ren (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
necessarian) wrote2020-10-16 01:33 pm
necessarian) wrote2020-10-16 01:33 pm
Entry tags:
Dear Yuletide writer...
Hi! This is ao3 user ![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
renaissance here, and you've reached my Yuletide letter! This year I've requested Brideshead Revisited (Waugh), The Secret History (Tartt), the Southern Reach Trilogy (Vandermeer), and Succession (HBO). I don't usually say this for Yuletide, but this year my letter is bursting at the seams with spoilers, so I would exercise particular caution if you're not caught up with any of these canons, or planning to engage in the future. I have a hyperlinked table of contents within my letter so you can skip to any one of these canons and avoid the others, if you wish.
Whether you've been assigned to write for me, or are just passing through, I hope you find something here that catches your eye. Happy creating!
contents
in general...
[ favourite tropes & themes ]
[ things to avoid ]
Whether you've been assigned to write for me, or are just passing through, I hope you find something here that catches your eye. Happy creating!
contents
in general...
[ favourite tropes & themes ]
✔ Politics
✔ Espionage
✔ Sci-fi/fantasy elements
✔ University
✔ Celebrity
✔ Different first meetings
✔ Different time periods (i.e. modern/historical depending on source material)
✔ Character/relationship studies/genfic
✔ Canon divergence
✔ Fix-it fic
✔ Post-canon
✔ Getting together
✔ Fake dating
✔ Psychic connections
✔ Bodyswap
✔ Possession/body sharing
✔ Espionage
✔ Sci-fi/fantasy elements
✔ University
✔ Celebrity
✔ Different first meetings
✔ Different time periods (i.e. modern/historical depending on source material)
✔ Character/relationship studies/genfic
✔ Canon divergence
✔ Fix-it fic
✔ Post-canon
✔ Getting together
✔ Fake dating
✔ Psychic connections
✔ Bodyswap
✔ Possession/body sharing
[ things to avoid ]
✘ Underage
✘ Noncon/dubcon
✘ Mpreg
✘ Omegaverse
✘ PWP or anything focusing on sex (mild or implied sexual content is fine!)
✘ Cancer/serious or terminal illness, including canon atypical focus on illness and hospitals
✘ Non-canonical character death/suicide
✘ Slavery/bondage
✘ Mafia
✘ Bigotry as a central theme
✘ Sexual abuse/harassment
✘ Mentor/student relationships
✘ Noncon/dubcon
✘ Mpreg
✘ Omegaverse
✘ PWP or anything focusing on sex (mild or implied sexual content is fine!)
✘ Cancer/serious or terminal illness, including canon atypical focus on illness and hospitals
✘ Non-canonical character death/suicide
✘ Slavery/bondage
✘ Mafia
✘ Bigotry as a central theme
✘ Sexual abuse/harassment
✘ Mentor/student relationships
↬ One of my favourite books, and one so luckily blessed with two of the best adaptations out there! Maybe this is a "bad fan confession" but I actually saw the series, then the movie (this was all around 2008) and then read the book.
↬ It's perhaps because of this that one of the things that sticks in my mind most about BR is the atmosphere of it. I'm in love with the between-wars bleakness, the deft assembling and taking apart of the enclaves of the British upper classes. Not so much the Catholicism, though it does fascinate me as someone looking in from the outside.
↬ As you may have guessed, I do ship Charles/Sebastian, and I love the way their relationship exists just outside the margins, just textual enough to make it stand out in that era of literature. Charles is dreadfully passive sometimes and there are many points in the book where I'd like to shake him by the shoulders, but that's the charm of him and Sebastian: he needs someone to take him out of his shell.
↬ It's perhaps because of this that one of the things that sticks in my mind most about BR is the atmosphere of it. I'm in love with the between-wars bleakness, the deft assembling and taking apart of the enclaves of the British upper classes. Not so much the Catholicism, though it does fascinate me as someone looking in from the outside.
↬ As you may have guessed, I do ship Charles/Sebastian, and I love the way their relationship exists just outside the margins, just textual enough to make it stand out in that era of literature. Charles is dreadfully passive sometimes and there are many points in the book where I'd like to shake him by the shoulders, but that's the charm of him and Sebastian: he needs someone to take him out of his shell.
[ prompt ideas ]
↬ Fix-it fic for the ending. Let Sebastian live and thrive!
↬ Missing moments anywhere throughout the book, particularly the Oxford years, the salad days, that beautifully utopian world Sebastian and Charles built around each other. Anything luxuriating in that setting!
↬ In terms of AUs: different first meetings, different time periods (modern or historical!), canon divergence, etc.
↬ This is my wildcard: a magic AU?
↬ Missing moments anywhere throughout the book, particularly the Oxford years, the salad days, that beautifully utopian world Sebastian and Charles built around each other. Anything luxuriating in that setting!
↬ In terms of AUs: different first meetings, different time periods (modern or historical!), canon divergence, etc.
↬ This is my wildcard: a magic AU?
back to contents
The Secret History [Francis Abernathy, Camilla Macaulay, Charles Macaulay, Richard Papen]
[ thoughts on canon ]
The Secret History [Francis Abernathy, Camilla Macaulay, Charles Macaulay, Richard Papen]
[ thoughts on canon ]
↬ AKA: my favourite book, like, ever. The Secret History has it all: codependency, murder, Latin... and of course, New England. But what I really love is how pretentious and clueless they all are. Very relatable to me, unfortunately.
↬ Francis Abernathy - what more can I say?
↬ Okay but seriously. I requested Francis, Richard, and the twins because I'm interested in the stuff they got up to at Hampden, but from a fic perspective I would also love to see any kind of post-canon path-crossings. (Including, maybe, references to Francis' future life in New York, as in the Goldfinch?) I'm definitely not averse to Henry and Bunny being present too, but it's these four and the consequences they have to live with that really interest me.
↬ On the shipping front, I love Francis/Richard, but I'm also interested in Richard's Big Old Crush on Charles, and to a lesser extent also Camilla. Camilla/Henry is good too!
↬ Francis Abernathy - what more can I say?
↬ Okay but seriously. I requested Francis, Richard, and the twins because I'm interested in the stuff they got up to at Hampden, but from a fic perspective I would also love to see any kind of post-canon path-crossings. (Including, maybe, references to Francis' future life in New York, as in the Goldfinch?) I'm definitely not averse to Henry and Bunny being present too, but it's these four and the consequences they have to live with that really interest me.
↬ On the shipping front, I love Francis/Richard, but I'm also interested in Richard's Big Old Crush on Charles, and to a lesser extent also Camilla. Camilla/Henry is good too!
[ prompt ideas ]
↬ Anything Francis-centric: his point of view on events, his life post-canon (maybe crossing paths with the others?), etc.
↬ Francis/Richard. What might have happened if Richard were more open to Francis' numerous advances? I'm particularly thinking of their moment on the lake. Post-canon F/R is good too!
↬ Perhaps an AU (gen or otherwise)? Different settings, whether contemporary, modern, or historical, are always fun. It might be cool to have some kind of casefic, too.
↬ Any sort of post-canon genfic featuring the four of them.
↬ Francis/Richard. What might have happened if Richard were more open to Francis' numerous advances? I'm particularly thinking of their moment on the lake. Post-canon F/R is good too!
↬ Perhaps an AU (gen or otherwise)? Different settings, whether contemporary, modern, or historical, are always fun. It might be cool to have some kind of casefic, too.
↬ Any sort of post-canon genfic featuring the four of them.
back to contents
The Southern Reach Trilogy [Whitby Allen, Charlie, The Director | The Psychologist, Saul Evans]
[ thoughts on canon ]
The Southern Reach Trilogy [Whitby Allen, Charlie, The Director | The Psychologist, Saul Evans]
[ thoughts on canon ]
↬ I know I put a spoiler warning at the top but I particularly want to reiterate it in this case. If you haven't finished the trilogy, I'm very sorry, because my prompts are all basically about Acceptance!
↬ Which like, holy shit. Acceptance!!! I'm in love with the way this book plays with time and perspective; it's just utterly immersive. I love the weird nature of Area X but I really love the fucked up internal politics of the Southern Reach and all the secrecy. (I didn't request him, but Control is actually my favourite character.)
↬ On characters, I also really really love Whitby - I'm fascinated by his whole deal, his science and terroir and what happened to him in Area X. (Which Whitby came back? Does it matter?) And also, Saul... well, let's just say I cried real tears at one point in his story.
↬ Also I think Gloria is the best fictional child, like, ever. The whole time she was on the page I was just sitting there going, my god, this is a nine year old. (I mean, her whole character is amazing, but young Gloria really stood out to me.)
↬ Which like, holy shit. Acceptance!!! I'm in love with the way this book plays with time and perspective; it's just utterly immersive. I love the weird nature of Area X but I really love the fucked up internal politics of the Southern Reach and all the secrecy. (I didn't request him, but Control is actually my favourite character.)
↬ On characters, I also really really love Whitby - I'm fascinated by his whole deal, his science and terroir and what happened to him in Area X. (Which Whitby came back? Does it matter?) And also, Saul... well, let's just say I cried real tears at one point in his story.
↬ Also I think Gloria is the best fictional child, like, ever. The whole time she was on the page I was just sitting there going, my god, this is a nine year old. (I mean, her whole character is amazing, but young Gloria really stood out to me.)
[ prompt ideas ]
↬ It's my personal theory that Charlie is the old veteran Cynthia talks to at the bar. I would love a fic that explores this, from either POV!
↬ Anything Charlie/Saul: missing moments, imagined meetings, alternate endings?
↬ Missing moments from Area X before the border came down, gen with any of Saul, Charlie, and young Gloria.
↬ Any sort of Whitby genfic! I'm particularly interested in Whitby and the Director's strange camaraderie and their experience in Area X.
↬ Anything Charlie/Saul: missing moments, imagined meetings, alternate endings?
↬ Missing moments from Area X before the border came down, gen with any of Saul, Charlie, and young Gloria.
↬ Any sort of Whitby genfic! I'm particularly interested in Whitby and the Director's strange camaraderie and their experience in Area X.
↬ I gotta be honest. I did not think I would be interested in doing fandom for Succession. I was like, oh yeah, this is a good show, I'm kind of peripherally aware of what people ship and I'm glad they're out there living their best lives! Ha... haha... then I watched season 2! Crazy how there was a whole episode devoted to making Tom/Greg canon :-)
↬ Okay but for real Succession is kind of my dream show: full of politics, fucked up family dynamics, and of course, truly, truly horrible people. Unfortunately Tom "his majesty the spinach!" Wambsgans is my favourite character by a country mile. I also stan Cousin Greg, because stanning Cousin Greg is praxis. I don't know if there are any characters I could honestly say I despise but I do need you to know: I despise all of them. I contain multitudes.
↬ I've requested Tom, Greg, and Shiv. I never quite know how to feel about Shiv (at least Nate was a regulation hottie, am I right?) but I am fascinated by her and Tom's deeply fucked up and mistrustful relationship. But also I'm shallow, and I want Tom and Greg to kiss. You know how it is.
↬ So yeah, in terms of fic, I'm really in it for the nastiness and backstabbing. The toxicity! And also, if it speaks to you, gratuitous descriptions of New York City.
↬ Okay but for real Succession is kind of my dream show: full of politics, fucked up family dynamics, and of course, truly, truly horrible people. Unfortunately Tom "his majesty the spinach!" Wambsgans is my favourite character by a country mile. I also stan Cousin Greg, because stanning Cousin Greg is praxis. I don't know if there are any characters I could honestly say I despise but I do need you to know: I despise all of them. I contain multitudes.
↬ I've requested Tom, Greg, and Shiv. I never quite know how to feel about Shiv (at least Nate was a regulation hottie, am I right?) but I am fascinated by her and Tom's deeply fucked up and mistrustful relationship. But also I'm shallow, and I want Tom and Greg to kiss. You know how it is.
↬ So yeah, in terms of fic, I'm really in it for the nastiness and backstabbing. The toxicity! And also, if it speaks to you, gratuitous descriptions of New York City.
[ prompt ideas ]
↬ I'm a fan of Tom/Greg and I want to see them get together and be mad about it afterwards. I also love genfic, if shipping is not your scene. I live for scandal and cover-up stories, or missing moments.
↬ Any sort of canon divergence AU focusing on these characters would be great. What if Tom (with Greg sprinkles) had been Logan's fall guy at the end of season 2? What if they kissed in the panic room?
↬ I've requested Shiv too because I don't want to see her sidelined in shippy fic; I'm interested in anything that explores her destructive relationship with Tom, and how their respective ambitions play off against each other.
↬ Any sort of canon divergence AU focusing on these characters would be great. What if Tom (with Greg sprinkles) had been Logan's fall guy at the end of season 2? What if they kissed in the panic room?
↬ I've requested Shiv too because I don't want to see her sidelined in shippy fic; I'm interested in anything that explores her destructive relationship with Tom, and how their respective ambitions play off against each other.