Yuletide 2020
Oct. 19th, 2020 08:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
moon_was_oursDear Yuletide Writer,
I am so excited to be participating again! It's been a minute since I've been active in fandom. I consider myself easy to please and I hope you have FUN writing whatever inspires you. Some sections of this letter are longer than others, but please don’t be discouraged if that’s not something we matched on. I will be really happy with any of these fandoms on Yuletide morning!!!!
General Likes and Dislikes
I enjoy canon compliant stories, AUs (go wild if you have a great idea!), future fic, gen and shippy stories, UST, character driven stories, really anything with some form of character development. I love strong and sensitive women and men, snappy and sexy banter, and endings that give you a sense of resolution or hopefulness even if it’s not quite resolved. When I read gift fics I don’t usually want TOO much angst, but obviously some types of these fandoms or characters require it and I trust you to use your judgement.
I don’t really have any kinks, and would prefer a strong story over PWP. However, I do ship some of these characters A LOT and am all for a sexy story or porn with plot. I read and write het and slash. What I need more than anything is for things to sizzle. I like pining a lot. Give me heated glances, and details about a character that only someone totally crazy about them would like or notice.
I don’t really want to read fics that focus on the supernatural or magical, gender-bending or body swapping, mpreg, incest, weddings, or babies. I think the discussion of getting married or having kids could come up in some of these requested fandoms and that would be totally natural, but I wouldn’t like a fic taking place on someone’s wedding day or a character is pregnant or giving birth.
I like slice of life type stories, something that picks up after the series or work ends. I get a thrill from things like interviews (which could work for many of these fandoms), social media, text messages, or epistolary fics. I think these devices have an interesting way of moving the story along, keep dialogue quick, and give a ton of insight we can’t always get from a plain narrative. Don’t feel though like you need to go this route to please me. Do what feels good and fun for you!
Where you can find me
I am not really active anywhere, but I am considering a return to tumblr. I make no promises to fill the queue, but here I am.
These are all my past iterations of my Yuletide letter.
2012
2013
2015
2017
2018
Here are all ten of the stories I've written for Yuletide over the years.
Fandom Specifics
Ted Lasso
( Roy Kent, Keeley Jones, Rebecca Welton)
This show is a goddamn delight and is my current obsession, so please excuse the excessive length of this section. I fell in love after I gave it a chance (and I really didn’t even want to give it a chance at first). The characters are just so great. Roy Kent has stolen my heart. I love how respectful he is of the women in his life--Keeley, and Rebecca (I adore the salute he gave her at the end of 1x08). I am absolutely charmed that he’s a big presence in his niece’s life. The idea that he’s aging out of a sport and doesn’t think he has much of an identity outside of it feels relatable. So many of us tie up our whole identity in work and when we don’t have it anymore we don’t know what defines us. I fucking love that Keeley gives zero shits about that, and she subverts the idea of a WAG social media influencer who needs to attach herself to a star player for her own success. She literally only cares about that one game that he’s playing where they are officially together because HER HEART IS IN IT. OMG I CAN’T EVEN WITH THESE TWO.
Keeley is a gem. She is so smart and driven, and her friendship with Rebecca gave her that added boost to get her to stop being so short sighted about her future. I love that you can see a lightbulb going off in her head when Rebecca asked her if she ever wanted to be with a man who was accountable or did she want to keep dating 22 year old footballers who fucked her around. And then it was like BAM. There’s Roy, who despite being grouchy and a man of very few words, owned up to his bullshit and tried to make nice with Jamie Tartt for the good of the team. He told Keeley that she’d hurt his feelings for bidding on him and not meaning it. :(((((( MY HEART CAN’T TAKE IT. He showed her he could be vulnerable, that he had layers. He told her in that role play press conference that he wasn’t a baby child and he was a man and he could accept that she had her own sexual past and it didn’t matter if he wanted to be with her. That is some hot stuff. This ship is amazing because in season one they have a journey, they didn’t waste a bunch of time fruitlessly pining. The pining was VERY MUCH THERE, but so were the on screen kisses and a relationship in the making. They talked about their feelings. Keeley verbally tells him what she wants and needs from him, and they get to it.
I want fic of them just doing anything--something to fill in the gaps, a missing scene of their first date where he COOKS for her, how she meets Phoebe or his sister or his family (who I imagine he’s close to). I want anything you have for me. Give me backstory on each of them. Tell me how Keeley had his phone number already!!!! I suspect they’ve been in the same social circle for many years even if they’ve never been particularly friendly.
I included Rebecca in the character request, and all other characters are very much welcome because they are pure sunshine. I really love the friendship between Rebecca and Keeley and would love more of that. My preference is for a shippy fic, but please feel free to add any other characters into the mix.
Don’t You Forget About Me - Mhairi McFarlane
(Georgina Horspool, Lucas McCarthy)
I read this book in the spring and it stuck with me. This book is just full on pining and I AM HERE FOR IT. I think the flashbacks make the current day pining even more palpable because when Lucas was pretending not to know Georgina I could sort of visualize all the snapshots in his mind of his young teenage self making out with her and then all the years and animosity layered on top of that. Georgina is a really interesting character in the landscape of books I read. She sticks out because she’s a bit of a mess, but her heart is always in the right place. So many romance or rom com novels have heroines who are successful, and lonely but quirky. Georgina has set the bar low for herself, but she’s a good friend and a hard worker. I rooted for her, and I identified with her because she’s built up a wall to protect herself and she was brave enough to also dismantle that wall brick by brick.
I’d love a fic that shows Georgina and Lucas navigating being in an actual relationship. They’re both in this weird transitional period of their lives at the end of the novel--Georgina has gone back to university and has a new job at a bar she likes, and Lucas is moving on after the death of his wife. Lucas’s plan was to move back to Sheffield to be with Georgina, and he very clearly wanted things to move forward quickly. What does that look like? How does it go when Lucas comes home with Georgina and meets her family or when she goes back to Ireland with Lucas? How do they manage living together? He’s a very successful restaurateur and she’s still figuring out what she wants to be when she grows up. Or...tell me about their first time. They’ve waited years to be together, to get their happy ending. Let’s explore that.
The Idea of You - Robinne Lee
(Solène Marchand, Hayes Campbell, Isabelle, Lucy Balfour)
I have not even processed this book. It gutted me, just as all the reviews told me it would. I knew there wasn’t going to be a happy ending, which I know is really hard for some people. But...celebrity romances in real life are often very dramatic and rarely work. We only see what’s on the covers of tabloids, what we read into their social media posts, and we speculate and project endlessly. Even when a celebrity couple has broken up, we’re still looking for clues about their relationship years after it’s over.
I was prepared for Solène to end things with Hayes to preserve the relationship with her daughter. When I read this book, it was clear to me that Solène has an older child that is becoming more independent, that she has a really amazing career, and an ex-husband who is semi-around to take care of their daughter half of the time. I could see how she could get caught up in a whirlwind romance and forget what’s at stake. I could also see it exploding and destroying her life like it did. I can also see that this is an issue of timing and that maybe, given different circumstances, Solène and Hayes could be together.
I have this plot bunny and you’re welcome to it if you want it. What if some time has passed, the band has broken up, and Isabelle figures out some stuff about herself. What if Isabelle realizes she is gay and comes to the conclusion that you can’t always help how you feel, that love and attraction don’t always make sense to other people even if it feels right to you. What if she could have empathy for her mother? Maybe she maintains a friendship with Lucy Balfour, and maybe Lucy invites Isabelle to England one summer and Isabelle contrives for her mother and Hayes to meet again. What if Solène dates, but she makes a point of never getting serious. Maybe Hayes burns out of the business after a successful solo album and he’s re-evaluating his life at 25. When they meet again they have the same attraction, but they have to decide if it’s worth the risk of trying again.
Boyfriend Material - Alexis Hall
(Luc O'Donnell, Oliver Blackwood)
This story was so cute, but I was just bummed we didn’t get a little bit more of them being happy together, where they were both on the same page. I’d love some continued domestic scenes or sexy times that don’t fade to black. I absolutely adored how Luc was so protective of Oliver, especially when he was protecting Oliver from himself and his intensely self-critical nature. It would be interesting to see Oliver work on some of his body issues with some help from Luc. I think Luc would be all about body praise, whatever the state or shape of Oliver’s body.
I would love to see Oliver and Luc with Luc’s mom and their extended found families. Oliver’s family was the absolute worst and they didn’t deserve a son like him! Oliver’s friends and Luc’s friends were such a motley crew. Though Luc was often exasperated by them, I actually really liked his wacky coworkers too. I think a holiday fic could really work here.
I really enjoyed how tender Oliver was with Luc. He fussed over him, and considering how he had little else going on in his life, he really made space for him. I loved when Oliver would want Luc to be with him on the weekend or at night even when Oliver had work to do. And when he’d call him Lucien and speak French, and order food for him. Yes!!!!!!!
Trinkets
(Elodie Davis, Tabitha Foster, Moe Truax)
I needed this show. I love the vibe of these three misfit high school delinquents. I think they turn the bad girl tope on its head. Elodie, Tabitha, and Moe are smart, creative, ambitious, and fiercely protective, but also deeply hurt in a way that drive their shoplifting addiction. I think the nuance here is genius. They do some bad things, but they are not bad people. Boys get to do this kind of shit and worse and we still hold them up as heroes, worthy of romance in these types of shows. We rarely do that for bad girls on TV.
I love this female friendship. They are family to each other, which is something they each desperately crave. I would love an exploration of what happens after the end of the series. What comes next for them? I’d prefer a story that centers their friendship over the relationships they have with their love interests. If you want to go the romance route, I’d much rather have them all be together or in any combination. I think this fandom could lend itself very well to a future fic, like a high school reunion, or even a home from college for the holidays story. Who do these girls become? Does Elodie go the music route? Is Tabitha a photographer or model? Is Moe a STEM phenom? I want all the good things for them.
In conclusion, thank you in advance for making my Yuletide dreams come true!
<33333333
I am so excited to be participating again! It's been a minute since I've been active in fandom. I consider myself easy to please and I hope you have FUN writing whatever inspires you. Some sections of this letter are longer than others, but please don’t be discouraged if that’s not something we matched on. I will be really happy with any of these fandoms on Yuletide morning!!!!
General Likes and Dislikes
I enjoy canon compliant stories, AUs (go wild if you have a great idea!), future fic, gen and shippy stories, UST, character driven stories, really anything with some form of character development. I love strong and sensitive women and men, snappy and sexy banter, and endings that give you a sense of resolution or hopefulness even if it’s not quite resolved. When I read gift fics I don’t usually want TOO much angst, but obviously some types of these fandoms or characters require it and I trust you to use your judgement.
I don’t really have any kinks, and would prefer a strong story over PWP. However, I do ship some of these characters A LOT and am all for a sexy story or porn with plot. I read and write het and slash. What I need more than anything is for things to sizzle. I like pining a lot. Give me heated glances, and details about a character that only someone totally crazy about them would like or notice.
I don’t really want to read fics that focus on the supernatural or magical, gender-bending or body swapping, mpreg, incest, weddings, or babies. I think the discussion of getting married or having kids could come up in some of these requested fandoms and that would be totally natural, but I wouldn’t like a fic taking place on someone’s wedding day or a character is pregnant or giving birth.
I like slice of life type stories, something that picks up after the series or work ends. I get a thrill from things like interviews (which could work for many of these fandoms), social media, text messages, or epistolary fics. I think these devices have an interesting way of moving the story along, keep dialogue quick, and give a ton of insight we can’t always get from a plain narrative. Don’t feel though like you need to go this route to please me. Do what feels good and fun for you!
Where you can find me
I am not really active anywhere, but I am considering a return to tumblr. I make no promises to fill the queue, but here I am.
These are all my past iterations of my Yuletide letter.
2012
2013
2015
2017
2018
Here are all ten of the stories I've written for Yuletide over the years.
Fandom Specifics
Ted Lasso
( Roy Kent, Keeley Jones, Rebecca Welton)
This show is a goddamn delight and is my current obsession, so please excuse the excessive length of this section. I fell in love after I gave it a chance (and I really didn’t even want to give it a chance at first). The characters are just so great. Roy Kent has stolen my heart. I love how respectful he is of the women in his life--Keeley, and Rebecca (I adore the salute he gave her at the end of 1x08). I am absolutely charmed that he’s a big presence in his niece’s life. The idea that he’s aging out of a sport and doesn’t think he has much of an identity outside of it feels relatable. So many of us tie up our whole identity in work and when we don’t have it anymore we don’t know what defines us. I fucking love that Keeley gives zero shits about that, and she subverts the idea of a WAG social media influencer who needs to attach herself to a star player for her own success. She literally only cares about that one game that he’s playing where they are officially together because HER HEART IS IN IT. OMG I CAN’T EVEN WITH THESE TWO.
Keeley is a gem. She is so smart and driven, and her friendship with Rebecca gave her that added boost to get her to stop being so short sighted about her future. I love that you can see a lightbulb going off in her head when Rebecca asked her if she ever wanted to be with a man who was accountable or did she want to keep dating 22 year old footballers who fucked her around. And then it was like BAM. There’s Roy, who despite being grouchy and a man of very few words, owned up to his bullshit and tried to make nice with Jamie Tartt for the good of the team. He told Keeley that she’d hurt his feelings for bidding on him and not meaning it. :(((((( MY HEART CAN’T TAKE IT. He showed her he could be vulnerable, that he had layers. He told her in that role play press conference that he wasn’t a baby child and he was a man and he could accept that she had her own sexual past and it didn’t matter if he wanted to be with her. That is some hot stuff. This ship is amazing because in season one they have a journey, they didn’t waste a bunch of time fruitlessly pining. The pining was VERY MUCH THERE, but so were the on screen kisses and a relationship in the making. They talked about their feelings. Keeley verbally tells him what she wants and needs from him, and they get to it.
I want fic of them just doing anything--something to fill in the gaps, a missing scene of their first date where he COOKS for her, how she meets Phoebe or his sister or his family (who I imagine he’s close to). I want anything you have for me. Give me backstory on each of them. Tell me how Keeley had his phone number already!!!! I suspect they’ve been in the same social circle for many years even if they’ve never been particularly friendly.
I included Rebecca in the character request, and all other characters are very much welcome because they are pure sunshine. I really love the friendship between Rebecca and Keeley and would love more of that. My preference is for a shippy fic, but please feel free to add any other characters into the mix.
Don’t You Forget About Me - Mhairi McFarlane
(Georgina Horspool, Lucas McCarthy)
I read this book in the spring and it stuck with me. This book is just full on pining and I AM HERE FOR IT. I think the flashbacks make the current day pining even more palpable because when Lucas was pretending not to know Georgina I could sort of visualize all the snapshots in his mind of his young teenage self making out with her and then all the years and animosity layered on top of that. Georgina is a really interesting character in the landscape of books I read. She sticks out because she’s a bit of a mess, but her heart is always in the right place. So many romance or rom com novels have heroines who are successful, and lonely but quirky. Georgina has set the bar low for herself, but she’s a good friend and a hard worker. I rooted for her, and I identified with her because she’s built up a wall to protect herself and she was brave enough to also dismantle that wall brick by brick.
I’d love a fic that shows Georgina and Lucas navigating being in an actual relationship. They’re both in this weird transitional period of their lives at the end of the novel--Georgina has gone back to university and has a new job at a bar she likes, and Lucas is moving on after the death of his wife. Lucas’s plan was to move back to Sheffield to be with Georgina, and he very clearly wanted things to move forward quickly. What does that look like? How does it go when Lucas comes home with Georgina and meets her family or when she goes back to Ireland with Lucas? How do they manage living together? He’s a very successful restaurateur and she’s still figuring out what she wants to be when she grows up. Or...tell me about their first time. They’ve waited years to be together, to get their happy ending. Let’s explore that.
The Idea of You - Robinne Lee
(Solène Marchand, Hayes Campbell, Isabelle, Lucy Balfour)
I have not even processed this book. It gutted me, just as all the reviews told me it would. I knew there wasn’t going to be a happy ending, which I know is really hard for some people. But...celebrity romances in real life are often very dramatic and rarely work. We only see what’s on the covers of tabloids, what we read into their social media posts, and we speculate and project endlessly. Even when a celebrity couple has broken up, we’re still looking for clues about their relationship years after it’s over.
I was prepared for Solène to end things with Hayes to preserve the relationship with her daughter. When I read this book, it was clear to me that Solène has an older child that is becoming more independent, that she has a really amazing career, and an ex-husband who is semi-around to take care of their daughter half of the time. I could see how she could get caught up in a whirlwind romance and forget what’s at stake. I could also see it exploding and destroying her life like it did. I can also see that this is an issue of timing and that maybe, given different circumstances, Solène and Hayes could be together.
I have this plot bunny and you’re welcome to it if you want it. What if some time has passed, the band has broken up, and Isabelle figures out some stuff about herself. What if Isabelle realizes she is gay and comes to the conclusion that you can’t always help how you feel, that love and attraction don’t always make sense to other people even if it feels right to you. What if she could have empathy for her mother? Maybe she maintains a friendship with Lucy Balfour, and maybe Lucy invites Isabelle to England one summer and Isabelle contrives for her mother and Hayes to meet again. What if Solène dates, but she makes a point of never getting serious. Maybe Hayes burns out of the business after a successful solo album and he’s re-evaluating his life at 25. When they meet again they have the same attraction, but they have to decide if it’s worth the risk of trying again.
Boyfriend Material - Alexis Hall
(Luc O'Donnell, Oliver Blackwood)
This story was so cute, but I was just bummed we didn’t get a little bit more of them being happy together, where they were both on the same page. I’d love some continued domestic scenes or sexy times that don’t fade to black. I absolutely adored how Luc was so protective of Oliver, especially when he was protecting Oliver from himself and his intensely self-critical nature. It would be interesting to see Oliver work on some of his body issues with some help from Luc. I think Luc would be all about body praise, whatever the state or shape of Oliver’s body.
I would love to see Oliver and Luc with Luc’s mom and their extended found families. Oliver’s family was the absolute worst and they didn’t deserve a son like him! Oliver’s friends and Luc’s friends were such a motley crew. Though Luc was often exasperated by them, I actually really liked his wacky coworkers too. I think a holiday fic could really work here.
I really enjoyed how tender Oliver was with Luc. He fussed over him, and considering how he had little else going on in his life, he really made space for him. I loved when Oliver would want Luc to be with him on the weekend or at night even when Oliver had work to do. And when he’d call him Lucien and speak French, and order food for him. Yes!!!!!!!
Trinkets
(Elodie Davis, Tabitha Foster, Moe Truax)
I needed this show. I love the vibe of these three misfit high school delinquents. I think they turn the bad girl tope on its head. Elodie, Tabitha, and Moe are smart, creative, ambitious, and fiercely protective, but also deeply hurt in a way that drive their shoplifting addiction. I think the nuance here is genius. They do some bad things, but they are not bad people. Boys get to do this kind of shit and worse and we still hold them up as heroes, worthy of romance in these types of shows. We rarely do that for bad girls on TV.
I love this female friendship. They are family to each other, which is something they each desperately crave. I would love an exploration of what happens after the end of the series. What comes next for them? I’d prefer a story that centers their friendship over the relationships they have with their love interests. If you want to go the romance route, I’d much rather have them all be together or in any combination. I think this fandom could lend itself very well to a future fic, like a high school reunion, or even a home from college for the holidays story. Who do these girls become? Does Elodie go the music route? Is Tabitha a photographer or model? Is Moe a STEM phenom? I want all the good things for them.
In conclusion, thank you in advance for making my Yuletide dreams come true!
<33333333