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graycardinalNote: A good deal of this text has been largely ported from prior letters, although I have done a bit of editing, polishing, and reorganizing, and there are new and expanded prompts throughout.
Greetings, O Scribbler, and welcome! And also, thank you! A number of the following requests run from the moderately to the extremely obscure, and I am more than grateful to anyone who's not only searched out the same odd things that I like but gone to the trouble to add new chapters to these characters' lives.
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”
* Kairos (O'Keefe) series – Madeleine L'Engle (Canon Tallis)
* The Night of the Solstice – L. J. Smith
* Tom Swift Series IV – Victor Appleton
* Young Wizards – Diane Duane (Carmela, Dairine, Harry, Annie)
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 letters for a variety of exchanges are tagged "dear santa" herein; and I've tagged Fic Corner material specifically as well.
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. Fic Corner being Fic Corner and Optional Details Being Optional, I have absolutely no expectations along this line...but I have included an EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS section in most 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, it's 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. Also: "any" here means "any", not "all"...but the above note applies, too. Single-character focus is fine, but so are ensemble-centric pieces.
Specific requests
Diana Winthrop series – “Kate Chambers” (any)
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 time, 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; Gran Culhaine is an active presence in these, Jacintha is a new-minted adult (early 20s at the outside, I think) with her own life & career, and Lydian develops connections both to Diana and her father. And Diana's interest in Brad Ferriers, for all of being very lightly sketched, shows much more chemistry and nuance than we ever saw between Nancy Drew and Ned Nickerson. I'd like to see more of this familial texture, whether in a case/adventure or 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. 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.
Kairos (O'Keefe) series – Madeleine L'Engle (Canon Tallis)
NOTES: The interesting thing about Canon Tallis is that L'Engle tells us so much and yet so little about him. He knows or comes to know both the Murry-O'Keefes and the Austins, plus Mr. Theo and Adam Eddington (and I think turns up or is referenced in a couple of other places way out on the fringes of L'Engle's overall canon). He's clearly not just a priest, though he is equally clearly a very good one when called on as such. Likewise, while he clearly isn't a spy as such -- at least not by the time we meet him in Arm of the Starfish -- he's got status and credentials of some kind in global intelligence.
PROMPTS: I've always thought that the light thrillers in which Canon Tallis mostly appears are really some of her best and most textured work, and wish that she'd given us more in that vein -- not least because the Canon is one of her most fascinating characters. Here, I'm genuinely torn. Part of me very much wants a background or origin story for him, but another part is pulling for a "modern" adventure in which Tallis either gets to take center stage or we get his POV on a case involving someone else in the extended L'Engle cast.
To be clear: I welcome whatever additional characters you'd like to bring in, but you are in no way obligated to look outside the official tag set if you're not minded to do so. That said: I'd be particularly fascinated to see Canon Tallis cross paths with any of Zachary, Charles Wallace, Adam (anytime post-Starfish), or some of the outlying Murry clan.
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: This is another one of those fandoms with all kinds of crossover potential, particularly for Canon Tallis and his globe-hopping lifestyle (one of these years, I should really drop him into the Into A Bar challenge). Just about any of my other fandom requests could theoretically allow for a drop-in, and that's only the beginning of the possible opportunities.
The Night of the Solstice – L. J. Smith (any)
BACKGROUND: From the author of the Vampire Diaries and Night World books, this is a two-book sequence (the sequel is Heart of Valor -- there wasn't a series designation back in 2010 when the AO3 tag was created) featuring four siblings in Southern California who discover that the nearby creepy house on the hill is in fact full of portals to the Wildworld (aka faerie), that a mad sorcerer is planning to come through and invade the mortal realms, and that they need to rescue the sorceress who's supposed to be guarding the portals. The second volume explores the consequences of the rescue -- which include the slight problem that a none-too-stable Merlin has accidentally been set free and is trailing environmental chaos (i.e. earthquakes) in his wake. Fortunately, our heroes are on the case....
NOTES: I was attracted to these books because in a lot of ways, they're a bridge between the classic fantasy I grew up reading (Susan Cooper, Edward Eager) and the sort of distinctly modern worldview that we've come to see in my favorite YA and non-YA writers (Diane Duane, Seanan McGuire). They are, hands down, Smith's best work, and it's a great shame that they're not better known. The Hodges-Bradley kids are brilliant and delightful, and the world needs more of their adventures even if Smith (as it presently appears) seems unlikely to write and publish them.
PROMPTS: I'm drawn in two directions here: on one hand, I'd like to see how Alys and Janie balance their Stillworld lives with their ties to magic and the Wildworld; on the other, I'm intrigued by Wildworld politics, particularly as they'll have evolved post-Heart of Valor, and thereby eager for a look at Morgana re-adjusting to having status in the Wildworld. (Terzian is in the tag set because she seems to be Morgana's chiefest ally in the Wildworld and the likeliest among them to come visiting the Stillworld "nowadays". A Terzian's-eye view on any of these post-Valor matters would, I'm sure, be highly entertaining story-wise....)
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: Oddly enough, this fandom doesn't particularly trigger my crossover-junkie buttons; while I wouldn't mind seeing a crossover here (and there are certainly canons that would play well with this one), it's not a priority for me. OTOH, the world Smith builds has a lot of depth and potential that her chosen narrative doesn't begin to tap, and if anyone who's read these is minded to explore in a direction other than what I've sketched here (reaching back into the Arthurian elements, anything about Darion Beldar, etc.), I would be entirely delighted to see those stories, too.
Tom Swift Series IV – Victor Appleton (any)
BACKGROUND: This was the Archway paperback run from the 1990s -- 13 skinny paperbacks plus two thicker crossover novels guest-starring the Hardy boys. (We don't talk about the 3rd series, set mostly in space, which is very much its own weird continuity.)
NOTES: When the fourth series came along (starting with The Black Dragon), I noticed, because it so happened that at the time I was reading SF novels by the likes of Diane Duane and Debra Doyle/James Macdonald -- and Doyle & Macdonald, it turned out, had written a couple of the new Tom Swift novels. I was instantly hooked. This version had the spirit of the earlier series, nodded cleverly toward prior continuity...and offered a briskly updated setting with sharp SF ideas and smart-but-not-square characters.
PROMPTS: I threw archvillain Xavier Mace into the character mix on a whim -- it's rare for any of the modern Stratemeyer-based series to have a major ongoing nemesis, and the Black Dragon is rather more competent than the average mad genius. I wouldn't mind a bit seeing a story in which he -- well, not exactly wins a round, but shows a bit of the dimension built into the character. And of course anything where Tom and/or Sandra get to show off their youthful technical genius is always appreciated (though I admit, too, to some curiosity about those of Tom's inventions that haven't worked out so well -- cf. the Danny Dunn story I wrote a round or two back).
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: I am still absurdly pleased with the ingenious crossover yarn with in this setting which I was gifted previously in this exchange -- but that just goes to show how well-primed the Swift universe is for crossovers. While of course no such effort is necessary (see the words EXTREMELY OPTIONAL above), if anyone is minded to boggle Tom's mind with wizardry or drop the Doctor into his lap (these being only a few of the infinite possibilities), they should feel entirely free to do so.
Young Wizards – Diane Duane (Carmela, Dairine, Harry, Annie)
PROMPTS: I chose Carmela and Dairine both because I like them individually and because canon gives us so very little that puts them together with one another -- which I find surprising, even granting the age difference. I would very much like to see how they interact given an excuse and/or opportunity. For instance, it occurs to me that Dairine might find it easier to talk to Carmela about Roshaun than to have the same conversations with Nita, perhaps especially now that his situation's been resolved. Meanwhile, in the wake of Games Wizards Play, I'm more and more intrigued by the interaction between wizardly life and traditional family life -- and with both Harry and Annie in the tag set, it seems like a golden opportunity for a long-overdue and highly entertaining reunion.
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: If you’ve been reading all the requests in order, you know what’s coming here. Per above, I would be totally on board for introducing Tom Swift to the world of wizardry (it will probably make his brain hurt). Canon Tallis, OTOH, probably knows at least three wizards already, and is not boggled at all. And there are So Many Other possibilities (feel free to troll my AO3 archive for fandoms I enjoy). Again, EXTREMELY OPTIONAL -- and there are many, many stories well worth telling entirely within canon -- but oh, so much fun.
Greetings, O Scribbler, and welcome! And also, thank you! A number of the following requests run from the moderately to the extremely obscure, and I am more than grateful to anyone who's not only searched out the same odd things that I like but gone to the trouble to add new chapters to these characters' lives.
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”
* Kairos (O'Keefe) series – Madeleine L'Engle (Canon Tallis)
* The Night of the Solstice – L. J. Smith
* Tom Swift Series IV – Victor Appleton
* Young Wizards – Diane Duane (Carmela, Dairine, Harry, Annie)
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 letters for a variety of exchanges are tagged "dear santa" herein; and I've tagged Fic Corner material specifically as well.
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. Fic Corner being Fic Corner and Optional Details Being Optional, I have absolutely no expectations along this line...but I have included an EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS section in most 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, it's 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. Also: "any" here means "any", not "all"...but the above note applies, too. Single-character focus is fine, but so are ensemble-centric pieces.
Specific requests
Diana Winthrop series – “Kate Chambers” (any)
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 time, 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; Gran Culhaine is an active presence in these, Jacintha is a new-minted adult (early 20s at the outside, I think) with her own life & career, and Lydian develops connections both to Diana and her father. And Diana's interest in Brad Ferriers, for all of being very lightly sketched, shows much more chemistry and nuance than we ever saw between Nancy Drew and Ned Nickerson. I'd like to see more of this familial texture, whether in a case/adventure or 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. 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.
Kairos (O'Keefe) series – Madeleine L'Engle (Canon Tallis)
NOTES: The interesting thing about Canon Tallis is that L'Engle tells us so much and yet so little about him. He knows or comes to know both the Murry-O'Keefes and the Austins, plus Mr. Theo and Adam Eddington (and I think turns up or is referenced in a couple of other places way out on the fringes of L'Engle's overall canon). He's clearly not just a priest, though he is equally clearly a very good one when called on as such. Likewise, while he clearly isn't a spy as such -- at least not by the time we meet him in Arm of the Starfish -- he's got status and credentials of some kind in global intelligence.
PROMPTS: I've always thought that the light thrillers in which Canon Tallis mostly appears are really some of her best and most textured work, and wish that she'd given us more in that vein -- not least because the Canon is one of her most fascinating characters. Here, I'm genuinely torn. Part of me very much wants a background or origin story for him, but another part is pulling for a "modern" adventure in which Tallis either gets to take center stage or we get his POV on a case involving someone else in the extended L'Engle cast.
To be clear: I welcome whatever additional characters you'd like to bring in, but you are in no way obligated to look outside the official tag set if you're not minded to do so. That said: I'd be particularly fascinated to see Canon Tallis cross paths with any of Zachary, Charles Wallace, Adam (anytime post-Starfish), or some of the outlying Murry clan.
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: This is another one of those fandoms with all kinds of crossover potential, particularly for Canon Tallis and his globe-hopping lifestyle (one of these years, I should really drop him into the Into A Bar challenge). Just about any of my other fandom requests could theoretically allow for a drop-in, and that's only the beginning of the possible opportunities.
The Night of the Solstice – L. J. Smith (any)
BACKGROUND: From the author of the Vampire Diaries and Night World books, this is a two-book sequence (the sequel is Heart of Valor -- there wasn't a series designation back in 2010 when the AO3 tag was created) featuring four siblings in Southern California who discover that the nearby creepy house on the hill is in fact full of portals to the Wildworld (aka faerie), that a mad sorcerer is planning to come through and invade the mortal realms, and that they need to rescue the sorceress who's supposed to be guarding the portals. The second volume explores the consequences of the rescue -- which include the slight problem that a none-too-stable Merlin has accidentally been set free and is trailing environmental chaos (i.e. earthquakes) in his wake. Fortunately, our heroes are on the case....
NOTES: I was attracted to these books because in a lot of ways, they're a bridge between the classic fantasy I grew up reading (Susan Cooper, Edward Eager) and the sort of distinctly modern worldview that we've come to see in my favorite YA and non-YA writers (Diane Duane, Seanan McGuire). They are, hands down, Smith's best work, and it's a great shame that they're not better known. The Hodges-Bradley kids are brilliant and delightful, and the world needs more of their adventures even if Smith (as it presently appears) seems unlikely to write and publish them.
PROMPTS: I'm drawn in two directions here: on one hand, I'd like to see how Alys and Janie balance their Stillworld lives with their ties to magic and the Wildworld; on the other, I'm intrigued by Wildworld politics, particularly as they'll have evolved post-Heart of Valor, and thereby eager for a look at Morgana re-adjusting to having status in the Wildworld. (Terzian is in the tag set because she seems to be Morgana's chiefest ally in the Wildworld and the likeliest among them to come visiting the Stillworld "nowadays". A Terzian's-eye view on any of these post-Valor matters would, I'm sure, be highly entertaining story-wise....)
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: Oddly enough, this fandom doesn't particularly trigger my crossover-junkie buttons; while I wouldn't mind seeing a crossover here (and there are certainly canons that would play well with this one), it's not a priority for me. OTOH, the world Smith builds has a lot of depth and potential that her chosen narrative doesn't begin to tap, and if anyone who's read these is minded to explore in a direction other than what I've sketched here (reaching back into the Arthurian elements, anything about Darion Beldar, etc.), I would be entirely delighted to see those stories, too.
Tom Swift Series IV – Victor Appleton (any)
BACKGROUND: This was the Archway paperback run from the 1990s -- 13 skinny paperbacks plus two thicker crossover novels guest-starring the Hardy boys. (We don't talk about the 3rd series, set mostly in space, which is very much its own weird continuity.)
NOTES: When the fourth series came along (starting with The Black Dragon), I noticed, because it so happened that at the time I was reading SF novels by the likes of Diane Duane and Debra Doyle/James Macdonald -- and Doyle & Macdonald, it turned out, had written a couple of the new Tom Swift novels. I was instantly hooked. This version had the spirit of the earlier series, nodded cleverly toward prior continuity...and offered a briskly updated setting with sharp SF ideas and smart-but-not-square characters.
PROMPTS: I threw archvillain Xavier Mace into the character mix on a whim -- it's rare for any of the modern Stratemeyer-based series to have a major ongoing nemesis, and the Black Dragon is rather more competent than the average mad genius. I wouldn't mind a bit seeing a story in which he -- well, not exactly wins a round, but shows a bit of the dimension built into the character. And of course anything where Tom and/or Sandra get to show off their youthful technical genius is always appreciated (though I admit, too, to some curiosity about those of Tom's inventions that haven't worked out so well -- cf. the Danny Dunn story I wrote a round or two back).
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: I am still absurdly pleased with the ingenious crossover yarn with in this setting which I was gifted previously in this exchange -- but that just goes to show how well-primed the Swift universe is for crossovers. While of course no such effort is necessary (see the words EXTREMELY OPTIONAL above), if anyone is minded to boggle Tom's mind with wizardry or drop the Doctor into his lap (these being only a few of the infinite possibilities), they should feel entirely free to do so.
Young Wizards – Diane Duane (Carmela, Dairine, Harry, Annie)
PROMPTS: I chose Carmela and Dairine both because I like them individually and because canon gives us so very little that puts them together with one another -- which I find surprising, even granting the age difference. I would very much like to see how they interact given an excuse and/or opportunity. For instance, it occurs to me that Dairine might find it easier to talk to Carmela about Roshaun than to have the same conversations with Nita, perhaps especially now that his situation's been resolved. Meanwhile, in the wake of Games Wizards Play, I'm more and more intrigued by the interaction between wizardly life and traditional family life -- and with both Harry and Annie in the tag set, it seems like a golden opportunity for a long-overdue and highly entertaining reunion.
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: If you’ve been reading all the requests in order, you know what’s coming here. Per above, I would be totally on board for introducing Tom Swift to the world of wizardry (it will probably make his brain hurt). Canon Tallis, OTOH, probably knows at least three wizards already, and is not boggled at all. And there are So Many Other possibilities (feel free to troll my AO3 archive for fandoms I enjoy). Again, EXTREMELY OPTIONAL -- and there are many, many stories well worth telling entirely within canon -- but oh, so much fun.
