry. It'll all be okay. I promise. Because it's a pressie, and pressies are awesome.
Being me, I can point you toward resource posts for three of my requested fandoms. The 4th was a late addition, but The Brothers Bloom is available via Netflix and iTunes and other (nefarious) places. One resource for The Brothers Bloom you might definitely want to check out is The Big Con, a non-fiction book about American confidence men. While dated, it's right in line with the film (as well as an amazing book on which The Sting was based).
cheers,
LJC
P.S. anonymous comments are screened (and IP logging is switched off for the duration of Yuletide Writing Season), but you can leave one with questions, if you need to! Or you can email me via Elyn, who always entertains me muchly with her additional fake queries so as to not tip me off as to what story you're actually writing.
DO NOT BE AFRAID! I apologise for the mostly friends-locked-ness of my journal. As you can see, my geeking out for the last two years has mostly been about The Middleman and Star Trek (2009). But you can take a stroll through the meme tag to learn a bit more about me, and my fiction also says a lot about my tastes. I'm mostly a gen/het writer, with a dash of slash and femmeslash thrown in, but my reading tastes are a lot broader than my writing tastes.
I know it's terrifying and maddening to try and get a read on someone who keeps herself to herself, even fannishly. All my previous yuletide Dear Santa letters are here. And here are some general LJC things you should know:
I am not always one of those "happily ever after" curtain-fic types. While I am a romantic, I don't expect Shakespeare Comedy Weddings to end every story. That's probably pretty obvious, but the posts I've made in the past about characters and what I enjoy about their interactions in canon, and the potential that exists for those relationships to be explored and grow and change. But I really do dig the relationships in canon, and love to see those explored--as well as their potential explored.
I love character development. I love humour. I love stories that capture the feel and tone of the source. I love stories that experiment with the boundaries of tone and feel of the source. I love missing scene stories A LOT. I love epistolary novels. I love dialogue. I love cheese--the variety from a can, as well as a lovely brie with some sliced apples and maybe some $6 wine. I love 3rd person limited. I love 1st person. I find 3rd person omniscient difficult to achieve, personally, and rarely see it actually work without just coming across as 3rd person limited that jumps from POV to POV. But if you can do it, then GO ON, MY SON, sez I. I think 2nd person is actually a trick played by authors on an unsuspecting public, and am wary and distrustful of it, on principle. But likewise, if it makes you glee, then who am I to stand in the way of glee?
I love really kickass chicks who are flawed and real and strong and smart and clever and make mistakes, and own their mistakes, and take chances, and stick to their guns, and trust their instincts. I love their partners and husbands and fathers and brothers and sons and boyfriends and ex-boyfriends and confidants and adversaries.
Right, so, here are my requests:
Fandom: Shell Game
Characters: Dinah aka Jennie Jerome/Riley aka John Reid
Request: I'd love to see a story which really examines how tempted Riley is by Dinah. Here is this guy who has convinced himself he's left his shady past behind, and is committed to the choices he's made. Then Dinah comes sweeping back into his life to turn it upside down. Is he worried that she only wants him back because she can't stand losing? Or does he still love her? How does he deal with his past as a grifter, and was his desire to go straight born of a genuine moral conflict? or just the wish to start fresh, and "John Reid" is just a comfortable mask to wear because it IS just a mask?
Fandom: The Man From Atlantis
Characters: Dr Elizabeth Merrill/Mark Harris
Request: Elizabeth is always so adamant that her relationship with Mark is platonic--in a "methinks the lady doth protest too much" kind of way. But after "Deadly Carnival" where Mark has a little kiss and cuddle from the owner of the carnival, I wonder if *he* sees his relationship with Elizabeth as platonic? He certainly enjoyed kissing Charlene. What if that gives him a new perspective on his friendship with Elizabeth? How would she react?
Fandom: Probe
Characters: Austin James/Michelle Castle
Request: Austin relies so much on Mickey both professionally and personally, and really values her friendship. How would he react if she were to start a serious romantic relationship with someone? Doesn't have to be Austin/Mickey per se, but I'd lore it if it were because I 'ship them like mad.
Fandom: The Brothers Bloom
Character: Bang Bang
Request: I'd love to know Bang Bang's story. I love her friendship with Penelope. I love her penchant for firearms and explosives. I love how, like Parker from "Leverage" she appears and disappears and you don't question it. Pre-film, during the film (omg karaoke what?), after the big finale (I continue to hope she hitched a ride on the side of the truck before the car exploded), any story you want to tell, I'll be happy.
In short: welcome to my childhood, spent watching 1980s and 1970s action-adventure series which totally shaped my tastes as an adult. I know they're dated. I know they're cheesy. More than that, I know they're freakishly rare, which I know is the ethos of Yuletide Challenge, but I also know how daunting it can seem. Luckily, all of the above are tiny sources--Man From Atlantis being the biggest fandom commitment, but if you feel overwhelmed, I am good with you concentrating on the pilot telefilm. I admit, half of what I love about the characters comes from the novelisation, but since that's harder to find than a straight guy under the age of 30 who collects Jem dolls and fashions, I'll understand completely if you stick to just the media.
I currently have a inappropriate love of grifters, con men, and thieves. Make of that what you will. I may geek about Leverage and Hustle and White Collar, but really, it all comes back to my childhood adoration of Remington Steele and Shell Game where the marks never really got hurt unless they were greedy bastards who deserved it, and it was all about sleight of hand and occasionally making out, while waltzing off with priceless diamond earrings or Royal Blue Lavulite...
Mostly, I love yuletide. So don't worry. It'll all be okay. I promise. Because it's a pressie, and pressies are awesome.
Being me, I can point you toward resource posts for three of my requested fandoms. The 4th was a late addition, but The Brothers Bloom is available via Netflix and iTunes and other (nefarious) places. One resource for The Brothers Bloom you might definitely want to check out is The Big Con, a non-fiction book about American confidence men. While dated, it's right in line with the film (as well as an amazing book on which The Sting was based).
cheers,
LJC
P.S. anonymous comments are screened (and IP logging is switched off for the duration of Yuletide Writing Season), but you can leave one with questions, if you need to! Or you can email me via Elyn, who always entertains me muchly with her additional fake queries so as to not tip me off as to what story you're actually writing.