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graycardinalGreetings, O YuleScrivener, and welcome! And also, thank you! Where Yuletide is concerned, I am nothing if not a Requester Of The Seriously Obscure. Thus I am always amazed when the technomancy of the matching process succeeds in finding a writer who shares my appreciation for said obscurity, and delighted on Christmas morning when a wonderful and wondrous story from that writer's (metaphorical) pen lands in my AO3 gift-folder. We may just be setting out on this year's journey, but I know there's a happy ending to come, and I am grateful for it already. Your work is (and will be) appreciated and valued, and I look forward to seeing its fruits.
These letters aren't getting any shorter, so while I've got detailed material farther down, I think it's only fair to give you the list of fandom requests up front. So, those would be:
* Diana Winthrop series – “Kate Chambers”
* Enola Holmes series -- Nancy Springer (Cecily Alistair)
* Star Trek: Uhura's Song -- Janet Kagan
* Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?
General likes and dislikes
Feel free to wander backward through this journal and my fic on AO3 (linked to your left) to get an idea of my interests; what I write is very much also what I like to read – and has, over time, added up to rather a variety of fandoms. My past Yuletide letters (and those for other exchanges) are tagged "dear santa" herein; see the "Yuletide" tag too, if you like.
To summarize, though: text-driven pluses for me include effective use of wit (aka banter aka snark, etc.), as well as strong characterization & dialogue. I value both respect for and clever use of canon (including well-developed AUs -- the plot-driven kind, not the baristas/highschoolers/alt-species kind). I thrive on UST (heavy on both U and T), and am neutral where gen/het/slash is concerned; if the pairing is well-developed, I'll read with an open mind.
I am also a sucker for the well-executed crossover, whether via oblique allusion or head-on fandom collision. Yuletide being Yuletide and Optional Details Being Optional, I have absolutely no expectations along this line...but I have included an EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS section in each of my requests, because I live in hope, and because I can’t resist this sort of opportunity. Take these in the spirit in which they’re given, or set them aside as you prefer.
None of my requests call specifically for mature/explicit content. This doesn't mean I don't appreciate sizzling erotica/smut/porn; it's just that my fanfic-reading interests and my e/s/p-reading interests mostly don't tend to intersect. That said, if your muse happens to take you into explicit territory in the context of one of these requests, I'm generally willing to follow along for the ride. I have few outright personal squicks save for noncon, incest, or adult/child kinks so long as a given relationship is age- and canon-appropriate.
Character matching and prompts
Where I request single characters is not because I'm opposed to relationship-fic or multi-character stories – far from it. My goal is to give you greater flexibility in introducing additional characters, whether from those nominated or from wider canon. Even where I supply relatively specific prompts in a request, I want you to be able to shape the story; my suggestions are meant as springboards, not outlines.
This year, though, only one of my requests is for a single character; the others are all "any". In part, this is because I've managed to request several canons where the stories really rely on the ensemble as much as the nominal leads to drive the narrative. And in at least one case, it's because I honestly couldn't pick a favorite from the group of characters nominated.
Having said that, though, I'm not at all opposed to stories more tightly focused on one or two of the nominated players, and I've made that clear in the individual requests. Either way, you're also entirely welcome to bring in any additional canon characters (or OCs) you feel should be involved given the demands of your plot.
The specific requests
Diana Winthrop series -- "Kate Chambers"
A story featuring any one or more of the nominated characters will satisfy this request.
BACKGROUND: The Winthrop books are a teen-sleuth series (six slim paperbacks from the mid-'80s) set mostly in New York and New England, with "Kate Chambers" being a pen name for versatile writer Norma Johnston -- a fact I didn't learn till much later. The individual mysteries are dedicated to (and often cleverly plotted in the style of) various classic and then-famous mystery authors, the characterizations are much more nuanced than is usual for this category, and there’s a strong ongoing ensemble cast (including a major and well-rendered secondary character who’s blind).
NOTES: As obscure as this series is, I've evidently managed to sell at least one or two new readers on these books over the past year, so there are now more actual prompts in this request than there used to be. Nonetheless, this is what I tend to describe as an "Oliver Twist" request -- what I really and truly want most is simply more, and I am pretty much guaranteed to be delighted whether or not you actually follow any of the prompts given.
PROMPTS: This is one of my nano-fandoms and my Oliver Twist request -- which is to say, what I'm looking for is simply "more". That said, one of the really nifty things about Diana's adventures was the multi-generational family dynamic, and that's a big reason that I chose Gran Culhaine, Jacintha (who's clearly an adult here, though clearly pretty new-minted; I see her as mid-twenties at the outside), and Lydian Sinclair (who looks likely to become part of the Winthrop clan ere long) to represent the ensemble. I'd like to see more of the familial texture here, whether in the context of a case/adventure or in a more personal sort of tale. A writer should feel free to bring in others from the extended cast as appropriate, and to look for story ideas both from Diana's past (the Boston contingent as kids? Diana's original "acting" days?) and future (what do she and Brad end up doing career-wise?) as well as in the series' present.
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: The crossover junkie in me points out that Diana's NYC/Boston home base and detective interests make for plausible run-ins with a great variety of other source canons, including at least one of my other current requests, and someone (other than me!) has already nudge-winked a connection between Diana's Ross cousins and a certain family of MCU military and espionage professionals. More generally, see (1) my works and gifts received on AO3, and (2) all entries tagged “Dear Santa” in my DW journal, and assume that any fandom represented therein is welcome.
Enola Holmes series -- Nancy Springer (Cecily Alistair)
BACKGROUND: This is a series of six short chapter books featuring Sherlock's and Mycroft's equally brilliant younger sister, who's forced by circumstance -- and her siblings' ignorance of the wholly real dangers of English finishing schools -- to grow into adulthood both prematurely and wholly on her own. I initially found the first volume a trifle off-putting, but Springer ultimately has a good eye and ear for both the serious themes and the wry comic potential of this uniquely Holmesian exercise in sibling rivalry. The writing, being aimed at middle grade readers, is uncomplicated but not juvenile, and holds up reasonably well for adult readers. Also, there are ebook editions available.
NOTES: The fact that I've specified Cecily alone should not be taken to mean that I'm not interested in seeing other characters appear; quite the contrary. I'm just looking here for a story in which Cecily is the focus/anchor/catalyst, wherever and with whomever that idea may lead.
PROMPTS: Cecily Alistair in the series proper is something of a cipher; Springer never quite commits to a specific portrayal of the character. At times she appears to be a true dual personality; at others, her psychological issues seem to be both less severe and on the way to being resolved. Springer also dodges -- not surprisingly, given the age of her official audience -- any direct confirmation of either Cecily's or Enola's romantic inclinations. It's clear that Enola is interested in pursuing some degree of friendship with Cecily; I'm open to that bond being either platonic or romantic, so long as the relationship is thoughtfully developed. Alternately -- and optionally, given that neither appears in the tag set -- it would be fascinating to see Cecily interacting with either Mary Morstan Watson or Florence Nightingale.
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: As usual, this is where I point out potential crossovers of highly variable degrees of improbability...noting as i go that any such thing is well above and beyond the call of duty. In the "relatively more probable" class, one might have a look at how Cecily could fit into the Mary Russell universe of Laurie King. An unlikelier but potentially exotic match would be to put Cecily in the path of Elizabeth Peters' Emerson/Peabody clan. And a really obscure observation: it's been an age since I re-read the book, but I suddenly recall that there is a family of Alistairs in Richard Boyer's Holmesian pastiche The Giant Rat of Sumatra (one of my two favorite "giant rat" explanations, Fred Saberhagen's Holmes-Dracula File being the other -- and wouldn't that be an intriguing if cracktastic blending of universes?).
Star Trek: Uhura's Song -- Janet Kagan
A story featuring any one or more of the nominated characters will satisfy this request.
NOTES: I am absolutely delighted to see the number of requests and offers for this in the signup summary, considering that I nominated it at the very last minute and on the spur of the moment.
PROMPTS: Where "Evan Wilson" is concerned, just about anything you care to propose is likely to fill me with joy. With regard to Brightspot and Jinx Another StarFreedom, I'd be delighted by seeing them further developed and having adventures out there in the galaxy -- whether as part of a starship crew or in a more independent context. A story that brings Eeiauo and Sivao back together in a more formal way would be very welcome, too -- and perhaps that's where Rushlight fits into the mix, in his bardic capacity.
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: The elephant in the room for this book, of course, is the challenge "Evan" handed Spock at the end of the novel...and with Janet Kagan having left us, it's left to the fanfic world to address the scope, direction, and resolution of that epic hide-and-seek competition. Bringing Spock onstage in a major role is, of course, specifically outside the Yuletide brief, and it's not as if there aren't a host of tales to tell that fall much more squarely within Yuletide's parameters. But I won't deny that I'd really like to see someone, somewhere, sometime pick up the Evan-vs.-Spock challenge and run with it, even if it doesn't happen for this particular Yuletide.
Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?
A story featuring any one or more of the nominated characters will satisfy this request.
BACKGROUND: Just in case: "Where on Earth..." is the 1990s animated series, which is one of my all-time favorite shows. Not that I don't love the Rockapella-themed PBS game show (that's "Where in the World..."), but they are two very different creatures. I am very, very curious as to whether the upcoming live action movie is going to take any cues from the animated incarnation....
PROMPTS: Especially with Suhara in the mix this year, I'd be very interested in something ACME-centric this time around, whether set pre-series or in the show's nominal present. I've also remarked before that one of my great fascinations with this series is the bond that develops between Carmen and the detectives as the show progresses; at times there's what I'd call a slightly maternal quality to Carmen's interest in Our Heroes, and I'd enjoy seeing that idea considered. I also can't help thinking that it's interesting that canon gives us essentially no information about Ivy's and Zack's parents...which might be because they're utterly ordinary, but could also have to do with some tragic past event -- or the fact that technically, Ivy and Zack are computer-generated avatars.
OTOH, if deep familial musings aren't your cup of tea, I will also be greatly pleased with rapid-fire casefic (infoscans optional) or a straightforward snark-and-action encounter. One thing, though: I'd prefer strongly *not* to see a Carmen/Ivy romantic pairing; that one pushes a button for me.
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: I have often noted that this series, with both time travel and C5 portal tech on the table, is a crossover junkie's dream (indeed, I've written one or two of those, and had one of them remixed in brilliantly cracktastic fashion).
What occurs to me with this particular character set -- again, with Suhara available -- is the possibility for a more dramatic, higher-stakes crossover of some kind. For whatever reason, SG-1 just flickered across my mental radar, which might pit Carmen against the Goa'uld or set up a Carmen-vs.-Vala rivalry. (I am not sure which of those is the scarier prospect.)
But that's only one possibility; if some other Extremely Optional Crossover should happen to strike your imagination, I absolutely invite you to run with it here. And as I draft the letter-version of this section, it also occurs to me that there's no particular reason the PBS game show couldn't exist in the world of the animated series...and that it might be highly amusing for the "real" Carmen of this series to kidnap Rockapella for her own nefarious purposes.
