Dear Yuletide writer
Nov. 8th, 2008 07:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyvyolaDear Yuletide writer,
My Yuletide philosophy: this might be the only chance to get a story in a certain fandom. I'm not going to get too caught up in pairings and specifics. I'd rather get a good, solid, re-readable story to set the bar and attract more fans.
That said, I was a bit specific in my request details as to story prompts. If any of them spark something for you, great. If not, don't worry. What I've got listed here is more atmospheric; these are broader story elements and themes that I find attractive.
Three of my fandoms deal with law enforcement (speaking in very general terms in regards to Jurisdiction) and one with crime -- I like teamwork and competency and characters who are really good at what they do. I like seeing the toll being that good takes on them. I like snark and banter and loaded questions. I like life-and-death secrets. I like style and flash but never at the cost of substance. I like days-in-the-life and I like the fate of the world at stake. I like romance and subtext, slash and het and gen. I like characters who'll die for each other and live for each other and know each other better than anyone else and still have each other's backs.
I like show, not tell. Even the most thoughtful of these characters are people of action, used to making quick decisions and living with the consequences.
I like good grammar and a firm grasp of English. If I have to make a choice, I'll go with voice and atmosphere over plot -- again, this might be the only story I read in this fandom and I'd like something that truly evokes it. But I'm also greedy, so a kick-ass plot would be very nice. Please put it right next to the pony, the plastic rocket ship, and the keys to Jensen Ackles.
For purposes of Yuletide, I'd rather not see: fantasy and/or sci-fi elements in the "mundane" fandoms, PWPs, totally downbeat endings, character death -- okay, between Jurisdiction and Slevin that's not a hard and fast rule! Use your own judgment. I'm not a fragile flower.
Really, though, in the end, I'm easy. I like good writing. Write a story that you enjoy, that you're proud of, that you're thrilled will be one the stories people point to when they talk about this little fandom. Write that story and we'll both be happy.
Hope that helps and doesn't add to the inevitable, and traditional, Yuletide pressure!
(In case you're curious, this is an almost carbon copy of my letter the last two years, which says a lot about the kinds of fandoms I ask for.)
My Yuletide philosophy: this might be the only chance to get a story in a certain fandom. I'm not going to get too caught up in pairings and specifics. I'd rather get a good, solid, re-readable story to set the bar and attract more fans.
That said, I was a bit specific in my request details as to story prompts. If any of them spark something for you, great. If not, don't worry. What I've got listed here is more atmospheric; these are broader story elements and themes that I find attractive.
Three of my fandoms deal with law enforcement (speaking in very general terms in regards to Jurisdiction) and one with crime -- I like teamwork and competency and characters who are really good at what they do. I like seeing the toll being that good takes on them. I like snark and banter and loaded questions. I like life-and-death secrets. I like style and flash but never at the cost of substance. I like days-in-the-life and I like the fate of the world at stake. I like romance and subtext, slash and het and gen. I like characters who'll die for each other and live for each other and know each other better than anyone else and still have each other's backs.
I like show, not tell. Even the most thoughtful of these characters are people of action, used to making quick decisions and living with the consequences.
I like good grammar and a firm grasp of English. If I have to make a choice, I'll go with voice and atmosphere over plot -- again, this might be the only story I read in this fandom and I'd like something that truly evokes it. But I'm also greedy, so a kick-ass plot would be very nice. Please put it right next to the pony, the plastic rocket ship, and the keys to Jensen Ackles.
For purposes of Yuletide, I'd rather not see: fantasy and/or sci-fi elements in the "mundane" fandoms, PWPs, totally downbeat endings, character death -- okay, between Jurisdiction and Slevin that's not a hard and fast rule! Use your own judgment. I'm not a fragile flower.
Really, though, in the end, I'm easy. I like good writing. Write a story that you enjoy, that you're proud of, that you're thrilled will be one the stories people point to when they talk about this little fandom. Write that story and we'll both be happy.
Hope that helps and doesn't add to the inevitable, and traditional, Yuletide pressure!
(In case you're curious, this is an almost carbon copy of my letter the last two years, which says a lot about the kinds of fandoms I ask for.)
