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graycardinalFor anyone not in the loop: the 2012 Rare Women Fic Exchange is live. General information is here, the list of eligible fandoms and characters is here, and signups are here.
And here we go; this is my 2nd year playing in this sandbox, and it looks to be at least as intriguing as the first.
The first order of business is (as always) thanks; I am grateful sincerely and in advance for the story I'm about to receive. Whoever you are, I appreciate your efforts on my behalf, and I look forward to reading the results.
My tastes in fic are wide and eclectic -- I read and enjoy gen, het, and slash (both flavors) at all ratings and have very few outright squicks, but I am not typically attracted to stories for erotic content or angst quotient. Rather, I like good characterization, authentic-sounding dialogue, effectively sneaky plotting, and well-developed wit. I am equally intrigued by clever use of canon and thoughtfully developed AUs, and I am disturbingly fond of crossovers and well-woven meta threads. As a rule, I tend to prefer canon-consistent romantic pairings (any exceptions will be noted further along), with the added note that in my book, well-sustained UST (heavy on the T) is often as good as or better than actual sex. It's definitely true that my own writing also reflects the kinds of things I like to read; my AO3 archive is here, and you're welcome to prowl.
Now, then, to the requests:
Batman Beyond (Talia al-Ghul)
The trick here is telling a story about the real Talia -- because given That Moment in that one episode of BB, you just know that there was a whole lot of back story we didn't get to see. Show me at least a glimpse of it -- and if you can, give me more grounds for hope on Talia's behalf than we necessarily got from canon.
I'm assuming that anyone who's a match for me on this character has seen the episode of Batman Beyond in which Talia appears -- and the key moment I allude to in the foregoing (more than that I won't say, to avoid spoiling those who've not seen the episode). Suffice to say that I am deeply skeptical of what canon tells us about how the...let's call it "moment of transition" went down -- and I rather think that I'm not alone in this skepticism. The story hook is pretty much irresistible; I look forward to seeing what someone can do with it.
Prospective authors should note that my knowledge of print-canon relative to Talia's fate is relatively limited, and what little I do know does not strike me as especially compelling. That being the case, feel free to use or ignore material from print-canon (and/or material from earlier animated canon) as you see fit.
Castle (Alexis Castle, Martha Rodgers)
For Martha, a story focusing on her acting career would be fantastic; if it also happens to turn into a casefic in which Martha gets to sleuth, that's a bonus. For Alexis, I'm more interested in adventures than in romance; absolutely optional but totally amusing would be a crossover with a suitable SF/F universe (certain parts of the Who canon or the Buffyverse, SG-1, Marvel or DCU, Gargoyles, you get the idea). Whether fantastical or not, the story should let her stretch her many talents and perhaps point her further along a college or career path, the more unexpected the better. If you do give Alexis a love interest, please keep it age-appropriate. Including additional canon characters in the mix is absolutely encouraged (well, save maybe for Ashley :-) ).
This one's fairly straightforward, I think. With Martha, there's obviously a lot of room for speculation as to her back story; if you give her a romance, my only request is that she shouldn't lose the edge that spices her present-day relationship with grownup!Rick. With Alexis -- as noted, I'm not at all an Ashley fan (does he have any fans?), and I'll emphasize that despite my abiding love for crossovers, you are in no way obligated to go anywhere near that set of suggestions if your muse doesn't swing that way. There's plenty of room within canon for good Alexis-fic, and that will do quite as well. [One further observation, and one only, in the crossover zone: in the Buffyverse, I'd expect Alexis to be recruited as a Watcher rather than a Slayer. But that may be just me....]
Diana Tregarde Investigations (Diana Tregarde)
I've always been frustrated at the way this series was short-circuited. What I'm looking for here is, pretty much, simply "more". Guardian-type casefic would be spectacular; OTOH, you could also send her to a romance writers' conference (a la Elizabeth Peters' Die For Love) and I'd be equally pleased. Feel free to include additional canon characters as you see fit (including those from the author's neighbor canons if your muse runs that way).
Again, this one's fairly straightforward. Looking back, Diana's problem was clearly that Misty Lackey had invented today's paranormal genre a couple of decades early. It ought not be a surprise that I'd also welcome suitable crossovers here (and there are a lot of entertaining possibilities these days), but Optional Details Being Optional, you are under no obligation whatsoever to indulge my whims in that regard. Per the formal request, more Diana is more than enough in itself.
Kim Possible (Dr. Director, Dr. Ann Possible, Nana Possible)
For Mrs. Dr. P.: on one hand, she may not be Kim's equal as a superhero, but clearly she is not a Mom to be messed with. Give her a reason to go postal on one of Kim's adversaries and I'll bet on her anytime. For Dr. Director and Nana: while it doesn't come up in canon, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if these two had worked together, or at least known each other, in their respective pasts in espionage and covert ops. That suggests either a flashback piece or perhaps a reunion tale.
My prompt for Mrs. Dr. P. is fairly non-specific, and my expectations for a story about her are correspondingly open-ended -- there's room for romance, or comedy, or adventure as you see fit. For Dr. Director and Nana I've been more specific (and a bit presumptuous in linking the two); if you prefer giving one or the other a solo outing, that's absolutely fine. I'd be pleased with either one on their own (Dr. Director dealing with her evil twin, or Will Du, or daily routine at GJ; Nana in flashback on a mission, or in canon-time figuring out ways to weaponize lemon squares -- or what one gets when Kim tries to make them).
I might add that Kim Possible was the series that lured me into fic-writing; if you're looking for insights into my general views of the show, you might have a look at my KP stories.
Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? (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.
And again I've been reasonably clear, I think, both as far as plot bunnies and my sense of Carmen's character are concerned. I am very pleased that we've finally got the full series on DVD, including the final Avalon arc, and would also welcome a story following on from that sequence. Or if you really are crossover-minded, feel free to go to town, and set Carmen against anyone from Jessica Fletcher to Kate Beckett to Jade Chan (from Jackie Chan Adventures), or the superheroine of your choice. And while Carmen isn't precisely a comedic character, I do think her sense of humor is sometimes under-exploited.
And here we go; this is my 2nd year playing in this sandbox, and it looks to be at least as intriguing as the first.
The first order of business is (as always) thanks; I am grateful sincerely and in advance for the story I'm about to receive. Whoever you are, I appreciate your efforts on my behalf, and I look forward to reading the results.
My tastes in fic are wide and eclectic -- I read and enjoy gen, het, and slash (both flavors) at all ratings and have very few outright squicks, but I am not typically attracted to stories for erotic content or angst quotient. Rather, I like good characterization, authentic-sounding dialogue, effectively sneaky plotting, and well-developed wit. I am equally intrigued by clever use of canon and thoughtfully developed AUs, and I am disturbingly fond of crossovers and well-woven meta threads. As a rule, I tend to prefer canon-consistent romantic pairings (any exceptions will be noted further along), with the added note that in my book, well-sustained UST (heavy on the T) is often as good as or better than actual sex. It's definitely true that my own writing also reflects the kinds of things I like to read; my AO3 archive is here, and you're welcome to prowl.
Now, then, to the requests:
Batman Beyond (Talia al-Ghul)
The trick here is telling a story about the real Talia -- because given That Moment in that one episode of BB, you just know that there was a whole lot of back story we didn't get to see. Show me at least a glimpse of it -- and if you can, give me more grounds for hope on Talia's behalf than we necessarily got from canon.
I'm assuming that anyone who's a match for me on this character has seen the episode of Batman Beyond in which Talia appears -- and the key moment I allude to in the foregoing (more than that I won't say, to avoid spoiling those who've not seen the episode). Suffice to say that I am deeply skeptical of what canon tells us about how the...let's call it "moment of transition" went down -- and I rather think that I'm not alone in this skepticism. The story hook is pretty much irresistible; I look forward to seeing what someone can do with it.
Prospective authors should note that my knowledge of print-canon relative to Talia's fate is relatively limited, and what little I do know does not strike me as especially compelling. That being the case, feel free to use or ignore material from print-canon (and/or material from earlier animated canon) as you see fit.
Castle (Alexis Castle, Martha Rodgers)
For Martha, a story focusing on her acting career would be fantastic; if it also happens to turn into a casefic in which Martha gets to sleuth, that's a bonus. For Alexis, I'm more interested in adventures than in romance; absolutely optional but totally amusing would be a crossover with a suitable SF/F universe (certain parts of the Who canon or the Buffyverse, SG-1, Marvel or DCU, Gargoyles, you get the idea). Whether fantastical or not, the story should let her stretch her many talents and perhaps point her further along a college or career path, the more unexpected the better. If you do give Alexis a love interest, please keep it age-appropriate. Including additional canon characters in the mix is absolutely encouraged (well, save maybe for Ashley :-) ).
This one's fairly straightforward, I think. With Martha, there's obviously a lot of room for speculation as to her back story; if you give her a romance, my only request is that she shouldn't lose the edge that spices her present-day relationship with grownup!Rick. With Alexis -- as noted, I'm not at all an Ashley fan (does he have any fans?), and I'll emphasize that despite my abiding love for crossovers, you are in no way obligated to go anywhere near that set of suggestions if your muse doesn't swing that way. There's plenty of room within canon for good Alexis-fic, and that will do quite as well. [One further observation, and one only, in the crossover zone: in the Buffyverse, I'd expect Alexis to be recruited as a Watcher rather than a Slayer. But that may be just me....]
Diana Tregarde Investigations (Diana Tregarde)
I've always been frustrated at the way this series was short-circuited. What I'm looking for here is, pretty much, simply "more". Guardian-type casefic would be spectacular; OTOH, you could also send her to a romance writers' conference (a la Elizabeth Peters' Die For Love) and I'd be equally pleased. Feel free to include additional canon characters as you see fit (including those from the author's neighbor canons if your muse runs that way).
Again, this one's fairly straightforward. Looking back, Diana's problem was clearly that Misty Lackey had invented today's paranormal genre a couple of decades early. It ought not be a surprise that I'd also welcome suitable crossovers here (and there are a lot of entertaining possibilities these days), but Optional Details Being Optional, you are under no obligation whatsoever to indulge my whims in that regard. Per the formal request, more Diana is more than enough in itself.
Kim Possible (Dr. Director, Dr. Ann Possible, Nana Possible)
For Mrs. Dr. P.: on one hand, she may not be Kim's equal as a superhero, but clearly she is not a Mom to be messed with. Give her a reason to go postal on one of Kim's adversaries and I'll bet on her anytime. For Dr. Director and Nana: while it doesn't come up in canon, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if these two had worked together, or at least known each other, in their respective pasts in espionage and covert ops. That suggests either a flashback piece or perhaps a reunion tale.
My prompt for Mrs. Dr. P. is fairly non-specific, and my expectations for a story about her are correspondingly open-ended -- there's room for romance, or comedy, or adventure as you see fit. For Dr. Director and Nana I've been more specific (and a bit presumptuous in linking the two); if you prefer giving one or the other a solo outing, that's absolutely fine. I'd be pleased with either one on their own (Dr. Director dealing with her evil twin, or Will Du, or daily routine at GJ; Nana in flashback on a mission, or in canon-time figuring out ways to weaponize lemon squares -- or what one gets when Kim tries to make them).
I might add that Kim Possible was the series that lured me into fic-writing; if you're looking for insights into my general views of the show, you might have a look at my KP stories.
Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? (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.
And again I've been reasonably clear, I think, both as far as plot bunnies and my sense of Carmen's character are concerned. I am very pleased that we've finally got the full series on DVD, including the final Avalon arc, and would also welcome a story following on from that sequence. Or if you really are crossover-minded, feel free to go to town, and set Carmen against anyone from Jessica Fletcher to Kate Beckett to Jade Chan (from Jackie Chan Adventures), or the superheroine of your choice. And while Carmen isn't precisely a comedic character, I do think her sense of humor is sometimes under-exploited.
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