Dear Yuletide writer
Sep. 28th, 2017 07:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dolorosa_12Thank you for writing for me!
I'm pretty easygoing about what type of fic you want to write for me. I read fic of any rating, and would be equally happy with plotty genfic or something very shippy. I read gen, femslash, het and slash, although I have a slight preference towards femslash, het, and gen that focuses on female characters. I mainly read fic to find out what happens to characters after the final page has turned or the credits have rolled, so I would particularly love to have futurefic of some kind. Don't feel you have to limit yourself to the characters I specifically mention — I'm happy with others being included if they fit with the story you want to tell.
Feel free to have a look around my Ao3 profile, as it should give you a good idea of the types of things I like to read.
General likes:
Found families and 'us against the world' dynamics
Human/non-human pairings
Relationships with power imbalances
People with vastly different backgrounds, perspectives, or life experience working together
Grudging, pragmatic temporary alliances that turn into mutual respect and/or love
Characters with a strong sense of home and place (whether that 'home' is a city, or other people)
General dislikes
Fusions and crossovers
AUs, apart from canon-divergence AUs
Incest
Infidelity
Several fandom-specific dislikes, which I will outline below
Fandom-specific prompts:
The Bone Season - Samantha Shannon
Requested characters: Paige Mahoney, Arcturus Mesarthim | Warden
Canon consists of three books (The Bone Season, The Mime Order, and The Song Rising) of what will eventually be a seven-book series. There are also several short stories, but they are not integral to the main story.
What I like about this series
The intricate alternate world, particularly Scion London, with its underworld of criminal clairvoyants trying to eke out an existence in the face of oppression, the uneasy shifting alliances, and all the little details about the urban geography and history of Soho, Covent Garden and so on.
The pervasive sense of threat and menace that permeates the series, and the choices this forces the characters to make.
Paige and Warden's relationship — the initial mistrust, the power imbalances, the secrets they keep from each other, the way they share dreams, and the way Warden makes Paige a bit more supernatural and she makes him a bit more human.
The tensions and contradictions in Paige's existence — becoming a criminal mollisher for Jaxon Hall gives her a measure of safety, but also puts her in greater danger, and in some ways the series represents her slow shift from pragmatism to risk-taking revolutionary leadership.
Prompts I'd love to see
Any fic that explores Paige and Warden's relationship, particularly the power imbalances, cultural differences, and the ways in which their relationship forces them to reflect on their respective identities as human and Rephaite. Missing moments from either their time together in Oxford or when Paige was in hiding in London would be fantastic. I'd also love to read futurefic set just after the end of events in The Song Rising — how are they coping on the run? Has Paige become unmoored without the familiarity of London and the syndicate to fall back on? I'd love to read fic set in another part of Samantha Shannon's alternate world — so far we've seen Scotland, England and Ireland, but nothing of the rest of the world. What are other Scion countries like? Alternatively, a fic that takes place entirely within shared dreamscapes would be absolutely amazing!
I'm happy for another other characters from the series to feature in any fic you write, but I would prefer it if your fic didn't focus on Jaxon Hall.
An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir
Requested characters: Laia, Elias Veturius
Canon consists of two books (An Ember in the Ashes and A Torch Against the Night) in a four-book series.
What I like about this series
Elias and Laia's relationship, particularly the clash of cultures, power imbalances, and 'us against the world' mentality that the two have.
The tension in the series between the characters' principled stand against injustice and the compromises they're forced to make and cruelty and trauma they're forced to endure.
Elias and Laia's sense of duty and self-sacrifice that sometimes goes beyond reason.
The underlying rumblings of revolution that are slowly pervading Elias and Laia's world, and the fact that their decision to join this revolution is rooted in their deep, self-sacrificing love and sense of responsibility for other people.
Prompts I'd love to see
I'd particularly enjoy receiving fic that explored Elias and Laia's relationship, especially something that delved into their different upbringings and how these shaped them, the power imbalances, and their growing supernatural abilities. How does Elias's new status at the end of Torch affect their relationship? What will their next steps be in challenging the Martial Empire? Genfic that saw the pair dealing with some new political or supernatural challenge would also be great. If you were interested in writing something quieter or more contemplative, what about using one of the myths or folk stories of Tahir's world as the springboard for a moment of calm in which the two characters told each other stories? Missing moments during their time together at Blackcliff might also be another interesting prompt - or what about a meeting before Laia began her undercover mission, perhaps when Elias slipped out and mingled with the non-Martial population, and the pair met but did not know each other?
I'm happy for you to use any other characters from the series in your fic, but I do not ship Elias and Helene romantically (the same goes for Laia and Keenan) and do not want to read about these pairings.
The Pagan Chronicles - Catherine Jinks
Requested characters: any of Pagan Kidrouk, Babylonne Kidrouk or Isidore Orbus
Canon consists of five books (Pagan's Crusade, Pagan in Exile, Pagan's Vows, Pagan's Scribe, and Pagan's Daughter (published as Babylonne in the US)).
What I like about this series
The found families — this whole series is just one long story of hurt/comfort within found families, and I love it!
I love that it's this multigenerational story of broken, damaged orphans finding each other, healing each other and making each other whole.
The strong sense of history, and the way it makes forgotten episodes in world history come alive.
The fact that the series doesn't shy away from its characters' religious faith, but shows that their observance and understanding of religion was more flexible and pluralistic than is generally portrayed in popular fictional depictions of the Middle Ages.
The compassionate, empathetic, and forgiving way the characters deal with the realities of their world — they expect people to be flawed, and the strong to hurt the weak, but this doesn't stop them being kind, and imaginative, and skilled at talking their way out of difficult situations.
Prompts I'd love to see
I'm really curious about the large gaps we have in canon, and would love to read about, for example, Pagan's experiences as a young student or when he started out as a canon lawyer, Isidore and Pagan rebuilding their lives after the events of Pagan's Scribe, or fic set in the future after Pagan's Daughter in which Isidore and Babylonne have adventures in Bologna. I'm also intrigued about Pagan's pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, and would love to know the reason behind it - for what reason was he seeking penance? I'd also be very open to a fix-it fic where Pagan didn't die before the events of Pagan's Daughter, as I would really love to see him actually interacting with Babylonne (possibly with Isidore as a traumatised bystander to the inevitable extremities of emotion, cutting sarcastic exchanges and furious verbal gymnastics that would follow any such encounter). I'm a passionate shipper of Babylonne/Isidore as a romantic pairing, and I nurse a secret wish to see how Pagan would react to discovering that the two of them had paired up. (I don't mind if you don't ship them, however, and if you prefer to write about their relationship from a gen perspective I would be equally thrilled!)
Don't feel you have to stick rigidly within the bounds of my prompts. As long as your fic is focused on the characters I requested, I will be thrilled to receive anything you write for me, as these really are some of my most beloved fandoms of the heart, and the existence of any fic for them will make me extremely happy.
I'm pretty easygoing about what type of fic you want to write for me. I read fic of any rating, and would be equally happy with plotty genfic or something very shippy. I read gen, femslash, het and slash, although I have a slight preference towards femslash, het, and gen that focuses on female characters. I mainly read fic to find out what happens to characters after the final page has turned or the credits have rolled, so I would particularly love to have futurefic of some kind. Don't feel you have to limit yourself to the characters I specifically mention — I'm happy with others being included if they fit with the story you want to tell.
Feel free to have a look around my Ao3 profile, as it should give you a good idea of the types of things I like to read.
General likes:
General dislikes
Fandom-specific prompts:
The Bone Season - Samantha Shannon
Requested characters: Paige Mahoney, Arcturus Mesarthim | Warden
Canon consists of three books (The Bone Season, The Mime Order, and The Song Rising) of what will eventually be a seven-book series. There are also several short stories, but they are not integral to the main story.
What I like about this series
Prompts I'd love to see
Any fic that explores Paige and Warden's relationship, particularly the power imbalances, cultural differences, and the ways in which their relationship forces them to reflect on their respective identities as human and Rephaite. Missing moments from either their time together in Oxford or when Paige was in hiding in London would be fantastic. I'd also love to read futurefic set just after the end of events in The Song Rising — how are they coping on the run? Has Paige become unmoored without the familiarity of London and the syndicate to fall back on? I'd love to read fic set in another part of Samantha Shannon's alternate world — so far we've seen Scotland, England and Ireland, but nothing of the rest of the world. What are other Scion countries like? Alternatively, a fic that takes place entirely within shared dreamscapes would be absolutely amazing!
I'm happy for another other characters from the series to feature in any fic you write, but I would prefer it if your fic didn't focus on Jaxon Hall.
An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir
Requested characters: Laia, Elias Veturius
Canon consists of two books (An Ember in the Ashes and A Torch Against the Night) in a four-book series.
What I like about this series
Prompts I'd love to see
I'd particularly enjoy receiving fic that explored Elias and Laia's relationship, especially something that delved into their different upbringings and how these shaped them, the power imbalances, and their growing supernatural abilities. How does Elias's new status at the end of Torch affect their relationship? What will their next steps be in challenging the Martial Empire? Genfic that saw the pair dealing with some new political or supernatural challenge would also be great. If you were interested in writing something quieter or more contemplative, what about using one of the myths or folk stories of Tahir's world as the springboard for a moment of calm in which the two characters told each other stories? Missing moments during their time together at Blackcliff might also be another interesting prompt - or what about a meeting before Laia began her undercover mission, perhaps when Elias slipped out and mingled with the non-Martial population, and the pair met but did not know each other?
I'm happy for you to use any other characters from the series in your fic, but I do not ship Elias and Helene romantically (the same goes for Laia and Keenan) and do not want to read about these pairings.
The Pagan Chronicles - Catherine Jinks
Requested characters: any of Pagan Kidrouk, Babylonne Kidrouk or Isidore Orbus
Canon consists of five books (Pagan's Crusade, Pagan in Exile, Pagan's Vows, Pagan's Scribe, and Pagan's Daughter (published as Babylonne in the US)).
What I like about this series
Prompts I'd love to see
I'm really curious about the large gaps we have in canon, and would love to read about, for example, Pagan's experiences as a young student or when he started out as a canon lawyer, Isidore and Pagan rebuilding their lives after the events of Pagan's Scribe, or fic set in the future after Pagan's Daughter in which Isidore and Babylonne have adventures in Bologna. I'm also intrigued about Pagan's pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, and would love to know the reason behind it - for what reason was he seeking penance? I'd also be very open to a fix-it fic where Pagan didn't die before the events of Pagan's Daughter, as I would really love to see him actually interacting with Babylonne (possibly with Isidore as a traumatised bystander to the inevitable extremities of emotion, cutting sarcastic exchanges and furious verbal gymnastics that would follow any such encounter). I'm a passionate shipper of Babylonne/Isidore as a romantic pairing, and I nurse a secret wish to see how Pagan would react to discovering that the two of them had paired up. (I don't mind if you don't ship them, however, and if you prefer to write about their relationship from a gen perspective I would be equally thrilled!)
Don't feel you have to stick rigidly within the bounds of my prompts. As long as your fic is focused on the characters I requested, I will be thrilled to receive anything you write for me, as these really are some of my most beloved fandoms of the heart, and the existence of any fic for them will make me extremely happy.