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graycardinalNow that assignments are going out I suppose I should actually write the letter....
[pause, breathe]
First the general notes. Thank you, Santa/Yulegoat/Solstice L(l)ama in whatever shape you choose to manifest. Yuletide is a wonder and a treasure, and Yuletide writers likewise deserve all the backrubs and hot chocolate they can get for their literary efforts. I will be honored and pleased with virtually anything you produce based on these prompts, and I definitely appreciate the effort you're expending to take part in the challenge (especially this year, with its tight timelines).
As to my fanfictional tastes in general, I like: strong characterization, well-written dialogue, wit/banter/snark, clever use of canon, well-developed AUs, UST (heavy on the T), crossovers, and more. I'm neutral when it comes to matters of gen, slash, or femslash -- if the pairing is well-developed, I'll read with an open mind. I'm not into noncon, incest, or adult/child kinks, but have few other outright squicks as long as the relationship is age- and canon-appropriate; OTOH, I mostly don't read fanfic for sexual content.
When it comes to Yuletide, I typically request single characters, but not because I'm uninterested in romantic pairings or the other characters in a given canon. Rather, my take is that (1) single characters are easier for the mods to match, and (2) it gives you, the writer, greater flexibility as you look around for other characters in the fandom for my chosen character to hang out with.
Now, as to my specific requests:
The Lastborn of Elvinwood • Linda HaldemanCharacter: Thomas Heaton
I've always assumed that the good Vicar must have a fascinating back story -- considering his interests, and his apparent history with Merlin. Anything along this line will be met with great joy and appreciation -- but Optional Details Being Optional, I'll be immensely happy with just about any story that shows as much love for this book as I've had over the years.
This is my permanent Yuletide Fandom-of-One™; I've been submitting versions of the above request for years and doing my best to pimp the fandom along the way (to see prior efforts, click my Yuletide journal tag and scroll down). So far no one has offered the book -- and as a result, I know no one's matched on the fandom to date -- but I keep hoping. I highly recommend the novel (and the author generally) even if you don't have any intention of writing in the fandom; it's a quick and delightful read, and one of these years someone will extend on the canon and then we'll both be joyful and grateful beyond measure.
My Little Pony
Character: Megan
As someone said last year, "Megan grew up". I'd love to see a story about Megan growing up with the Ponies -- and/or a story about Megan saving a Pony or Ponies from a genuine menace. Absolutely include any Ponies or other Ponyverse characters you feel appropriate (and if a suitable crossover opportunity occurs to you, I wouldn't object to that, either). And while I have checked "Gen" in the category section of the form, I also wouldn't object to an age-appropriate (and species-appropriate, please!) romantic element.
This was a late request, but no less sincere for that. As many others did, last year I read, recced, and was utterly charmed by Annie D's "Another Rainbow in Another Sky"; I had been a fan of the Ponyverse ever since the very first feature turned up on TV, and seeing that story woke my inner child up with a vengeance. I very much hope that someday she'll write the rest of that adventure. That said, let me be clear; unless the Yuletide ghods have granted the longest of possible long-shot matches and you are Annie D -- and then only if it's the story you want to write, too -- I absolutely don't expect that sequel for this Yuletide. What I'm hoping for here is simply a good solid Megan-centric story, because for me she was the keystone that made the Ponyverse as fascinating as it was, a grounding influence to balance the more whimsical aspects of Pony life. (Make no mistake, I liked the whimsy too, in proportion -- it was the contrast between that air of innocent fun and the darker good/evil conflicts that made the Ponyverse unique.)
Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?
Character: Carmen Sandiego
Carmen's relationship with Zack and Ivy -- and the way it evolves over the course of the series -- is one of my ongoing fascinations in this fandom. I'd be very interested in any story featuring that relationship as a theme (though I don't see it at *all* in a slashy or romantic way). Alternately -- though only if you're so minded, Optional Details Being Optional -- Carmen's also struck me as a walking opportunity for entertaining crossovers, whether caper-driven or character-intense.
The foregoing is pretty straightforward, I think, both as far as plot bunnies and my sense of Carmen's character are concerned. My biggest hope for this fandom is that at some point we get the rest of the series on DVD, especially the last season incorporating the Avalon character arc -- I haven't seen those last few episodes in way, way too long, and I need a good Carmen-story to hold me over. [Purely as an additional plot bunny, though it would be far beyond the call of duty, a story combining this request with the one below for Captain Black would be immensely amusing. I'm not sure I want to think about what would happen if Zack and Ivy had to deal with Jade....]
Jackie Chan Adventures
Character: Captain Black
Of all the Jackie Chan Adventures cast, Captain Black seemed to get the least screen time and back story. I'd love to see the story of how he and Jackie met, or a "day off" episode, or more of how he manages the ongoing tap-dance between briefing his bosses on Bureau 13's activities and downplaying the weirder magical aspects of his cases. Feel free to bring in additional cast as needed.
Again, this gives as much plot and character advice as seems useful without being unhelpfully specific. I'd further observe mostly that Captain Black works best when he's got someone to play off of. In the show as aired, he usually ends up being the "straight man" because everyone around him is much weirder than he is; it might be interesting to drop him into a situation where he's the exotic hero who gets all the best lines.
[pause, breathe]
First the general notes. Thank you, Santa/Yulegoat/Solstice L(l)ama in whatever shape you choose to manifest. Yuletide is a wonder and a treasure, and Yuletide writers likewise deserve all the backrubs and hot chocolate they can get for their literary efforts. I will be honored and pleased with virtually anything you produce based on these prompts, and I definitely appreciate the effort you're expending to take part in the challenge (especially this year, with its tight timelines).
As to my fanfictional tastes in general, I like: strong characterization, well-written dialogue, wit/banter/snark, clever use of canon, well-developed AUs, UST (heavy on the T), crossovers, and more. I'm neutral when it comes to matters of gen, slash, or femslash -- if the pairing is well-developed, I'll read with an open mind. I'm not into noncon, incest, or adult/child kinks, but have few other outright squicks as long as the relationship is age- and canon-appropriate; OTOH, I mostly don't read fanfic for sexual content.
When it comes to Yuletide, I typically request single characters, but not because I'm uninterested in romantic pairings or the other characters in a given canon. Rather, my take is that (1) single characters are easier for the mods to match, and (2) it gives you, the writer, greater flexibility as you look around for other characters in the fandom for my chosen character to hang out with.
Now, as to my specific requests:
The Lastborn of Elvinwood • Linda Haldeman
I've always assumed that the good Vicar must have a fascinating back story -- considering his interests, and his apparent history with Merlin. Anything along this line will be met with great joy and appreciation -- but Optional Details Being Optional, I'll be immensely happy with just about any story that shows as much love for this book as I've had over the years.
This is my permanent Yuletide Fandom-of-One™; I've been submitting versions of the above request for years and doing my best to pimp the fandom along the way (to see prior efforts, click my Yuletide journal tag and scroll down). So far no one has offered the book -- and as a result, I know no one's matched on the fandom to date -- but I keep hoping. I highly recommend the novel (and the author generally) even if you don't have any intention of writing in the fandom; it's a quick and delightful read, and one of these years someone will extend on the canon and then we'll both be joyful and grateful beyond measure.
My Little Pony
Character: Megan
As someone said last year, "Megan grew up". I'd love to see a story about Megan growing up with the Ponies -- and/or a story about Megan saving a Pony or Ponies from a genuine menace. Absolutely include any Ponies or other Ponyverse characters you feel appropriate (and if a suitable crossover opportunity occurs to you, I wouldn't object to that, either). And while I have checked "Gen" in the category section of the form, I also wouldn't object to an age-appropriate (and species-appropriate, please!) romantic element.
This was a late request, but no less sincere for that. As many others did, last year I read, recced, and was utterly charmed by Annie D's "Another Rainbow in Another Sky"; I had been a fan of the Ponyverse ever since the very first feature turned up on TV, and seeing that story woke my inner child up with a vengeance. I very much hope that someday she'll write the rest of that adventure. That said, let me be clear; unless the Yuletide ghods have granted the longest of possible long-shot matches and you are Annie D -- and then only if it's the story you want to write, too -- I absolutely don't expect that sequel for this Yuletide. What I'm hoping for here is simply a good solid Megan-centric story, because for me she was the keystone that made the Ponyverse as fascinating as it was, a grounding influence to balance the more whimsical aspects of Pony life. (Make no mistake, I liked the whimsy too, in proportion -- it was the contrast between that air of innocent fun and the darker good/evil conflicts that made the Ponyverse unique.)
Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?
Character: Carmen Sandiego
Carmen's relationship with Zack and Ivy -- and the way it evolves over the course of the series -- is one of my ongoing fascinations in this fandom. I'd be very interested in any story featuring that relationship as a theme (though I don't see it at *all* in a slashy or romantic way). Alternately -- though only if you're so minded, Optional Details Being Optional -- Carmen's also struck me as a walking opportunity for entertaining crossovers, whether caper-driven or character-intense.
The foregoing is pretty straightforward, I think, both as far as plot bunnies and my sense of Carmen's character are concerned. My biggest hope for this fandom is that at some point we get the rest of the series on DVD, especially the last season incorporating the Avalon character arc -- I haven't seen those last few episodes in way, way too long, and I need a good Carmen-story to hold me over. [Purely as an additional plot bunny, though it would be far beyond the call of duty, a story combining this request with the one below for Captain Black would be immensely amusing. I'm not sure I want to think about what would happen if Zack and Ivy had to deal with Jade....]
Jackie Chan Adventures
Character: Captain Black
Of all the Jackie Chan Adventures cast, Captain Black seemed to get the least screen time and back story. I'd love to see the story of how he and Jackie met, or a "day off" episode, or more of how he manages the ongoing tap-dance between briefing his bosses on Bureau 13's activities and downplaying the weirder magical aspects of his cases. Feel free to bring in additional cast as needed.
Again, this gives as much plot and character advice as seems useful without being unhelpfully specific. I'd further observe mostly that Captain Black works best when he's got someone to play off of. In the show as aired, he usually ends up being the "straight man" because everyone around him is much weirder than he is; it might be interesting to drop him into a situation where he's the exotic hero who gets all the best lines.
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