Dear Yuletide author
Wednesday, 16 November 2011 00:42![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fireroseFirst of all, a heartfelt thank you for writing for me. I'm sure I'll adore whatever you give me! This letter just gets longer every time I write it, so do cut loose now if detail makes you anxious.
Some generalities: I'm both a 'more of' & a 'more from' canon girl; that is, I'd be equally overjoyed to receive a story that captures the precise tone of canon and one that cleverly turns canon on its head & stomps all over it. I love stylish prose, unusual formats, structural interest, world building, politics, intellectual discussions, women being awesome, well-developed original & minor characters, villain PoVs, dollops of plot, plausible sideturn-from-canon AUs, dry, sly & black humour -- and above all stories that surprise me. I'm equally keen on gen, het & slash, though I usually prefer to close the bedroom door.
I don't tend to enjoy heavy-handed angst, hurt/comfort, PWP, kinkfic, slapstick humour, crackfic, alternate realities, kidfic, schmoop & fluff. Darker stories are fine, but one focusing on death of parents, or suicide, would be potentially triggering for me at the moment.
As this journal is sparse, try my recommendations site if you're interested in further hints as to my fictional tastes; I've amassed quite a large collection of Earthsea stories there over the years and there's also a few Raymond Chandler, though surprisingly little Victorian lit considering how much I read. My fanfiction masterlist might clue you in to some of my obsessions. I'm also Espresso Addict on livejournal, but much of that journal is friends-locked. I was rather verbose in my prompts; nevertheless there are a few extra hints to be had under the cut.
Earthsea
Character: Thorion
I'm particularly interested in a behind-the-scenes, warts-and-all portrayal of the internal politics of the Roke School during the time when Ged is Archmage or in the immediate aftermath, as seen in 'On the High Marsh' & 'Dragonfly', rather than the rather idealised view of the school given in the earlier books. Some possibilities... 'On the High Marsh' gives us a glimpse of the complex relationships between Ged, Irioth & Thorion, and I'd love further exploration of this time. If 'Thorion was the best of us all---a brave heart, a noble mind,' how did he go so badly astray as in 'Dragonfly'? Thorion's the youngest of the Roke masters, how does this affect his relationships with the other masters? 'Dragonfly' exposes tensions between Roke and the new king, which is another area I'd love explored. Feel free to emphasise other characters if you wish; I particularly love Ged, the Doorkeeper & Azver, and I'm always very open to OCs or minors. Gen or slash equally welcome.
This is a recycled request from one of my older fandoms, and one I've tried over the years to nurture, so any story will be adored to bits! With this prompt, it's the setting that truly intrigues me, so feel completely free to emphasise other characters or create OCs if your muse takes you that way. (In fact, going back to Halkel's time is another option, if you were interested.) I tend to see the school as a little like an Oxbridge college, with petty rivalries becoming quietly deadly in the confined & competitive environment. (Think CP Snow's The Masters if you happen to have read it.)
If you're into m/m slash & feel inclined to have a go, I'd be very much interested, as there's virtually no slash above PG across the entire fandom. In this context, dubious consent, pupil/teacher relationships & similar would work for me. Nothing above hard R, though, please. (There again, I can't stress enough that if you're a gen writer or just don't see the potential, I'll be truly happy to go with wizardly celibacy.)
If canon overwhelms you, or you're here as a pinch-hitter, then The Isolate Tower is as accurate as I could make it, though not entirely complete. There's a list of the Roke masters at various time points, which might be of use.
Philip Marlowe
Character: Philip Marlowe
What I particularly like about the series is Chandler's amazing style and his loving portrait of all sides of the city. Anything that adheres to these will be very well received. A casefile would be wonderful, possibly investigating with Anne Riordan or one of the sympathetic police officers (Lieutenant Randall's probably my favourite). Alternatively, a typical or not-so-typical day in the office, per ch 21 of The Long Goodbye, or a little backstory, perhaps how he came to leave the police. Or perhaps an AU in which Marlowe does stay the night with Anne Riordan. I'm conflicted over Marlowe's potential as a closeted gay and would prefer no overt slash; UST at around the level of canon is fine.
This is a new request from one of my newest fandoms, and I'm still brimming over with the new fandom love. (There's a little squee here, if you're interested.) I don't have much in the way of specific scenarios in mind for this one, and almost anything with a stab at Chandler's style will make me deeply happy.
As I know a lot of fans are all about the slash in this fandom, I'll try to clarify my position a little. I think it's readily arguable that Marlowe's primary orientation is towards men; however, I also believe that he is so deeply closeted & homophobic as to not consciously be aware of this. I don't often find slash fiction with Marlowe convincing because I don't think he would be able to have a sexual experience with a man without feeling deep shame afterwards. And I really don't want to read that bone-deep shame.
By the way, I'm not personally bothered by fiction that reflects the attitudes of the source or historical period, however racist, sexist or homophobic these feel to modern ears; in fact, I'd probably be more bothered by anachronistic attitudes. There again, clever authorial undermining of such attitudes is always a bonus.
I've not found a lot in the way of online resources, but Twists, Slug and Roscoes: A Glossary of Hardboiled Slang might perhaps be of interest.
Wives and Daughters
Character: Lady Harriet Cumnor
Lady Harriet is such an amazing character, I'd love to see more of her whatever you write! My secret dream is that she takes up a bohemian life in London after her mother's death, possibly with another woman -- an OC or crossover or historical person, I don't picture her with any other canon woman. Other thoughts... Could she take up another person's cause, as she does with Molly? Perhaps reconciling the Cumnors with Squire Hamley? Or a more abstract cause, but prosecuted in her own inimitable fashion. Could she somehow get involved in politics &/or electioneering? Is she interested in her brother's scientific studies? Or even an AU in which she gets together with my second favourite, Roger Hamley, and ends up in Africa! Bookverse, please, though I don't object to casting an older Rosamund Pike. Gen, het or slash equally welcome, but if you go the femslash route, I'd rather close the bedroom door.
Wives and Daughters is my super-rare fandom this year; I'm only aware of three existing stories, one of which is a tiny ficlet & another a WiP of mine. So if you were brave enough to offer this, I'll be delighted to receive anything you want to write! Wives and Daughters is perhaps Gaskell's most mature novel, her Middlemarch. It doesn't quite have the cross-class romance of North and South, but it does have a large cast of scintillating characters all presented sympathetically, with plenty of women being awesome, & women looking out for women. (This fandom is a shoe-in for the Misses Clause Challenge, by the way!) I like all the characters in the novel, without exception, but Lady Harriet always makes me cheer. I'm also fond of the inclusion of the science of the day, with Roger Hamley (probably my second favourite) being modelled on Charles Darwin, & his African explorations on the Beagle voyage.
I'm not particularly invested in Gaskell's prose style, but modern phraseology does tend to throw me out of stories set in the 19th C (unless the whole story is written in a modern style). I'm keen (though not very knowledgeable) on historical accuracy, and if you happen to know the period (late 1820s to early 1830s) then historical detail would be wonderful. Crossovers with other 19th C novels would also be of interest; aside from Gaskell, I particularly love George Eliot, Charlotte & Anne Brontë, Anthony Trollope and Jane Austen.
Again, not a lot I've uncovered in the way of online resources, but the novel is available online at Project Gutenberg. There is a super BBC adaptation by Andrew Davies, available on DVD, which might be a good way of getting into the novel if Victorian prose turns you off. It's pretty faithful, aside from the ending.
Some generalities: I'm both a 'more of' & a 'more from' canon girl; that is, I'd be equally overjoyed to receive a story that captures the precise tone of canon and one that cleverly turns canon on its head & stomps all over it. I love stylish prose, unusual formats, structural interest, world building, politics, intellectual discussions, women being awesome, well-developed original & minor characters, villain PoVs, dollops of plot, plausible sideturn-from-canon AUs, dry, sly & black humour -- and above all stories that surprise me. I'm equally keen on gen, het & slash, though I usually prefer to close the bedroom door.
I don't tend to enjoy heavy-handed angst, hurt/comfort, PWP, kinkfic, slapstick humour, crackfic, alternate realities, kidfic, schmoop & fluff. Darker stories are fine, but one focusing on death of parents, or suicide, would be potentially triggering for me at the moment.
As this journal is sparse, try my recommendations site if you're interested in further hints as to my fictional tastes; I've amassed quite a large collection of Earthsea stories there over the years and there's also a few Raymond Chandler, though surprisingly little Victorian lit considering how much I read. My fanfiction masterlist might clue you in to some of my obsessions. I'm also Espresso Addict on livejournal, but much of that journal is friends-locked. I was rather verbose in my prompts; nevertheless there are a few extra hints to be had under the cut.
Earthsea
Character: Thorion
I'm particularly interested in a behind-the-scenes, warts-and-all portrayal of the internal politics of the Roke School during the time when Ged is Archmage or in the immediate aftermath, as seen in 'On the High Marsh' & 'Dragonfly', rather than the rather idealised view of the school given in the earlier books. Some possibilities... 'On the High Marsh' gives us a glimpse of the complex relationships between Ged, Irioth & Thorion, and I'd love further exploration of this time. If 'Thorion was the best of us all---a brave heart, a noble mind,' how did he go so badly astray as in 'Dragonfly'? Thorion's the youngest of the Roke masters, how does this affect his relationships with the other masters? 'Dragonfly' exposes tensions between Roke and the new king, which is another area I'd love explored. Feel free to emphasise other characters if you wish; I particularly love Ged, the Doorkeeper & Azver, and I'm always very open to OCs or minors. Gen or slash equally welcome.
This is a recycled request from one of my older fandoms, and one I've tried over the years to nurture, so any story will be adored to bits! With this prompt, it's the setting that truly intrigues me, so feel completely free to emphasise other characters or create OCs if your muse takes you that way. (In fact, going back to Halkel's time is another option, if you were interested.) I tend to see the school as a little like an Oxbridge college, with petty rivalries becoming quietly deadly in the confined & competitive environment. (Think CP Snow's The Masters if you happen to have read it.)
If you're into m/m slash & feel inclined to have a go, I'd be very much interested, as there's virtually no slash above PG across the entire fandom. In this context, dubious consent, pupil/teacher relationships & similar would work for me. Nothing above hard R, though, please. (There again, I can't stress enough that if you're a gen writer or just don't see the potential, I'll be truly happy to go with wizardly celibacy.)
If canon overwhelms you, or you're here as a pinch-hitter, then The Isolate Tower is as accurate as I could make it, though not entirely complete. There's a list of the Roke masters at various time points, which might be of use.
Philip Marlowe
Character: Philip Marlowe
What I particularly like about the series is Chandler's amazing style and his loving portrait of all sides of the city. Anything that adheres to these will be very well received. A casefile would be wonderful, possibly investigating with Anne Riordan or one of the sympathetic police officers (Lieutenant Randall's probably my favourite). Alternatively, a typical or not-so-typical day in the office, per ch 21 of The Long Goodbye, or a little backstory, perhaps how he came to leave the police. Or perhaps an AU in which Marlowe does stay the night with Anne Riordan. I'm conflicted over Marlowe's potential as a closeted gay and would prefer no overt slash; UST at around the level of canon is fine.
This is a new request from one of my newest fandoms, and I'm still brimming over with the new fandom love. (There's a little squee here, if you're interested.) I don't have much in the way of specific scenarios in mind for this one, and almost anything with a stab at Chandler's style will make me deeply happy.
As I know a lot of fans are all about the slash in this fandom, I'll try to clarify my position a little. I think it's readily arguable that Marlowe's primary orientation is towards men; however, I also believe that he is so deeply closeted & homophobic as to not consciously be aware of this. I don't often find slash fiction with Marlowe convincing because I don't think he would be able to have a sexual experience with a man without feeling deep shame afterwards. And I really don't want to read that bone-deep shame.
By the way, I'm not personally bothered by fiction that reflects the attitudes of the source or historical period, however racist, sexist or homophobic these feel to modern ears; in fact, I'd probably be more bothered by anachronistic attitudes. There again, clever authorial undermining of such attitudes is always a bonus.
I've not found a lot in the way of online resources, but Twists, Slug and Roscoes: A Glossary of Hardboiled Slang might perhaps be of interest.
Wives and Daughters
Character: Lady Harriet Cumnor
Lady Harriet is such an amazing character, I'd love to see more of her whatever you write! My secret dream is that she takes up a bohemian life in London after her mother's death, possibly with another woman -- an OC or crossover or historical person, I don't picture her with any other canon woman. Other thoughts... Could she take up another person's cause, as she does with Molly? Perhaps reconciling the Cumnors with Squire Hamley? Or a more abstract cause, but prosecuted in her own inimitable fashion. Could she somehow get involved in politics &/or electioneering? Is she interested in her brother's scientific studies? Or even an AU in which she gets together with my second favourite, Roger Hamley, and ends up in Africa! Bookverse, please, though I don't object to casting an older Rosamund Pike. Gen, het or slash equally welcome, but if you go the femslash route, I'd rather close the bedroom door.
Wives and Daughters is my super-rare fandom this year; I'm only aware of three existing stories, one of which is a tiny ficlet & another a WiP of mine. So if you were brave enough to offer this, I'll be delighted to receive anything you want to write! Wives and Daughters is perhaps Gaskell's most mature novel, her Middlemarch. It doesn't quite have the cross-class romance of North and South, but it does have a large cast of scintillating characters all presented sympathetically, with plenty of women being awesome, & women looking out for women. (This fandom is a shoe-in for the Misses Clause Challenge, by the way!) I like all the characters in the novel, without exception, but Lady Harriet always makes me cheer. I'm also fond of the inclusion of the science of the day, with Roger Hamley (probably my second favourite) being modelled on Charles Darwin, & his African explorations on the Beagle voyage.
I'm not particularly invested in Gaskell's prose style, but modern phraseology does tend to throw me out of stories set in the 19th C (unless the whole story is written in a modern style). I'm keen (though not very knowledgeable) on historical accuracy, and if you happen to know the period (late 1820s to early 1830s) then historical detail would be wonderful. Crossovers with other 19th C novels would also be of interest; aside from Gaskell, I particularly love George Eliot, Charlotte & Anne Brontë, Anthony Trollope and Jane Austen.
Again, not a lot I've uncovered in the way of online resources, but the novel is available online at Project Gutenberg. There is a super BBC adaptation by Andrew Davies, available on DVD, which might be a good way of getting into the novel if Victorian prose turns you off. It's pretty faithful, aside from the ending.